They could just inflate this antenna in space and then deflate it when they were done.
We have all experienced the disappointment of watching a balloon float away into the sky. But sometimes we want balloons to go even further - into space! Here are 5 amazing uses for balloons in space.
NASA’s Project Echo: In the late 1950s, NASA engineers developed a giant metallic balloon called Project Echo, which was the width of three school buses and could hold more than 18 thousand kilograms of air. It was designed to measure the density of the upper atmosphere in order to design more efficient aircraft and spacecraft. However, it ended up being used to demonstrate that satellite communication was possible. On August 12, 1960, Echo was launched and it was able to successfully bounce telephone messages and even a live TV broadcast.
Inflatable Antenna Experiment: In 1996, NASA launched an inflatable antenna experiment aboard the shuttle Endeavor. This antenna was the size of a tennis court and was made of a heavy-duty plastic called Mylar, which was infused with aluminum on one side. This antenna was used to demonstrate that more precise inflatable space antennas were possible. It was also much easier to launch into space than a rigid, heavy dish. NASA has also been working on a concept for an inflatable rover that looks like an octopus.
The first use of an inflatable structure in space was an antenna, which could be folded down to a package the size of a desk. This led to the use of balloons for the Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover sent to Mars, which were surrounded by 24 airbags made of the tough, spacesuit-like fabric Vectran. Following the success of this mission, scientists were eager to take the use of balloons on Mars further, leading to the concept of an inflatable rover based on a tumbleweed. This rover would be surrounded by one giant 6-meter-wide balloon, with two weights on either side to help it roll in a straight line. Instruments would be suspended at the center, and when it was time to move again the balloon would be re-inflated. NASA has also been working on a concept for an inflatable rover that looks like an octopus. A group of Swedish scientists have proposed a beach-balloon rover to explore windy terrain like Neptune’s moon, Triton and Jupiter’s moon, Io. Taking the idea of space balloons to the extreme, engineers have proposed an interplanetary blimp, also called a vacuum airship. This 80 meter wide craft could float over rugged Martian terrain, the watery planes of Saturn’s moon Titan, or the violent volcanic surface of Venus. The vacuum airship wouldn’t need to carry any extra gas for refueling and wouldn’t need any massive engines since all the lift comes from its air-deprived core. Surveying a planet or moon from on high means you can cover wide areas, fast. Although the vacuum airship was first imagined way back in the 17th century, neither NASA nor the European Space Agency have yet built a prototype.
To celebrate this whimsical idea, SciShow has created a sticker sheet featuring a fun and floaty vacuum airship and a rocket-themed SciShow Pin of the Month. Pre-orders for the pin will only be available until the end of April, so don’t miss out on your chance to get your hands on this limited edition item! We have another amazing pin coming up next month, so stay tuned! To get your sticker sheet or pin, head over to dftba.com or check out the links in the description. Thank you for watching! 🎵