All Rights Reserved, NASA reveals 3D printing of radiation shields on Bigelow Expandable Activity Module. [42], In a 2002 NASA study, it was suggested that materials that have high hydrogen contents, such as polyethylene, can reduce primary and secondary radiation to a greater extent than metals, such as aluminum. Over the last 15 months, the Additive Manufacturing Facility has been leveraged to produce an array of parts, tools, devices and multi-part assemblies for use on the ISS.

[45][42] The hatch to the module will otherwise remain closed. NASA, the United States federal government’s space exploration division, has revealed it is using Made In Space’s Additive Manufacturing Facility 3D print radiation shields. It arrived at the ISS on April 10, 2016, was berthed to the station on April 16, and was expanded and pressurized on May 28, 2016. One application of the toroidal BEAM design was as a centrifuge demo preceding further developments of the NASA Nautilus-X multi-mission exploration concept vehicle. Additionally, BEAM provides a degree of protection from solar and cosmic radiation, space debris and other elements of the space environment. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. [40] The two-year demonstration period will: [39][41], BEAM is composed of two metal bulkheads, an aluminum structure, and multiple layers of soft fabric with spacing between layers, protecting an internal restraint and bladder system;[42] it has neither windows nor internal power. The shield, the white hemispherical shape at the centre of the photograph, is shown above inside the BEAM module. [35] The ISS crew began work in November 2017 to prepare BEAM for use as storage space. 1899 West Brooks Ave. North Las Vegas, NV 89032. [48][49] The multiple layers of flexible fabric and closed-cell vinyl polymer foam[50] in the BEAM structural shell are expected to provide impact protection (see Whipple shield) as well as radiation protection, but model calculations need to be validated by actual measurements. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station 3-D printed a shield to cover one of the two Radiation Environment Monitors inside the BEAM. It arrived at the ISS on April 10, 2016,[5] was berthed to the station on April 16, and was expanded and pressurized on May 28, 2016. This week, NASA published an update as the BEAM reached the halfway point of its planned two-year demo. As per their agreement, Made In Space have ownership of the 3D printing platform, while NASA, among other commercial customers, use it as a service. The module will be used to store up to 130 cargo transfer bags to make available space aboard the station. [25] The module was expanded on May 28 over the course of seven hours, with air being injected 25 times for a total of 2 minutes 27 seconds. “In deep space, expandable structures have the potential to provide better protection against secondary radiation than traditional aluminum structures.” [52], In 2013, Bigelow mentioned a concept to build a second BEAM module for use as an airlock on its planned Bigelow Commercial Space Station. Early results from monitors inside the module have shown that galactic cosmic radiation levels are comparable to those in the rest of the space station.

The radiation shields are the latest in a growing list of applications. A contract extension will be required to allow BEAM to serve its extended operational lifetime. The BEAM will be launched to the space station later this year. [4] The module has a mass of 1,413.0 kg (3,115.1 lb),[3] and its interior pressure is 101.4 kPa (14.7 psi; 1.0 atm), the same as inside of the ISS. The BEAM will be launched to the space station later this year. Demonstrate design performance of commercial inflatable structure like thermal, structural, mechanical durability, long term leak performance, etc. [37], At the end of BEAM's mission, it will be removed from the ISS and burn up during reentry. [30][31] A second round of tests took place on September 29 of that same year when astronaut Kathleen Rubins entered the module to install temporary monitoring equipment. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is an experimental expandable space station module developed by Bigelow Aerospace, under contract to NASA, for testing as a temporary module on the International Space Station (ISS) from 2016 to at least 2020. [36], In July 2019, an engineering assessment certified BEAM's ability to remain attached to the station until 2028, as it has exceeded performance expectations and become a core cargo storage module on the volume-constrained station. [39] If BEAM performs favorably, it could lead to development of expandable habitation structures for future crews traveling in deep space. [25] The attempt was terminated after two hours. Demonstrate safe deployment and operation of an inflatable structure in a flight mission. The radiation shields are being used to cover one of two Radiation Environment Monitors inside NASA’s Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). [33][34], In October 2017, it was announced that the module would stay attached to the ISS until 2020, with options for two further one-year extensions. [47], The flexible Kevlar-like materials of construction are proprietary.

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