Sierra Space’s LIFE Habitat Successfully Completes Ultimate Burst Pressure Test
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2022
- After successful completion of the Ultimate Burst Pressure Test with a one-third scale test article, Sierra Space becomes the only active commercial space company to meet threshold.
The test, which is the first of two sub-scale burst tests scheduled for 2022 in support of Sierra Space’s softgoods certification, used a one-third scale of Sierra Space’s LIFE inflatable habitat - which burst at 192 psi - exceeding the safety requirement of 182.4 psi. As a result, this stress test is among the highest publicly released data points for a softgoods UBP test at any scale.
Press Release: www.sierraspace.com/newsroom/...
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For those wondering about micrometeorites and radiation shielding:
Per the FAQ on their site:
If the LIFE habitat is made of fabric, what protects it from things like radiation, space debris, asteroids, etc.?
The LIFE habitat has a woven structural layer (pressure shell), called the restraint layer, which is strong enough to withstand the internal pressure required for the crew to live and work. It is protected by an MMOD multi-layer soft-goods shield that guards the habitat from space debris such as micrometeoroids. The layers of fabric, plus the internal outfitting, create ample safeguards against radiation.
so why just send panels and a robot arm solder it in space if worry about volumetric. fabric dont seem be safe.
This looks as a very promising technology for future space habitats. Sierra Space, you're in the right path. Hope to see this module on future space stations, well done! 👍
My biggest concerns are around radiation and heat shielding and how it handles extreme temperature shifts. Direct sunlight is rather hot in space and without radiation shielding it would have to be restricted to only operate between the earth and the Van Allen belts. Thermal loading and unloading cycles are also very important due to the extreme environment of space. In the sun its boiling hot, but in the shade you eventually cool (over long periods) off. How does the material handle repeat heating and cooling cycles? How many cycles before it lowes integrity? Given that they proved it holds to 180+ psi and it wont be anywhere near that loading it gives them a lot of wiggle room for heat cycle damage, but that's still a major concern.
@@HIMPDahak
You're right. Your points are true, but just as you thought about them, they for sure know all those concerns. I'm confident they will do a lot of testing before the habitat is certified for human use.
Excited for this tech however many major questions remain as to its viability beyond getting pressurized like:
1. What is the long term over-pressure holding ability?
2. How many micrometeorite impacts can it withstand at different pressures?
3. All of the above questions under space condition temperatures, hot/cold?
4. Radiation shielding capability and effects of radiation on the fabric's strength derating?
all good questions for which I refer you to the BEAM module which went to the ISS for a 2 wk test, what, 4 yrs ago, and has been in use (as pres. storage) ever since. poor Bigelow.
@@joejack8659 Yeah I feel bad that Bigelow laid off its entire workforce and I was looking forward for their giant Olympus module and I really hope sierra does the same thing.
@@joejack8659 It's been a little more than four years - it launched on April 8, 2016. It's now over seven years old, yet still performing without issue.
This is amazing! Congrats and Great Job to Sierra Space engineers!!
This is so awesome. Can't wait to see this in space!!
Magnificent!
Congratulations to everyone involved!
I can't wait to see this up and running!
To those who might not fully grasp just how impressive the strength of this module is, let's put it in perspective:
The air pressure at sea level on Earth, which is roughly around where they would keep the habitat inflated at, is 14.7 PSI.
By getting up to 192 PSI, the test article was able to withstand *_Thirteen times_* the amount of pressure it would need to hold under normal operating conditions. Any system that can withstand 1000% its normal load is impressive, but 1300% before failure is phenomenal!
Congrats, guys!
Congratulations on a successful test.
Even if it is partially just PR its still awesome to see these behind the scenes snippets. I'm so glad this channel exists and I'm excited to see things progress.
Thank you! We have more videos coming in 2023.
Sweet looking hab!
Nice work, everyone! We are super excited when we see digital image correlation (DIC) deployed to experimentally validate computational models in applications like these. DIC is the only technology that can provide full-field deformation measurements on soft materials like Vectran and other high-tech fabrics. Traditional strain gauges just can't do it. By identifying and measuring peak strains at the precise failure location in real-world tests, DIC becomes essential to researchers using FEA to develop new technologies. We can’t wait to see the DIC data from this important research!
Great result, thanks for sharing. For Mars or especially lunar habitats do you foresee additional surface layers or other protection such as rigid covers to protect against abrasive particle damage? Those Apollo era suits got destroyed pretty quickly on lunar EVA'S.
Exciting stuff 👍
In 10 years time I want to be able to say I was a subscriber to Sierra Space since 2022 when it had less than 10,000 followers. It’s the future right here. Can I ask with 9m diameter how to you deal with someone being floating away from a wall and being marooned within the hab?
You can swim in air just like under water. It's hugely inefficient but works well enough to get someone to a wall.
We're glad to have you on the journey with us!
And great question. Have a look at 1:41-1:43 in the video below. This was filmed in our full scale LIFE Habitat prototype at Kennedy Space Center. Which is essentially three stories tall but each LIFE Habitat can be custom designed into different living and research quarters. So you won't float away and be marooned within the hab.
ua-cam.com/video/g-uvxzrerzM/v-deo.html
@@SierraSpacedon't forget me to 🙏🤓
I hope they start launching these soon, The Biglow module on the ISS has apparently doing great!
It probs won’t be used on the ISS since the ISS will be decommissioned within this decade but it will be used on a future space station
Go Sierra Space!!
Need to expose to the space level UV light and retest. Fabrics deteriorate quickly when exposed to sun.
With decades of advanced material reinforcement, manufacturing and failure analysis ASTM (I) engineering, UV light degrades Vectran tensile strength quickly and catastrophically.
We have pioneered advanced fiber reinforcement for decades and our founder was the chief chemical engineer for the Celanese Corporation and Gates Rubber Company.
It would be awesome to be part of the team.
Hiroshi and I LOVE it! And I think we Europeans should team up with Sierra Space and bring Dreamchaser + the Habitats to the orbits.
Amazing🤩🤩🤩
Wow great 👍, I'm really interesting to work in a place like this 🙂✈️
Now we need to develop torus modules that can be spun so we can get gravity areas on stations
this would be a meaningful presentation if there was an explanation for how the high pressure will be *maintained on the space station*, air locks involved, etc. pretty pictures though.
Did it actually "hold pressure" 100% , for a long period if time, before pushing it to destruction ?
Great
Is it possible to design an inflatable like a pipe fitting (tunnel), so that each module goes on like a bead on a bracelet- with each segment being twisted, bolted, and wrapped on To make a 25,000 foot long diameter ring? After that, it would be nice to put carbon fiber plates on the outside to further increase its durability and stiffness, along with attachments for modules that can be detached when the time comes?
I understand each end has a smaller ring hatch, but would it be possible to make it wider like a tunnel so you can put scaffolding to walk continuously around the entire ring? And is it possible to design each hatch like a sphincter and an iris with a plug in the middle so each segment can be opened and closed off relatively easily?
After that, you could put lines across to each opposite end, stabilizing it, along with carbon fiber plating.
The idea is that once it’s inflated and plated, you have a hatch/corridor at either end to go around the ring continuously, and hatches/ attachments (on the plating) perpendicular to lay modules to build out an O Neil Cylinder.
After the initial stainless steel ring is made and you have crew quarters/warehousing setup, the inflatable ring can detach and drag chains/cables to the other end 200,000 feet in the opposite direction and then you can travel along the lines and fill in the stainless steel tube with relative ease.
Isn’t 1 atm 15 psi? It’s awesome that the module can make it to 190 psi but that’s more than 10x what it needs to be
Be good if they included "12x normal atmospheric pressure" alongside 190 psi in the video/video description, just so it is easier for the lay person to understand what those numbers mean
Perhaps this demonstrates that it won’t fail when high pressure is exerted from the outside due to impacts from micro-meteors or space debris. Space is a dangerous environment, so safety margins need to be very generous.
@@NuWatts pretty sure micrometeors will pierce the soft structure, or at least make a hole. I think Whipple shield is needed to protect from micrometeors
Did you not listen to the first part of the video. They want to know the failure point.
But you also want to overdo everything.
Your engine in a car runs at ~100°C right near boiling temps. Coolant is mostly water, but your cooling system is set to hold pressure up to 140°+
They probably want a 20% margin and this is a small scsle test it will be less the larger they go, but I can't say what that graph would look like. I bet they can get pretty big at space station pressure which is actually below 1 atmosphere.
Can it be used as bullet proof vest?
You guys need to weave that Habitat at a 45 degree angle.
How does this tech manage micro meteorite impacts and decompressions due to leaks? Pretty interesting tech either way :)
my thought exactly. a metal chamber would lose pressure, but not explode when punctured
@@ChoppyChuck Just to note, the highest sea-level air pressure ever recorded was ~15.74 psi. That this took more than eleven times that to burst (actually slight more than twelve times, but this was done in atmosphere) is pretty good.
The many fabric layers have been tested and it shows they're much better at withstanding micrometeorite hits than regular ISS modules for example.
Several layers of kevlar-like stuff.
@@ChoppyChuck This thing is made out of materials that put the kevlar in bullet-proof vests to shame. You're only seeing two layers - the inner bladder, and the middle structural restraint layer. There will be additional multi-layer insulation (MLI) layers, and an outer micrometeorite protection layer. It'd frankly perform better than just a single plate of steel; once the micrometeorite hits the first layer, it will essentially vaporize, and the 1-2 layers after that will catch the remains. It's the basic principle behind how Whipple Shields used for micrometeorite protection work.
Polyurethane filled inner wall cells? Like inflate it then fill it with A B poly urethane ??? Possibly even dope it with barium for ray repellant or ceramic for emegency shuttle wing cracks
Awesome job! Hello from The Angry Astronaut fans.
期待轨道礁空间站顺利
💯
It's harder than steel when inflated? But can it stop a 50 BMG?
I would be interested to know how the engineers are working on failure cases: if this this explodes like a bomb when it fails it will never form part of a habitat I would expect
I don't know. Each woven strap represents a potential failure point. Between temperature extremes, micro meteors, space junk, constant vibration from equipment and personnel. It seems like monitoring the system for wear will be challenging. I could see using the system to establish a preassurized form, maybe double walled, then pump a liquid polymer in, to create a rigid structure. Modern polymers are amazing and might help with radiation.
You're only seeing a sub-scale test model. The real article has several more layers of multi-layer insulation (MLI) for thermal control, and outer micrometeorite shielding that is like a kevlar bullet-proof vest on steroids. And, typically, a system like this is built to be incredibly redundant, so that it can still safely function even if several straps fail. Keep in mind, the pressure they got this thing to was over 13 times greater than what it would normally experience in operation (around 14.7 PSI, typical Earth sea level pressure).
And just this morning I was reading about a low orbit near miss between an old expended rocket stage and a satellite. Only 20 feet. Even now more than 3500 discarded objects in low Earth orbit are being constantly monitored and that doesn't include the (likely) thousands of even smaller man-made objects like lost pins, bolts, nuts out there. Yeah, bring on the inflatables
How do we inflate it where do we get the air to inflate it????
What’s the life time expectancy? How do you expect it to hold up in the uv?
They would cover it in beta cloth as the outer layer. Same fabric is used on space suits, as well as fabric covers on the ISS exterior (now in its third decade of operation). There's already an inflatable module on the ISS as well.
With larger structures, might want to take into account any places where people can get stuck. There's no gravity to pull people towards a surface, so if they get stuck, they won't have any way to get back to a surface.
And yeah, you could probably take off your clothes and throw them to generate thrust, but that could get a little awkward.
Theoretically that might be possible but how would they get stuck in the first place? If you're at the edge of a cylinder and want to go to the center, you would have to push off one of the walls but unless there's something to grab in the center you'll just keep going till you hit the other wall. And if you have something to grab in the center then the problem is solved either way.
Explain further
This is amazing! It's time for the age of "tin cans" to end!
"Saves from radiation". They don't tell which radiation and how.
If the lamination has many hydrogen atoms included (carbon hydrates) then it's able to slow down particle radiation like neutrons or protons. But those particles produce secondary radiation.
But the el-magnetic radiation (gama rays) is a different story. I think it can be reduced by a wire mesh, or (like earth) by a magnetic field.
What happened to Bigalow?
They seem to have gone under. They laid off practically their entire workforce at the beginning of the pandemic.
What's it's lifetime in space? What happens when a fast BB hits it concentrating the energy in a small area?
I'd imagine it would be down to the speed of the BB vs the atmospheres inside.
Or a small space debris traveling at 200,000km/hour
Fabric hulls are more resilient to space debris than solid aluminium.
@@vueport99 200,000km/h? Are you insinuating space debris that is travelling at interstellar velocities? Voyager 1, which exceeded solar escape velocity and has left our solar system, is travelling at only about 61,493 km/h.
Correct my ignorance but I would imagine that all you need is 14.5 + safety margin? Why did you design it to handle so much extra pressure? It seems like unnecessary mass.
It's better to have it be able to withstand far more than it would normally experience in operation to show that it can handle damage and wear and tear over time. If it can hold 13 times the pressure it normally would, then at only 14.7 PSI (Earth sea level), they could probably have a dozen straps fail and it would still not breach.
OK. Interesting in theory. But a static pressure test is not relevant to the hazards of a space environment. How about firing a 30/30 round at point blank range at the inflated habitat? That is about the same energy as a dust grain size particle moving at orbital velocity would impart. Hard habitats have a fragmentation layer that breaks up such particles before they hit an inner kevlar layer. This is similar to the design of rifle rated vests consisting of a ceramic outer layer and kevlar inner layers. Does this have a similar design?
You're only looking at the inner two layers; the internal pressure bladder and the middle restraint weave. There's going to be multiple layers of multi-layer insulation (MLI) for thermal control, and an outer several layers of micro-meteorite shielding. It'll be like a kevlar vest on steroids.
OK, cool but who paints all of the polkadots?
Congratulations on this advance in space technology! Can’t wait to see Dream Chaser in orbit…
Is it me or just me? I was thinking, maybe, just maybe, this could be used in submarines because it can withstand high pressure in space . It could save crews' lives in submarines in case something bad happens to it.
In space it has to survive just one atmosphere pushing from the inside. (1 atmosphere inside, 0 outside)
Submarines deal with 100 atmospheres pushing from the outside. (1 atmosphere inside, 100 atmospheres outside at 1000m example depth.
Totally different game.
In order for this to inflate in depth, it would have to exceed the outside pressure. Might as well not have it then.
Unfortunately, I don't think that's how it works. This is designed to have an incredible tensile strength - resisting being pulled apart, as it restrains the inner urethane bladder that keeps the air pressure in. Think of it like a net or cage around the pressure bladder that keeps it in the proper strength. However, just like with ropes or cables, while they have excellent tensile strength, they do not at all have good compressive strength. For it to work in a submarine, it'd have to be pressurized to a pressure greater than that of the water outside of it. Unfortunately, when air is at extremely high pressure, it tends to have deleterious effects on the human body, with things like nitrogen narcosis and oxygen toxicity (yes, oxygen can be toxic if at too high a concentration).
So, TL;DR - it works great when it is restraining internal pressure, but would fail under greater external pressure.
How can fabric be stronger than steel?
PR to impress investors
Ever heard of Kevlar, how about carbon fiber? So, relative to size and weight the fabric is much stronger and lighter than steel would be.
its like a block of aluminum is pretty solid, and you can poke your finger trough foil easily. You cant poke your finger through the same thickness of Kevlar. Thus, it is stronger.
Tensile strength. This thing is meant to resist being pulled apart; by weight, it has a tensile strength far greater than that of steel.
Fully support this endeavor BUT I have lots of questions since as a sailor I've used Vectran line.
It has to be sheathed to protect ftom UV... So in space deployment it'll have an exterior layer of protective (maybe radiant barrior too)
And micrometorites are inevitable so how do you patch it to retain strength. One of my many skills was working with marine and aviation composites and to retain structural strength there's complicated procedures, you just don't slap a patch on. I also have experience with patching inflatables like life rafts and boat hulls and again, you have to use the right adhesives under controlled temperatures and humidity so what do you do in space where one side is vacuum and the other side atmosphere.
Finally, all materials age and weaken, it would be interesting to know the expected lifetime of the "balloon" in space.
You're only looking at the inner two layers - the pressure bladder and restraint weave. There will be numerous layers of multi-layer insulation (typically made of aluminized mylar, kapton, and other such materials), and an outer several layers of micro-meteorite shielding. It will be well protected from UV rays, as the layers that could be vulnerable to it will be buried under a dozen other layers.
As for how it would age, this module shares a lot in common with the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module - an inflatable space module that's been on the International Space Station for the past seven years (since April 2016) and has been performing without issue.
Considering that Sierra Nevada is also, if all goes according to plan, launching the Dream Chaser mini space shuttle by December, I'm pretty sure they've taken into account any factors that an experienced mariner can come up with in 5 minutes in a UA-cam comment section. These are professional aerospace engineers - have a bit of faith in them. Just because they don't cover absolutely everything in a short PR video doesn't mean that they have overlooked it.
Er they forgot mini meteorites, they would pass right through it and any person inside, but I would prefer stainless steel outer shell and that inflatable balloon inside it.
No, dude, they have not forgotten about *micro-meteorites (probably should learn the correct term). This module isn't that different in construction to the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module that's been operating on the International Space Station for the past seven years without issue; it's simply far larger. You're only looking at the inner two layers - the pressure bladder and restraint weave. There will be numerous layers of multi-layer insulation (typically made of aluminized mylar, kapton, and other such materials), and an outer several layers of micro-meteorite shielding. We've had solutions to micro-meteorite damage to soft bodies ever since the Apollo-era space suits.
Vectran, an aromatic polymer? Then you'll have to shield it against UV, or else it will be destroyed in no time. Wouldn't a fiber which isn't degraded by UV be more suitable.
What you see is only the inner two layers - the pressure bladder and restraint weave. It'll be covered in numerous layers of insulation (specifically, multi-layer insulation, or MLI, that is made of aluminized mylar and kapton, along with other materials), and finally several layers of micrometeorite shielding. So, the polymer will be buried well out of reach of UV rays.
Where are the tests (not statements) that it's resistance to abrasive impacts (like man made space debris) and high velocity impacts (like micrometeors) under normal operating pressures? How does it behave when pierced at pressure? I always take with a grain of salt any claims made without supporting evidence a company makes that have a financial interest in its products.
What sort of life span are you expecting from these modules holding pressure in the harsh environment of space for years on end
exactly
considering that similar inflated structures have been sent into space, inflated, and have lasted for many years I would expect them to give their modules similar lifespan ratings as other space structures, so on the order of decades. See the work of Bigelow Aerospace on deploying independent modules as well as an addon for the ISS that has operated since 2016-it was actually only intended to last for 2 years as a test article but it exceeded expectations and is now rated to operate until at least 2028-so that's 12 years of operation lifespan out of something intended as a basic demonstrator.
Worth noting that holding a roughly earth surface level pressure in space is not that difficult-this system you saw here only failed after they pumped it up to like 12 times atmospheric pressure, so under any kind of realistic load it is not being strained at all.
the Dream Chaser shuttle is 11/10 based on actual technologie but this habitat is 2/10. If only the cost/economic matter dont take the hand over head and ask, what happen? why happened that?
You should consider working with Space X instead of BO, or at least work with multiple companies'.
They are working with multiple industries; Boeing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Redwire Space, and Genesis Engineering Solutions, as well as Arizona State University for R&D.
Don't count out Blue Origin too early. SpaceX is an outlier in just how much they publicize their research and development; Blue Origin is closer to other aerospace companies in that they do the majority of their work behind closed doors, only to then catch everyone by surprise when they roll out a prototype one day unannounced.
Hail Vectran! By Vectran’s kindly claw. (If you don’t understand what I’m saying. Search Vectron, Mitchell and Webb) You’ll have a good laugh