TransHab (short for "Transit Habitat") is the first space inflatable module designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was conceived as a technology capable of supporting a crew of six on an extended space journey, such as a six-month trip to Mars. During its development in 1997-2001 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, TransHab was considered for use on International Space Station "Alpha" as a habitation module for two reasons: first, because of its superior ability to support crew needs, and second, to test it for possible use on a human mission to Mars.

History

TransHab was first conceived in 1997 by a team of engineers and architects at the Johnson Space Center. A space human factors group was asked to join the design team in developing the best size and layout for the spacecraft. Based in part on psychological, social, and operational lessons...