Watch a space station habitat prototype pop like water balloon

Date:
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
Believe it or not, 'kaboom' was the intended outcome. Sierra Space/YouTube
The makers plan to supply habitats to a Blue Origins NASA-backed space
station project. The post Watch a space station habitat prototype pop like water balloon appeared first on Popular Science .

FULL STORY ======================================================================
Believe it or not, 'kaboom' was the intended outcome. Sierra Space/YouTube

At first glance, everything seems solid. Then, a small rip begins to spread across the middle of the structure as its siding expands. The module suddenly bursts apart, spraying debris in every direction as engineers cheer on from the safety of their control room. The sudden destructionand the fifth such explosionof a module intended for the International Space Station s successor may not sound like the desired outcome, but, scientists say, its all part of the plan.

In Sierra Spaces September 20 progress update , the Colorado-based company released video of the explosion. The company aims to supply habitat spaces
for Orbital Reef , Blue Origin s NASA-backed space station project. During a recent Ultimate Burst Pressure (UPB) test, the engineering team essentially amped up the pressure within a one-third-scale LIFE module prototype until it popped. Said pop is certainly a sight to behold:

Unlike ISS construction materials, the LIFE modules are largely composed of softgoods such as Vectran, an incredibly strong and durable synthetic fiber spun from liquid-crystal polymers. When inflated, the LIFE modules softgood design becomes rigid enough to withstand the low-earth orbits extreme environmental stresses. According to Sierra Space, the latest results offered a 33 percent margin over a full-scale LIFE modules certification standard, nearly 20 percent better than the previous test design.

What makes the most recent UPB test especially impressive is that it was the first module prototype to include a steel blanking plate that acted as a cheaper stand-in for essential design features like windows.

[Related: NASA is spending big on commercial space destinations .]

Inclusion of the blanking plate hard structure was a game-changer because
this was the first time that we infused metallics into our softgoods pressure shell technology prior to conducting a UBP test, Shawn Buckley, Sierra Spaces Senior Director Engineering and Product Evolution, said in the companys announcement . With this added component, once again, we successfully demonstrated that LIFEs current architecture at one-third scale meets the minimum 4x safety factor required for softgoods inflatables structures.

As Space.com notes, this marks the third UPB test for the module prototypes. Sierra Space has also overseen two creep tests in December 2022 and February 2023, during which the LIFE designs were subjected to higher-than-usual pressures for extended periods of time. With the latest success, Sierra Space says its now ready to move onto the next development phasetesting on full-scale LIFE module prototypes. If all goes as planned (a big if, given such endeavors complexities), future LIFE module iterations will be some of Orbital Reefs central structures. Orbital Reef is currently intended to start construction in 2030.

The post Watch a space station habitat prototype pop like water balloon appeared first on Popular Science . Articles may contain affiliate links
which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.



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Link to news story:
https://www.popsci.com/technology/sierra-space-module-test/


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