NASA Successfully Inflates New Space Station Room

[Purveyor]

Last edited Sat May 28, 2016, 11:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Associated Press

CAPE CANVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA successfully inflated a new experimental room at the International Space Station on Saturday, producing the world's first pump-it-up compartment for astronauts.

The operation took much longer than expected, stretching over three days in all. But victory, when it came, was sweet.

"A significant milestone has been accomplished," Bigelow Aerospace, the inflatable chamber's creator, cheered via Twitter.

Astronaut Jeffrey Williams spent seven hours Saturday opening and closing an air valve to expand the compartment. Enough air finally seeped inside so that the puffy white pod could stretch to its full 13 feet in length and 10 ½ feet in diameter — the volume equivalent to a small bedroom. Internal air tanks provided the final pressurization to complete the job.



Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/935882607cc643709e75d52154d1f3b5/nasa-tries-again-inflate-new-room-space-station

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Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop magic treat...as much fun to make as it is to eat!!!



Good job done...

[msongs]

1. when rocks/space debris hit it going 10,000 mph what happens then?

[bluedigger]

2. They go right through it, just like the rest of the space station.

The question in both cases becomes "How fast can you patch it?"

[Quackers]

4. Jinx! Lol

So close but you beat me.

[Major Nikon]

5. The ISS has numerous types of shielding for space debris

It's not uncommon that it gets hit with small pieces of junk. Most never penetrates.

[Quackers]

3. The same thing that happens when rocks hit the rest of the station at 10,000mph.

That rock is going through no matter what.

[askeptic]

13. Actually made of a Kevlar-type material and more resistant than rest of ISS

I was just recently at Cape Canaveral, and there is a lot of excitement about this for going to Mars.

[Cassiopeia]

6. A valuable test.

The first attempt was stopped short due to improper inflating. The reason is believed to be with the duration the room was packed before deployment.

This was an important test for equipment that would need to be deployed years after packing date.

[TeamPooka]

7. Who wants to be first to go in the bag without a spacesuit?

[Major Nikon]

9. Captain Otto

[byronius]

8. Excellent. I hope it passes the two year test.

Maybe future starships won't be smooth tritanium disks with nacelles attached. Maybe they'll be big clusters of bags.

Whatever works.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. OMG DUzy for the Jiffy Pop!