NASA to Showcase Inflatable Habitat Headed For Antarctica

WASHINGTON -- NASA, the National Science Foundation and ILC Dover invite the news media to view an Antarctic-bound inflatable habitat at 10 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 14, at ILC’s facility at One Moonwalker Rd., Frederica, Del.

The habitat, being developed under NASA’s Innovative Partnership Program, will be a component of the McMurdo Station in Antarctica from January 2008 through February 2009. Using reports from explorers braving the harsh Antarctic environment and data collected from the habitat’s sensors, designers will evaluate the concept of using inflatable structures to support future explorers on the moon or Mars.

Representatives of the project’s partners will be available to answer questions. They include Paul Lockhart, director of the Constellation Systems Division in NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate; Erick Chiang of the National Science Foundation; Minoo Dastoor, chief technologist for NASA’s Innovative Partnership Program; Larry Toups, habitat lead for NASA’s Constellation Program Lunar Surface Systems Office; Project Manager Gerald Valle of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston; and Dave Cadogan of ILC Dover. News media wishing to attend should contact Doug Durney, 302-335-3911, ext. 260, by 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Nov. 13.