CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Forget blowup air mattresses. Space station astronauts are getting their first inflatable room.

It's a technology demo meant to pave the way for moon bases and Mars expeditions, as well as orbiting outposts catering to scientists and tourists in just a few more years.

Bigelow Aerospace is behind the experiment, which will get a ride to the International Space Station with another private space company.

An unmanned SpaceX Falcon rocket is set to launch Friday, carrying a capsule full of supplies with the pioneering pod in its trunk.

Once attached to the station, the Bigelow compartment will be inflated to the size of a small bedroom. It will stay there for two years, with astronauts occasionally ducking in. It will be the first time an astronaut steps inside an expandable habitat structure in space.

The company won't divulge the material used for the compartment's outer layers — or even how many layers — just that the layers are spread out to absorb and break up any penetrating bits of space junk. Back when NASA was working on the technology in the 1990s, a combination of Nextel, Kevlar, foam and other fabric formed the multilayer shield.

NASA called its project TransHab, for Transit Habitat. Designers envisioned an inflatable, four-level compartment, complete with dining, sleeping and exercising areas for station crews.

Congress canceled TransHab in 2000, and Bigelow Aerospace bought the patent from NASA.

“It's an important piece to the human space exploration puzzle,” said Michael Gold, director of operations and business growth for Bigelow Aerospace. “Regardless of where you go, you need a place to live and work.”