1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,560 Today, most of us take the idea of manned spaceflight for granted. 2 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:14,500 But during the late 50s and early 60s, the idea of manned traveling in space was an exciting 3 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:16,560 challenge to be conquered. 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,100 In the early days of the space program, engineers knew very little about the effects of space 5 00:00:21,100 --> 00:00:23,920 travel and re-entry into the atmosphere. 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,900 But one man, Dr. Max Faget, came up with a revolutionary design that helped launch America 7 00:00:29,900 --> 00:00:32,180 into the space age. 8 00:00:32,180 --> 00:00:36,420 During the late 50s, engineers debated over which type of craft should be used to launch 9 00:00:36,420 --> 00:00:38,060 man into space. 10 00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:43,140 The debate centered on whether the U.S. should continue refining the X-series of rocket planes 11 00:00:43,140 --> 00:00:47,900 or to build an entirely new type of craft to achieve orbital flight. 12 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:52,660 While this debate was occurring in the U.S., the Russian space agency successfully launched 13 00:00:52,660 --> 00:00:58,380 Sputnik, the first satellite into space, in October of 1957. 14 00:00:58,380 --> 00:01:03,500 The space race had begun, and the U.S. was already far behind. 15 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:07,720 After hearing about the successful flight of Sputnik, engineers began to design and 16 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,940 test new spacecraft at a frenetic pace. 17 00:01:10,940 --> 00:01:16,180 The U.S. had some expertise in building long-range ballistic missiles, but was having difficulty 18 00:01:16,180 --> 00:01:21,460 designing a vehicle to carry man into space and bring him back safely. 19 00:01:21,460 --> 00:01:26,060 One day while playing pinochle after lunch with a co-worker, engineer Max Faget began 20 00:01:26,060 --> 00:01:29,980 sketching out a design for a new spacecraft on his napkin. 21 00:01:29,980 --> 00:01:34,020 This new craft had a blunt-shaped bottom and was designed to fit on top of a ballistic 22 00:01:34,020 --> 00:01:35,100 missile. 23 00:01:35,100 --> 00:01:40,660 With his idea in hand, Faget began a series of crude experiments to test his design, one 24 00:01:40,660 --> 00:01:45,460 of which included tossing a paper plate out of a window to test the basic aerodynamic 25 00:01:45,460 --> 00:01:47,260 principles of the design. 26 00:01:47,260 --> 00:01:52,260 Faget's idea for a blunt-shaped craft was ill-received by many aerodynamicists of the 27 00:01:52,260 --> 00:01:53,900 time. 28 00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:57,620 Astronomers thought the most effective way to orbit and return to Earth would be in a 29 00:01:57,620 --> 00:02:00,300 low-drag aerodynamic vehicle. 30 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:05,220 Although this vehicle had merit, Faget knew that an aerodynamic aircraft would create 31 00:02:05,220 --> 00:02:10,220 excessive amounts of heat, causing major structural and safety problems for the astronauts. 32 00:02:10,220 --> 00:02:14,860 Well, everybody that had to do with anything flying through the air would always try and 33 00:02:14,860 --> 00:02:20,900 keep the drag down as much as they could, so the original versions of ballistic missile 34 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:27,900 reentry vehicles were all highly streamlined and they had everybody working on ways to 35 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:30,100 keep them cool. 36 00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:35,340 Faget alternatively proposed that his new blunt body design should be used instead. 37 00:02:35,340 --> 00:02:39,940 He reasoned that his design would create a huge shockwave around the spacecraft, moving 38 00:02:39,940 --> 00:02:44,140 the heat away and keeping the craft cooler upon reentry. 39 00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:49,500 Faget began to push his idea as the best one to get the job done quickly and safely. 40 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:56,500 That particular shape wasn't really an invention, that's just a piece of nature. 41 00:02:56,500 --> 00:03:03,500 There isn't any shape that will have less heating than a Mercury shape, it's it. 42 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:08,420 After a series of wind tunnel tests, his blunt-shaped vehicle was proven to be the most successful 43 00:03:08,420 --> 00:03:09,300 design. 44 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:14,820 Faget's space capsule design was adopted in the late 50s. Astronaut Alan Shepard became 45 00:03:14,820 --> 00:03:20,140 the first person to fly in the Mercury spacecraft designed with a blunt shape. 46 00:03:20,140 --> 00:03:25,020 This design proved to be so successful that a variant of this craft was also used in both 47 00:03:25,020 --> 00:03:28,260 the Gemini and Apollo space programs. 48 00:03:28,260 --> 00:03:34,420 Faget's foresight and tenacity overcame many technical challenges and helped launch America 49 00:03:34,420 --> 00:03:35,540 into the space age.