The history of inflatable space systems goes back to the very beginning of America’s space program. [T]he inflatable Echo 1 and Echo 2, the world’s first passive communications satellites, were one of the inaugural projects taken on in 1958 by a new federal agency called NASA.

The challenge that these first NASA engineers faced was how to place such a large structure into the relatively tiny fairing of a Thor-Delta rocket. The ultimate solution was to use an inflatable system.

[I]n the 1960s, the available softgoods (such as rubber) were not sufficiently advanced to allow for the practical application of inflatables in the context of crewed operations. Thirty years later, in the 1990s, with the advent of Kevlar and similar advanced materials, the concept of an inflatable space station or habitat had become a real possibility.

NASA initially developed the concept of inflatable space habitats, any substantial fabrication work was curtailed by Congress in 2000. Therefore, Bigelow Aerospace had to go through the process of re-designing much of what had been done before, developing, and eventually launching the world’s first expandable space habitat prototypes.

Launched on July 12, 2006 at the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia aboard a converted Russian ICBM (the “Dnepr”), Genesis I became Bigelow Aerospace’s first operational spacecraft and was a tremendous success.

The BA 330 can function as an independent space station, or several BA 330 habitats can be connected together in a modular fashion to create an even larger and more capable orbital space complex.

But…but what about protection from radiation? It’s actually equivalent or arguably better to what the International Space Station uses before.

Protection from ballistic impact (i.e., space debris or meteorites)? Also better than current aluminum designs.

Oh, also, they’re working with SpaceX to make sure that crew transfers using that commercial space transport enterprise is compatible.

You know, I love living in the future.

Via Bigelow Aerospace.