4.8 Space Exploration & Travel

Expandable Spacecraft in ISS

When Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket roared into the skies above Cape Canaveral in June, 2017, it was on a mission for NASA, carrying nearly 7,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station; food, supplies and Robert Bigelow's expandable spacecraft. Las Vegas real-estate tycoon, Robert Bigelow, developed an expandable spacecraft; a large, lightweight structure that inflates in space, a technology that could dramatically change how humans live and work in zero gravity. After the successful expansion of Bigelow Aerospace's BEAM aboard the International Space Station, next steps for the technology are being looked at. Robert Bigelow explains some its potential uses.