As NASA and its partners prepare to bid farewell to the International Space Station soon, the challenge of building the structure that replaces it has no single clear-cut solution. But rest assured, Colorado's industry titan, Sierra Space, will play a major role in the business of commercial and research space stations in the post-ISS era. In front of the awaiting public, Sierra Space has just unveiled the newest exciting advancement tied to its emerging line of expandable space station technology.
At NASA's Marshall Flight Center in Rocket City, better known as Huntsville, Alabama, Sierra Space's proprietary 20-foot tall space station test article completed the 7th in a series of critical structure integrity tests, heralding a sign that the path towards genuine flight articles going into space is much closer around the corner than you might think. Dubbed the Ultimate Burst Pressure test, the structure withstood far more atmospheric pressure than it's expected to tolerate with a crew of humans on board before failing. For Sierra Space and its material suppliers, it's a sign they're almost ready to make the final few steps before launch readiness.
As Sierra Space engineers get a better picture of what systems are flight-ready and which need more fine-tuning before launch, valuable data about the operating parameters of each system will lend crucial data that ensure successful deployment and operation the first time when humans need them the most to them alive in the hostile environment of low-Earth Orbit. With its unique inflatable form factor, Sierra Space can tailor the layout and features of each bespoke space station to make the most use of the limited space available on board.
From astrophysicists observing deep-space phenomena via telescopes in Orbit, free of distortions and interference here on Earth, to botanists learning how to grow food on rugged alien worlds, no task performed regularly in the vacuum of space is off limits for Sierra Space's proprietary orbital station technology. With the de-orbit of the International Space Station looming large over the future of NASA, the ESA, and its associated partners, these station tests and those like it performed by other companies are a welcome sign that the gap left behind won't be long-lasting.
The ultimate goal is the full human-rated certification of the pressure shell that makes up Sierra Space's life habitat module. With considerable tweaks to the exterior structure of the test article compared to similar trials performed previously, there's every reason to suspect Sierra Space is closer to commercial viability than all but the most well-funded and innovative of its competitors. But in the future privatized space sector, there's bound to be plenty of room for competition. Unlike most industries, at least it's all in the name of science.
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