NASA Slowly Inflating New Room at Space Station on 2nd Try

Source: Associated Press

NASA Slowly Inflating New Room at Space Station on 2nd Try

By MARCIA DUNN, AP AEROSPACE WRITER CAPE CANVERAL, Fla. — May 28, 2016, 10:41 AM ET

NASA slowly inflated a new experimental room at the International Space Station on Saturday, with better luck than the first try two days earlier.

Astronaut Jeffrey Williams opened a valve and introduced 22 seconds' worth of air into the compartment, then several more seconds in brief bursts. Mission Control reported noticeable growth in the structure, the first of its kind for space fliers.

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, barely expanded during Thursday's inflation attempt. Experts believe the soft-sided compartment was packed up tight for so long before last month's launch that the fabric layers had trouble unfolding.

Pressure inside the chamber was relieved Friday to ease the friction among the multiple layers. That should allow it to stretch to its full 13 feet in length and 10 ½ feet in diameter — the volume equivalent to a small bedroom.

This time, Williams heard popping noises as pressure built up inside BEAM — like popcorn in a frying pan. That's actually good news; officials said it was the sound of internal straps releasing as the pod gained up to a foot or so in both length and girth.

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