Sierra Nevada Corporation is currently developing a “Large Inflatable Fabric Environment ” at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to help NASA astronauts one day return to the lunar surface in the agency’s new Artemis program, which will lead the U.S. back to the moon and, eventually, Mars. Their habitat is competing with prototypes from Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace, and a concept from NanoRacks. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), based in Louisville, has built two prototypes for NASA’s lunar outpost, the Gateway, and the spaceship will serve as a temporary home and office for astronauts. This inflatable space habitat can accommodate four astronauts for 30 days where they can exercise, sleep, conduct experiments and grow food inside the living quarters. It measures 27 feet in diameter, and it’s the only habitat that inflates, making it lightweight and compact enough to go up on any rocket.
“From one company they’ll buy the habitat, from another company they’ll buy the power and propulsion element, and from one company they’ll buy the logistics element,” said John Roth, Vice President of SNC Business Development.
