The cancellation by NASA of the habitation module for the International Space Station in the early 1990s resulted in the absence of private crew accommodation on the Station, a situation not rectified until the following decade. This project aimed to fill the gap by providing Station crews with an interim solution of lightweight tent-like compartments that would unfold in module corridors for occupation at night and then fold up and stow out of the way during the day. Module corridors and equipment racks constrain the shape and size of the compartment which an astronaut must be able to unfold and then refold quickly in an emergency.

Compartments are made of fabric stretched across a hinged tubular frame that tensions the fabric when deployed, like a camping tent. Each compartment contains a sleep restraint (space bed), personal effects storage, controllable lighting and ventilation, emergency systems, a portable computer and an audio/video communications system. Compartment stowed and deployed volumes are 0.23 and 1.83 cubic metres respectively and the packed weight is typically 27 kilogrammes (depending on individual personal effects). The compartments fix in position at night by attaching their corners to the rack grab handles with quick-release fasteners.