Inflatable Habitats: Expanding Space Exploration – Lockheed Martin

Inflatables? Made of fabric? In space? Is that safe?

Inflatable habitats in space are absolutely safe and have already been used on the ISS. The material we useis called Vectran, which is five times stronger than steel and 10 times stronger than aluminum. We also conduct extensive testing, including over-inflating test units to the point of bursting.

These burst tests have already proven that the technology is six times stronger than the pressure it will be used at in space. All of these tests give us the confidence needed to send astronauts to explore the Moon, Mars and beyond.

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Inflatable Habitats: Expanding Space Exploration - Lockheed Martin