Sierra Space has successfully conducted extreme tests of its Life space module (Large Integrated Flexible Environment), demonstrating its stability in space. The tests, known as “Ultimate Burst Pressure” (UBP), subjected the module to a pressure of 77 pounds per square inch (PSI), which exceeds the recommended NASA level of 60.8 PSI. This pressure is four times higher than the usual working pressure. The results prove the module’s durability and suitability for space exploration.
The tested sample of the Life module was one-third the size of the International Space Station (ISS) and could fit into a standard missile fairing with a diameter of five meters. In comparison, the version of the module with a volume of 1,400 cubic meters, which will fit into Blue Origin’s New Glenn missile’s seven-meter fairing, will surpass the size of the ISS for a single launch.
In 2016, the ISS successfully attached the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), an inflatable module that is currently used for storage. However, the new Life module is significantly larger.
Sierra Space plans to conduct a series of tests in 2024, including tests on both partial and full-scale models. These tests will focus on developing the module’s atmospheric barriers and layers of protection against micrometeorites and space debris. The company aims to apply its technologies in collaboration with Blue Origin on Orbital Reef, a proposed commercial space station in low Earth orbit.
During the UBP test, the Life module shell, including Vectran belts, received special attention. According to Sierra Space representatives, Vectran demonstrated increased strength when inflated in orbit, providing a high level of safety under pressure.
Although the test encountered a minor leak attributed to a problematic valve rather than the sample itself, the issue was successfully resolved, and the team continued the inflation process until the sample eventually burst.
In addition to its Life module project, Sierra Space is known for its Dream Chaser spacecraft, a winged cargo vehicle capable of delivering goods to the ISS and returning to Earth using a runway. The first ship of this series, Tenatic, is scheduled for launch on the Vulcan Centaur rocket later this year. Sierra Space CEO Tom Weiss emphasizes the company’s commitment to improving space exploration and states, “We are not striving to leave the land; we are a company committed to our house and its improvement.”