ILC Dover is the designer and manufacturer of Sierra Space’s LIFE™ Habitat
[Huntsville, AL] – ILC Dover, the leading developer of softgoods for in-space use, today announced the successful completion of the first-ever full-scale Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test for the revolutionary LIFE™ Habitat, in partnership with Sierra Space. This achievement took place at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where testing of rockets for NASA’s Apollo program as well as other historic testing has occurred.
The LIFE™ Habitat, an expandable space station module designed and manufactured by ILC Dover, underwent rigorous testing to the point of bursting to validate its structural integrity, safety factors, and overall durability.
“As we continue working to expand humanity’s access and capabilities in space, this achievement marks a significant step toward a safe and sustainable future,” said Rob Reed, President of Space & Engineered Solutions at ILC Dover. “The success of the full-scale burst test is a testament to our passion for innovation and commitment to stringent quality, reliability, and safety standards in softgoods. We are thrilled to be celebrating this milestone toward long-term human habitation in low-Earth orbit.”
This achievement builds on the success of the stress test of the sub-scale habitat in August 2023, which was the first to integrate a “blanking plate,” a placeholder for a future window, airlock, robotic arm, or other feature into the softgoods layer.
“Our primary objective with this burst test, which is the first on a module of this size, was to verify the success achieved on subscale units holds true at this larger size,” said James Kirwan, Program Manager, Space Habitats at ILC Dover. “Its success provides us with a critical data point in achieving flight certification as we work toward protecting the next generation of humans living and working in space.”
The LIFE™ Habitat stands at a height of 20.5 feet (total height with ground support equipment: 29.5 feet) with a diameter of 27 feet and a volume of 10,000 cubic feet (283.17 m3). The core materials in the restraint layer become rigid structures when pressurized, exceeding station lifetime performance safety factors. Ultimately, LIFE™ is slated to become the habitation structure for Orbital Reef, a collaborative project between Sierra Space and Blue Origin.
ILC Dover’s inflatable space habitats are lightweight, compact for launch, expansible based on mission needs, protective against harsh environments, and suitable for multiple operational pressures. Designed for commercial space stations as well as Moon and Mars missions, ILC Dover’s space habitats will revolutionize lunar and planetary exploration.
ILC Dover continues to pioneer the development of softgoods, such as inflatable space habitats and spacesuits. For more about ILC Dover and its softgoods solutions, visit www.ilcdover.com/astrospace.
About ILC Dover
ILC Dover is a world-leader in the innovative design and production of space exploration technology including spacesuits, space habitats, and inflatable landing systems. The company’s spacesuits have been worn during more than 250 space flights, six Moon landings, and over 3,000 hours of spacewalks without a single failure. ILC Dover has developed two commercial suits, Sol™, a Launch, Entry, and Abort (LEA) suit, and Astro™, an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and Planetary Exploration suit. Our customers will attest to our relentless dedication to high value products, advanced technology, and responsive service, as our visionary solutions have improved efficiency while safeguarding people, product, and infrastructure in hazardous conditions through flexible protective solutions since 1947. For more information on ILC Dover, please visit www.ilcdover.com.
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McKenna Parr
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