Lockheed Inflatables

[jon.amos]

Don't know where to put this but I find it interesting:

"Lockheed Martin Space manufactures these inflatable habitats in-house, which allows us to build faster than other companies that rely on suppliers while also providing more design flexibility and increased control over the critical manufacturing techniques that drive habitat safety performance."

The softgoods portion of this inflatable habitat was built in only eight weeks!



Link:

[catdlr]

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
As we look to expand humanity's presence further into the solar system, we're developing inflatable habitats to allow astronauts to have a safe and reliable environment for work in deep space. In order to do that, we have to pop them.

We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

We are bringing our strong reputation as innovators to the use of inflatables in space.

[matthewkantar]

Did Lockmart buy the tech from Bigelow, or is this unrelated?

[whitelancer64]

Did Lockmart buy the tech from Bigelow, or is this unrelated?

I think I recall that most or all of the patents held by Bigelow had fallen into the public domain a few years ago. Some of them were patents acquired from NASA for TransHab designs.

However, I am pretty sure that LM's design work on an inflatable habitat module predates that happening, so it should be largely unrelated.

[jon.amos]

This effort is internally funded and also ties a bit to recruiting in addition to marketing.

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
As we look to expand humanity's presence further into the solar system, we're developing inflatable habitats to allow astronauts to have a safe and reliable environment for work in deep space. In order to do that, we have to pop them.

We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

We are bringing our strong reputation as innovators to the use of inflatables in space.

[LouScheffer]

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

This seems odd.  If 285 psi ix 6x the max operating pressure, then the max operating pressure is 47 psi, or more then 3 times normal atmospheric pressure.   Why would it be that high?  Having that capability, even if it is never used, would seem to increase mass by a lot.

[Nomadd]

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

This seems odd.  If 285 psi ix 6x the max operating pressure, then the max operating pressure is 47 psi, or more then 3 times normal atmospheric pressure.   Why would it be that high?  Having that capability, even if it is never used, would seem to increase mass by a lot.

Maybe what they need to inflate it.

[russianhalo117]

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

This seems odd.  If 285 psi ix 6x the max operating pressure, then the max operating pressure is 47 psi, or more then 3 times normal atmospheric pressure.   Why would it be that high?  Having that capability, even if it is never used, would seem to increase mass by a lot.

Maybe what they need to inflate it.

The inflation and rigidation PSI is injected into a special membrane. The habitable volume would around 1 atmosphere. Seek the technical information on BEAM, Genesis-1 and 2 for a better understanding.

[edzieba]

Thanks Jon for creating this thread.   I too was trying to look for an appropriate thread to post but it seems that LM is trying to either create these videos to sell this or provide a progress report for some customer(s) (NASA maybe).  Here is the original video part 1 posted late last year.

Dec 13, 2022
We conducted a burst test of our inflatable habitat that greatly exceeded expectations, bursting at 285 psi, 6x the max operating pressure.

This seems odd.  If 285 psi ix 6x the max operating pressure, then the max operating pressure is 47 psi, or more then 3 times normal atmospheric pressure.   Why would it be that high?  Having that capability, even if it is never used, would seem to increase mass by a lot.

Maybe what they need to inflate it.

The inflation and rigidation PSI is injected into a special membrane. The habitable volume would around 1 atmosphere. Seek the technical information on BEAM, Genesis-1 and 2 for a better understanding.

I can't find any reference to BEAM, the Genesis demosntrators, or the Transhab design, having a separate bladder for inflation or stiffening. Only that the main bladder had a design pressure of 4 Bar to handle local deployment overpressure. Gas injection into the main volume provides the inflation force.

[StraumliBlight]

https://twitter.com/LMNews/status/1920173980167688210

@LockheedMartin's @LMSpace team recently conducted a 100-hour creep to burst test inflatable softgoods technology in collaboration with @nasa_marshall, where the test unit pressurized to 4x its design pressure and exceeded its target by over 41x, surviving for 4,177 hours.

[catdlr]

Another Burst in the Books: Inflatable Habitat Test

Oct 14, 2025
We recently conducted our fourth inflatable habitat burst test in Littleton, Colorado—this time featuring a new penetration plate, an opening that could one day serve as a window or hatch for an astronaut.

The test reached 267 psi—over five times its design pressure—demonstrating the strength and reliability of our inflatable habitat technology.