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NASA
Destination Tomorrow #9
Caption File Transcript
1/29/03
Captioning provided by N.E.C. Foundation of America. COMING UP ON DESTINATION
TOMORROW, A REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY NASA IS BEING USED TO
DETECT CANCER INSTANTLY, LEADING TO A MORE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF THIS
DISEASE. PLUS, IN AN EFFORT TO QUIET OUR SKIES, NASA HAS A NEW PROGRAM
AIMED AT REDUCING NOISE GENERATED BY AIRCRAFT, AND A RECORD-SETTING UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT CALLED THE HELIOS IS CHANGING THE WAY SCIENTISTS CONDUCT EARTH
AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE MISSIONS. ALL THIS AND MORE NEXT ON DESTINATION
TOMORROW. HELLO, EVERYONE; I'M STEELE McGONEGAL. AND I'M KERA O'BRYON,
AND WELCOME TO DESTINATION TOMORROW. THIS PROGRAM WILL UNCOVER HOW PAST,
PRESENT, AND FUTURE RESEARCH IS CREATING TODAY'S KNOWLEDGE TO ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS AND SOLVE THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW. NASA'S NEW HELIOS AIRCRAFT
IS A REMOTELY PILOTED FLYING WING WHICH IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE AT HIGH
ALTITUDES FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AT A TIME. DEVELOPED WITH ULTRALIGHT COMPOSITE
MATERIALS AND WITH A WINGSPAN OF 247 FEET, THE HELIOS EXCEEDS THE OVERALL
LENGTH OF A BOEING 747. OFTEN REFERRED TO AS AN ATMOSPHERIC SATELLITE,
HELIOS' MISSION IS TO CONDUCT A WIDE VARIETY OF EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENCE MISSIONS WHILE FLYING ON THE EDGE OF THE ATMOSPHERE. HELIOS COULD
ALSO MONITOR WEATHER, TRACK HURRICANES, AND PROVIDE COVERAGE OF DISASTER
SITES SUCH AS FIRES, FLOODING, AND EARTHQUAKES IN ORDER TO PRECISELY DIRECT
EMERGENCY RESOURCES. THE HELIOS COULD ALSO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AND OTHER SERVICES AT A FRACTION OF THE COST OF SATELLITES WHILE PROVIDING
A RELIABLE MEANS OF COLLECTING VITAL INFORMATION. GREG PROVANCE SPOKE
WITH JOHN DelFRATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HELIOS AND ITS UNIQUE DESIGN. SINCE
THE EARLY '60s, THE WORLD HAS RELIED ON SATELLITES FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING USE IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIELD AND IN WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS. ALTHOUGH SATELLITES HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE WAY WE LIVE,
THEY ARE NOT ONLY VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND FLY INTO SPACE, THEY SOMETIMES
DON'T MAKE IT INTO SPACE AT ALL. TO HELP FIND NEW AND LESS EXPENSIVE WAYS
TO FULFILL THE NEED FOR SATELLITE USAGE, RESEARCHERS AT NASA ARE DEVELOPING
AN INNOVATIVE TYPE OF LOW-COST AIRCRAFT. IT'S CALLED THE HELIOS AND MAY
BE ABLE TO WORK MUCH LIKE A SATELLITE BUT AT A FRACTION OF THE COST. THIS
SO-CALLED ATMOSPHERIC SATELLITE WILL BE ABLE TO FLY AT HIGH ALTITUDES
FOR MONTHS AT A TIME, PROVIDING A LOW-COST SOLUTION TO CURRENT SATELLITES.
I SPOKE WITH JOHN DelFRATE TO FIND OUT MORE. NASA'S DEVELOPING AN EXPERIMENTAL
AIRPLANE, AND WE'RE USING SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE
LAST 10, 20 YEARS. WE WANT TO USE SOLAR-CELL TECHNOLOGY AND SOME VERY
LIGHTWEIGHT AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY. BY PUTTING THOSE TWO TOGETHER,
WE THINK THAT WE CAN BUILD AN AIRPLANE THAT CAN FLY VERY HIGH AND THEN,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, FLY VERY LONG. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THE MISSION
OF A SATELLITE IN SOME WAYS, AND IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT
ON AN AIRPLANE, IT WOULD BE LIKE A POOR MAN'S SATELLITE. WHY DO YOU THINK
THIS WOULD BE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN USING EXISTING SATELLITES? WELL,
THERE'S A FEW ADVANTAGES THAT THIS KIND OF AN AIRPLANE WOULD GIVE YOU
OVER A REGULAR SATELLITE. FOR ONE, IT'S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE. THE OTHER
ASPECT IS, A SATELLITE GETS LAUNCHED, AND THE TECHNOLOGY'S ANCIENT ALREADY.
AN AIRPLANE LIKE THIS COULD USE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS CURRENT, THE STUFF
THAT THE SCIENTISTS HAVE JUST DEVELOPED. PUT IT ON THE AIRPLANE. GO UP.
FLY IT. TEST IT. SEE HOW IT DOES. BRING IT BACK DOWN. CHANGE IT. A SATELLITE,
ONCE IT'S UP THERE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH UP THERE. SO THE HOPE IS TO HAVE
THE HELIOS FLY FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. HOW'S IT GOING TO STAY IN THE AIR
THAT LONG? WE'VE ALREADY LICKED THE PROBLEM OF BEING ABLE TO FLY UNDER
SOLAR POWER. BUT NOW THE QUESTION IS-- YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOLAR POWER.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN? WELL, WE'RE DEVELOPING A SYSTEM THAT
IS LIKE A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY, FOR EXAMPLE. DURING THE DAY, WHATEVER
EXCESS POWER IS PRODUCED BY THE SOLAR CELLS, WE CAPTURE THAT AND STORE
IT ON BOARD, AND THEN AT NIGHTTIME, WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, WE USE THAT
POWER TO POWER THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ON THE AIRPLANE. ALTHOUGH THE HELIOS
PROTOTYPE USES NEW SPACE-AGE MATERIALS, THE DESIGN IS ACTUALLY VERY SIMPLE.
WEIGHING IN AT JUST ABOUT 1,600 POUNDS, THIS ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT, ELECTRICALLY
POWERED ALL-WING AIRCRAFT IS CONSTRUCTED MOSTLY OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS.
IT'S ASSEMBLED IN SIX SECTIONS, EACH ABOUT 41 FEET LONG WITH AN UNDERWING
POD ATTACHED AT EACH PANEL. THE PODS CARRY THE BATTERY POWER SYSTEM, FLIGHT-CONTROL
COMPUTERS, DATA INSTRUMENTATION, AND THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT IS
POWERED BY 14 ELECTRIC MOTORS, PRODUCING ABOUT 2 HORSEPOWER EACH, WHICH
DRIVE LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGH-ALTITUDE PROPELLERS. THIS AMOUNT OF POWER ALLOWS
THE AIRCRAFT TO CRUISE BETWEEN 19 AND 27 MILES PER HOUR WITH TAKEOFF AND
LANDING SPEEDS ROUGHLY ABOUT THE SAME AS A BICYCLE. THE ELECTRIC MOTORS
ARE SOLAR POWERED, ENABLING THE AIRCRAFT TO PRODUCE ENOUGH ENERGY DURING
THE DAY TO STAY ALOFT. WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, THE CRAFT RELIES ON PROTON-EXCHANGE
MEMBRANE FUEL-CELL TECHNOLOGY TO POWER THE MOTORS. THESE UNIQUE FUEL CELLS
COMBINE OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN TO PRODUCE ELECTRIC POWER, HEAT, AND WATER.
AS LONG AS THESE GASSES ARE SUPPLIED, THE UNIT CONTINUES TO PRODUCE POWER,
ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO REMAIN AIRBORNE FOR DAYS AT A TIME. SO WHAT ARE
SOME OTHER POTENTIAL USES FOR THE HELIOS? WE BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE COULD
BE USED TO DO SOME SCIENCE RESEARCH. BASICALLY, THE AIRPLANE CAN BE LOADED
WITH SENSORS AND INSTRUMENTS THAT STUDY THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, LOOK DOWN,
STUDY THINGS ON THE GROUND. THEN YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT VOLCANOES. YOU
COULD LOOK AT THE HUMIDITY IN THE AIR OR THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR, A
WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD BE STUDIED. SO SCIENCE IS IMPORTANT TO
NASA, AND THIS AIRPLANE COULD DO SOME REALLY GOOD SCIENCE OVER THE NEXT
TEN YEARS OR SO. ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK DOWN AND LOOK
AT THE HEALTH OF YOUR FORESTS, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT THE HEALTH OF CROPS,
THE HEALTH OF YOUR CORAL REEF, THE HEALTH OF YOUR RIVER WAYS COULD BE
PROVIDED, I THINK, IN A MUCH MORE CONSISTENT FASHION. SO, JOHN, WHAT ARE
YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF THE HELIOS? WELL, WE SEE HELIOSES GOING ALL
OVER THE WORLD, TENS, HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF THESE AIRPLANES. IN FACT,
SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS, I THINK, ARE STILL TO BE DISCOVERED. THERE'S
ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE ENVISION AS BEING EXCITING WAYS OF IMPROVING
PEOPLE'S LIVES HERE ON EARTH, AND IT'S EXCITING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE-- EVEN FOR AERONAUTICAL-TYPE ENGINEERS JUST 10, 20,
30 YEARS AGO, I THINK THEY WERE KIND OF THINKING THEIR PLANES HAD PRETTY
MUCH KIND OF REACHED THE LIMITS, YOU KNOW. "LET'S CONCENTRATE SOMEWHERE
ELSE." BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT NASA
TELL US OTHERWISE. THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING STUFF THAT'S STILL LEFT TO
BE DISCOVERED, AND THIS IS JUST ONE PART OF THAT. NASA RESEARCHERS BELIEVE
THAT A HELIOS -TYPE AIRCRAFT MAY ONE DAY FLY IN THE THIN MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE,
WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE UPPER REACHES OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. UP NEXT,
A REVOLUTIONARY NEW TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING IMPROVE THE EARLY DETECTION
OF BREAST CANCER. BUT FIRST, DID YOU KNOW THAT THE HELIOS BROKE THE ALTITUDE
RECORD FOR NON-ROCKET-POWERED AIRCRAFT? THE ORIGINAL RECORD OF 85,068
FEET WAS SET IN 1976 BY THE MACH-3 CAPABLE SR71 BLACKBIRD. THE HELIOS,
FLYING AT SPEEDS AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR, CLIMBED ABOVE 99% OF THE EARTH'S
ATMOSPHERE AND SET THE NEW RECORD OF 96,863 FEET IN THE SUMMER OF 2001.
ALL OF US KNOW OR HAVE KNOWN SOMEONE WITH CANCER. IN FACT, ONE IN THREE
AMERICANS CAN EXPECT TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH SOME FORM OF THE DISEASE AT
ONE POINT IN THEIR LIFE. A KEY TO TREATING AND DEFEATING THIS INSIDIOUS
DISEASE IS TO FIND IT QUICKLY BEFORE IT SPREADS. NOW, THANKS TO ENTERPRISING
WORK DONE BY RESEARCHERS AT NASA, DOCTORS MAY SOON HAVE A NEW DEVICE,
CALLED THE SMART PROBE, WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO DETECT SOME FORMS OF CANCER
INSTANTANEOUSLY, GREATLY IMPROVING THE PATIENT'S CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL.
TONYA ST. ROMAIN FINDS OUT MORE. BREAST CANCER IS ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING
AND DEADLY FORMS OF CANCER, AFFLICTING OVER 200,000 WOMEN EVERY YEAR.
EARLY DETECTION OF THE DISEASE HAS HELPED MANY WOMEN FIND AND TREAT THE
CANCER QUICKLY, BUT EARLY DETECTION TECHNOLOGY IS STILL NOT AS GOOD AS
IT COULD BE. TO HELP IMPROVE THE EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER, RESEARCHERS
AT NASA HAVE DEVELOPED A REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY CALLED THE SMART PROBE.
THIS PROBE WILL BE ABLE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF CANCER MUCH MORE PRECISELY
THAN CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. INTENDED FOR LONG-DURATION SPACE MISSIONS, THIS
DEVICE COULD SOON BE SAVING LIVES HERE ON EARTH. I SPOKE WITH DR. ROBERT
MAH AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER TO FIND OUT MORE. AT THIS POINT, WHEN
A WOMAN SUSPECTS A LUMP IN THEIR BREAST, SHE WOULD GO IN TO SEE A PHYSICIAN.
A PHYSICIAN WOULD EXAMINE AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER TO TAKE A-- HAVE A MAMMOGRAM
MADE OF THE LUMP. AND FROM THE MAMMOGRAM, YOU CAN TELL WHETHER IT MAY
BE MALIGNANT OR NOT. IF IT IS SUSPECTED TO BE, THEY WOULD THEN GO IN FOR
A BIOPSY. THEY NORMALLY GO IN WITH USING ULTRASOUND TO GUIDE A BIOPSY
NEEDLE AND GO IN THERE AND EXTRACT SAMPLES OF THE LUMP. AND THAT TISSUE
SAMPLE GETS ANALYZED BY A PATHOLOGIST. AND THAT COULD TAKE DAYS IN SOME
CASES. IF IT IS MALIGNANT OR CANCEROUS, THEY HAVE TO GO IN THERE AND TAKE
OUT AS MUCH AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN. EVERY WEEK IN THE UNITED STATES, APPROXIMATELY
16,000 WOMEN NEEDLESSLY UNDERGO SURGICAL BREAST BIOPSIES WHERE NO CANCER
IS FOUND AT ALL, WHILE ANOTHER 4,600 BREAST CANCERS ARE MISSED EACH WEEK
DURING PHYSICIAN REVIEW OF MAMMOGRAMS AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS. THIS
IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT INITIAL BREAST CANCER SCREENING PROCEDURES
DO NOT PROVIDE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT KNOWN CANCER INDICATORS. FOR
EXAMPLE, A LIGHT SPOT ON A MAMMOGRAM X-RAY CAN BE MANY THINGS OTHER THAN
CANCER, LEADING TO A MISSED OR INACCURATE DIAGNOSIS. THE NEW NASA SMART
PROBE IS DESIGNED TO SEE A SUSPICIOUS LUMP IN A BREAST, DETERMINE BY ITS
FEATURES IF IT IS INDEED CANCEROUS, AND ULTIMATELY PREDICT HOW THE DISEASE
MAY PROGRESS. THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSIS BEGINS WHEN A SMALL NEEDLE, WHICH
IS MOUNTED ON THE PROBE, IS INSERTED INTO THE LUMP. THE PROBE IS ABLE
TO DETECT IF THE LUMP IS CANCEROUS OR BENIGN INSTANTANEOUSLY, PROVIDING
REAL-TIME, DETAILED INTERPRETATIONS AT THE NEEDLE'S TIP, SUPPLYING AN
ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS IN SECONDS RATHER THAN DAYS. WHAT'S BEHIND THIS TECHNOLOGY
IS THE SOFTWARE. THE SOFTWARE THAT WE DEVELOP LEARNS LIKE PEOPLE DO. IT
LEARNS FROM EXPERIENCE. SO WE STICK THE PROBE INTO DIFFERENT TYPES OF
TISSUE. WE TEACH THE SOFTWARE THAT THOSE CHARACTERISTICS ARE CERTAIN TYPES
OF TISSUE, NORMAL TISSUE, OR WHETHER IT'S, SAY, A NORMAL MUSCLE OR NORMAL
FAT TISSUE, CANCEROUS OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANCER. IF IT IS CANCEROUS,
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO REMOVE THE TISSUE AROUND THE TUMOR WITH A VERY WIDE
MARGIN, YOU COULD TAKE LESS TISSUE OUT. AND YOU COULD BE MORE CERTAIN
THAT YOU'RE NOT LEAVING BEHIND MALIGNANT TISSUE THERE. SO WHAT YOU GET
HERE IS CONFIDENCE LEVEL AS TO WHAT KIND OF TISSUE THAT THE PROBE IS SEEING.
HOW DID NASA GET INVOLVED IN BREAST CANCER RESEARCH? IT WAS CLEAR THAT
TO PUT MAN ON MARS AND HAVE HIM SURVIVE FOR THREE YEARS, YOU NEED TO PROVIDE
HIM WITH SMART TOOLS FOR MANY DIFFERENT TASKS, AND A MEDICAL EMERGENCY'S
ONE OF THOSE. SO THAT'S WHY WE STARTED TO WORK IN THAT DIRECTION. IN PREPARATION
FOR A THREE-YEAR-LONG MISSION TO MARS, NASA PLANNERS HAVE BEGUN TO DEVELOP
SMART MEDICAL ROBOTICS. THESE ROBOTS WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST AN ASTRONAUT
PHYSICIAN IN PERFORMING MEDICAL PROCEDURES IF A PROBLEM OCCURS DURING
A MISSION. WITH MARS BEING OVER 30 MILLION MILES AWAY, THIS IS PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE A TRANSMISSION TO EARTH WOULD TAKE 20 MINUTES, FURTHER
ENDANGERING THE STRICKEN CREW MEMBER WHEN EVERY SECOND COUNTS. HOW ELSE
MIGHT THIS TECHNOLOGY BE USED HERE ON EARTH? THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS GREAT
POTENTIAL. IT CAN BE USED FOR SPINAL SURGERY. IT COULD BE USED FOR PROSTATE
CANCER DETECTION, COULD BE USED FOR BRAIN SURGERY AND JUST SURGERY IN
GENERAL, WHERE YOU WANT TO MINIMIZE INJURY TO CRITICAL TARGETS. DR. MAH,
WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL HOPES FOR THE SMART PROBE? I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THIS TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING FOR SPACE CAN BE APPLIED
FOR EARTH USE. I THINK A TOOL LIKE THIS, THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND IT, WILL
REVOLUTIONIZE HOW MEDICAL PRACTICES WILL BE CARRIED OUT, TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE REAL-TIME DIAGNOSIS FOR VIRTUALLY ANY KINDS OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS
THEY MAY HAVE. SO FOR ME, PERSONALLY, IT'S VERY REWARDING TO SEE THAT
THE POTENTIAL THAT IT SAVES PEOPLE'S LIVES OR EVEN MINIMIZES RISKS TO,
YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. THAT'S REALLY REWARDING. _
_ WHEN DISCUSSING MANNED SPACE MISSIONS, THE TWO AMERICAN PROGRAMS THAT
ARE THE MOST TALKED ABOUT ARE THE MERCURY AND APOLLO PROGRAMS. ONE PROGRAM
THAT DOES NOT GET AS MUCH ATTENTION BUT WHICH WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING
MAN TO THE MOON WAS PROJECT GEMINI. THE GEMINI MISSIONS FLEW BETWEEN THE
MERCURY AND APOLLO PROGRAMS AND ALLOWED ASTRONAUTS AND PLANNERS TO PRACTICE
MANY OF THE PROCEDURES THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE MOON FLIGHTS,
PAVING THE WAY FOR MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON. EARLY IN JANUARY OF 1962,
PROJECT GEMINI BEGAN. BECAUSE OF THE LARGE TIME FRAME BETWEEN PROJECT
MERCURY AND THE APOLLO FLIGHTS, IT BECAME CLEAR TO NASA OFFICIALS THAT
MORE TRAINING AND SPACE FLIGHT WAS NECESSARY TO GET MEN TO THE MOON AND
BACK SAFELY. UNLIKE THE MERCURY CAPSULE, WHICH COULD ONLY HOLD ONE ASTRONAUT,
THE APTLY NAMED GEMINI CAPSULE COULD HOLD TWO ASTRONAUTS AND COULD BE
MANEUVERED IN SPACE BY THE CREW. THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER IN SPACE ALLOWED
ASTRONAUTS TO TRAIN FOR SPACE RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING. LEARNING THESE PROCEDURES
WOULD BE CRITICAL TO SUCCESSFULLY RETURN FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE AND DOCKING
WITH THE COMMAND MODULE IN LUNAR ORBIT. GEMINI ALSO NEEDED TO PROVIDE
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE HUMAN BODY AND MAN-MADE EQUIPMENT WOULD
RESPOND IN THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT OF SPACE. UP TO THAT TIME, NO ONE KNEW
EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ASTRONAUTS AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO LONG-TERM
MICROGRAVITY. THE PROGRAM WOULD CONSIST OF TEN MANNED MISSIONS, ALL OF
WHICH WERE TO BE COMPLETED IN 12 MONTHS. AFTER TWO UNMANNED MISSIONS,
THE FIRST MANNED MISSION, GEMINI III, WAS LAUNCHED ON MARCH 23, 1965.
THE FLIGHT WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS, PROVING HOW EASILY THE ASTRONAUTS COULD
MANEUVER THE CRAFT. THE FLIGHTS THAT FOLLOWED ALL SAW SUCCESS AS WELL,
INCLUDING THE FIRST AMERICAN SPACE WALK ON GEMINI IV, THE FIRST DOCKING
WITH TWO VEHICLES IN SPACE BY GEMINI VIII, AND A LONG-DURATION MISSION
WHICH LASTED 14 DAYS BY GEMINI VII. WITH THE FINAL FLIGHT OF GEMINI XII,
ALL OF THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES WERE MET AS WELL AS MANY OTHER MISSION OBJECTIVES.
WITH ALL THE CRITICAL THEORIES TESTED AND PROVEN, IT WAS TIME FOR APOLLO
TO GO FOR THE MOON. THE TEN MANNED GEMINI FLIGHTS SPANNED 603 DAYS AND
ACCUMULATED OVER 1,940 MAN HOURS IN SPACE. OF THE 20 ASTRONAUTS WHO TRAINED
FOR THE GEMINI FLIGHTS, 15 OF THEM WENT ON TO SUBSEQUENTLY FLY ON APOLLO
MISSIONS IN THE LUNAR PROGRAM. AS THE SUCCESSES GREW IN PROJECT GEMINI,
IT BECAME CLEAR THAT MAN COULD, SHOULD, AND WOULD FLY TO THE MOON AND
BACK SAFELY, MAKING HISTORY IN THE PROCESS. BECAUSE THE CREW CONSISTED
OF TWO ASTRONAUTS, THE PROJECT WAS NAMED GEMINI, FOR THE THIRD CONSTELLATION'S
TWIN STARS, CASTOR AND POLLUX. COMING UP, WE'LL FIND OUT HOW NASA IS HELPING
TO REDUCE AIRCRAFT NOISE, BUT FIRST, DID YOU KNOW THAT THE GEMINI III
WAS THE ONLY GEMINI SPACECRAFT TO HAVE A NICKNAME? BECAUSE CAPSULE COMMANDER
GUS GRISSOM'S PREVIOUS SPACE FLIGHT ENDED IN THE SINKING OF THE LIBERTY
BELL VII CAPSULE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, GRISOM DECIDED TO NAME HIS CAPSULE
THE MOLLY BROWN AFTER THE BROADWAY MUSICAL THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.
THE UNITED STATES AVIATION INDUSTRY IS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE
NATION'S ECONOMY, BOASTING ANNUAL SALES IN EXCESS OF $36 BILLION AND PROVIDING
NEARLY 1 MILLION JOBS. HOWEVER, WITH ALL OF THESE BENEFITS, ONE MAJOR
DRAWBACK CONTINUES TO BE AIRCRAFT NOISE. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP ALLEVIATE
EXCESSIVE NOISE, NASA HAS DEVELOPED THE QUIET AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM IS FINDING NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO REDUCE NOISE CREATED
BY AIRCRAFT. JENNIFER PULLEY FINDS OUT MORE. NOISE GENERATED BY AIRCRAFT
IS ALREADY A MAJOR ISSUE IN AIRPORT-NEIGHBOR COMMUNITIES. AS AIRPORTS
EXPAND TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND CAPACITY, THE NOISE ISSUE WILL BECOME
EVEN MORE CRITICAL. NOISY AIRCRAFT NOT ONLY AFFECT THE PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES
SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT BUT ALSO THE CREW AND PASSENGERS INSIDE THE PLANES.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE MANY OF THE NOISE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH AIRCRAFT,
NASA HAS EMBARKED ON AN INTRIGUING NEW MISSION TO QUIET OUR SKIES. CALLED
THE QUIET AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM, OR Q.A.T., THIS PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP
TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AIRCRAFT NOISE BY 50% IN 5 YEARS AND BEGIN WORKING
ON THE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AIRCRAFT NOISE BY 75% IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
I SPOKE WITH ANDY POWELL AT NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER TO FIND OUT MORE.
OH, ON TAKEOFF, MOST OF THE NOISE THAT YOU HEAR IS DUE TO THE ENGINE,
BOTH THE FAN IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AND THE JET EXHAUST NOISE OUT
OF THE REAR ENGINE. AND WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT ON LANDING,
A LOT OF THE NOISE THAT YOU HEAR IS ACTUALLY DUE TO THE AIRFRAME PASSING
THROUGH THE AIR ITSELF. AND THIS IS BECAUSE THAT ON LANDING, THE ENGINE
POWER IS CUT BACK, AND A LOT OF PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT ARE EXTENDED INTO
THE AIRFLOW AND CREATE TURBULENCE. NOW, THE MAJOR SOURCES OF THIS AIRFRAME
NOISE IS THE LANDING GEAR, THE FLAPS ON THE TRAILING EDGES AND SLATS ON
THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS. IN A RECENT GOVERNMENT SURVEY, NOISE WAS
LISTED AS THE GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AT AIRPORTS. IT IS ESTIMATED
THAT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, APPROXIMATELY $4 BILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON
OR AROUND AIRPORTS TO REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION. THIS INCLUDES ADDING SOUND
INSULATION TO HOMES AND SCHOOLS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AN AIRPORT. UNFORTUNATELY,
THESE TECHNIQUES ONLY HELP IF YOU ARE INSIDE AN INSULATED BUILDING. RESEARCHERS
AT NASA REALIZE THAT IN ORDER TO FIX THE NOISE PROBLEM, THEY MUST FIRST
START AT THE SOURCE, THE PLANES THEMSELVES. BY DESIGNING AND TESTING LOW-NOISE-PRODUCING
AIRCRAFT PARTS AND STRUCTURES, NASA RESEARCHERS ARE DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGIES
TO REDUCE AIRCRAFT NOISE BY 1/2 IN 5 YEARS AND BY AS MUCH AS 3/4 BY THE
YEAR 2020. ANDY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU ARE WORKING ON HERE AT
NASA TO MAKE AIRCRAFT QUIETER? FIRST, WE DO STUDIES TO LOOK AT THE SOURCES
OF NOISE, TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHICH ARE THE DOMINANT SOURCES SO THAT WE
CAN KNOW WHICH SOURCES TO WORK ON THE HARDEST. THEN WE DO OTHER STUDIES
TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENON THAT ARE CREATING THE NOISES
AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO REDUCE THE LEVEL, AND THEN WE GO OUT AND TEST CONCEPTS
EITHER IN WIND TUNNELS OR IN THE LABORATORY AND IN SOME CASES, IN ACTUAL
FLIGHT TESTS TO VALIDATE THOSE CONCEPTS. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE
DOING IS TO LOOK AT ADVANCE FAIRINGS TO PUT AROUND THE LANDING GEAR TO
SMOOTH THE FLOW AROUND THE LANDING GEAR SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH
TURBULENCE AND THEREFORE REDUCE THE NOISE. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER
FAIRINGS THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE SLATS SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE SIDE EDGES
TO CREATE NOISE. WE'RE ALSO MODIFYING THE FAN BLADES SO THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY
QUIETER FROM THE DESIGN OF FAN BLADES. IF YOU CAN SMOOTH THE AIRFLOW AROUND
THESE PARTS, THEN REDUCING THAT TURBULENCE WILL REDUCE THE NOISE CONSIDERABLY.
ANDY, WHAT ABOUT THE EXHAUST NOISE COMING OUT OF AN AIRCRAFT? OKAY, WELL,
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WAS LOOK AT WHAT YOU CALL CHEVRON NOZZLES.
THESE ARE ACTUALLY SCALLOPS IN THE BACK OF THE EXHAUST PIPES, ESSENTIALLY,
OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND AS HOT EXHAUST GASSES COME OUT OF AN AIRCRAFT ENGINE,
THEN THEY MIX WITH THE SURROUNDING AIR, AND THIS TURBULENCE, WHEN THEY'RE
MIXING, CREATES A LOT OF THE NOISE THAT YOU HEAR. NOW, IF I PUT IN THESE
CHEVRONS ALONG THE EDGES, WE'RE CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE TURBULENCE SO
THAT YOU RAISE IT TO A HIGHER FREQUENCY WHICH THEN IS ABSORBED MORE BY
THE ATMOSPHERE THAN THE LOW-FREQUENCY, NORMAL JET NOISE. THE CHEVRON NOZZLES
HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TEST FLOWN ON A FULL SCALE ON A MAJOR AIRCRAFT. AND
WE EXPECT THAT THESE WILL ACTUALLY BE COMING IN ON THE PRODUCTION AIRCRAFT
ENGINES IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ENGINE AND AIRFRAME
NOISE. ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO REDUCE NOISE WITHOUT MAJOR DESIGN ALTERATIONS
TO AN AIRPLANE? YES, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT NEW WAYS TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT
AROUND THE AIRPORT SO THAT THEY MINIMIZE THE EXPOSURE OF PEOPLE TO THE
AIRCRAFT NOISE. FOR INSTANCE, AROUND A LOT OF AIRPORTS, THEY FLY NOISE-ABATEMENT
PROCEDURES TO GET THE FLIGHTS AWAY FROM SCHOOLS AND HOUSES, BUT IN SOME
SITUATIONS, IF THE WIND IS BLOWING, THESE FLIGHT PATHS MAY NOT BE THE
OPTIMUM FLIGHT PATH, BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS THAT WIND HAS ON THE SOUND
PROPAGATION. SO WE'RE DOING STUDIES ON IMPROVING THE PREDICTION OF SOUND
PROPAGATION TO INCLUDE THE EFFECTS OF WIND AND WEATHER, AND THIS WAY,
WE HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE NOISE AND HAVE THE PLANES FLY
OPTIMAL PATHS. AND FINALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL HOPES FOR THE Q.A.T.
PROGRAM? WELL, ONE OF THE THREE ELEMENTS IN NASA'S VISION IS TO IMPROVE
LIFE HERE ON PLANET EARTH, AND WE THINK THROUGH THIS QUIET AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM, WE'RE MAKING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVING LIFE FOR PEOPLE
AND THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND AIRPORTS BOTH IN THE NATION AND THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD. ULTIMATELY, NASA WOULD LIKE TO REDUCE AIRPORT NOISE SO THAT
NO ONE OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY IS ADVERSELY AFFECTED. THERE IS NO
DOUBT THAT SPACE SUIT DESIGN HAS COME A LONG WAY. EARLY U.S. SPACE SUITS
WERE ADAPTED FROM PRESSURE SUITS DESIGNED FOR PILOTS OF HIGH ALTITUDE,
MILITARY, AND EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. TODAY, MODERN SUITS ARE A RELIABLE
AND MOBILE UNIT THAT ASTRONAUTS DEPEND ON DURING SPACE FLIGHT. OUR OWN
JOHNNY ALONSO FOUND OUT MORE ABOUT SPACE SUITS AND HOW THEY WORK. SPACE
IS AN INCREDIBLY BRUTAL ENVIRONMENT. NOT ONLY IS THERE NO ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE OR OXYGEN TO SUSTAIN LIFE, BUT HUMAN EXPLORERS MUST ALSO DEAL
WITH INTENSE RADIATION AND EXTREME TEMPERATURES IN ORDER TO PERFORM EVEN
THE MOST BASIC TASKS. INSIDE A SPACECRAFT, THE ATMOSPHERE CAN BE CONTROLLED
SO THAT SPECIAL CLOTHING ISN'T NEEDED, BUT WHEN OUTSIDE, HUMANS NEED THE
PROTECTION OF A SPACE SUIT. IN 1961, ASTRONAUT ALAN SHEPARD WORE ONE OF
THE FIRST SUITS DESIGNED FOR SPACEFLIGHT ABOARD THE FREEDOM VII SPACECRAFT.
THIS SUIT WAS ACTUALLY A MODIFIED VERSION OF A NAVY HIGH-ALTITUDE JET
AIRCRAFT PRESSURE SUIT. SPACE SUITS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN. THE
CURRENT EXTRAVEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT, OR E.M.U., IS THE RESULT OF MANY
YEARS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND IS ALSO A POWERFUL TOOL FOR OPERATIONS
OUTSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND THE SHUTTLE. NOW, I SPOKE
WITH ENGINEER PHIL WEST TO FIND OUT HOW IT WORKS. MOST PEOPLE HAVE THIS
PRECONCEIVED IDEA THAT A SPACE SUIT IS PRETTY SIMPLE, HEAVY CLOTH AND
THINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY A MINI SPACECRAFT THAT LETS YOU STEP OUT INTO
THIS VERY HARSH ENVIRONMENT. THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT WEARING A SUIT? IT'S
A BAD DAY IF YOU DON'T WEAR YOUR SPACE SUIT. THERE'S A VACUUM IN SPACE,
RIGHT? SO JUST LIKE WHEN YOU OPEN A SODA BOTTLE, IT'S GOING TO FIZZ, RIGHT?
YOUR BODY WILL DO THE SAME THING. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, YOUR BODY FLUIDS
AND EVERYTHING ARE GOING TO BOIL. IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF TEMPERATURE. IT'S
BECAUSE OF PRESSURE. REMOVE THE PRESSURE-- THAT STUFF WANTS TO COME OUT.
YOU'VE GOT TEMPERATURE EXTREMES. YOU NEED MOLECULES TO HAVE TEMPERATURE,
BUT YOUR TEMPERATURE, THE SPACECRAFT'S, COULD GET VERY COLD OR VERY HOT
DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE SUN OR IN THE SHADE OR THE THINGS AROUND
YOU. THEN THERE'S LITTLE PARTICLES OF NATURAL OR HUMAN-MADE STUFF THAT
FLY AROUND IN SPACE AT HIGH SPEEDS AND COULD LITERALLY HIT YOU-- MICROMETEOROIDS,
NATURAL STUFF THAT COMES IN FROM ELSEWHERE. WHAT ARE SPACE SUITS MADE
OUT OF? THINK OF THE SPACE SUIT AS A BALLOON SHAPED LIKE YOUR BODY, ALL
RIGHT? AND WE GOT TO HAVE A LAYER TO MAKE THAT BALLOON. SO WE USE THIS
URETHANE-COATED NYLON, OKAY? THAT'S LIKE CAMPING-TENT MATERIAL, BUT IT'S
GOT A COATING ON IT TO SEAL IT UP, AND THAT'S THE BASIC LAYER THAT HOLDS
ALL THE GAS IN. WE MAKE IT THE SHAPE OF YOUR BODY. WE CALL IT THE BLADDER.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A BALLOON IF YOU INFLATED IT TOO MUCH? IT'LL POP.
POP, WHICH IS BAD, IN THE SPACE SUIT WORLD, ANYWAY. WE GOT TO CONSTRAIN
IT. WE GOT TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT SHAPE. WE USE THIS POLYESTER LAYER
TO GIVE IT STRUCTURE AND STRENGTH AND MAKE SURE IT'S THE SHAPE OF YOUR
BODY, THE RIGHT SIZE, ARM LENGTH. SO THAT'S THE FIRST TWO KEY LAYERS OF
THE SPACE SUIT. THEN REMEMBER TEMPERATURE EXTREMES WE TALKED ABOUT? OKAY,
WE HAVE FIVE LAYERS OF ALUMINIZED MYLAR. SO NOW THINK OF THE SPACE SUIT
AS A THERMOS BOTTLE. YOU KNOW HOW A THERMOS BOTTLE WORKS? IT'S GOT A VACUUM
BETWEEN AN INSULATOR AND A GLASS JAR WITH A SILVERY COATING ON IT. SO
THAT'S FOR THERMAL PROTECTION. AND THEN A REAL TOUGH LAYER OF-- WHAT'S
THIS? NOMEX WITH TEFLON COATING ON IT. FEEL, THAT'S KIND OF SLICK, RIGHT?
AND IT'S GOT KEVLAR WOVEN INTO IT, A VERY STRONG FIBER. AND THAT'S SO
YOU DON'T GET TEARS, AND YOU PROTECT ALL THESE OTHER LAYERS VERY WELL.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GET A HOLE IN HERE. YOU DON'T WANT A HOLE HERE IN YOUR
BLADDER. RIGHT, PHIL, HOW DO THESE SPACE SUITS OPERATE? YOU'VE GOT A CONTROL
PACK ON THE FRONT AND A LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM ON THE BACK, RIGHT? AND THAT
LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM IS MORE THAN JUST OXYGEN. IT'S GOT BATTERIES FOR POWER
OR RADIO FOR COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTER, AND A BUNCH OF PLUMBING AND THINGS
TO KEEP YOU ALIVE, AND THAT'S ALL CONTROLLED UP IN THE FRONT WITH THIS
CONTROL PACK. WE'VE GOT SOME PLACES WHERE THE ASTRONAUT CAN CONTROL THEIR
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. YOU CAN OPEN THAT VALVE IF YOUR SUIT EVER PRESSURIZES.
THERE'S A LITTLE DIAL THERE TO CHANGE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS MODE AND A LITTLE
DISPLAY TO TELL YOU, "HEY, YOU KNOW, JOHNNY, "YOU'VE ONLY GOT
3% BATTERY POWER LEFT. PACK UP YOUR TOYS, AND BRING IT ON IN." AND
CONTROLS IN THE FRONT HERE FOR VOLUME AND YOUR POSITION, WHETHER YOU'RE
INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE SPACECRAFT IS UP HERE ON THE FRONT. AND WHAT'S THIS
DIAL? THAT'S FOR TEMPERATURE. REMEMBER, WE'RE IN A THERMOS BOTTLE. AND
YOU'RE A HEAT ENGINE. YOU'RE ACTUALLY PRODUCING HEAT. YOU'RE NOT JUST
LIKE HOT CHOCOLATE. HOT CHOCOLATE IN A THERMOS BOTTLE STAYS WARM. IT DOESN'T
GET ANY HOTTER. YOU WOULD GET HOTTER, AND YOUR OWN BODY HEAT WOULD BE
YOUR DOWNFALL, BECAUSE YOUR BODY HEAT IS GOING TO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO.
IT'S GOING TO BE TRAPPED IN THERE WITH YOU. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN A SPACE
SUIT. SO LITERALLY WHAT WE'LL DO IS PUMP COLD WATER ALL OVER YOUR BODY
THROUGH LONG UNDERWEAR LIKE THIS. CHECK THAT OUT. AND SO THAT IS PLUMBED.
THIS CONNECTS INSIDE THE SUIT, AND THEN THIS DIAL CONTROLS THE TEMPERATURE
OF THE WATER THAT FLOWS OVER YOUR BODY THROUGH ALL THESE TUBES. THERE'S
ENOUGH TUBE IN THERE TO STRETCH THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD. SEE THE
AIR BUBBLES IN THERE? IT'S ALL CHARGED RIGHT NOW. SO, PHIL, UM, OFF THE
RECORD-- YEAH? HOW DO YOU RELIEVE YOURSELF IN ONE OF THESE? G--GOOD QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WELL, YOU'VE GOT A DRINK BAG. SO YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO DRINK
SOME WATER, AND EVENTUALLY, THAT'S GOT A PLACE TO GO. WELL, IT'S PRETTY
TECHNICAL. IT'S A DIAPER. LOVELY. THE WHOLE IDEA WAS, LET'S SAVE MONEY.
LET'S USE ADULT, OFF-THE-SHELF DIAPERS. WE SEW EXTRA MATERIAL INTO THEM.
THEY WORK GREAT IF YOU CAN GET PAST THE IDEA THAT YOUR MOM TOLD YOU NOT
TO GO IN YOUR PANTS. HEY, PHIL, THANKS A LOT, YOU KNOW, GIVING US ALL
THE INFO ABOUT SPACE SUITS. LISTEN, I WAS WONDERING, UM, CAN I GET, LIKE,
A SOUVENIR OFF THIS? OH, MAN, I WISH I COULD, BUT THERE'S NO-- REALLY,
YOU KNOW, THIS IS PRETTY NICE STUFF. WE REALLY CAN'T LET-- LET ME THINK.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? ACTUALLY, WE DON'T-- THIS IS USED. WE DON'T NEED
THE DIAPER ANYMORE. YOU CAN HAVE THAT. THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION OF
DESTINATION TOMORROW. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'M STEELE McGONEGAL. AND
I'M KERA O'BRYON. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT NASA, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
Captioning provided by N.E.C. Foundation of America. Captioning by Tate
at CaptionMax www.captionmax.com
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