Instead, they could just inflate it once they were already in space.
We have probably all had the experience of watching a balloon float away into the sky and never seeing it again. But sometimes we want balloons to go even further - into space! It turns out that balloons, with their round and innocent floatiness, can be incredibly useful for space science. Here are five uses for balloons in space that are truly remarkable:
NASA’s Project Echo: Before satellites were floating boxes with solar panel wings, they were balloons. In the late 1950s, NASA engineers were working on a satellite-like project called Project Echo. This satellite was a giant metallic balloon the width of three school buses, capable of holding more than 18,000 kilograms of air inside. The goal was to measure the density of the air in the upper atmosphere in order to design more efficient aircraft and spacecraft. The project ended up being used to show that satellite communication was possible. On August 12, 1960, Echo was launched into space and it relayed a message from President Eisenhower from a ground station in California to Bell Labs in New Jersey.
Inflatable Antenna Experiment: In 1996, NASA launched an inflatable antenna experiment aboard the shuttle Endeavor. This antenna was the size of a tennis court, measuring 14 meters across, and was visible from Earth. It was made of a heavy-duty plastic called Mylar, and the reflective side was made of Mylar infused with aluminum. This experiment was used to show that more precise inflatable space antennas were possible. The antenna had a typical dish shape, which allowed it to focus incoming radio signals better than the bulbous shape of Echo. This meant better telecommunication, and the best part was that scientists didn’t need to launch a massive, rigid, heavy dish into orbit - they could just inflate it once they were already in space. Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab have proposed a different kind of inflatable rover, one that would be made of several interconnected balloons.It would be able to traverse all sorts of environments, from the rocky terrain of Mars to the icy plains of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
The initial experiment of an inflatable antenna, along with its collapsible struts, inflation system and measurement system, showed that it was possible to unfurl more complex inflatable structures in space. This led to the use of balloons in space, such as the airbags that surrounded the Pathfinder lander and the Sojourner rover. These airbags were made of a tough, spacesuit-like fabric called Vectran, which was built to resist popping when the balloons touched down on the jagged Mars surface. Following the success of the airbags, scientists proposed an inflatable rover concept based on a tumbleweed. This rover would have a 6-meter-wide balloon surrounding its scientific instruments, with two weights on opposite sides to help it roll in a relatively straight line. Another concept for an inflatable rover was proposed by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, which would be made of several interconnected balloons and be able to traverse a variety of environments. A variety of space balloons have been proposed for exploration, such as a tricycle with oversized wheels, a beach-balloon rover, and a vacuum airship. The vacuum airship, which was first imagined in the 17th century, is 80 meters wide and could float over terrain on Mars, Titan, and Venus. It is energy-efficient, since it does not need to carry any extra gas and its lift comes from its air-deprived core. Additionally, it can survey wide areas quickly. Although a prototype has yet to be built, both NASA and the European Space Agency are investigating its feasibility. To celebrate these ideas, a rocket-themed SciShow Pin of the Month is available for pre-order before the end of April. We have an exciting new pin coming out next month that you can look forward to! To get your sticker sheet or pin, please visit dftba.com or check out the links in the description. Thank you for watching! 🎵