SpaceX Tuesday...

[MartG]

BEAM seems to be doing better today



Live on NASA TV

[Eric Mc]

All I'm seeing is an interview with a Japanese astronaut.

[MartG]

Back at about 15:30 - they're in a Ku band video blackout until then

[Eric Mc]

Watching now - thanks.

I was reading that they think the initial attempt stalled because the material had stuck itself together having been in a compressed state for over a year.

[Eric Mc]

What's that small object floating to the right of BEAM?

[CrutyRammers]

p1stonhead said:

They need to come up with something new. All of these perfect landings are getting boring

This video however is fking mind blowing.

https://youtu.be/4jEz03Z8azc

Edited by p1stonhead on Saturday 28th May 07:30

Wowzers.

[RoadRunner220]

p1stonhead said:

They need to come up with something new. All of these perfect landings are getting boring

This video however is fking mind blowing.

https://youtu.be/4jEz03Z8azc

Absolutely incredible.

[Beati Dogu]

Here's a time lapse of the BEAM module being expanded:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aciRYFKdaRU

It looks like a mushroom growing. A 4 metre long space mushroom.

This is basically a prototype of possible future space habitation. It'll be attached to the ISS for a couple of years while they test it, then jettisoned to burn up in the atmosphere.

http://www.nasa.gov/content/bigelow-expandable-act...

[MartG]

Beati Dogu said:

.... then jettisoned to burn up in the atmosphere.

A pity they can't think of a use for it and leave it attached - seems a bit of a waste

[Beati Dogu]

The astronauts could use it to grow weed.

[MartG]

Even if they just used it for storage - surely better than just dumping a few million $ worth of hardware

[RobDickinson]

Its NASA, if they keep it it means they cant order a replacement from a congressionally approved local industry for more than the first one cost...

[Beati Dogu]

"Transhab" as it was originally known, started out as a NASA project, but congress axed it in 2000 for budgetary reasons (ironically the cost of ISS being a factor). Bigelow Aerospace took up the idea of inflatable space habitation and ran with it. The owner, Robert Bigelow, is a property magnate and he's got eyes on ultimately using this technology for the first commercial space station / space hotel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigelow_Commercial_S...

So, NASA gets to have its project on the cheap (about $20 million), Bigelow Aerospace get lots of data to work with and very likely SpaceX will have a role in taking men and material up any new space station.

[Eric Mc]

They won't use this module for practical purposes because it's a test item and it needs to be untouched and observed to see how exposure to the space environment affects it. If they started using it on a day to day basis it would mess up the tests.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

They won't use this module for practical purposes because it's a test item and it needs to be untouched and observed to see how exposure to the space environment affects it. If they started using it on a day to day basis it would mess up the tests.

OK if they were planning to return it to Earth for post-flight analysis, but as I understand it after the two year experimental phase it will simply be de-orbited. My point is that, after the experiment is over, why waste it ?

[0000]

At a guess, they'll dock something else there more valuable than a bit more storage space?

[Caruso]

MartG said:

OK if they were planning to return it to Earth for post-flight analysis, but as I understand it after the two year experimental phase it will simply be de-orbited. My point is that, after the experiment is over, why waste it ?

There's a cost to keeping it up there even if it's doing nothing - more drag, more weight and hence more fuel required to reboost the ISS orbit each time. Also, the rest of the station is certified for continued flight by the manufacturers. Whereas I'm guessing BEAM isn't. I hope at least they pack it with trash before de-orbiting.

[Eric Mc]

And it's also taking up a useful docking port.

The astronauts will enter it, once it is safe to do so. They are planning on fitting a set of temporary lights so they can see what it looks like inside and they will be venturing in from time to time to check its physical condition.

[Flooble]

Eric Mc said:

And it's also taking up a useful docking port.

The astronauts will enter it, once it is safe to do so. They are planning on fitting a set of temporary lights so they can see what it looks like inside and they will be venturing in from time to time to check its physical condition.

I wonder what sort of temporary lights the astronauts are planning? Space Disco :-)

[Eric Mc]

Candles?