Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Lockheed Martin

LITTLETON, Colorado – That touted “space is hard” dictate may need a meaning makeover given the use of “softgoods” to fashion inflatable airlocks and habitats for future lunar and Mars exploration needs.

Here at the Waterton Canyon facility of Lockheed Martin, testing of inflatable structures that offer advantages over all-metal counterparts is underway. A pathfinder unit built for airlock applications underwent pressurization and depressurization appraisals on August 14, as witnessed by this reporter.

Under pressure! SpaceNews reporter, Leonard David (left), discusses inflatable testing with Rowan Palmer and Uy Duong of Lockheed Martin’s softgoods test team.
Image credit: Barbara David

The airlock design was put through multiple, gas-in/gas-out cycles to assess “creep” factors of its Vectran material makeup, thus understanding its operational life potential. Test engineers here have also put subscale softgoods habitat designs to the test, purposely bursting them to spotlight their robust nature.

The gas used for the inflation tests is nitrogen, taking only a few minutes to fully pressurize the unit, then becoming as rigid as steel.

Lockheed Martin is engaged in inflatable structure work as part of NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program, a public-private joint venture initiative.

Rowan Palmer, a systems engineer within the Lockheed Martin Space softgoods and habitation team, inspects airlock test unit.
Image credit: Barbara David

For more information, go to my new SpaceNews story – “With successful airlock test, Lockheed Martin invests in inflatable space structures” – at:

https://spacenews.com/successful-airlock-test-lockheed-martin-invests-inflatable-space-structures/