The US space company Sierra Space has developed a new type of space station that can be transported into space in a very space-saving manner. The technology has now passed a NASA safety test with flying colors:
The ‘Large Integrated Flexible Environment’, or ‘LIFE’ for short, aims to revolutionize space travel. The current module, LIFE 1.0, can be transported on a launch vehicle only five meters long. Once it reaches its destination, orbiting Earth, it can be blown up there. With a length of six meters and a diameter of nine meters, it has a volume of 285 cubic meters. Three of these modules are already larger than the International Space Station. And today, it usually takes at least ten to fifteen rocket launches to carry a space station of this size. The already planned LIFE 3.0 module will one day have a volume of 1,440 m2 with the same technology3 to have. This would allow a space station larger than the ISS to be transported into space with just one rocket launch.
Resistance tested successfully
The LIFE 1.0 module has now successfully undergone a resistance test according to NASA standards. It exploded, but that’s not a failure. The ‘Ultimate Burst Pressure Test’ was intended to investigate how much pressure the module can withstand. It exceeded NASA’s requirements by 27 percent; it only exploded at 77 PSI or 5.3 bar. And information can now also be extracted from this explosion, says Sierra Space. According to the space company, the module will be put into use from 2030.
The fact that the module is so stable is also due to the construction materials. The cover consists of so-called expandable soft goods, i.e. woven materials. In concrete terms, Vectran tires are used, among other things. According to Sierra Space, this material is more stable than steel when blasted into space. (lso)
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Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
