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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FOR CENTURIES, HUMANS HAVE BEEN
PEERING INTO THE COSMOS.

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OUR FASCINATION HAS DRIVEN US

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TO SEND HUMANS
AND ROBOTIC MISSIONS

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TO OTHER PLANETARY BODIES.

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DOING SO, HOWEVER,

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COMES WITH ITS OWN SETS
OF CHALLENGES.

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ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES
IS ENTRY INTO AN ATMOSPHERE.

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- WHEN YOU ENTER
INTO AN ATMOSPHERE,

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SUCH AS MARS OR EARTH,

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YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY COME BACK
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE

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AT HIGH SPEEDS.

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AND WHAT YOU
ACTUALLY END UP DOING

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IS GENERATING A LOT OF FRICTION
AND A LOT OF HEAT.

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AERODYNAMIC HEATING OCCURS

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WHEN YOU ACTUALLY
GO THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE

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AND YOU IMPACT
THE AIR MOLECULES.

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AND SO THE AIR MOLECULES

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ARE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRING
FRICTION TO THE VEHICLE,

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AND THAT IS THE HEAT

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THAT THEY ACTUALLY GENERATE
ONTO THE VEHICLE ITSELF.

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- SPACE VEHICLES THAT ENTER
A PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE,

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LIKE EARTH'S OR MARS',

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REQUIRE THE USE
OF A THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM,

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OR T.P.S.,

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TO PROTECT THEM
FROM AERODYNAMIC HEATING.

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THERE HAVE BEEN
SEVERAL TYPES OF T.P.S. USED

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THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY
OF SPACEFLIGHT.

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YOU MIGHT BE THE MOST FAMILIAR
WITH THIS,

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THE RECENTLY RETIRED
SPACE SHUTTLE.

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THE T.P.S. ON THE SHUTTLE

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WAS MADE OF A SERIES
OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED HEAT TILES

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PLACED ON THE WINGS
AND UNDERSIDE OF THE ORBITER.

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AS THE SHUTTLE GLIDED BACK
DOWN THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE,

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THESE TILES PROTECTED IT

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FROM THE 1,500 DEGREES CELSIUS
TEMPERATURES

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EXPERIENCED
DURING ATMOSPHERIC REENTRY.

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BUT THE SPACE SHUTTLE'S TILES

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AREN'T THE ONLY TYPE
OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.

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NOW NASA'S WORKING
ON A NEW KIND OF REENTRY SYSTEM

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CALLED HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE
AERODYNAMIC DECELERATORS.

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THE SHAPE IS SIMILAR
TO THAT OF THE APOLLO CAPSULES,

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BUT THERE IS
ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE.

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A HIAD IS,
LIKE THE NAME IMPLIES,

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INFLATABLE,
WHICH MEANS IT'S NOT RIGID.

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THIS MEANS A WHOLE NEW TYPE
OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM

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IS NECESSARY.

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- THE HEATING ON THE EXTERIOR
OF THE HEAT SHIELD,

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IT'S A AERODYNAMIC HEATING

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THAT GETS
REALLY, REALLY SUPER HOT.

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I MEAN, WE'RE NOT TALKING

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ABOUT THE OVEN TEMPERATURE
YOU CAN PUT YOUR HAND IN.

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THIS IS STUFF
THAT'S GONNA BURN UP ALUMINUM.

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A HIAD IS ACTUALLY
AN INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELD

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THAT CAN TAKE A LOT OF FOLDING.

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WE ACTUALLY PACK IT
INTO A TIGHT LITTLE PACKAGE.

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AND THEN IT OPENS UP,

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AND IT'S STILL
GOT THE CAPABILITY

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OF TAKING THAT THERMAL HEATING

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THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN
WHEN IT REENTERS.

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RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING
ON THIN MATERIALS, OKAY?

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WE'VE GOT TO HAVE MATERIALS
THAT ARE GONNA SURVIVE

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ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE.

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SO WE'RE LOOKING
AT A COMBINATION.

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YOU CAN'T
JUST HAVE ONE MATERIAL.

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WE HAVE NOT FOUND
A SINGLE MATERIAL

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THAT'S GONNA DO EVERYTHING
WE NEED IT TO.

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SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE LAYERS
OF MATERIALS THAT WE USE.

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WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE
IS A NEXTEL, WHICH--

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NEXTEL IS ACTUALLY USED
IN AIRCRAFT ENGINES.

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IT'S JUST A THERMAL INSULATION
THAT AIRCRAFT USE.

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WE HAVE PRYOGEL,
THIS BLACK STUFF.

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THIS IS AN INSULATOR.

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THIS IS ACTUALLY
A PIPE INSULATOR

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IS THE CURRENT USE
FOR THIS MATERIAL.

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AND NOW WE'RE USING IT
FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS.

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IN ADDITION,

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THIS IS KAPTON-COATED KEVLAR.

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AND WE COAT IT WITH KAPTON

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TO GIVE IT A GAS BARRIER.

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THE GAS BARRIER IS USED
SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE

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HOT AIR PENETRATIONS
THAT WILL GET TO THE INFLATABLE

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AND DAMAGE OUR STRUCTURE
UNDERNEATH.

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- SO TIME-OUT.

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YOU'RE TELLING ME
THAT A FABRIC

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IS GOING TO WITHSTAND

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THE SEARING TEMPERATURES
OF PLANETARY REENTRY?

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HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

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- LOOK AT A CERAMIC MUG.

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IT'S A MATERIAL.
WE CALL IT CERAMIC.

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THEY'RE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND
EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES,

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UP TO 3,000 DEGREES "F."

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THE ONE THING
THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO

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WITH THESE CERAMIC MATERIALS

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IS THAT WE CAN NOW MAKE THEM
INTO VERY THIN FIBERS.

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BASICALLY, THEY LOOK LIKE HAIRS.

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BUT THEY'RE
HIGH-TEMPERATURE HAIRS.

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SO YOU HAVE THESE
HIGH-TEMPERATURE CERAMIC FIBERS.

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AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS,

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WE USE TRADITIONAL
WEAVING TECHNOLOGY,

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LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN DRAPES
OR SHEETS OR ANYTHING ELSE,

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AND WE WEAVE THEM
INTO A FABRIC.

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AND NOW WHAT I HAVE IS,

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I HAVE
A HIGH-TEMPERATURE FABRIC.

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SO NOW I HAVE A FABRIC
THAT CAN SIT

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ON THE OUTSIDE
OF MY VEHICLE

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AND WITHSTAND
3,000 DEGREES "F."

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- I KNEW THAT KEVLAR
CAN BE USED FOR BODY ARMOR,

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BUT I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
TO USE IT

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FOR SOMETHING LIKE
A THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.

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- WE JUST WENT TO EACH ONE
OF THE DIFFERENT COMPANIES

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AND BOUGHT THIS MATERIAL.

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AND NOW WE'RE COMBINING IT
IN WAYS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS

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TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO USE THIS.

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AND SO FAR, WE'VE DONE
A BUNCH OF IN-HOUSE TESTING,

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AND IT'S BEEN WORKING GREAT
FOR US.

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- IT'S COOL TO SEE NASA
TAKING CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES

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AND USING THEM IN NEW WAYS.

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IT'S ALL JUST PART OF THE CYCLE
OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

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AND JUST ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES

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OF NASA'S NEW GAME CHANGING
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.

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AND WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND
OF ADVANCEMENTS WE'LL MAKE

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THANKS TO TECHNOLOGIES
LIKE HIAD?

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THANKS FOR WATCHING
"NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M CALEB.

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CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.