WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST,
VINCE WHITFIELD.

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WHAT'S COOLER THAN BEING COOL?

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ICE COLD, RIGHT?

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BUT WHAT'S COOLER THAN THAT?

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WELL, ONCE WE GET DOWN INTO
THE REALLY COLD TEMPERATURES,

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BELOW
NEGATIVE 150 DEGREES CELSIUS,

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WHICH IS
NEGATIVE 238 FAHRENHEIT

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OR 123 KELVIN,

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WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRYOGENICS.

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NOW, MOST OF YOU,
WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT CRYOGENICS,

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YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING
ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES

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WHERE THEY FREEZE PEOPLE

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AND THEY WAKE UP
HUNDREDS OF YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

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WHY DOESN'T NASA USE
THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY

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FOR SENDING ASTRONAUTS
ON LONG-TERM SPACEFLIGHT TRAVEL

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TO DISTANT GALAXIES?

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WELL, HERE'S ROB BOYLE,

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AEROSPACE ENGINEER AT NASA
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER,

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WITH A REALITY CHECK.

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- PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST COMMON WAYS

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THAT WE HEAR ABOUT CRYOGENICS
IN POPULAR CULTURE

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IS WITH FREEZING SOMEBODY,

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THE CRYONICS KIND OF TECHNIQUE
OF POPPING TED WILLIAMS

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IN A VAT OF LIQUID NITROGEN
AND HOPING THAT SOMEDAY,

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WE CAN UNDERSTAND
HOW TO REVIVE HIM AGAIN.

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THE TECHNIQUE IS SO CONCEPTUAL

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THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT NASA
ISN'T REALLY PURSUING.

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WE DON'T UNDERSTAND AT ALL
HOW TO WAKE SOMEBODY BACK UP

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FROM A STATE LIKE THAT.

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AND WHILE IT MAKES REALLY GOOD
SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES,

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IT ISN'T LIKELY TO BE PART

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OF AN ACTUAL SPACEFLIGHT
ANYTIME SOON.

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- BUT ROB DOES WORK
WITH CRYOGENICS AT NASA.

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HOW?

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WELL, LET'S LET HIM EXPLAIN.

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- WELL, THERE'S ACTUALLY
TWO DIFFERENT WAYS THAT--

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TWO MAIN WAYS
THAT NASA USES CRYOGENICS.

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ONE WOULD BE FOR THE PROPULSION
AND POWER STORAGE

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THAT YOU WOULD SEE
IN THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

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FOR INSTANCE.

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A LOT OF THE FUELS THAT ARE USED
FOR HIGH-ENERGY ROCKETS

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ARE CRYOGENIC FUELS,
LIQUID OXYGEN,

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LIQUID HYDROGEN,
SOMETIMES METHANE,

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AND SO THE BIG FLASHY STUFF
IS ASSOCIATED WITH ROCKETRY.

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AND THEN A LOT OF WHAT WE DO
HERE AT GODDARD

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AND AT JPL AND AT AMES
IS USING CRYOGENICS FOR SCIENCE.

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WE FIND THAT THERE ARE A LOT
OF PHYSICAL EFFECTS

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THAT TAKE PLACE
AT LOW TEMPERATURES

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THAT ENABLE US TO DO TYPES
OF SCIENCE THAT CAN'T BE DONE

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AT NORMAL
ROOM TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.

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- WAIT A MINUTE.

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LET'S FOCUS ON THAT FIRST WAY
THAT NASA USES CRYOGENICS,

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PROPULSION AND POWER STORAGE.

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LOOKING AT NASA'S WORKHORSE
MANNED SPACEFLIGHT PROGRAM

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FOR THE LAST FEW DECADES,

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THE SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM,

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MORE COMMONLY KNOWN
AS THE SPACE SHUTTLE,

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HOW DO CRYOGENICS
COME INTO PLAY?

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- THE BIGGEST,
MOST VISIBLE APPLICATION

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IS STORAGE OF LIQUID OXYGEN
AND LIQUID HYDROGEN.

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MOST OF THE VOLUME THAT YOU SEE

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IN THE EXTERNAL TANK
ON THE SHUTTLE

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IS LIQUID HYDROGEN

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MAYBE 25 DEGREES
ABOVE ABSOLUTE ZERO, 25 KELVIN,

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AND, COMBINED
WITH LIQUID OXYGEN,

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PRODUCES A VERY HIGH-ENERGY,
VERY POWERFUL ROCKET ENGINE

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THAT, IN THAT CASE,

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ENABLES US TO GET
A LOT OF HARDWARE

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UP INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT.

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- SO IS NASA'S
CRYOGENICS DEPARTMENT

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ONLY HOUSED AT NASA
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER?

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HARDLY.

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CRYOGENICS ARE AGENCY-WIDE
AT NASA.

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- BOTH NASA GODDARD AND NASA JPL
HAVE LARGE CRYOGENICS GROUPS

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THAT ARE DEVELOPING
EARTH SCIENCE

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AND SPACE SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS.

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THE GUYS AT MARSHALL
SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AND AT GLENN

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HAVE A FOCUS
THAT'S MOSTLY ON PROPULSION,

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EITHER THE ENGINES OR
THE STORAGE OF THE PROPELLANTS,

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SO THEY HAVE BIG TEST FACILITIES

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THAT ARE TIED INTO
THE BIG ROCKET ENGINES,

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THE BIG STORAGE TANKS
THAT WE USE.

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AT STENNIS SPACE CENTER,
THEY HAVE HUGE TEST STANDS

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WITH BIG TANKS OF LIQUID OXYGEN,
LIQUID HYDROGEN.

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THEY ORIGINALLY TESTED
THE APOLLO ENGINES.

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THEY'RE NOW GEARING UP
TO TEST THE ENGINES

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THAT WILL BE USED
ON THE NEW ARES LAUNCH VEHICLES.

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
HAS HUGE FACILITIES

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FOR SUPPORTING THE LAUNCH
OF THESE VEHICLES,

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BIG STORAGE TANKS
OF LIQUID OXYGEN,

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LIQUID HYDROGEN,

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AND THEY MANAGE
A FLEET OF TRUCKS

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THAT JUST POURS ONTO THE CENTER

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IN PREPARATION
FOR EACH OF THE LAUNCH EVENTS.

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IT'S A WORLDVIEW THAT GOES

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FROM THE VERY, VERY BIG
TO VERY, VERY SMALL.

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THE LITTLE SYSTEMS
THAT WE WORK ON HERE

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MIGHT BE SOMETHING
THAT YOU COULD, YOU KNOW,

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SET ON TOP OF YOUR DESK,

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AND CONTRAST THAT WITH SOME
OF THE GUYS THAT I WORK WITH

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THAT HAVE THESE BIG THINGS
THAT JUST DWARF THE ROOM.

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- I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

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SO NASA USES LOTS OF CRYOGENIC
WORK IN THEIR ROCKETS.

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BIG DEAL.

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HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU OR ME
OR ANYBODY BACK HERE ON EARTH?

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THE ANSWER MIGHT BE CLOSER
THAN YOU REALIZE.

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- WELL, ACTUALLY,

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ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS
OF CRYOGENICS

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THAT MIGHT BECOME A BIT
MORE COMMON IS TRANSPORTATION.

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WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME GUYS
FROM BMW HERE

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OVER THE LAST WINTER.

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THEY'VE GOT, ACTUALLY,
SOME OF THEIR 7-SERIES CARS

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MODIFIED TO RUN
ON LIQUID HYDROGEN,

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AND IN THE TRUNK

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WAS A STORAGE TANK
OF LIQUID HYDROGEN.

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IT WAS A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY
FOR THEM TO STORE AND TRANSPORT

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A FUEL THAT GIVES VERY CLEAN
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY

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AND ENABLES THEM
TO HANDLE IT IN A WAY

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THAT'S NOT EXACTLY LIKE

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A STANDARD GASOLINE
FILLING STATION

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BUT COMES CLOSER TO THAT

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THAN THE HIGH-PRESSURE
HYDROGEN STORAGE

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THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE WITH
TRANSPORT VEHICLES RIGHT NOW.

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SO IT'S VERY POSSIBLE
THAT WE'LL WIND UP

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WITH SOMETHING LIKE

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A LIQUID HYDROGEN
FILLING STATION

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NOT NECESSARILY
ON EVERY STREET CORNER

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BUT AT LEAST IN SOME
OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

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- THERE YOU GO.

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JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF NASA KNOW-HOW

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HAVING AN IMPACT ON LIFE
HERE ON EARTH.

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THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING
"NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M VINCE WHITFIELD,
AND I'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.