NASA's BEAM Module Failed To Inflate, Organization To Try Again

After a failed attempt to inflate an experimental habitat Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on Saturday, NASA is planning on doing so again.

After the snag that failed to inflate the beam, data analysis from the space agency and Bigelow Aerospace (the company that created BEAM) believe the module to be in good health.

Teams monitored @BigelowSpace’s Expandable Activity Module overnight; additional expansion & lower pressure seen. pic.twitter.com/sqSb6luDzY

— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2016

According to CNN, NASA has been exploring tech to help it travel deeper in space. The expressed interest in expandable equipment like BEAM is due to its lighter and ore compacts material compared to metal structures that have traditionally been sent to orbit. As The Daily Mail noted, these lightweight, expandable materials are ideal because they carry minimal weight.

So why did BEAM inflation fail?

The module that was added to the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket payload may have been packed up longer than expected, so fabric friction took on its toll. The fabric-like material of BEAM was compressed, which changed the way that the material behaved in space, making it more rigid in the process.

Bigelow engineer Lisa Kauke said during a teleconference, "The impact of the compression affected the layers. Layers have a memory to them. The longer they are packed the longer it takes for the materials to relax."

Although the BEAM is the first of the habitats tested on the ISS, NASA thinks these could be key in helping humans to their journey to Mars.

NASA and Bigelow Aerospace decided to stop inflating the habitat, which when expanded would be the size of a small bedroom. This is to ensure that no damage will be done to the space station during the process.

However, both organizations saw some god signs and the BEAM still seems pressurized, or at least gaining its elasticity back. NASA announced that it will try to inflate the structure again on saturday and will broadcast live on NASA TV at 8:45 AM ET.

Scientists shared, "We are confident that it will be expandable at some time. There's no reason to believe BEAM is at risk. There's a lot of valuable data here. We're probably being overtly cautious."