BEAM Opens Up For Routine Check, Air Samples In ‘Pristine’ Condition, Says NASA

BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Activiey Module - the first inflatable habitat, has been opened up for the first time at around 4:47 in the morning.  NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, along with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, entered the BEAM and checked the sensors, installed air ducts and gathered air samples to report back to Earth in its "pristine" condition. Once completing the BEAM checks, Williams and Skripochka went out and closed the hatch for the day.

The BEAM will be visited by the crew two times more until Wednesday to check the gear and the sensors. The hatch will remain attached to the International Space Station for a couple years to test its durability. The data collected will eventually inform NASA and Bigelow Aerospace, the manufacturer of the habitat, about the condition of the module and how it holds up to its space environment. According to Williams, the air in the habitat seemed fresh, though a bit cold.

BEAM was launched to the ISS via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 8. A week later, it was attached to the Tranquility module of the station. The module was built to remain compact on a launch and then expand in the space to give more interior room for the astronauts, allowing them to move around. When fully inflated, the BEAM expands to 565 cubic feet of internal space, against its127 cubic feet when deflated.

According to reports, expanding the module to its full capacity has taken a bit longer than expected. NASA attempted to inflate the BEAM on May 26 for the first time, but it failed. The habitat did not reach its full capacity due to high friction forces between the module's fabrics. But after NASA's second attempt, BEAM expanded as planned, The Verge reported.

Meanwhile, the other crew of Expedition 47 went on with their human research studies that will help astronauts in space as well as people on Earth. British astronaut Tim Peake probed about how astronauts adjust to tasks that need detailed procedures and high concentration.   In addition, Williams collected biological samples for analysis and stowage for Multi-Omics study that examines the immune system, according to Space Flight Insider.