NASA astronauts enter first inflatable habitat in space
The room — called the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM — arrived at the International Space Station in April, packed in the trunk of a capsule loaded with supplies. NASA wants to make certain the multilayered BEAM — an experiment led by Bigelow Aerospace — can withstand wide temperature fluctuations, radiation and debris impacts over time. Bigelow, based in North Las Vegas is developing even bigger and better inflatable habitats for space travel. [...] BEAM, the company founded by hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow had flown only a pair of inflatable satellites in orbit for testing. Inflatable spacecraft are lighter and more compact for launch than the traditional metal housing for astronauts, yet provide roomier living quarters once expanded.