[dramatic percussion music]
- HEY, AND WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."
I'M YOUR HOST, CALEB KINCHLOW.
FOR CENTURIES, HUMANS HAVE BEEN PEERING INTO THE COSMOS.
OUR FASCINATION HAS DRIVEN US
TO SEND HUMANS AND ROBOTIC MISSIONS
TO OTHER PLANETARY BODIES.
DOING SO, HOWEVER,
COMES WITH ITS OWN SETS OF CHALLENGES.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS ENTRY INTO AN ATMOSPHERE.
- WHEN YOU ENTER INTO AN ATMOSPHERE,
SUCH AS MARS OR EARTH,
YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY COME BACK THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
AT HIGH SPEEDS.
AND WHAT YOU ACTUALLY END UP DOING
IS GENERATING A LOT OF FRICTION AND A LOT OF HEAT.
AERODYNAMIC HEATING OCCURS
WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE
AND YOU IMPACT THE AIR MOLECULES.
AND SO THE AIR MOLECULES
ARE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRING FRICTION TO THE VEHICLE,
AND THAT IS THE HEAT
THAT THEY ACTUALLY GENERATE ONTO THE VEHICLE ITSELF.
- SPACE VEHICLES THAT ENTER A PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE,
LIKE EARTH'S OR MARS',
REQUIRE THE USE OF A THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM,
OR T.P.S.,
TO PROTECT THEM FROM AERODYNAMIC HEATING.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TYPES OF T.P.S. USED
THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF SPACEFLIGHT.
YOU MIGHT BE THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH THIS,
THE RECENTLY RETIRED SPACE SHUTTLE.
THE T.P.S. ON THE SHUTTLE
WAS MADE OF A SERIES OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED HEAT TILES
PLACED ON THE WINGS AND UNDERSIDE OF THE ORBITER.
AS THE SHUTTLE GLIDED BACK DOWN THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE,
THESE TILES PROTECTED IT
FROM THE 1,500 DEGREES CELSIUS TEMPERATURES
EXPERIENCED DURING ATMOSPHERIC REENTRY.
BUT THE SPACE SHUTTLE'S TILES
AREN'T THE ONLY TYPE OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.
NOW NASA'S WORKING ON A NEW KIND OF REENTRY SYSTEM
CALLED HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE AERODYNAMIC DECELERATORS.
THE SHAPE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE APOLLO CAPSULES,
BUT THERE IS ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE.
A HIAD IS, LIKE THE NAME IMPLIES,
INFLATABLE, WHICH MEANS IT'S NOT RIGID.
THIS MEANS A WHOLE NEW TYPE OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM
IS NECESSARY.
- THE HEATING ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE HEAT SHIELD,
IT'S A AERODYNAMIC HEATING
THAT GETS REALLY, REALLY SUPER HOT.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT THE OVEN TEMPERATURE YOU CAN PUT YOUR HAND IN.
THIS IS STUFF THAT'S GONNA BURN UP ALUMINUM.
A HIAD IS ACTUALLY AN INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELD
THAT CAN TAKE A LOT OF FOLDING.
WE ACTUALLY PACK IT INTO A TIGHT LITTLE PACKAGE.
AND THEN IT OPENS UP,
AND IT'S STILL GOT THE CAPABILITY
OF TAKING THAT THERMAL HEATING
THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN IT REENTERS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING ON THIN MATERIALS, OKAY?
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE MATERIALS THAT ARE GONNA SURVIVE
ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A COMBINATION.
YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE ONE MATERIAL.
WE HAVE NOT FOUND A SINGLE MATERIAL
THAT'S GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE NEED IT TO.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE LAYERS OF MATERIALS THAT WE USE.
WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS A NEXTEL, WHICH--
NEXTEL IS ACTUALLY USED IN AIRCRAFT ENGINES.
IT'S JUST A THERMAL INSULATION THAT AIRCRAFT USE.
WE HAVE PRYOGEL, THIS BLACK STUFF.
THIS IS AN INSULATOR.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A PIPE INSULATOR
IS THE CURRENT USE FOR THIS MATERIAL.
AND NOW WE'RE USING IT FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS.
IN ADDITION,
THIS IS KAPTON-COATED KEVLAR.
AND WE COAT IT WITH KAPTON
TO GIVE IT A GAS BARRIER.
THE GAS BARRIER IS USED SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE
HOT AIR PENETRATIONS THAT WILL GET TO THE INFLATABLE
AND DAMAGE OUR STRUCTURE UNDERNEATH.
- SO TIME-OUT.
YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT A FABRIC
IS GOING TO WITHSTAND
THE SEARING TEMPERATURES OF PLANETARY REENTRY?
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
- LOOK AT A CERAMIC MUG.
IT'S A MATERIAL. WE CALL IT CERAMIC.
THEY'RE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES,
UP TO 3,000 DEGREES "F."
THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO
WITH THESE CERAMIC MATERIALS
IS THAT WE CAN NOW MAKE THEM INTO VERY THIN FIBERS.
BASICALLY, THEY LOOK LIKE HAIRS.
BUT THEY'RE HIGH-TEMPERATURE HAIRS.
SO YOU HAVE THESE HIGH-TEMPERATURE CERAMIC FIBERS.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS,
WE USE TRADITIONAL WEAVING TECHNOLOGY,
LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN DRAPES OR SHEETS OR ANYTHING ELSE,
AND WE WEAVE THEM INTO A FABRIC.
AND NOW WHAT I HAVE IS,
I HAVE A HIGH-TEMPERATURE FABRIC.
SO NOW I HAVE A FABRIC THAT CAN SIT
ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY VEHICLE
AND WITHSTAND 3,000 DEGREES "F."
- I KNEW THAT KEVLAR CAN BE USED FOR BODY ARMOR,
BUT I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO USE IT
FOR SOMETHING LIKE A THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.
- WE JUST WENT TO EACH ONE OF THE DIFFERENT COMPANIES
AND BOUGHT THIS MATERIAL.
AND NOW WE'RE COMBINING IT IN WAYS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS
TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO USE THIS.
AND SO FAR, WE'VE DONE A BUNCH OF IN-HOUSE TESTING,
AND IT'S BEEN WORKING GREAT FOR US.
- IT'S COOL TO SEE NASA TAKING CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES
AND USING THEM IN NEW WAYS.
IT'S ALL JUST PART OF THE CYCLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
AND JUST ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES
OF NASA'S NEW GAME CHANGING DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
AND WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF ADVANCEMENTS WE'LL MAKE
THANKS TO TECHNOLOGIES LIKE HIAD?
THANKS FOR WATCHING "NASA LAUNCHPAD."
I'M CALEB.
CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.