Bigelow Aerospace’s Inflatable Space Station

Inflatable expansion modules extend astronauts’ space.

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By Michael Belfiore

May 12, 2016 at 9:06 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the May 16, 2016 issue of businessweek.

Form and function
The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, is a 565-cubic-foot addition to the International Space Station designed to test expandable-space-station tech. It was carried aloft by a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship in April.

Innovator: Robert Bigelow
Founder and chief executive officer of Bigelow Aerospace, a 130-employee company in North Las Vegas.
Age: 72