Comparison of Analysis to the On-Orbit Thermal Performance of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module

Expandable habitat technology may offer some strategic benefits for human space exploration applications. These benefits include low launch mass and volume to habitable volume ratios, radiation shielding options, micrometeoroid orbital debris protection, thermal protection and mission cost reduction. To demonstrate the unique capabilities associated with expandable habitats, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partnered with Bigelow Aerospace to develop the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM). The BEAM was launched on the eighth SpaceX Commercial Resupply Service Mission (CRS-8) and was berthed to the Node 3, aft port, of the International Space Station (ISS) on April 16, 2016. The BEAM is instrumented to collect radiation, vibration and temperature data via an array of sensors. This study summarizes the on-orbit thermal performance of the BEAM and also provides comparison of the collected data to thermal analysis. Conclusions, lessons learned and future work are discussed.