An artist’s rendition of the expanded BEAM module which will endure two years’ worth of exposure and monitoring in the hostile environment of space. NASA PHOTO
Astronaut Jeff Williams is set to enter the first human-rated expandable module deployed in space called Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on June 6, 2016, according to a report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on its website.
The moment of his entry marks the start of a two-year-long data collection process where astronauts will monitor how the expandable module stands up to the thermal environment of space, radiation, micrometeoroids and orbital debris. Already, BEAM has provided valuable information as to how soft objects interact during the expansion process.
Expandable habitats are designed to take up less space upon launch but provide a greater volume of living and working space once expanded. At launch, the module measured 7 feet long and under 7.75 feet in diameter. Now it measures 13 feet long and 10.5 feet in diameter.