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Sierra Space blew up its inflatable space habitat — and that’s a good thing

Testing it on the ground to make sure it won’t burst in space.

Dubbed LIFE, for Large Integrated Flexible Environment, it consists of “softgoods,” or woven fabrics that act like a rigid structure once inflated. This layer is made up of Vectran straps (the same material used for the Mars Rovers), which “becomes stronger than steel when inflated on-orbit,” and other high-strength fabrics. With the support of NASA, it pumped in air beyond the recommended level of 60.8 psi until the whole thing went kaboom.

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