WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, AND WELCOME
TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST, CALEB KINCHLOW.

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INFLATABLES AREN'T A NEW THING.

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IN FACT, YOU PROBABLY PLAYED
WITH INFLATABLES A LOT AS A KID,

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BECAUSE, IN ESSENCE,
THIS IS AN INFLATABLE.

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AND INFLATABLES
AREN'T EVEN A NEW CONCEPT

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FOR NASA
AND SPACE TRAVEL IN GENERAL.

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AS FAR BACK AS 1961,

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CONCEPTS FOR INFLATABLE
SPACE STATIONS

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WERE BEING DEVELOPED.

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NOW NASA'S WORKING
ON INFLATABLES

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IN THE FORM OF HEAT SHIELDS,

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AND THIS OLD THING

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ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT.

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[balloon sputtering]

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SO FIRST THINGS FIRST.

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JUST WHAT IS
THIS NEW AND IMPROVED

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INFLATABLE TECHNOLOGY
ALL ABOUT?

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- CURRENTLY, WHEN WE SEND
A PAYLOAD TO ANOTHER PLANET,

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WE NEED TO SLOW IT DOWN.

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ONE OF THE WAYS
THAT WE CAN SLOW IT DOWN

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IS TO USE THE ATMOSPHERE

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IF THERE IS AN ATMOSPHERE
AT THAT BODY.

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TO SLOW IT DOWN,
WE USE DRAG OF THE VEHICLE.

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DRAG OF THE VEHICLE

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IS A FUNCTION OF THE AREA.

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RIGHT NOW,

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WE HAVE A MAXIMUM SIZE
PAYLOAD SHROUD

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OF ABOUT 4 1/2 METERS.

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SO IF YOU WANT
A LARGER DRAG DIAMETER

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TO LAND A LARGER PAYLOAD
ON THE PLANET,

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YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT
SOME WAY OF DEPLOYING

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THAT AEROSHELL
TO A LARGER DIAMETER.

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WE'VE CHOSEN INFLATABLES
AS OUR APPROACH.

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THEY PACKAGE VERY NICELY,

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VERY SIMILAR TO A PARACHUTE

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THAT PACKS DOWN
AT A VERY SMALL VOLUME

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AND CAN DEPLOY
TO SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER AREAS.

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- AND LIKE WE SAID,

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NASA'S NEXT-GEN INFLATABLES
ARE REALLY UNIQUE STRUCTURES.

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WHAT MAKES THEM SO UNIQUE?
LET'S FIND OUT.

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FIRST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK

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AT THE MATERIALS
THEY'RE MADE OF.

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INFLATABLES ARE BUILT USING
SEVERAL LAYERS OF MATERIALS,

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AND EACH LAYER
HAS ITS OWN PURPOSE.

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- THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PARTS
OF AN INFLATABLE.

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SO THE BASE PART, THE INSIDE,
THE MAIN STRUCTURE,

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IS A SILICONE LINER,

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JUST LIKE A BALLOON,
SAME THING.

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IT'S A RUBBER-TYPE MATERIAL.

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IT'S THE POINT OF KEEPING
THE NITROGEN INSIDE THE VEHICLE.

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ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT
IS ACTUALLY A KEVLAR.

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THIS IS THE SAME STUFF

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THAT POLICE WEAR
IN THEIR BULLETPROOF VESTS.

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YOU CAN SEE THAT
A LITTLE BIT BETTER HERE.

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IT'S THE YELLOW THAT'S HERE.

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IT IS A WOVEN MATERIAL.

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WE KEEP THAT INTERLOCKED.

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IT GIVES IT A STRUCTURE.

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IT KEEPS IT
WITHIN A CERTAIN DIAMETER

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SO IT DOESN'T OVERINFLATE.

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AND THEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT,

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WE ACTUALLY HAVE--
IT'S AN RTV,

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A RUBBERIZED COATING,

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JUST LIKE THE CAULK
AROUND YOUR BATHTUB.

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THIS STUFF IS HIGH-TEMPERATURE,
THOUGH,

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SO IT CAN TAKE
A LITTLE BIT MORE THERMALLY

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THAN THE CAULK
AROUND YOUR BATHTUB.

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AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH
ALL THAT THERE IS

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TO OUR INFLATABLE.

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- THE SHAPE OF THIS INFLATABLE
IS IMPORTANT TOO.

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ENGINEERS AND RESEARCHERS KNOW
THAT THE BLUNT-SHAPED BODY

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USED IN PREVIOUS CAPSULES
WORKS EFFECTIVELY.

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SO HOW DO THEY
GO ABOUT GETTING AN INFLATABLE

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TO MAKE AND KEEP
THE RIGHT SHAPE?

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- WE STACK A SERIES
OF INCREASING-DIAMETER DOUGHNUTS

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ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER.

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YOU THINK OF THE STACKING TOY

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YOU HAD
WHEN YOU WERE A TODDLER.

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YOU HAD A SERIES
OF DIFFERENT-SIZED DOUGHNUTS.

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AND AS YOU STACKED THEM UP,

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IT CREATED A CONE,
EITHER UP OR DOWN

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OR WHATEVER WAY YOU WANTED.

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SO WE STACK THE DOUGHNUTS
TOGETHER TO GET THE CONE,

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AND THEN WE USE
ADHESIVES AND STRAPS

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TO HOLD
THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER

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AND THEN TIE
THAT INFLATABLE STRUCTURE

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BACK TO THE CENTER BODY
WITH A SERIES OF STRAPS.

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- OF COURSE, THE INFLATABLE

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ISN'T PUMPED UP
FOR THE WHOLE MISSION.

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THAT MEANS SOMETHING
NEEDS TO INFLATE THE STRUCTURE

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WHEN IT GETS
TO ITS DESTINATION.

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SO HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

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- JUST LIKE WHEN YOU GO
TO THE STORE

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AND YOU GET THE HELIUM TANK

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AND THEY FILL UP YOUR BALLOON,

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WE HAVE A CYLINDER
JUST LIKE THAT

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THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS NITROGEN.

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AND WE FILL THESE THINGS UP
IN FLIGHT.

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A SERIES OF VALVES OPEN,

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AND IT FILLS
EACH ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY.

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AND THEY'RE
ALSO LINKED TOGETHER

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SO THAT WE MAKE SURE
WE DON'T OVERPRESSURIZE

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AND THEY DON'T POP.

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- NOW,
WITH THE INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELD

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BEING A NEW TECHNOLOGY

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WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT
COMPONENTS,

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IT FOLLOWS THAT ENGINEERS

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DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING
ABOUT HOW IT WILL WORK,

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SO THEY HAVE TO DO TESTS.

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AND WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING
ABOUT PENCIL AND PAPER

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OR EVEN COMPUTER SIMULATIONS.

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- WE'VE GOT A LOT
OF DIFFERENT TESTING

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THAT HAS TO GO
INTO THESE VEHICLES

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IN ORDER TO PROVE THEM.

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WE ARE DOING WIND TUNNEL TESTING
OUT AT NFAC

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WITH A FULL-SIZE VEHICLE.

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WE'VE GOT EIGHT-FOOT-HIGH
TEMPERATURE TESTING,

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WHERE WE'RE DOING SMALL SAMPLES

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WE CAN DO DIFFERENT
MATERIAL CONFIGURATIONS FOR

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AND TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION.

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WE ALSO HAVE MORE COMPLEX TESTS

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WHERE WE TEST THINGS
LIKE THE NOSE CAPS

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IN THE TP2 TEST FACILITY
DOWN AT JSC.

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SO WE'VE BEEN DOING
ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TESTING,

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TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION
THAT WE NEED

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IN ORDER TO GO TO OTHER PLANETS
OR WHEREVER.

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- AND ONCE INFLATABLE TECHNOLOGY
IS READY TO GO,

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THERE'S NO TELLING
SOME OF THE DESTINATIONS

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THAT COULD BE ON NASA'S RADAR.

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UNTIL THEN,
RESEARCHERS AND ENGINEERS

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WILL CONTINUE THEIR QUEST

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TO TAKE THIS TECHNOLOGY
LITERALLY OUT OF THIS WORLD.

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THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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I'M CALEB KINCHLOW.

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CATCH YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."