Private space company Sierra Space successfully conducted a stress test on its first full-scale inflatable space habitat, the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE), by intentionally overpressurizing it until it exploded. The company aims to revolutionize space station construction with inflatable habitats that can be compactly launched and then expanded in orbit, potentially surpassing the volume of the International Space Station with just a few launches. This successful test marks a significant step toward redefining how humans live and work in space.
NASA has successfully tested an inflatable heat shield as part of its Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) program. The tests have proven exceptionally successful, demonstrating that the inflatable heat shield can slow down a test vehicle and withstand the heat exerted by the atmosphere. This technology could improve the return of the Orion spacecraft to Earth and enable future missions to other planets, as larger spacecraft would not need heavier materials for landings or re-entry. NASA believes that an even larger inflatable heat shield could be used on Vulcan engines for recovery and re-use in low Earth orbit.
YouTube personality Blake Messick gave ChatGPT, an AI, a physical form by rigging up an inflatable man to a remote-control toy vehicle. After some humorous reactions from people on the street, the robot caught the attention of two men who appeared to be homeless, and one of them ended up relentlessly pounding on the AI-creation, eventually picking it up and unceremoniously hurling it onto the sidewalk.
The giant rubber duck art installation has returned to Hong Kong, this time with a friend. The two inflatable bath toys were reunited after one was briefly deflated due to hot weather.
