Boeing has collaborated with NanoRacks to develop the first privately funded commercial airlock, which is to be installed onboard the International Space Station (ISS) by 2019.

The proposed NanoRacks Airlock Module will be fixed to the US segment of the ISS, and is expected to allow the US to triple the number of small satellites it can deploy from the ISS during a single airlock cycle.

The new module will also increase the capability of transferring equipment, payloads and deployable satellites from inside the ISS to outside.

The US currently uses the airlock on the ISS Japanese Experiment Module.

As the prime contractor of the ISS, Boeing will build and install the airlock’s passive common berthing mechanism, which is used to connect the pressurised modules of the orbiting space station.

“This is a big step in facilitating commercial business on the ISS.”

Boeing ISS programme manager Mark Mulqueen said: “The installation of NanoRacks’ commercial airlock will help us keep up with demand.

“This is a big step in facilitating commercial business on the ISS.”

The company also noted that the planned airlock would be bigger in size and would be able to handle increasing market requirements.

In addition, Boeing has installed an advanced nitrogen supply system from Air Products at its new 777X Composite Wing Centre in Everett, Washington, US.

The nitrogen gas will be supplied to an autoclave, where it will create the inert atmosphere and rapid pressure required to form and cure large carbon-fibre composite wings for Boeing’s new 777X commercial aircraft.

Image: Illustration of an airlock. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.