The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is a revolution in space flight

Astronauts in the ISS will soon get their first ever inflatable room up there in space. Blow-up air mattresses will be a thing of the pat as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) takes over. It will be the first inflatable habitat to get attached to the International Space Station (ISS) and it is scheduled to launch by an unmanned SpaceX rocket.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 8 April 2016.

In the age of mission to Moon, Mars and distant planets, expendables like BEAM (also known as 'inflatables') will be useful because they are lightweight and take up minimal space on a rocket, they expand after being deployed in space and provide a comfortable area for astronauts to live and work. The first BEAM will remain there for two years.
The unmanned SpaceX Falcon rocket will carry a capsule full of supplies with the pioneering pod in its trunk. Bigelow Aerospace who is behind the experiment will get a ride to the International Space Station (ISS) with another private space company.
The inflatable pod demo is the first step towards paving the way for moon bases and Mars expeditions, as well as orbiting outposts that will cater to scientists and tourists in just a few more years.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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