Why is NASA sending an inflatable house to space?

A NASA experiment at the International Space Station may simplify the process of building homes, not just on Earth but millions of miles away, on the journey to deep space destinations, including Mars. Expandable habitats could be the rooms of the future.

Presenter Nick Robinson has been speaking to Jason Crusan, the Director of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Division.

He said: "For us it's all about our trip from here to Mars" ... " We need over 300 cubic meters of volume just to keep our crew of four and take all the equipment we need"

(Picture: Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Copyright: Associated Press)