According to Sierra Space, the latest results offered a 33 percent margin over a full-scale LIFE module’s certification standard, nearly 20 percent better than the previous test design.

During the burst test, the teams inflate the module until it fails. Gif: Sierra Space You can’t fly an inflatable module to space without bursting a few on Earth. Sierra Space watched its giant ...

Engineers intentionally blew up a full-scale prototype of an inflatable space module that could be used in future missions. Watch the big bang unfold here.