Astronaut to Enter BEAM, the First Expandable Module in Space

Sending and inflating the first expandable and habitable module in space was not an easy task. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on April 16. It was delivered to space aboard the SpaceX cargo space shuttle.

BEAM was finally inflated last May 28 after a failed attempt on May 26. After all the technicalities surpassed by the module, an astronaut will finally set foot inside BEAM.

NASA announced that astronaut Jeff Williams is about to enter the inflatable module, a monumental event for the agency and the private commercial space service companies. On June 6, Williams will step inside BEAM. This eventful step, according to NASA, aims to expand the frontiers of habitats for space.

Indeed, the inflatable module by Bigelow Aerospace, if proven strong and effective, will change the way astronauts live in space. It is lightweight to deploy and can be expanded just like a balloon. The module's technology is being developed for deep space explorations and low-Earth orbit applications.

Williams' first step inside the 3,000-pound BEAM will signal the start of the module's two-year experimental period in space. During the two-year deployment, it will collect data from space. Williams will take the air sample from the module and install instruments for data gathering purposes.

"He will then install sensors... for the project's primary task of gathering data on how an expandable habitat performs in the thermal environment of space, and how it reacts to radiation, micrometeoroids, and orbital debris, off limits," said Mark Garcia of NASA in a statement.

Although BEAM provides additional working space for astronauts aboard the ISS, it will be off-limits to the crew and will only be accessed several times a year, according to TechTimes.

BEAM will also be independent from the rest of the space station, the crew is expected to enter the module for three to four times each year to collect temperature, pressure and radiation data.

BEAM is scheduled for re-entry in 2018.