It’s inevitable. Testing of spaceflight hardware sometimes results in explosive results.
In probably the most recent example, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin recently accomplished a successful burst test of the corporate’s sub-scale inflatable space module. The test was conducted at Lockheed’s facility in Denver, Colorado, on June 14, on the identical test stand used for the historic Titan rocket.
Before it exploded, the inflatable module reached a pressure of 253 psi, roughly six times greater than the module’s rated operating pressure. This was the second such burst test Lockheed Martin has performed on its inflatable space habitat technology. The identical procedure was conducted on an identical module in December of last yr. The consequence of this second test validates the outcomes measured in the primary, and allows Lockheed to proceed with further development for his or her full-scale designs.
Related: Under pressure! Watch a Lockheed Martin inflatable space habitat explode (video)
One “surprising difference” the corporate noted between the primary test and probably the most recent was the unexpected launching of the module’s test stand, which broke free from its confinements and was thrown into the air when the habitat burst. A Lockheed statement praised the occurrence, saying it demonstrated “just how much energy this inflatable structure is in a position to contain.”
The corporate’s inflatable habitat concept is being developed as a component of NASA’s NextSTEP program, which goals to advance technologies that enable prolonged human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). NASA’s Artemis program will send a crewed mission across the moon in late 2024 on Artemis 2, and a crewed mission to the lunar surface on Artemis 3, in 2025.
While those missions are epic feats of their very own, the space agency is actually using those as stepping stones to construct a everlasting presence in orbit across the moon and on the surface, which can in turn help develop the technologies needed for future excursions to Mars.
Inflatable habitats just like the one Lockheed is creating are perfect for space infrastructure due to their lightweight and initial small size. For any launch to space, weight is critical. The lighter any particular payload, the better it’s to physically break free from Earth’s orbit. Quite than lugging heavy, rigid units to orbit, like nearly all of habitats used to construct the International Space Station (ISS), the small, easily transportable versatility of inflatable modules offers a cheap and more efficient answer to constructing large-scale structures in space.
“Testing on the system level is among the finest methods to prove out our design and manufacturing techniques, while providing 1000’s of critical data points for improvements and updates as we develop the technology,” Lockheed Martin senior systems engineer Jonathan Markcity said within the statement. Lockheed engineers constructed the soft portion of the subscale inflatable inside an 8-week timeframe, while manufacturing the remainder of the module completely in-house.
Now that Lockheed Martin accomplished its second subscale burst test, the corporate must validate the duration of the structure’s operational capabilities. From there, Lockheed will move to full-scale burst tests and incorporate other essential components like hatches, windows and other life-support materials.