Putting a bouncy castle in space and other extraterrestrial adventures

Artist’s impression of a space station comprising four B330 inflatable pods, which are the white cylinders. (Courtesy: Bigelow Aerospace)

By Hamish Johnston

It’s never been a better time to be a space enthusiast, as more and more countries are unveiling space programmes and it seems like a new mission is launched or announced just about every week.

But if you are like me and find the constellation of mission names – the various acronyms, mythical beasts and dead scientists – overwhelming, then the space physicist Chris Arridge has put together “Five human spaceflight missions to look forward to in the next decade” for The Conversation.

Number one on Arridge’s list is the first ever inflatable space station called the B330, which is being built by Bigelow Aerospace. This “bouncy castle” in space will be launched in 2020 and should accommodate six astronauts in a volume the size of a small house. Also featured in Arridge’s list are Chinese and Russian space stations and possible manned missions to the Moon and Mars.