1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,280 The ability to travel into space is still a relatively recent event in human history. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,960 To get to space, early astronauts traveled in very expensive space capsules, which were 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,800 only used once before being retired. 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:23,120 These systems worked well, but it was realized that a reusable system should be implemented 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,640 over the single-use capsule system. 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,280 So in the early 1980s, the world's first and only reusable launch vehicle, the Space 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,200 Shuttle, came into service. 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:37,160 With the Shuttle in service, spaceflight became much more accessible and less expensive, while 9 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:41,760 also truly expanding technological and scientific exploration. 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:47,520 But in a continued effort to make spaceflight even less expensive and much safer for astronauts, 11 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,760 NASA researchers have been looking toward the next generation of reusable space launch 12 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:52,900 vehicles. 13 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:57,660 To help develop the next generation of spacecraft, NASA researchers have been developing and 14 00:00:57,660 --> 00:01:00,740 testing a lot of new vehicle technologies. 15 00:01:00,740 --> 00:01:05,480 Some of these new vehicles are so revolutionary that they may soon change the way we all think 16 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:06,480 of space travel. 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:11,580 I spoke with Charlie Cockrell at NASA Langley Research Center to help explain the next generation 18 00:01:11,580 --> 00:01:13,580 of space vehicles. 19 00:01:13,580 --> 00:01:18,940 NASA's goal is to make space travel safer, more reliable, and more cost effective. 20 00:01:18,940 --> 00:01:23,980 One of the goals of the Next Generation Launch Technology Program is to provide routine access 21 00:01:23,980 --> 00:01:29,460 to the International Space Station, provide a safer way for a crew return from the space 22 00:01:29,460 --> 00:01:34,740 station, and to also look at other opportunities in space and be able to do that on a routine 23 00:01:34,740 --> 00:01:35,740 basis. 24 00:01:35,740 --> 00:01:39,900 Charlie, how are these new spacecraft so different from the space shuttle we're used to seeing? 25 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:45,620 Our vision is to really move towards spacecraft that look and operate more like conventional 26 00:01:45,620 --> 00:01:46,620 aircraft. 27 00:01:46,620 --> 00:01:50,180 So we want to do things like have less turnaround time in between missions. 28 00:01:50,180 --> 00:01:54,340 They're going to be more reliable to operate, less repairs that will have to take place 29 00:01:54,340 --> 00:01:56,420 in between missions. 30 00:01:56,420 --> 00:02:00,580 One of the chief differences between the space shuttle and the vehicles that you're going 31 00:02:00,580 --> 00:02:05,080 to see in the future is we're looking at more advanced types of propulsion systems. 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,460 So they're going to look and operate much differently than the shuttle. 33 00:02:08,460 --> 00:02:11,420 So what are some of the technologies you're using to develop these new vehicles? 34 00:02:11,420 --> 00:02:15,300 Well, in addition to the advanced propulsion systems, we are developing a number of different 35 00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:19,540 vehicle technologies that are going to be directly applicable to the next generation 36 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:20,980 shuttle launch vehicles. 37 00:02:20,980 --> 00:02:26,420 One of NASA's major requirements is to develop new technologies and vehicles to transport 38 00:02:26,420 --> 00:02:30,740 crews and cargo to and from the International Space Station. 39 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:35,700 Because the space station is relatively close to Earth and needs to be resupplied frequently, 40 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:39,300 the most logical choice is a reusable spacecraft. 41 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:45,260 One idea under consideration is an air-breathing craft rather than a rocket-propelled spacecraft. 42 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:51,620 To break Earth's gravitational field, a craft needs to reach about 17,500 miles per hour. 43 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:55,940 Currently, this is being accomplished through the use of a series of rockets. 44 00:02:55,940 --> 00:03:01,220 These rockets not only carry large amounts of fuel, but must also carry liquid oxygen 45 00:03:01,220 --> 00:03:04,340 to mix with the fuel for maximum thrust. 46 00:03:04,340 --> 00:03:09,020 Although this system is effective, it is very expensive and can be dangerous. 47 00:03:09,020 --> 00:03:13,780 The benefit of an air-breathing craft is that it would not need to carry its own oxygen. 48 00:03:13,780 --> 00:03:19,500 It would scoop oxygen from the Earth's atmosphere into a special engine called a scramjet. 49 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:23,500 This system would allow the craft to reach the speed required to break the pull of the 50 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:27,140 gravitational field, sending it into space. 51 00:03:27,140 --> 00:03:32,900 Because the craft is not carrying its own oxygen, the weight will be reduced by up to 50 percent. 52 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:37,540 This could reduce spaceflight costs by a factor of 10, bringing current payload costs from 53 00:03:37,540 --> 00:03:42,380 about $10,000 per pound to about $1,000 per pound. 54 00:03:42,380 --> 00:03:45,300 So is scramjet technology the only concept you're looking at? 55 00:03:45,300 --> 00:03:49,900 No, we're actually studying a wide range of technologies that include different configuration 56 00:03:49,900 --> 00:03:56,100 shapes, different numbers of stages in the vehicle, different types of propulsion systems. 57 00:03:56,100 --> 00:04:00,860 Most of the longer-term applications do use scramjets, but we're also looking at something 58 00:04:00,860 --> 00:04:05,060 that we would call combined cycle propulsion, which would actually take elements of rocket 59 00:04:05,060 --> 00:04:10,180 propulsion, scramjets, high-speed turbojet engines, and maybe other advanced propulsion 60 00:04:10,180 --> 00:04:14,620 cycles so that we can use the benefits of those at different points in the flight. 61 00:04:14,620 --> 00:04:18,340 So where will this program be in the next 10, 15, 20 years? 62 00:04:18,340 --> 00:04:22,460 I think we're going to be well on our way to developing a next-generation reusable launch 63 00:04:22,460 --> 00:04:23,780 vehicle system. 64 00:04:23,780 --> 00:04:27,620 Whether or not we will actually have an operational system in the next 10 to 15 years is going 65 00:04:27,620 --> 00:04:32,740 to be dependent on what the nation's needs are and how we address that as an overall 66 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:33,740 strategy. 67 00:04:33,740 --> 00:04:37,180 But we are developing technologies that can not only be included in a vehicle that would 68 00:04:37,180 --> 00:04:41,620 be developed in, say, the next 10 to 15 years, but we're also developing a lot more advanced 69 00:04:41,620 --> 00:04:45,940 technologies that would be good for vehicles that are going to be developed in, say, the 70 00:04:45,940 --> 00:04:47,780 next 20 to 30 years. 71 00:04:47,780 --> 00:04:51,940 And we're doing all of that by utilizing all of the unique capabilities that we have at 72 00:04:51,940 --> 00:04:54,220 our NASA field centers across the country.