1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,500 My Outro For My 20th Birthday 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:42,600 Coming up on this episode of Destination Tomorrow, we take a look at a new device that may help 3 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,760 give doctors a type of x-ray vision. We'll also find out about a unique spacecraft designed 4 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:52,760 to help scout out locations on Mars for future human missions. And we take a look back at 5 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:58,320 the history of the Space Shuttle. Plus, Johnny Alonzo finds out how sonic booms work. All 6 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:10,400 this and more next on Destination Tomorrow. 7 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,640 Hello everyone, I'm Kara O'Brien and welcome to this edition of Destination Tomorrow. For 8 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:20,360 many years now, NASA planners have been sending different types of spacecraft to Mars to answer 9 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:25,720 basic questions about the Martian atmosphere, mineralogy, and of course, to find out if 10 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:30,160 life exists there. Although these missions have been very successful in answering key 11 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:35,040 scientific questions, it has been determined that we need to change our focus towards issues 12 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:40,720 relating to human factors. With the agency's new push to have human crews at Mars by around 13 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:46,360 2030, there's a need to begin looking at the challenges associated with getting crews there. 14 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,760 Researchers will need to spend a great deal of time looking for suitable landing sites 15 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,240 that are free of dangerous obstacles, have sufficient amounts of water, and are scientifically 16 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,760 interesting. To help in this task, a spacecraft called the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has 17 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:07,080 been designed to help pave the way. Jennifer Pulley finds out more. 18 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,520 Although the first planned human missions to Mars probably won't take place until about 19 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:17,280 the year 2030, NASA planners are already beginning to gear up for them. Literally millions of 20 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,920 key decisions are now being made to help ensure the success of human flights to Mars in the 21 00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:26,280 future. Of course, one of the most important decisions that must be determined early on 22 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:31,220 is where to land our crews. Planners need to find a landing site that is not only free 23 00:02:31,220 --> 00:02:37,260 of dangerous obstacles like boulders and craters, but there must also be scientifically valuable 24 00:02:37,260 --> 00:02:41,680 points of interest. And of course, water close by is a definite plus. 25 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:47,080 To help prepare the way for these human missions, NASA planners have developed a unique spacecraft 26 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:53,000 called the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO. Now, this spacecraft will use advanced 27 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:59,040 science instruments and high-resolution cameras to scout locations of interest and possible 28 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,400 landing sites for these human missions. To help us understand how the Mars Reconnaissance 29 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:08,360 Orbiter will work, I spoke with Scott Streepy here at the NASA Langley Research Center to 30 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,680 find out more. Well, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a 31 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:17,000 multipurpose spacecraft that's designed and built for the next NASA mission to Mars. Basically, 32 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,760 the orbiter will continue NASA's exploration theme of Follow the Water. It will be on a 33 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:27,320 very small science orbit. It will be looking for water ice, vapor, and liquid water on 34 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:32,120 the surface, in the atmosphere, and even below the surface. Also, it will be able to take 35 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,600 some of the highest resolution pictures ever taken of Mars. And from that, NASA scientists 36 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:42,960 can evaluate potential landing sites for future robotic and human missions. Also, after the 37 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,640 primary science mission is completed, it will become a communication relay for future 38 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,640 Mars missions. So how is the MRO mission different from other 39 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,640 missions to Mars? Well, this particular mission has a high-resolution 40 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,720 camera on board. It will take more detailed pictures than we've ever been able to take 41 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,740 before. Carrying the most powerful telescopic camera 42 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:07,100 ever flown to another planet, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be able to show surface features 43 00:04:07,100 --> 00:04:11,960 on Mars as small as a kitchen table. This high-resolution camera will provide a wealth 44 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:17,640 of information about possible landing sites by photographing the Martian surface in unprecedented 45 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,920 detail. Now, how is this high-resolution camera different 46 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:25,480 from other cameras used on other missions? Well, this will be able to show things on 47 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,480 a much smaller scale than we've ever been able to get on Mars. You can get details of 48 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,360 boulders and surface features that we've not been able to take with pictures. For example, 49 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,160 they'll leave me investigations to try to go and find the Mars rovers that are currently 50 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,280 there and maybe even look for some of the spacecraft that we lost previously to see 51 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:46,320 if we can better understand why those didn't complete successfully. 52 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,920 Because the camera and five other science instruments will produce huge amounts of data 53 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:55,160 every day, the MRO has been designed to send information at ten times the rate of any previous 54 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:00,560 Mars mission. An added benefit to the MRO is that it will continue to be used as a communications 55 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:06,120 platform for robotic missions of the future, long after its initial 24-month science phase 56 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,240 is complete. It also has a new suite of instruments that 57 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,600 we've never brought, except for some instruments that will continue to look at the weather 58 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:19,160 patterns of Mars to understand how the weather impacts the motion of the water on the surface 59 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,840 and in the atmosphere. Now, Scott, what is your role in the Mars 60 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:26,040 Reconnaissance Orbiter mission? Well, I lead a team of NASA engineers that 61 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,640 supports the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's navigation team during the aerobraking phase. Here at 62 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,840 NASA Langley, we have unique capabilities in aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, thermal 63 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:38,520 analysis and flight mechanics. We're bringing all that in to help the Mars Reconnaissance 64 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,480 Orbiter mission during that critical aerobraking phase. 65 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,880 Aerobraking sounds like aeronautics and braking. I'm assuming this has something to do with 66 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,400 slowing the vehicle down? Aerobraking is a technique that you can reduce 67 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:54,240 the size of a spacecraft's orbit without using very much fuel. And in fact, the Mars Reconnaissance 68 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,480 Orbiter, when it arrives at Mars, will use its engines to put itself into a fairly large 69 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:03,040 elliptical orbit. Instead of using additional fuel to make that a smaller orbit, what it 70 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:07,160 will do is skim the upper atmosphere of Mars over a period of six months. And every time 71 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:11,120 it goes through the atmosphere, it'll lose some of its orbital energy through atmospheric 72 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,520 drag. But you have to be careful because if you go too deep in the atmosphere, you could 73 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:19,840 cause major components to overheat and thus damage them. By using aerobraking at Mars, 74 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:23,640 MRO is able to save hundreds of pounds of fuel. And what that means is we don't have 75 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,000 to send all that weight from Earth to Mars. And we can use maybe a smaller rocket or use 76 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,640 that weight for something else like the science instruments. 77 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,040 So Scott, what is the expected length of this mission? 78 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:38,440 Well, after aerobraking finishes, the primary science mission lasts one Martian year, which 79 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:43,280 is about 24 Earth months. After that's completed, that's when it will become a communication 80 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:44,360 relay for future missions. 81 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,600 Now, the term reconnaissance means that you're looking for something. You said you're looking 82 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,840 for water. What else are you searching for? 83 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:54,280 It'll help the NASA scientists investigate future potential landing sites for other robotic 84 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:57,000 missions, but also for the human missions that are coming. 85 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,640 So Scott, finally, what are your overall expectations for the MRO mission? 86 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,960 I'm really excited about the MRO mission. Not only do you have subsurface radar, very 87 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,360 high resolution images, the search for water in all three forms, looking at the weather 88 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,320 patterns and the ability to send detailed information to and from future landers. I 89 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:20,040 think MRO is uniquely positioned to be able to not only expand our knowledge of Mars, 90 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,600 but also continue our recent success at Mars. 91 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,040 The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to take about seven months to reach Mars and 92 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:33,080 an additional 21 months to take its measurements, but researchers believe that it will continue 93 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:38,440 to be a valuable communications platform for many years to come. Coming up, we'll find 94 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:43,680 out about a new device that may give doctors a form of X-ray vision. But first... 95 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,760 Did you know that one big concern for future human missions to Mars is the Martian dust? 96 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:53,120 Because Mars has a very thin atmosphere and has about one-third the gravity of Earth, 97 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,720 the dust on Mars reacts differently to wind than the dust here on our home planet. The 98 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:03,000 smallest dust grains on Mars are as fine as cigarette smoke and can simply hang in the 99 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,440 air, potentially causing breathing problems for astronauts if it gets introduced into 100 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:12,760 the spacecraft. This dust can also form into tornado-like dust devils that can reach as 101 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:19,760 high as five miles, producing huge storms that can engulf the entire planet. 102 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:26,760 NASA is known for its breakthrough technology in aeronautics and space, but few people realize 103 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,920 how important NASA research has been in advancing medical technologies. Although this research 104 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,480 rarely specifically attempts to develop these technologies, many of its discoveries are 105 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:42,120 spun off and used in the creation of new medical devices. One of the latest inventions that 106 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:47,440 has benefited from research performed at NASA is something called Artemis. This new device 107 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:52,760 has the potential to make some surgeries much safer and will help to save lives. I had the 108 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:58,200 opportunity to visit the laboratory at Analytical Mechanics Associates to help understand how 109 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:03,120 Artemis will work. 110 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,760 The history of medicine has a somewhat checkered past. From its earliest history until just 111 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:12,280 before the beginning of the 20th century, many of the earliest practitioners were only 112 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:17,440 able to provide the crudest forms of medical assistance to patients. For years, spiritual 113 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,960 healing, bloodletting, and herbal remedies were generally the only form of medical help 114 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:27,320 available to the average person. But this began to change in the late 1800s as advancements 115 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:33,000 in medical practices began to move at a rapid pace. Perhaps one of the most important advancements 116 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,360 during that time was the development of the x-ray in 1895. With this device, doctors finally 117 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:44,560 had the ability to peer inside the human body without having to perform surgery. Since 118 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:50,920 that time, this unique machine has proven to be invaluable, allowing doctors a two-dimensional 119 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:56,320 view inside of the patient. Although this technology has been a revolution, the two-dimensional 120 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,960 pictures were not appropriate for all types of soft tissue imaging, such as those used 121 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:07,960 in cancer diagnosis and in heart procedures. So, in 1973, the introduction of the CAT scan 122 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:13,040 again revolutionized the way doctors could see inside patients. This device, for the 123 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:18,200 first time, allowed doctors a three-dimensional view of the body and was especially helpful 124 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:23,960 in looking at soft tissue. So what's the next revolution? Currently, researchers using NASA 125 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:29,720 technology are developing a device that could give doctors a type of x-ray vision. Using 126 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:35,800 a CAT scan in conjunction with virtual reality, researchers have developed the augmented reality 127 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:41,400 technology for minimally invasive surgery, or ARTEMIS. This system may soon be helping 128 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:47,480 to make surgeries much safer and much less invasive. I spoke with Bishan Shanoas of Analytical 129 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,680 Mechanics Associates to help us find out how ARTEMIS may be used in the future. ARTEMIS 130 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:57,640 is a state-of-the-art technology that fuses augmented reality technology with fiber optic 131 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:03,920 shape sensing. The augmented reality part takes 3D images of a person's anatomy and 132 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:09,040 superimposes it over the real patient itself. So this enables doctors and physicians to 133 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:15,520 be able to take these 3D images and look at them exactly where they are on the real patient. 134 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:20,920 The fiber optic shape sensing portion allows the doctor to see the shape, and hence the 135 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:27,240 tip, of the needle or the RF catheter or whatever device he chooses to insert into the patient. 136 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,360 So can you explain to me exactly how this will work? The patient goes into a CAT scan 137 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:38,360 machine. You get CAT scans of the patient. You assemble that into a 3D model. You then 138 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:46,480 take the 3D model and project it onto the screen. You then register the 3D model over 139 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:53,240 the actual patient, and then the doctor can see where exactly the organs are. You then 140 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,860 stick the needle in with this fiber optic shape sensing technology from Lunar Innovations. 141 00:11:57,900 --> 00:12:02,140 You insert it into the patient. Once the doctor inserts the needle into the patient, the doctor 142 00:12:02,140 --> 00:12:07,540 can see where the needle's going. The doctor guides the needle to the exact spot, burns 143 00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:10,900 out the tumor, extracts the tissue, does whatever the procedure demands. 144 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:15,220 What are the issues these days with the way doctors are using CAT scans in some surgeries 145 00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:15,740 today? 146 00:12:15,740 --> 00:12:20,180 The problem today is that the doctor has to look away from the screen and look at the 147 00:12:20,180 --> 00:12:25,140 CAT scans or 3D images without looking directly at the patient. So he's trying to poke the 148 00:12:25,140 --> 00:12:29,220 patient, but he's looking at something else. If you ever try to do something while looking 149 00:12:29,220 --> 00:12:33,140 at something else, you'll kind of realize what the difficulty is. But that's the general 150 00:12:33,140 --> 00:12:37,440 problem is that you cannot see where you're going. You cannot look at what your target 151 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:42,380 lesion is or what your target organ is, and you cannot look at, you cannot see your needle 152 00:12:42,380 --> 00:12:46,900 once it's been inserted. It's kind of like, it's pretty much groping in the dark. 153 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:52,860 The Artemis system holds great promise for use in minimally invasive surgeries. Because 154 00:12:52,900 --> 00:12:57,900 these surgeries generally use probes, catheters, and needles to perform the work, the real-time 155 00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:03,740 virtual look inside the body will improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of procedures. 156 00:13:03,740 --> 00:13:08,620 With tens of thousands of minimally invasive surgeries being performed each year, the addition 157 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:14,260 of the Artemis system will undoubtedly save time, reduce cost, and most importantly, help 158 00:13:14,260 --> 00:13:15,460 save lives. 159 00:13:15,460 --> 00:13:20,620 This device gives the doctor direct x-ray vision into the patient. So the glasses are 160 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:25,580 what you use to see the stereo image. What happens is the system draws one image as if 161 00:13:25,580 --> 00:13:30,020 it's being seen with your left eye. It draws another image as if it's being seen with your 162 00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:35,220 right eye. And it shutters it fast enough and the glasses shutter in sync so that you're 163 00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:37,500 looking at your right eye, you're looking at your left eye, and your right eye. And 164 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:40,780 when you look at them together, it does it so fast and it syncs it together. That way 165 00:13:40,780 --> 00:13:44,340 it looks like you're looking at a 3-D image in real life. 166 00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:48,220 Now what types of NASA technology was used to help you develop this? 167 00:13:48,220 --> 00:13:53,100 As you know, with NASA, we've used virtual reality and visualization for ergonomic design 168 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:57,740 of the space shuttle and for different other types of aerospace concepts. We've decided 169 00:13:57,740 --> 00:14:03,660 to take that technology and extend it to the realm of augmented reality and apply that 170 00:14:03,660 --> 00:14:04,340 to medicine. 171 00:14:04,340 --> 00:14:09,220 We're very excited about this technology. It's actually, we're pretty sure that it can 172 00:14:09,220 --> 00:14:13,980 actually make minimally invasive surgical procedures a lot safer. It's going to make 173 00:14:14,460 --> 00:14:19,340 medical care, from that perspective, a lot less expensive. It's going to minimize the 174 00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:24,940 time for people to wait and the time for these operating procedures. And we envision that 175 00:14:24,940 --> 00:14:28,180 at some point it can be applied to things such as beating heart surgery. That's kind 176 00:14:28,180 --> 00:14:30,940 of like the holy grail. So there's so many things that we're looking forward to actually 177 00:14:30,940 --> 00:14:37,940 doing with this and we're very excited over here. 178 00:14:38,580 --> 00:14:45,580 Towards the end of the Apollo program, NASA officials were already thinking about what 179 00:14:46,020 --> 00:14:51,180 would be next for the American space program. At that time, the rockets used to place astronauts 180 00:14:51,180 --> 00:14:56,460 and equipment into space were designed to be used only once. Although effective, NASA 181 00:14:56,460 --> 00:15:01,220 planners decided that they needed a system that was less expensive, reliable, and perhaps 182 00:15:01,220 --> 00:15:07,400 most of all, reusable. The idea of a reusable space shuttle that could launch like a rocket 183 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:11,720 and land like an airplane was appealing and would soon change the way astronauts were 184 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:18,320 traveling into space. The space shuttle was born on January 5, 1972, when President Richard 185 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:23,560 Nixon authorized the development of reusable vehicles for space exploration. The project 186 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:30,560 became known officially as the Space Transportation System, or STS. It was based on a piloted 187 00:15:30,980 --> 00:15:35,760 spacecraft boosted into orbit by a reusable launch vehicle that could return to Earth 188 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:41,120 like an airplane, ready to be used again on short notice. This new vehicle consisted 189 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:48,120 of three primary elements, a delta-winged orbiter spacecraft, two solid rocket boosters, 190 00:15:54,080 --> 00:16:01,080 and one external fuel tank. Over a 10-year span, five orbiters were built, including 191 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:09,080 the test vehicle named Enterprise and the four space orbiters Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, 192 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:19,080 and Challenger. On April 12, 1981, after years of testing and construction, the first shuttle, 193 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:26,080 Columbia, reached orbit piloted by astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen. The first four 194 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,080 shuttle flights were collectively called the Orbital Flight Test Program and demonstrated 195 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:37,080 how the spacecraft performed under real spaceflight conditions. During these first four flights, 196 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:42,080 NASA tested the shuttle as a launch vehicle, habitat for crew members, freight handler, 197 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:48,080 instrument platform, and aircraft. After the fourth landing, NASA declared the shuttle 198 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:55,080 ready for operation. Since that time, the shuttle program has performed well over the 199 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:02,080 last 100 missions and has accomplished a number of monumental achievements. In June 200 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:08,080 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. The shuttle launched the Magellan 201 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:13,080 spacecraft to Venus, the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter, and the Ulysses spacecraft to 202 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:19,080 study the sun. The shuttle also has deployed the Hubble Space Telescope, the Gamma Ray 203 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:25,080 Observatory, and the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. Another key milestone came in 1998 204 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:30,080 when astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, returned as the oldest 205 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:35,080 man ever to reach space as a member of the crew of Discovery on a nine-day mission. The 206 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:40,080 shuttle has also been instrumental in constructing and outfitting the International Space Station 207 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:45,080 while also being used to carry large payloads to and from orbit and perform servicing missions 208 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:50,080 on satellites. The design, now approaching its third decade, is still state-of-the-art 209 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:55,080 in many areas, including computerized flight control, airframe design, electrical power 210 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:01,080 systems, thermal protection systems, and main engines. Even though the sophisticated shuttle 211 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:06,080 program suffered the devastating losses of the Columbia and the Challenger, its successful 212 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:11,080 missions have made great strides in space travel and exploration during its short history. 213 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:16,080 More than 100 documented NASA technologies from the space shuttle are now incorporated 214 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:21,080 into the tools we use, the foods we eat, and the biotechnology and medicines used to 215 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:26,080 improve health. Although plans are now in the works to retire the fleet, the space shuttle 216 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:31,080 program will forever hold a special place in the history of space travel, not only for 217 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:37,080 its unique design, but for the history and technologies it brought to all of us. 218 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:41,080 The space shuttle has been one of the most valuable and important tools in our quest 219 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,080 to increase our understanding of space. It is scheduled to go out of service in the near 220 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:51,080 future, being replaced by the new Crew Exploration Vehicle. Up next, we'll find out exactly 221 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,080 how sonic booms work. But first... 222 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:59,080 Did you know Enterprise, the first space shuttle test vehicle, was originally to be named 223 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:04,080 Constitution in honor of the U.S. Constitution's Bicentennial? However, viewers of the 224 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:09,080 popular TV science fiction show Star Trek started a write-in campaign urging the White 225 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:15,080 House to change the name to Enterprise. Designated OV-101, the newly named Enterprise was 226 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:22,080 rolled out of the assembly facility on September 17, 1976 to begin its work as a flying test bed. 227 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:27,080 Although it never flew in space, the Enterprise flew eight captive flights attached to the 228 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:32,080 747 shuttle carrier and five free flights that landed at Edwards Air Force Base. The 229 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:37,080 Enterprise was enormously successful helping test and prove technologies that would be 230 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:42,080 needed in future space shuttles. In November 2003, Enterprise was moved to the 231 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:48,080 Smithsonian Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport, where it is now 232 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,080 on permanent public display. 233 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:57,080 Today in our busy world, one of the key prerequisites for many people in personal and 234 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:02,080 business life is speed. This is especially true when it comes to aviation. Although air 235 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:07,080 travel is almost always the fastest means of travel, many would like it to become even 236 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:12,080 faster. Though the technology exists for aircraft to fly at speeds faster than the speed of 237 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:17,080 sound, today's aircraft don't because of the problem with sonic booms. To help lessen the 238 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:22,080 impact of these booms, NASA researchers are attempting to find a way to help aircraft 239 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:27,080 move faster without causing disruptions on the ground. Our own Johnny Alonzo spoke with 240 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:32,080 researcher Dr. Kevin Shepard at NASA Langley Research Center to learn what a sonic boom 241 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,080 is and find out how it works. 242 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:43,080 In the early days of flight, having an aircraft that could fly even as fast as 30 miles per 243 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:48,080 hour seemed revolutionary. But a goal that pushed virtually every aircraft designer, 244 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:52,080 engineer and pilot at that time was to find a way to increase the speeds of their aircraft. 245 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:58,080 As new designs began to emerge, aircraft were continually getting stronger, safer and, above 246 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:03,080 all, faster. By the mid-1940s, aircraft technology had advanced to the point that breaking the 247 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:08,080 sound barrier was finally in sight. After numerous attempts and failures, the world's first 248 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:13,080 sonic boom was heard on October 14, 1947, when Chuck Yeager flew the X-1 aircraft into 249 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:18,080 history over the desert near Edwards, California. From that point on, military and civilian 250 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:22,080 test pilots were regularly breaking the sound barrier in fighter aircraft and in specialized 251 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:27,080 test vehicles like the X-15. But it wasn't until 1976 that civilian passengers finally 252 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:32,080 got their chance to fly supersonically with the introduction of the famed Concorde. 253 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:38,080 The Concorde had the ability to fly at over 11 miles high, 1,350 miles per hour, and travel 254 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:43,080 from Paris to New York in only three and a half hours. Unfortunately, one of the major 255 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:47,080 drawbacks from the Concorde's incredible speed was the amount of noise it produced. 256 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,080 Not only was it noisy when taking off and landing, but once it reached supersonic speeds, 257 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,080 it created a very loud sonic boom. 258 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,080 Sonic booms are so disconcerting to most people on the ground that commercial aircraft have 259 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,080 only been given the clearance to break the sound barrier over water. 260 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:06,080 So, are we just relegated to flying below the speed of sound? Well, maybe not. 261 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,080 To help us understand what causes a sonic boom and if there's anything we can do to 262 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,080 lessen its impact, I spoke with Dr. Kevin Shepard at NASA Langley Research Center to 263 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,080 find out how it works. 264 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,080 Any vehicle traveling faster than the speed of sound creates a sonic boom. 265 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:25,080 What actually happens is shockwaves, which are pressure rises, develop near the airplane. 266 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:29,080 And as those travel to the ground, what we perceive as a noise, in fact, is this sudden 267 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:34,080 pressure jump, much like a rifle crack or a balloon popping. 268 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:39,080 In fact, what you hear are two booms closely separated in time, boom, boom. 269 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:44,080 And you could visualize it as two rifle cracks or as two claps of thunder. 270 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:45,080 Sure. 271 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,080 Closely spaced in time. 272 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,080 What is the speed of sound? And how do you measure the speed of sound? 273 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,080 We like to say Mach 1 is supersonic. Everyone knows that expression. 274 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:58,080 Mach 2 is twice the speed of sound. Mach 3, three times and so forth. 275 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,080 The actual speed depends on the atmospheric conditions. 276 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:07,080 So, if you're near the surface where it's typically quite warm, speed of sound is 700, 277 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,080 750 miles an hour. 278 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:14,080 When you're at altitude where airplanes fly, it's a little lower, maybe 600 miles an hour. 279 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:20,080 So, for example, Concorde traveled at Mach 2, 1200 miles an hour is roughly the speed it traveled at. 280 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,080 A common misconception about the sound barrier is once it has been broken, 281 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,080 there is just one quick noise, and then the noise dissipates. 282 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,080 One reason this misconception is so prevalent is that most people hear a sonic boom 283 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,080 when they're standing in a stationary position on the ground. 284 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,080 What actually happens is when the aircraft breaks the sound barrier, 285 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,080 it continues to break it as long as it's flying supersonically. 286 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:43,080 Any observer on the ground hears the airplane go by. 287 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:48,080 If you picture a boat in the middle of a creek and the bow wave from the boat, 288 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:54,080 you watch the boat go by. A little while later, that bow wave passes you on the riverbank. 289 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,080 People further down the riverbank have the exact same experience. 290 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:00,080 So what's happening is, in the case of the airplane, 291 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,080 it's dragging this boom carpet behind it all the way across the country. 292 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,080 Depending on weather and altitude, the sonic boom created by the aircraft 293 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,080 can be heard in a path of about 60 miles wide for the entire distance of the flight. 294 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,080 So, if an aircraft is flying from New York to Los Angeles, 295 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,080 the sonic boom will be heard consistently across the country in a 60-mile-wide path. 296 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:23,080 This is the foremost reason supersonic flights are not allowed to fly over land in the United States. 297 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,080 Yeah, most people find the sonic boom unacceptable. 298 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:30,080 There's the two loud sounds. They're startling. They're annoying. 299 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,080 They tend to shake buildings, rattle windows. 300 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:38,080 And so, based on experience with Concorde, for example, it just doesn't happen. 301 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,080 There is no commercial overland supersonic flight. 302 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,080 But revolutionary steps now being taken by NASA may change that in the future. 303 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:50,080 So, Dr. Shepard, are we stuck with the fact that we'll never be able to fly over land at supersonic speed? 304 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,080 We're hopeful that's not the case. 305 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:57,080 The current programs we're working on are aimed at allowing supersonic overland flight. 306 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,080 The hope we have is based on a recent flight test, 307 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:06,080 which demonstrated that we can, in fact, shape the airplane in such a way that we can shape the sonic boom 308 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,080 and it sound different, sound more acceptable. 309 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,080 This has been known in theory for 40-plus years, 310 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:16,080 but it was only demonstrated in the last couple of years with a real flight vehicle. 311 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,080 Now, that's part of the story. 312 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:23,080 The real issue is can we get the boom low enough for people to find it acceptable? 313 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,080 We think we can reduce it. Can we reduce it enough? 314 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,080 We're hopeful, and we're hoping we'll have a flight demonstrator within the next few years. 315 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,080 So, Dr. Shepard, how do you test sonic booms? 316 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,080 I mean, is it always in flight, or can you also test it on land? 317 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,080 We'd love to do it in flight. 318 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:43,080 But building vehicles, as you can imagine, is very expensive, and you don't get to do it very often. 319 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,080 So if you've got a theory that this kind of vehicle will make a different kind of boom than this, 320 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,080 yeah, we'd like to build the vehicles, but that's not going to happen. 321 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,080 So in terms of figuring out what people might find acceptable, 322 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:57,080 we simulate the sonic booms using ground-based simulators, 323 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,080 which are basically loudspeaker systems where we can produce the sounds 324 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,080 that would be developed by certain vehicle types. 325 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,080 And that's the simulators that we have here at Langley. 326 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:10,080 They're being used for that because we hope that will guide the design of the airplanes 327 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,080 to ultimately lead to an acceptable sonic boom. 328 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,080 Can you give me some examples of what you test in these simulators? 329 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:20,080 These simulators are basically loudspeaker-based systems, so we can make sounds, 330 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:26,080 and we can design them to make sounds that sound very much like real sonic booms. 331 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:31,080 We bring in human test subjects, members of the public, and in essence they give us their opinion. 332 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:35,080 You know, this sonic boom versus another, which actually corresponds to one airplane versus another 333 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,080 because we're trying to design airplanes to give us the right sonic boom. 334 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,080 And so the characteristics of the boom is what they're assessing with their ears. 335 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:47,080 If we can solve the sonic boom problem, then we can have supersonic flight over land. 336 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,080 People and goods can get from place to place quicker because our overall aim here 337 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:56,080 is to make the air transportation system more efficient, safer, in this case faster, 338 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,080 but also environmentally acceptable. 339 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:03,080 That way we save time, we save money, we have a more efficient system. 340 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,080 That's it for this edition of NASA's Destination Tomorrow. 341 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:07,080 I'm Kara O'Brien. 342 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,080 For all of us here at NASA, we'll see you next time. 343 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:16,080 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 344 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:46,080 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 345 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:17,080 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology