Inflatable space hotel to be tested by space station crew

The International Space Station is about to get a new room – but first the crew will have to blow it up. Later this week, the ISS will take delivery of its first additional module since 2011. But unlike the rest of the station, which is built from hulking great aluminium cans, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) will be carried to orbit folded neatly inside a SpaceX cargo capsule. BEAM was developed by Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The module is made from soft, foldable fabric that nonetheless holds up to the harshness of space – the exact material is a commercial secret. More

(Source: New Scientist - Apr 6)