BEAM – Page 4 – Space Station

BEAM Has Begun Expanding

At 9:04 a.m. EDT, NASA Astronaut Jeff Williams began introducing air into the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) in a 22-second burst followed by an 8-second burst at 9:13 a.m. The teams are allowing the module to stabilize and expand in between bursts.

Flight controllers monitoring the operation have confirmed some expansion of the module both in length and diameter.

NASA Television coverage from Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston continues and can be viewed at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about BEAM, visit: www.nasa.gov/beam. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station. For additional live coverage of expansion, follow @Space_Station on Twitter.

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module Expansion Underway

BEAM Installation — This computer rendering depicts the installation of BEAM on the Tranquility module using the Canadarm2. Credit: NASA

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace is making a second attempt this morning to expand the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), currently attached to the International Space Station. NASA Television coverage is underway and can be seen at https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

During initial operations Thursday to expand BEAM, the module’s length and diameter did not increase with the increased internal pressure, as expected. Teams stood down from operations for the day and engineers depressurized the habitat Friday afternoon.

NASA astronaut Jeff Williams again is leading operations to expand the module while they are in position to work in the sunlight and with downlink television capability for flight controllers to monitor the expansion.

Expandable habitats are designed to take up less room on a spacecraft, but provide greater volume for living and working in space once expanded. This first test of an expandable module will allow investigators to gauge how well the habitat performs and specifically, how well it protects against solar radiation, space debris and the temperature extremes of space.

BEAM Media Teleconference Rescheduled for 2 P.M. EDT

BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, is depicted in its expanded configuration in this computer rendering.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace have rescheduled their media teleconference for today from noon EDT to 2 p.m. to discuss the status of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). Engineering teams monitored the module overnight for structural changes after attempts to fully expand the module yesterday were unsuccessful. They have been meeting throughout the morning to discuss the next steps.

With the exception of the change in time, call-in details remain the same for any reporters who have already registered to participate. To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Cheryl Warner at cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov or Tabatha Thompson at tabatha.t.thompson@nasa.gov, or call 202-358-1100 for call details. The teleconference will stream live at www.nasa.gov/newsaudio.

BEAM is a technology demonstration from which we will learn more about how these types of habitats will perform in a microgravity environment.

For more information about BEAM, visit: www.nasa.gov/beam. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace to Discuss BEAM Friday

Canadarm2 Installs BEAM — The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was installed to the International Space Station on April 16, 2016 using the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace are continuing to evaluate why the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) did not fully expand today as planned and will not attempt to complete the module’s expansion on Friday. Engineering teams will monitor the module overnight for structural changes that could result in either larger volume or lower internal pressure before meeting on Friday morning to discuss options moving forward. Ground teams will look for any changes in the module’s shape following the conclusion of Thursday’s operations and the station crew will take additional pressure readings. Crew members aboard the International Space Station are safe, and both BEAM and the space station are in a stable configuration.

During about two hours of expansion, BEAM’s length and diameter did not increase as expected with the increased internal pressure, and teams decided to stand down from operations for the day.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace will host a media teleconference Friday, May 27 at 12 p.m. EDT to discuss BEAM. To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Cheryl Warner at cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov or Tabatha Thompson at tabatha.t.thompson@nasa.gov or call 202-358-1100. The teleconference will stream live at www.nasa.gov/newsaudio.

BEAM is a technology demonstration from which we will learn more about how these types of habitats will perform in a microgravity environment.

For more information about BEAM, visit: www.nasa.gov/beam. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace Analyzing BEAM Status

BEAM Module Attached to Tranquility — The unexpanded BEAM is seen attached to the Tranquility module. Credit: NASA TV

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace are working closely to understand why the module did not fully expand today as planned. Engineers are meeting at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss a path forward for the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). They are evaluating data from the expansion that has occurred thus far. If the data supports a resumption of operations, another attempt to complete the module’s expansion could come as early as tomorrow.

With the team focused on analyzing BEAM’s status, a previously scheduled teleconference for Thursday, May 26 at 10 a.m. EDT has been postponed until we have more information available to share. NASA will send an updated media advisory when the next step for BEAM operations is decided upon.

BEAM is a technology demonstration from which we will learn more about how these types of habitats will perform in a microgravity environment.

BEAM is an example of NASA’s increased commitment to partnering with industry to enable the growth of the commercial use of space. The project is co-sponsored by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division and Bigelow Aerospace.

For more information about BEAM, visit: www.nasa.gov/beam. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

BEAM Expansion Terminated for the Day

Efforts to expand the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) were terminated for the day after several hours of attempts to introduce air into the module. Flight controllers informed NASA astronaut Jeff Williams that BEAM had only expanded a few inches in both length and diameter at the time the operation ceased for the day. Engineers are meeting to determine a forward course of action, with the possibility that another attempt could be made as early as Friday morning.

For more information about BEAM, visit: www.nasa.gov/beam. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

Station Gets Ready for BEAM Expansion

The Expedition 47 crew is getting a new module recently attached to the Tranquility module ready for expansion later this week. The International Space Station residents are also running experiments today exploring a wide variety of phenomena and checking station gear.

BEAM, or the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, is scheduled to expand to full pressurized volume Thursday morning. In preparation, the crew is installing computer cables, checking connections and verifying hardware prior to BEAM deployment. NASA TV will televise the BEAM expansion activities live. Crew entry into the new module is scheduled for next week but will not be televised.

The Rodent Research-3 (RR-3) experiment was completed last week and the astronauts are cleaning up and inventorying the gear today. During the wrap up work, the crew also collected station air and astronaut breath samples for the Marrow bone study sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency.

Some of the station hardware that helps run and monitor equipment and experiments is getting new gear and upgrades. The Microgravity Science Glovebox, which housed the RR-3 activities last week, is being prepared for video equipment upgrades. A new laptop computer is being loaded with software to demonstrate control of station assets from both the orbital lab and the ground.

New Gear Readied for Advanced Space Science

The International Space Station crew is getting the orbital laboratory ready this week for a wide variety of advanced space science. The station also received a new module that will be expanded in late May for two years of habitability tests.

The Expedition 47 crew members are starting the work week setting up hardware for a pair of experiments exploring space physics and human research. A specialized microscope was configured for a study researching how particles behave at nanoscales potentially improving drug delivery and filtration technologies. After hardware checkouts and tests, the crew will also study the linkage between DNA alterations and weakened immune systems caused by long-term space missions.

The Electromagnetic Levitator, a facility that studies materials processing, will have a cable replaced and have its limit parameters reprogrammed. The Japanese Kibo laboratory module is being outfitted with new gear to extend its external research capability. The robotic installation work will enable payloads exposed to the vacuum of space to be moved and accessed with greater ease.

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, BEAM, was successfully installed Saturday morning. Ground controllers operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm and extracted BEAM from the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship and installed it to the Tranquility module.

BEAM Successfully Installed to the International Space Station

Following extraction from Dragon, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was installed to the International Space Station at 5:36 a.m. EDT. At the time of installation, the space station was flying over the Southern Pacific Ocean. It will remain attached to station for two-year test period.

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, is attached to the International Space Station early on April 16, 2016.

NASA is investigating concepts for habitats that can keep astronauts healthy during space exploration. Expandable habitats are one such concept under consideration – they require less payload volume on the rocket than traditional rigid structures, and expand after being deployed in space to provide additional room for astronauts to live and work inside. BEAM will be the first test of such a module attached to the space station. It will allow investigators to gauge how well it performs overall, and how it protects against solar radiation, space debris and the temperature extremes of space.

In late May, BEAM will be filled with air and expanded to its full size. Astronauts will enter BEAM on an occasional basis to conduct tests to validate the module’s overall performance and the capability of expandable habitats. After the testing period is completed, BEAM will be released from the space station to eventually burn up harmlessly in the Earth’s atmosphere.