WEBVTT

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- HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE
AERODYNAMIC DECELERATORS

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HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE

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THE COMPLICATED
AND CHALLENGING TASKS

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OF ENTRY, DESCENT, AND LANDING

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SMOOTHER AND MORE MANAGEABLE
THAN EVER BEFORE,

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ALL WHILE GIVING US ACCESS
TO PLANETS AND MOONS

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WE'VE ONLY EVER DREAMED
OF EXPLORING.

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FIND OUT HOW
NEXT ON "REAL WORLD."

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ENTRY, DESCENT,
AND LANDING TECHNOLOGIES

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ENSURE PRECISE AND SAFE LANDINGS
FOR NASA SPACECRAFT.

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EACH EDL IS UNIQUE
BECAUSE OF THE ATMOSPHERE

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AND THE TYPE AND/OR SIZE
OF SPACECRAFT BEING LANDED.

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BUT ANY SPACECRAFT
THAT FLIES THROUGH AN ATMOSPHERE

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TO LAND ON THE SURFACE BELOW
ENCOUNTERS SOME COMMON PROBLEMS.

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WITH A HIAD VEHICLE,

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THE DIFFICULTY OF BOTH
ENTRY INTO AN ATMOSPHERE

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AND DESCENT THROUGH IT

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ARE TACKLED
WITH THE SAME SOLUTION.

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- HIAD STANDS
FOR HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE

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AERODYNAMIC DECELERATOR.

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WHEN I SAY "HYPERSONIC,"
THAT'S BECAUSE

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THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE GOING
REALLY FAST.

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SO SUPERSONIC,
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF.

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HYPERSONIC,
YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING

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MORE THAN 5 TIMES
THE SPEED OF SOUND

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AND OFTEN 10 OR 20 TIMES
THE SPEED OF SOUND.

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- THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT
TO SLOW DOWN THE SPACECRAFT

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AS IT DESCENDS
TO THE PLANETARY SURFACE.

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THAT'S WHY RESEARCHERS AT NASA

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ARE RETHINKING THE WAY WE ENTER,
DESCEND, AND LAND AT MARS.

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- A HIAD IS AN INFLATED
HEAT SHIELD

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THAT, BY DESIGN, IS LOOKING
TO REPLACE RIGID HEAT SHIELDS.

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A HEAT SHIELD
IS WHAT SAFELY DECELERATES

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AND PROTECTS YOUR PAYLOAD.

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- WE HAVE ACTUALLY
TWO DISTINCT ASSEMBLIES

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WITH THE INFLATABLE STRUCTURE,

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AND THAT GIVES
THE AEROSHELL FORM,

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GIVES US THE DRAG AREA

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AND SURVIVES THE PRESSURE LOAD
OR THE AERODYNAMIC FORCES

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THAT ARE BEING APPLIED.

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NOW, THE INNER PLY,
THE INFLATABLE STRUCTURE,

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IT IS INCREDIBLY STRONG.

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IT'S A KEVLAR BRAID.

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BUT THAT CAN'T SURVIVE
THE HEAT OF REENTRY,

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SO WE HAVE TO PROTECT IT
WITH SOMETHING,

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SO WE HAVE
A THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.

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- THE INTENSE HEAT
EXPERIENCED

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WHEN MOVING
THROUGH AN ATMOSPHERE

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MEANS THAT THE SPACECRAFT

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NEEDS SOME KIND
OF THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM,

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WHETHER THAT'S THE CERAMIC TILES
ON THE SHUTTLE

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OR THE BLUNT-BODY HEAT SHIELD

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ON CAPSULES
FROM MERCURY TO APOLLO

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AND ON THE MARS
SCIENCE LABORATORY.

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- WHEN WE LAUNCH A MISSION
TO MARS OR ANOTHER PLANET,

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WE HAVE TO PUT THAT AEROSHELL,
THAT DRAG DEVICE,

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INSIDE A LAUNCH SHROUD,
AND WE'RE LIMITED BY THAT SIZE.

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SO WHATEVER SIZE ROCKET
WE'RE ON,

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THAT'S AS BIG AS WE CAN MAKE
THE AEROSHELL.

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THE IDEA IS TO DEPLOY
SOMETHING BIGGER.

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- CHECK OUT THIS PHYSICAL MAP
OF MARS.

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COLORS ARE USED
TO SHOW THE RELIEF,

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OR THE DIFFERENCES
IN LAND ELEVATION.

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SEE THOSE RED "X"s?

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THAT'S WHERE WE'VE PREVIOUSLY
LANDED SPACECRAFT

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ON THE RED PLANET.

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NOTICE ANYTHING
ABOUT WHERE THEY LANDED?

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THEY'RE ALL IN BLUE
AND GREEN AREAS,

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WHICH ARE BELOW
WHAT WAS THE MARTIAN SEA LEVEL.

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YOU SEE, MARS HAS
A REALLY THIN ATMOSPHERE

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COMPARED TO EARTH'S,

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SO THERE'S NOT ENOUGH
DRAG FORCE

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TO SLOW A SPACECRAFT
SUFFICIENTLY.

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SO RIGHT NOW,
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO LAND

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IN ALL OF THIS AREA IN BLACK,

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BECAUSE WE CAN'T
GET THE SPACECRAFT

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TO A SLOW ENOUGH SPEED
TO LAND SAFELY.

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BUT THERE IS A LOT
OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST

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IN THESE AREAS.

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FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE'S EVIDENCE

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OF GEOLOGICALLY RECENT

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SURFACE WATER ACTIVITY
IN THIS AREA,

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WHICH MAKES IT
PARTICULARLY INTERESTING

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TO NASA GEOLOGISTS
AND ASTROBIOLOGISTS ALIKE.

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SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO STUDY
THIS REGION, BUT HOW?

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- SO GOING
INTO THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE

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IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT
BECAUSE IT'S A THIN ATMOSPHERE.

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IT'S WHAT I CALL A POOR EXCUSE
FOR AN ATMOSPHERE.

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SO YOU'RE TRYING TO GO
FROM A VERY HIGH VELOCITY,

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5 1/2 TO 7 1/2 KILOMETERS
A SECOND,

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AND GET DOWN TO WHERE YOU CAN
SURVIVE THE LANDING.

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RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, WITH MSL,
LANDING THAT METRIC TON

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AT BELOW WHAT WAS SEA LEVEL
AT MARS,

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WE'RE BASICALLY AT THE LIMIT.

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IF WE WANTED TO GO
TAKE THAT SAME ROVER

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TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE,
WHERE WE'VE SEEN EVIDENCE

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OF FAIRLY RECENT
SURFACE WATER ACTIVITY,

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IF WE WANTED TO TAKE THAT ROVER
TO THOSE ALTITUDES,

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WE CAN'T DO IT
WITH CURRENT TECHNOLOGY.

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A HIAD, THOUGH,
WE CAN GO LARGER,

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AND WITH THAT SAME MASS,
A LARGER AEROSHELL,

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WE DECELERATE
AT HIGHER ALTITUDES,

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AND WE CAN GET TO THOSE
HIGHER-ALTITUDE LOCATIONS.

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- BUT MARS
ISN'T THE ONLY DESTINATION

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WITH A CHALLENGING ATMOSPHERE
AND LANDING CONDITIONS.

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THERE ARE PLANETS AND MOONS
THROUGHOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

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THAT SCIENTISTS WOULD LOVE
TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS,

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AND HIAD TECHNOLOGIES
COULD MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.

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- I SEE HIADs AS BEING
A GOOD DOOR OPENER FOR NASA

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FOR FUTURE EXPLORATION
OF PLANETARY BODIES

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TO HELP US BRING
THOSE MORE ADVANCED

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ROBOTIC ROVERS AND EXPLORERS

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AND ALSO ENABLING
HUMAN EXPLORATION

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OF PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

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ONE POTENTIAL APPLICATION
FOR HIAD

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IS TO USE THEM WITH
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

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TO BRING CARGO BACK TO EARTH.

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RIGHT NOW,
CARGO SUCH AS EQUIPMENT,

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OLDER EQUIPMENT
OR ANY EQUIPMENT

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THAT WE'D LIKE
TO GET OUR HANDS BACK ON,

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IT'S DIFFICULT
FOR US TO BRING BACK

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BECAUSE OF THE SIZE.

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AND HIADs WILL ENABLE THAT MASS
AND THOSE DEVICES

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TO BE SAFELY BROUGHT BACK
TO EARTH.

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- AND ONE OF THE OTHER AREAS
IS ACCESS TO SPACE.

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WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING
ABOUT LOW-COST ACCESS TO SPACE.

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YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN THE DRIVER
SINCE THE '70s IS,

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HOW DO WE GET MORE STUFF
TO SPACE AT A CHEAPER PRICE?

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LAUNCH VEHICLE ASSET RECOVERY

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IS ANOTHER AREA
WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT.

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IF YOU COULD BRING BACK
THE SOLAR PANELS, THE COMPUTERS,

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THE TANKS, ALL THESE THINGS
AND REUSE THEM--

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BECAUSE MOST OF THESE THINGS
CAN BE USED MULTIPLE TIMES.

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AND SO A HIAD COULD BE PART
OF THAT SOLUTION.

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- HIADs SAVE SPACE, MASS,
AND MONEY,

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MAKING THIS INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGY EVEN MORE APPEALING.

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REMEMBER THAT MAP OF MARS?

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WITH A HIAD SYSTEM,

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ALL THE AREA
THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OFF-LIMITS

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COULD NOW BE WITHIN REACH.

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ENTRY, DESCENT, AND LANDING:

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FOR THOSE DESTINATIONS
WITH ATMOSPHERES,

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GETTING A SPACECRAFT
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE

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SO IT CAN ACTUALLY LAND
ON THE PLANET'S SURFACE

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DICTATES MUCH OF THE ENGINEERING
THAT GOES INTO THE MISSION.

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THAT'S NASA,
TAKING US TO NEW HEIGHTS.

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SEE YOU NEXT TIME
ON "REAL WORLD."