Suarez™ Posted June 7, 2016 Posted June 7, 2016 You have to expect a few hiccups when trying something for the first time, and that’s even more true when no one has ever attempted something before. That was the case when NASA deployed the BEAM inflatable habitat module on the International Space Station last week. The agency’s first attempt didn’t work, but it eventually got everything sorted out. Now, the first humans have entered the first inflatable habitat in space. Because this is the first time an inflatable module has been used by humans in space, there’s a lot of testing to be done. After getting the module expanded and pressurized last week, there was plenty to check out before anyone ventured into the module. No one was even certain the BEAM would remain intact in orbit. Everything looked good over the weekend, so NASA decided to go ahead with the test. In the early hours of June 6th, NASA astronaut Jeff Williams opened the hatch to BEAM and ventured inside with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka. This first order of business was to collect an air sample form inside the 565-cubic-foot space. They also checked readings on the pre-installed sensors. The pair also noted there was no evidence of condensation on the inner surfaces.
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