Lawrence Livermore Inflatable Space Station - ILC Dover

ILC Dover conducted inflatable space station design studies under contract to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In 1989 Dr. Lowell Wood of LLNL conducted a multi-year study of inflatable space structures for use as a low-cost space station and lunar base as an alternative to NASA Space Exploration Initiative work. Inflatable structures were selected for application because of their outstanding packing efficiency and ability to get large volume structures on existing launch vehicles.

The system consisted of a series of grouped pressurized compartments to construct modules that could subsequently be joined in space. The modules were enclosed in a secondary containment shell for safety and covered with a MLI/MMOD blanket. Individual compartments were 5m diameter by 3.5m length, connected by a 1m central corridor. Operational pressure was 7.5psi, and a factor of safety of 4 was applied. ILC leveraged previous space suit and high performance terrestrial inflatable structures such as hyperbaric chambers and marine floats technology to design the system.

ILC performed configuration analysis, systems design, material & component design, and structural analysis in the development of the station concept. This was the first time that large scale high pressure webbing-based structures were considered for space applications. This approach offered reduced mass through localized wall stress reduction, prevention of explosive decompression, and efficient packing. Unique safety features were developed to compartmentalize internal chambers, provide secondary pressure containment, and include structural redundancy.

Livermore Concept Sketch of LEO Space Station

ILC Webbing Based Inflatable Element Design

Livermore Concept Sketch of Lunar Base

ILC Design Layout of Inflatable Elements

Example of Sub-System Component Layout