Sierra Space conducts creep test for inflatable space station module; exceeds NASA certification requirements

 

Video Credit: YouTube/Sierra Space

Sierra Space's LIFE Habitat (Large Integrated Flexible Environment), a three-story, commercial habitation and science platform designed to allow humans to live and work comfortably in low-Earth orbit and beyond, recently completed a third stress test and this time the inflatable module exceeded NASA certification requirements for sustaining human life in space for long periods of time.

The Accelerated Systematic Creep Test is a destructive materials testing method by which test engineers load the test unit, a subscale version of the inflatable habitat, with a sustained amount of pressure over time until it fails. The soft goods inner pressure shell of the unit exploded after over 150 hours, exceeding NASA's short-term, recommended creep duration target of 100 hours.

The recent Creep Test, part of Sierra Space's LIFE softgoods certification, was conducted at a climate-controlled, disposable building designed by NASA. The two previous tests were conducted in July and November 2022 as part of NASA's NextSTEP program Appendix A Habitat Systems contract.

"LIFE Habitat represents the essential technology developments needed to one day enable humans to live and work in space. Habitat units are a key element in Sierra Space's platform in space, and this crucial milestone illustrates that our team has exceeded programmatic requirements that validate critical aspects of the LIFE Habitat design. These results will propel us in 2023 as we mature the technology via full-scale development and continue toward full NASA certification," said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice.

Stress tests on full-scale LIFE Habitat units will begin later this year.

In collaboration with Sierra Space and ILC Dover, teams at Marshall conducted a Creep Test that demonstrated an inflatable structure’s capability for sustaining human life in space for long periods of time by using a sustained amount of pressure over time until the unit burst. pic.twitter.com/veNAwnw26m

— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) February 6, 2023