--- title: "Space Startup Blows Up Another Giant Inflatable Space Station Module" description: "Space startup Sierra Space has blown up its third inflatable space station module at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama." date: "2023-02-04" modified: "2023-02-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-startup-blows-up-another-giant-inflatable-space-station-module" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "blue origin" - "sierra space" - "the digest" --- # Space Startup Blows Up Another Giant Inflatable Space Station Module ![Space startup Sierra Space has blown up its third inflatable space station module at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.]() *\Image: Sierra Space\* ## Boom! Space startup Sierra Space [has blown up]() its third inflatable space station module at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, a violent event caught in an epic slow-motion video. The goal was to stress test a new habitat design for the eventual — and entirely commercial —replacement of the International Space Station, the [Orbital Reef]() station, an ambitious concept spearheaded by Blue Origin. The LIFE Habitat module underwent its third stress test to demonstrate that it can pass NASA's certification requirements and house human visitors for prolonged periods of time. A [video]() put together by Sierra Space shows the structure slowly inflating before abruptly tearing itself into shreds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGcdrxB2Qow ## Bang! The module is made out of a specially woven fabric that becomes incredibly rigid when pressurized, which makes it an ideal candidate for making up the hull of a future space habitat. The scaled-down model was able to withstand intense pressures for over 150 hours, which is well above NASA's prescribed target of 100 hours. "Based on data from this first subscale creep test, we well exceeded the on-orbit mission performance requirement of 60 years for inflatable structures within our current architecture," LIFE chief engineer Shawn Buckley said in a [statement](). ## Live and Work in Space Sierra Space has already successfully [blown up two other space habitats]() during burst pressure tests last year. "LIFE Habitat represents the essential technology developments needed to one day enable humans to live and work in space," said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice in a [statement](). "These results will propel us in 2023 as we mature the technology via full-scale development and continue toward full NASA certification." The startup is hoping to eventually construct a three-story commercial habitation that can also serve as a science platform, an important segme**nt** of Blue Origin's planned Orbital Reef station. Despite these early successes, however, both companies have their work set out before the new station can start welcoming astronauts. **READ MORE:** [Kapow! Inflatable space station module blows to pieces in video explosion]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Sierra Space:** *[Experimental Inflatable Space Station Segment Explodes Violently]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()