Inflatable Habitats to Expand Space Research

It's an interesting idea, but I wonder what are the risks with regard to fast traveling space dust-pebbles? I'm sure for a small period of time it could be reliable, but over the long term is it really strong enough to keep astronauts safe on a journey to Mars?

If memory serves, the reports say it's not a single membrane, like a latex balloon, but multiple layers, with space-filling 'nets' between the layers to capture small particles before they penetrate to something important.

The estimate is that the inflatable sections will be around 95-98% as resistant to space debris as the hard-shell sections. And a hole in the inflatable will not be a 'popped balloon,' it will be a 'punctured tire,' the astronauts will have plenty of time to fix a puncture, just like they would in the hard-shell section; anything massive enough to 'tear up' the inflatable section would also 'smash through' the hard section and leave the astronauts just as screwed.

That's cool then, because it means they can build much bigger habitats for the same amount of weight. Let's hope it works!

And it'll be even better for lunar/martian habitats. Stake down the dome tent, inflate it, cover it with a foot or so of lunar dust/martian soil, and Bam! Big workspace to set up shop in, you could even put 'buildings' inside it to divvy up the space.

Till Matt Damon blows it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFYjVsV4r0Y

Rule #1 about camping (and being on another planet is about as extreme as camping can get): NO FLAMES IN TENTS!

Rule #2: No food in tents!

Rule #3: I mean it, NO FLAMES IN TENTS! Do you need to hear if from Sammuel L Jackson?

"I have had it with these M-Fing flames in these M-Fing tents!"

(Yeah, my old Boy Scout Troop really drilled the fire safety into us hard.)