SCIENCE NEWS (Scientists developing deep space habitat for NASA)

Scientists developing deep space habitat for NASA

WASHINGTON: Scientists are developing a deep space habitat for NASA that would keep astronauts safe during long-duration missions by providing critical communications, life support and autonomous navigation.Refurbishing an old cargo container used to transfer essentials to the International Space Station (ISS), US-based aerospace company Lockheed Martin is prototyping a deep space habitat for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.The prototype will integrate evolving technologies to keep astronauts safe while onboard and operate the spacecraft autonomously when unoccupied.NASA recently awarded Lockheed Martin a Phase II contract for the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) habitat study.