Program Educational Components Destination Tomorrow Program 8 INTRODUCTION
Premiered November 18, 2003 Duration 30 minutes
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Content Summary NASA's Destination Tomorrow™ is divided into five segments.
Behind the Scenes: The International Space Station is the largest and most complex international scientific mission in history. With this orbiting laboratory there will not only be new advances in space technology, but a chance for all types of different scientific fields to have new theories tested and experiments completed in space environments.
Tech Watch: At one time in the United States, air pollution created by cars had almost reached epidemic proportions, especially in large cities. To help reduce the pollution, clean-air laws were created, driving car manufacturers to reduce the amounts of pollution produced by cars. One of the devices developed to help reduce these pollutants was the catalytic converter. Through a chemical process, this ingenious device helps convert exhaust gases into less harmful emissions, causing less pollution.
Retrospective: By the mid 1950's with the advent of relatively thin, flexible aircraft wings, a new and dangerous phenomenon related to aircraft elasticity was being encountered. Many pilots were experiencing flutter, or severe buffeting and oscillations during flight. The needs to understand this new phenomenon lead to the development of the TDT or Transonic Dynamics Wind Tunnel at NASA Langley. This new tunnel not only tested the elastic properties of aircraft, but also a host of other aerodynamic situations in an effort to save lives.
On the Runway: If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you are probably familiar with turbulence. Even for the most experienced flyers, the sudden sometimes violent irregular air motion can be an unsettling experience. In most cases turbulence is merely an inconvenience that passengers and flight crews must endure. But in cases of severe turbulence, the violent shaking can not only cause serious injury to passengers and crew, but can also be fatal.
How it Works: You might just see lasers in science fiction films, but in fact they surround us in our everyday lives. Did you know that there are lasers in CD players, pointing devices, supermarket scanners, and all kinds of medical instruments? And lasers are not as complicated as you might think. Johnny Alonso spoke with researcher Gary Fleming at NASA Langley Research Center to find out how a laser works.
Visit the Destination Tomorrow™ web site to get detailed information on each segment, information about other shows in the series, TV broadcast information and talent biographies.
