All language subtitles for NOVA.S51E16.Building.Stuff.Reach.It.1080p.WEB.h264-BAE_track3_[eng]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
We live in a built world.

Engineering and technology,

built upon innovations
and inventions,

stretching
back thousands of years.

Some of our creations,
like machines,

boost our bodies' abilities.

Others help us reach

outside our comfort zones.

We have left an indelible mark
on the planet,

and now the time has come
to use our skills

to make a better world.

Building taller buildings...

...that stay steady in the wind.

DAVID FIELDS:
As extreme as this feels,

this is nothing compared to what
the building's designed for.

NARRATOR:
Or submarines that dive deep...

PATRICK LAHEY:
Imagine a craft that allows you
to explore a part of our world

that you simply couldn't see
any other way.

NARRATOR:
...to give an unprecedented
underwater view.

EDIE WIDDER:
It's like being
in a goldfish bowl,

only the fish are on the outside

and the people are on
the inside.

NARRATOR:
Clothes that let us go farther

to places we never could before.

Or even a new structure

to replace
the International Space Station.

SHAWN BUCKLEY:
We could put
three floors inside this,

have up to six people live
for months on months.

NARRATOR:
"Building Stuff: Reach It!,"

right now, on "NOVA".

♪ ♪

ANNOUNCER:
Major funding for "NOVA"
is provided by the following:

NARRATOR:
Humans.

Unlike a lot of other animals,

we're not exactly
fit to thrive in the wild.

We lack fur
to protect us from cold.

And speed to outrun predators.

(big cat snarling)

Exposed to the elements,

many of us would
struggle to survive.

But luckily,
we have other strengths.

ANDREA ARMANI:
Engineering is all around us

and we often don't recognize it.

One of the things that

engineering lets us do

is to do things that

we can't do with our bodies.

NARRATOR:
Ever since our ancestors
first evolved,

humankind has refused
to stay put.

MARIA YANG:
Humans are infinitely adaptable.

We live all around the world

in different climates
and conditions.

Engineering
has made that possible.

ALI HAJIMIRI:
I think it's in human nature

to solve problems.

And solving problems
is the basis for engineering.

MAN:
Venting tanks.

NARRATOR:
We've learned how to compensate
for our vulnerabilities.

By building stuff...

(explosion)

...and reaching
to every imaginable place.

♪ ♪

We've been building skyward

for thousands of years.

From raising huge stone
monuments,

to building massive pyramids,

to framing today's
mega-tall skyscrapers.

DAVID FIELDS:
Million dollar view.

NARRATOR:
Each step higher

presents new engineering
challenges.

Chicago's
storied Michigan Avenue,

towering over 800 feet,

is 1000M--

a 73-story skyscraper
under construction

along the city's lakefront--

where it will be fully exposed
to the city's notorious winds.

LYNDA DOSSEY:
You can see some
pretty decent wind loads.

So we have some unique
conditions here.

♪ ♪

DAVID STEFFENHAGEN:
Each building is unique

and it's kind of its own recipe

that gets put together.

NARRATOR:
Chicago is often considered

the birthplace
of the skyscraper.

The Home Insurance Building,
constructed in 1885,

is widely considered to be
the first skyscraper,

though only ten stories tall.

Over the decades,

engineers have relied on
a blend of art

and science to cope with wind.

NEHEMIAH MABRY:
Not only are you considering

the wind as it is

naturally occurring
in that space,

but you take a city
like Chicago

you have to design not just
for how the wind

would naturally occur,
but for how the wind

would also be altered by
the tall buildings around it.

NARRATOR:
David Fields is the
chief structural engineer

at 1000M.

In our modern era, we're seeing
buildings get taller

and taller and more
and more slender.

This is pushing
the ragged edge

of structural engineering

and what can be built
and what can be cost effective.

NARRATOR:
David is responsible

for ensuring the structure's
strength and integrity.

And of all the forces that can
damage a skyscraper,

wind is one
of the biggest threats,

not only to the structural
integrity of a building,

but to its very livability
as well.

It can make people
physically ill

with a kind of high-rise
sea sickness.

It's a problem
that only became apparent

as tall buildings evolved

from heavy structures
like the Empire State Building

to today's lighter,
steel-framed buildings;

like 1000M.

Originally designed by
the late architect Helmut Jahn,

now overseen
by architect Lynda Dossey.

DOSSEY:
Architecture is a balance
between beauty and function.

We are hired to solve a problem
and solve it beautifully.

The ultimate goal is to deliver
a feasible, functional building.

Looking at
our structural plan...

FIELDS (voiceover):
I think of
structural engineering

as designing
the bones within a body.

We think about

where to put a core,
where to put bracing,

and that happens
very, very early.

And it shapes, fundamentally,

almost everything within
the building.

DOSSEY:
I think you gave
us an extra few feet.

(voiceover):
Structural engineers
and architectural engineers,

in some ways, they're cut
from the same cloth.

We do push on them a lot
to try and achieve

our aesthetic goals,
but at the same time,

we have a responsibility

to safety and comfort.

NARRATOR:
So why is wind such a problem?

FIELDS:
As wind blows on
a building at low speeds,

it tends to approach a building
and wrap around it smoothly.

As the wind
blows faster and faster,

it starts to eddy
on the backside.

As wind blows even faster,
those eddies--

we call them vortices--
they peel off.

They peel off
the building rhythmically

and kind of side to side.

This gets a building rocking
and swaying at high wind speeds.

DOSSEY:
If you're building
a rental building

or if you're building
a condo building,

these are people's homes.

They live in them
and you want them to feel

as comfortable there
as they would anywhere else.

All right, well, here we are.
Top of the building.

NARRATOR:
Luckily, there is an
ingenious engineering solution

under construction here
on the top floor.

Two large concrete boxes,
called mass dampers.

Both will be filled with water
to suppress building sway.

As wind pushes the building
in one direction,

the water with all its weight

sloshes in the opposite
direction.

This counterbalancing
motion "dampens,"

or offsets,
the sway of the building.

Here we have a demonstration
of tuned sloshing dampers.

We have two frames
that have effectively

the same natural frequency.

Now on top of these, we'll
put two identical damper boxes.

We'll fill one with
just the right amount of water.

And we'll see both how much less
it sways and how much quicker

the swaying stops.

NARRATOR:
The box with water
settles faster

than the box without water.

What works here is exactly
the same

that works here
on a much larger scale.

NARRATOR:
The two large damper tanks

are located north and south
of the building's concrete core,

to help combat frequent
intense winds at high altitude.

The tanks are 40 feet long,
ten feet wide,

and 15 feet tall and will hold
up to 11 feet of water,

about 33,000 gallons each.

which is only about 0.2%
of the mass

of the building itself.

♪ ♪

FIELDS:
So this big box,

it's basically a swimming pool.

The water pressure
will try to push it outward.

That's why we have
rebar very densely

all throughout these walls.

NARRATOR:
Next comes the outer formwork.

When complete,
the construction workers will

pour concrete between the forms

to make the walls.

FIELDS:
It's like the guys are working

with more urgency
now that the forms are going up.

Everybody knows they
got to get their part done.

NARRATOR:
And although the construction
team is very experienced,

people can still make mistakes.

FIELDS:
Fortunately,
we caught an issue

just before the form work went
up-- at the bottom of the tank,

where the water pressure
is greatest,

we have major piping
coming through the wall.

NARRATOR:
The builders failed
to install critical rebar

at the weak point in the
tank wall

created by the piping.

FIELDS:
The guys are solving the issue.

This is happening
about five minutes before

the formwork closes things up.

This never would have been seen
if we weren't here.

NARRATOR:
Embedding steel bars
reinforces the concrete.

Concrete is very strong
in compression,

but it's brittle.

Steel is flexible--
so combining the materials

creates a structure both strong
and resistant to failure.

It's going to have 24 inches
of un-reinforced concrete,

so we can kind of trim it out.

SEAN TATUM:
Having the engineers on site
it's critical

because they have
very in-depth knowledge,

obviously,
of the structural design.

This way, if there
are any issues that arise,

those get to be mitigated
up front very quickly.

Uh, and it makes
everyone's job that much easier.

NARRATOR:
With the damper tank mold
now fully constructed,

it's time to pour the walls.

♪ ♪

(concrete pouring)

Then, just as the pour
is ending,

a storm rolls into Chicago.

(lightning strikes)

It's the perfect opportunity

to get a benchmark reading
of how much

the building sways

before the dampers are filled
with water.

David holds a monitor connected
to an electronic motion sensor

called an accelerometer.

It's attached to the building,
and reports sway

measured in fractions of G--
Earth's gravity force.

FIELDS:
So we're taking
our first frequency measurements

of the building;
as extreme as this feels,

the wind, the rain, the thunder
and lightning

we're seeing and hearing,
this is nothing

compared to what
the building is designed for.

The building's moving.

We're reading four milli-g
right now.

These are our first
dynamic measurements.

We'll take
these back to the office,

decide how much water
to put in the tank,

and then we're tuned.

NARRATOR:
Using water to stabilize sway
has roots in the 1800s,

when it was discovered that
ships can achieve

greater stability by pumping
water ballast into the hull.

The amount of water can be
easily adjusted

as it's readily available
at sea.

It's very much to an engineers'
advantage

to think back on how
other solutions

and other accomplishments
and achievements

or even informers for
what we are trying to do today.

All design is redesign.

So if you think about it,
you're taking things

that have existed
in the past,

You've thought about it in
a new way,

or you're bringing in a
new technology

that didn't exist before.

NARRATOR:
When 1000M is nearly finished,

David returns
to tune the damper,

making a final decision

about exactly how much water
to put in the tanks.

So today is the culmination
of six years of planning

and coordination
and engineering.

And we'll finally see exactly
how much water to tune it

and damp it, so it's comfortable
for everyone who will live here.

Here we go.

FIELDS:
I'll go check the inflow.

The water's flowing in.

DOSSEY:
It's very exciting.

It means we're getting
close to the end.

It's just a
milestone moment.

FIELDS:
We're turning on
our application.

Right now,
we have an accelerometer.

This is very sensitive.

So even on a modestly
windy day like today,

we know exactly the motions
we're getting to micro-g's;

these are tiny percentages
of the acceleration of gravity.

Last time we took readings,

we were seeing
roughly four milli-g's.

Today, we're down closer to
one half of a milli-G.

Part of that's a function of
the tanks being filled,

part of that's a function of

it's a less windy day
to begin with.

By tomorrow morning
when the tanks are full,

we should see
the building sway being

about half of what
it would otherwise be.

DOSSEY:
That's one hell of a view.
It is incredible.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
It's views like this that reveal

just how extensively humanity
has developed the land,

Yet over 80% of the oceans
remain unexplored

and untouched.

There's a reason for that.

Of all the environments that
support life on our planet,

the most forbidding
and remote are the deep oceans,

where the furthest reaches
lie more than six miles

below the waves.

WIDDER:
Our ocean is the basis
for life on this rock,

and we are
impacting it in ways

we don't even begin
to understand.

And the first step is
always exploration.

CAMERON:
The more you understand
the ocean,

the more you
love the ocean,

the more you're
fascinated by it,

the more you'll fight
to protect it.

NARRATOR:
Urgency to combat
climate change...

Here we go.

NARRATOR:
...has spurred new efforts

to explore ocean depths...

TRITON TEAM PILOT:
The sub is extremely
maneuverable.

LAHEY:
Imagine a craft that allows you

to explore a part of our world

that you simply couldn't see
any other way.

NARRATOR:
Engineering a safe submarine
is extremely challenging,

and mistakes can be fatal.

NEWS ANCHOR:
Catastrophic implosion.

The unthinkable became
all too real...

NARRATOR:
In 2023, the world was horrified
by the implosion

of the OceanGate Titan
submersible

that was on an expedition
to explore the Titanic.

The disaster killed five people,

including OceanGate's
co-founder, Stockton Rush.

I've been safely down to
the Titanic wreck site 33 times.

And to me, the idea that,
that lives could be claimed

by an implosion in this day
and age is almost unfathomable.

It was a bad idea.

And they were warned.

NARRATOR:
The carbon fiber used
in the hull

may have been a critical
fail point.

The material is prone
to buckling under pressure,

especially when combined
with the elongated pill shape.

But that was the Titan,

not to be confused
with the Triton submersible,

being manufactured
in Sebastian, Florida.

Triton's design approach
is rigorous.

Here engineers are building subs
designed to take non-specialists

hundreds and even thousands of
feet below the surface, safely.

Patrick Lahey is the co-founder
of Triton Submarines.

LAHEY:
Safety begins with design.

It carries all the way through
to the selection of materials,

the formation of
those materials into parts,

those parts
made up into assemblies.

Those assemblies then tested and
validated on their own,

then incorporated
into the complete vehicle,

which is then tested again.

ARMANI:
If you're an engineer,
it is your responsibility

to do things in a manner

such that the end product
is safe.

Because at the end of the day,

people are relying on you
to make a safe product.

NARRATOR:
Altogether,

their subs have logged tens
of thousands of hours underwater

without any incident.

Increasingly,
the vehicles are being used

for scientific research,
filmmaking,

and underwater exploration.

LAHEY:
So this is our most compact
three-person sub.

The pilot sits in the back,
two passengers in the front.

They have this incredible,
completely unobstructed view

from this acrylic pressure
boundary.

NARRATOR:
The pressure boundary
is a perfectly round plastic orb

that is transparent.

It's like being
in a goldfish bowl,

only the fish are on
the outside,

and the people are on
the inside.

And it's invisible.

You really feel like
you're a part of the ocean.

NARRATOR:
The boundary's main job

is to keep occupants safe
from the crushing water pressure

pushing in from all sides.

A sphere is one of the
strongest shapes in nature.

A spherical hull experiences
the same amount of pressure

at every point on its surface,

minimizing the chances
of structural failure.

So far, the only subs
that have made it

to the bottom
of the Mariana Trench--

more than six miles
below the surface--

carried their passengers
in spherical enclosures.

And all were made of metal,
like steel or titanium.

Test, test.

We good on audio?

NARRATOR:
Film director and
ocean explorer James Cameron,

who is an investor in Triton,

wants more people to experience
the deep the way he has.

CAMERON:
The goal of Triton Subs

is to make the best commercial--

which also means scientific--
subs in the world,

and to make them
widely available.

NARRATOR:
In 2019,

a Triton titanium
spherical enclosure sub

completed one of
the most ambitious

global expeditions
in modern history,

taking people--

numerous times--
to the deepest spot

in each of Earth's five oceans.

Including the Challenger Deep,
in Mariana Trench.

(cheers and applause)

The geometry of a sphere

limits its usable space.

The designers wanted to increase
the number of passengers

beyond what a sphere
could reasonably hold,

so they settled
on an elongated shape

made from a common,
yet deceptively strong material:

acrylic.

JOHN RAMSAY:
Acrylic is an incredible
material.

It's completely transparent.

Unlike glass,
where even after six inches,

you're starting to see quite
significant discoloration.

NARRATOR:
Increasing the thickness
of the acrylic

increases its strength

and ability to resist
the pressure of the water,

while retaining visibility.

It's completely different from
anything that's preceded it.

We wanted to be able
to put the most people

into the smallest volume
possible.

NARRATOR:
When it's complete,

this sub will hold up
to nine people,

including a pilot.

they call it AVA.

It's designed to safely
dive depths of up to 600 feet.

The unusual shape is the work
of engineering firm Dark Ocean,

and their principal designer,
John Ramsay.

RAMSAY:
To accommodate nine passengers,

it's incredibly difficult
to do that in a,

in a traditional sphere.

The way the 660/9 AVA works

is it just takes that sphere
and it optimizes it

for the passengers inside

by stretching it out
and allowing everyone

to sit side by side.

NARRATOR (archival):
Down into worlds never
before seen...

NARRATOR:
This design draws from
decades of research on acrylics.

RAMSAY:
There's an 800-page kind of

bible of submersible acrylics
and you can

go through and see

every bit of testing
that was done.

The material that makes
this possible

is acrylic plastic.
(knocking)

CAMERON:
Everything you do in engineering

is based on what other engineers
before you have done.

If somebody's got a great,
elegant solution,

why reinvent the wheel?

NARRATOR:
At the factory,

the team is attempting to attach
AVA's pressure hull

to its steel chassis.

They've never had to
maneuver a shape like this.

Okay, uh, Chris bring yours
up a little bit.

(cranking)

NARRATOR:
One slip,

and the acrylic could be damaged
or scratched.

One, two, three...
Just the corner.

NARRATOR:
The team positions
the metal chassis

beneath the elliptical hull.

It needs to go towards you
a little bit, Monroe.

(indistinct chatter)

Ready?

(straining)

That doesn't look bad.

Let's just keep a little bit
of tension on it.

MAN:
Yep, it has tension still.

NARRATOR:
Despite the best efforts
of the engineers...

There we go.

NARRATOR:
...there are still small
adjustments to be made.

ARTHUR MUTTOCK:
So we are trying to thread in
this big pin now.

Some of the bits of machine

to within a tenth of
a millimeter

or less to, to get
that nice fit.

STOTT:
Come back, Monroe,
a little bit.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Go...

Hold tension, it's slipping.

Give me a
freaking heart attack.

STOTT:
I mean it is so freaking close.

It's not going to go
anywhere right now.

So just come down
on your forks, Monroe.
Okay.

Tilt forward.

Okay. Backup.

NARRATOR:
The acrylic hull
is secure for the moment.

But they'll have to stop
for the day

to tweak
the size of the screws.

Does it always
go according to plan?

No.

Am I really pleased
with how far we've got today?

Oh, yes.

MABRY:
When we're solving problems,
when we're building things,

we're engaged in this process
of getting our hands dirty

and actually doing some trial
and error testing

to see if what we've,
we've built

was effective,
if it worked.

NARRATOR:
Testing needs to be
particularly rigorous

when lives are at stake.

HAJIMIRI:
You are implicitly relying

on the people who designed it
and built it

to make sure that they've
thought about how

it can fail,
and if they've come up

with ways to get
around that.

be it a car,
airplane or submarine,

is subjected
to thorough testing and review

throughout
the engineering process.

(crash)

The true testament to its
reliability ultimately hinges

on obtaining certification from
an independent third party.

LAHEY:
They make sure

that your assumptions
are not flawed,

that you're not
doing something

that could be dangerous,

NARRATOR:
The failed Titan submersible
was never officially certified.

CAMERON:
If you're putting
passengers on a sub,

you need it to be
qualified

by some independent body,

whose job it is
to make sure

that that vehicle is safe.

♪ ♪

(indistinct chatter)

We are going to try to launch

just before noon.

NARRATOR:
The AVA sub is now ready
for its first dive.

Senior approval engineer
Ionel Darie

is on-site today for
final checks

of all the sub's vital systems,

making sure the submersible
is safe

for passenger dives down
to 600 feet.

DARIE:
Everything went great,

we can issue
the final certificate

for this submersible.

The sub is ready
to make a shallow dive.

(hydraulics hissing)

MAN:
Top sides, top sides.

Hatch is closed,
life support is on and good.

MAN (on radio):
Roger, you have permission
to dive.

(splashing)

And we're on our way.

♪ ♪

MUTTOCK:
Amazing.

I mean, this is the
first time I've been down,

and it's been
two and a half years of work.

This is the result,
and it's a magnificent one.

Really loving this.

NARRATOR:
If Triton is able
to fulfill its mission

of building more submersibles,

many others will soon be able
to have their first ride

into the deep ocean.

WIDDER:
This is this other universe

that is most of our planet,

and it's such a magical place.

And to be able to now explore it

in comfort
is a phenomenal ability

that is open to
more and more people.

(indistinct radio communication)

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Our inventions can act
as force fields

between our bodies
and the environment,

protecting us from extremes.

You can see them
all around us:

what we live in,

what we move in,

and even what we wear.

At a textile research laboratory
in North Carolina...

♪ ♪

...engineers are preparing
to set a mannequin on fire.

(igniting)

(flames roaring)

Their goal: collect data
that will help make

safer fire-fighting suits.

And researchers
are also focused on

finding solutions
for women firefighters

who often struggle
to work in suits

typically designed for men.

(flames crackling)

ROGER BARKER:
What we do can be life-saving.

So there are no higher stakes
than that.

Textiles are the unsung heroes
of the world, period.

(sirens wailing)

NARRATOR:
As firefighters battle
flames and smoke,

their clothing and gear
is the first line of defense.

But their suits can also
contribute to a hidden danger:

heat stress,

when the body's core temperature
and heart rate

rise to unsafe levels.

About 40% of work-related
firefighter deaths

are the result of cardiac
incidents due to heat stress.

The big question:

how can we keep firefighters
safe from flames

and keep their body
temperatures within the suit

from rising
to heat stress levels?

For decades,
Roger Barker and his team

have been building new
instruments and test methods

to measure both
thermal protection and comfort.

An earlier iteration of their
mannequin couldn't move.

In a real-life situation,

a firefighter would almost
never be stationary.

After three years of
development,

researchers are ready
to light up

their moving mannequin.

Fire it up, John.

(beep)

(flames roaring)

NARRATOR:
Thermal sensors
throughout its body

allow them to study
how heat is transferred

or blocked
by the clothing--

and if this motion
creates new avenues

for hot air to enter
and move inside the suit.

BARKER:
So now we're seeing the
combined effects of the flame

and the stresses
that are being generated

as the dynamic pyroman
moves their arms and their legs.

(flames roaring)

NARRATOR:
With mannequin simulations,

they can predict how long
it will take

for a firefighter to
sustain burns.

They also test for seams
breaking open, fabric ruptures,

and the effects of
garment fit and design.

The tough outer shell protects
against flame and abrasions.

The middle layer
is a moisture barrier

that keeps liquids
from penetrating the suit.

The innermost layer
resists any remaining heat

that gets through
the first two layers.

This system
offers high protection--

up to a point.

(light clicks off)

A proper fit and design
also play a protective role.

MCQUERRY:
Trying to create

that optimum
balance between

protection
and comfort

for all
firefighters

is so important.

NARRATOR:
And for women in the field
in particular,

an ill-fitting suit
designed for a man

can put them at higher risk
of injury while on the job.

HILARY DAVIDSON:
The fabric on its own
isn't going to save you.

It can be the most engineered,
up-to-date,

advanced
composite fabric,

but how it's put together,

how it's worked
around the body,

the fit, every kind of
material aspect

of how that fabric is used

that is going to really make it
an effective technology.

NARRATOR:
Today, there are about
90,000 women

in the fire service
in the United States.

80% report that their gear
does not fit properly.

CASSANDRA KWON:
They are doing the exact same

actions, the same motions,
as their male counterparts.

So, you know,
they should have something

that actually works for them.

NARRATOR:
The goal for this research team

is to develop and design a
prototype suit made specifically

for female firefighters.

MCQUERRY:
A large majority of

firefighting PPE
on the market today

is made with
a male body in mind,

and it's patterned
in that way.

There is sizing for women,

but that sizing is
not always achieved by

initially starting from

a female pattern.

NARRATOR:
Women also vary more in shape
than men do.

Males are a little bit more
up and down,

while females have curves

because of the hips
and the bust areas.

I've always had an issue
with the fit of my jacket

needing more space up
in the chest area.

NARRATOR:
In order to accommodate,

women will often be
given larger jackets.

DONAHUE:
Whenever you go up in
sizing for jacket,

it makes down here
larger as well.

So, you know, you've got the
good mobility and fit up here,

but then sometimes

down here, you're going to
have some extra fabric.

MCQUERRY:
So a really tailored fit
is important.

It's critical
for their mobility,

for their vision.

It's also critical
in terms of heat stress.

NARRATOR:
An oversized garment
creates thicker air gaps,

increasing insulation
and potential protection

from outside heat,
but larger air gaps

also restrict
the firefighter's ability

to lose body heat to
the outside environment,

trapping heat inside the suit.

KWON:
We've had female firefighters

say that the collars on
their jacket are really tall.

The length of it rising up
from the collar bone

and how much it
takes up your neck.

KWON:
If you're a smaller stature
female firefighter,

that can be problematic,

because when you're wearing
your SCBA mask, your helmet,

you really start
limiting mobility.

And if even...
(helmet knocking)

...the air pack itself,

my helmet really hits it.

So it's hard to look up,

so you can see
what's going on above you.

Imagine you're in a fire,

you have everything sort of
caught here at your neck.

You're putting yourself
at higher risk for injury

because of your
minimized range of motion.

NARRATOR:
Protecting the body
from the elements

is a pursuit as old as we are.

♪ ♪

(sewing machine whirring)

DAVIDSON:
The history of clothing
is also a history of

the relationship between people
and their environments.

Although humans started off
taking the skins

of other animals and
putting them on their skin,

once they discovered

how you can use plant fibers
to make, first of all,

string and thread,
and then weave that together

and make fabric.

Fabrics have always kind of

started and then inspired

new types of innovations
and technologies.

NARRATOR:
Like the invention of
the eyed needle.

The first ones
were made of bone.

And once you have
this concept of

bringing two things together,

a whole lot of engineering
possibilities open up to you.

♪ ♪

It gives us seams.

It gives us tight seams,

which means you
can start to think about

having things waterproof
or windproof.

NARRATOR:
Or even fire-resistant.

Earlier firefighter suits
were made of wool,

chosen for its
natural flame resistance.

Today's suit offers much
better protection from fire,

but it's not as breathable,

meaning body heat can
get trapped more easily

than it did with wool.

Firefighting is
physically demanding work.

KWON:
You're working hard,

you're entering
a hot environment.

You know, you create
all these microclimates

inside your suit.

BARKER:
Working at high levels
of exertion,

if their body traps
too much heat,

they may be
subject to heat stroke

or even worse,
cardiac events.

NARRATOR:
One of the ways our bodies
try to cool down

is by sweating.

But that only works

if the sweat can evaporate.

A suit's ability to
release heat

is measured with this
female mannequin named Liz.

♪ ♪

She sweats through
nearly 100 pores

designed to mimic
human perspiration.

When clothed
in firefighter gear

and made to move
in a hot environment,

sensors can detect
where the hot spots are.

Where the clothing is
not allowing evaporation

to occur or the
heat to be released--

shown here in red.

And where heat is escaping
more efficiently,

cooling the body,
shown in blue.

For Liz, her torso,
chest, and hips

are retaining the most heat.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
To make protective garments

specifically
for the female form,

the research team will need
a whole new set of measurements

to make new patterns.

One.
One, two...

KWON:
We're in the process of

collecting anthropometric data

on hopefully as many female
firefighters as we can.

NARRATOR:
Anthropometric data

is information about the
body's shape and proportions.

You're gonna do a front shot,

then it's going to ask you
to turn to the side...

NARRATOR:
The team is using three methods

to collect the measurements.

SCANNER:
Please move feet

slightly further apart.

NARRATOR:
First, a remote scanning
application.

SCANNER:
Well done.

Your body scan is complete.

NARRATOR:
Second, a 3D scanner.

Finally,

hand measurements for
verification.

RESEARCHER:
33.2.

NARRATOR:
They will turn the patterns

into fire suit mockups.

KWON:
Then, the next goal

of our research
is to develop those

into wearable prototypes,
which we then plan to pilot.

ADAM STELTZNER:
Fabrics are

one of the many things

that are taken for granted
in our modern life.

That this piece of fabric
was engineered.

We think of it as a shirt.

Your t-shirt is engineered.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
One major leap was

the transition from natural
fibers like silk and cotton

to synthetics.

(sewing machine whirring)

Before World War II,

most parachutes
were made of silk.

DAVIDSON:
Silk is very light,

but it's very strong.

That's why it was used
for parachutes.

NARRATOR:
But in 1935,

a new textile
was invented at DuPont,

a chemical company.

So they developed this
new material

called a polyamide,

which we now know as nylon.

(clicking)

NARRATOR:
Nylon, with other synthetics,

eventually made it possible
for us to walk on the moon.

And all along the way,

women were helping us
to reach greater

and greater heights.

So, Sophia can come out now.

Think maybe some holes in...

MCQUERRY:
Having a group of women

that really understand
the female body

is so important in
the work that we're doing.

We all come at the problem

with different perspectives,

different backgrounds,
different areas of expertise.

KWON:
The other thing that
really keeps us in it,

is the enthusiasm of
all the female firefighters.

Wow.
Yeah...

KWON (voiceover):
Because once they get it,

they're like
"Oh yes," you know,

"Now I can actually
speak up.

I can be heard
and I can be acknowledged."

This scan looks like
it came through really well.

(voiceover):
It's an iterative process.

We are constantly going to
have to make changes.

As we continue
getting that out to

the firefighting community,

and, you know,
and as long as there's

some level of acceptance,

I mean, we'll slowly be--
I think--

moving in
the right direction

of sort of implementing,

you know,
change for the better.

♪ ♪

(zipper sliding)

NARRATOR:
Woven fabrics can be

engineered to protect
here on earth.

But what about in one of
the most challenging

environments of all?

The harsh vacuum of
outer space.

When crews first occupied

the International
Space Station in 2000,

it marked the beginning
of over 20 years

of continual human residence

in space.

But NASA plans to retire

and de-orbit the station
in the 2030s.

The hope is that
it will be replaced,

and then some.

MALIK THOMPSON:
We're going back to
space to stay.

We've proven that we can
live in space for long periods

in the International
Space Station,

and now we're pushing
the envelope again.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
A variety of companies

are eager to join this
new phase of space habitation,

which holds promise

for scientific breakthroughs.

LICAVOLI:
It's really Sierra Space's
mission to

fill that gap, fill that void,

have an opportunity to

have a platform in space.

NARRATOR:
NASA contracted Sierra Space

to develop a new generation

of inflatable habitats
designed and built

to allow humans to
live and work in space,

as well as on the moon,
and eventually on Mars.

♪ ♪

The habitat is called LIFE,

for Large Integrated
Flexible Environment.

Today's engineering challenge

is to destroy it.

BUCKLEY:
We're at Marshall
Space Flight Center.

For today's event,

we're doing what's called
an ultimate burst test.

We're going to
take this article,

and we're going to
pressurize it until it fails.

Huge explosion,

equal to 150 sticks of
dynamite.

It's going to be epic.

HARRIS II:
They are in the exciting process

of watching their program

intentionally fail.
(chuckles)

They're in that
learning mode

where, you know, they
go out and say,

"we're going to blow
this thing up."

NARRATOR:
One unique feature
of the LIFE habitat

is that it can be compressed

to fit into a single rocket's
payload housing.

♪ ♪

And then inflated by
a factor of six

when deployed in space.

We have these goals of going to
the moon, or going to Mars.

A lot of focus is being there.

Not everyone's thinking about
actually living there.

And so this is where we start
to fill in those gaps.

BUCKLEY:
A LIFE article is
300 cubic meters.

We can put three floors
inside this,

have up to six people
live inside this

for months on months.

NARRATOR:
At the core of the LIFE
habitat's technology

are what are known
as soft goods:

flexible, immensely
strong materials

that can be
tightly packed down

and then inflated.

(air hissing)

The LIFE habitat is made up of
four different layers,

each with its own purpose,
such as holding in air,

providing insulation,

and repelling
dangerous micrometeorites,

which can travel at tens of
thousands of miles per hour

and are common in outer space.

But the most critical layer
of the LIFE habitat

is the restraint layer,
or primary structural shell,

which the company is
testing here.

The restraint layer

is composed of
hand-sewn pieces of fabric

made of high-strength
synthetic space-age material

called Vectran.

BUCKLEY:
Vectran is a
chemically spun material

made to be harder than steel.

So it comes in a thread,

and then that thread
is woven into a strap.

You could hang
seven cars on this strap,

and that strap
would never break.

NARRATOR:
Like so many modern
technologies, at its core,

the habitat and
its Vectran webbing

depend on age-old knowledge.

In this case,
on the art and science

of making baskets
out of plant fibers.

BUCKLEY:
When you're designing
structural systems,

you don't start from scratch,

and basket weaving
has been around

for thousands of years,

but we've applied it

so you can use it in space.

NARRATOR:
Today's test is crucial

for assessing how
the LIFE habitat manages

the air pressure
introduced in space.

At sea level on earth,

the average air pressure

is around 15 psi--
pounds per square inch.

That's the normal pressure
that will fill the habitat.

However, the structure
has to withstand

significantly
higher pressures

to prevent any risk of
a disastrous explosion.

That's where
today's test comes in.

Humans are very...

squishy,

and they don't play well

outside of their own
environment, being Earth.

So when a new habitat
is developed,

a lot of intentionality
goes into it,

so that the human body

is not exposed to things
like radiation,

extreme temperatures,

lack of oxygen,
and anything that could be

flying around
out there in space.

BUCKLEY:
The LIFE habitat

is following
the NASA guidelines

for operating
pressure safety,

which is a times four
safety factor.

So we have a 15.2-psi
operating pressure.

We times that by four,
it gives us a 60.8.

NARRATOR:
To reach the desired
pressure of 60.8 psi,

the habitat will be
connected to air pumps

regulated by valves
controlling the flow of air.

The team will monitor
the habitat's inflation

from a control room
more than a quarter mile away.

BUCKLEY:
We have sensors on the top
and the bottom of the article,

which are going to give us
what we call strain data.

All those thousands
and thousands of data points,

our analysts are going
to take and take a look at it,

so we can validate on Earth

how our modules operate,

along with
validating it in space.

NARRATOR:
Today's test will be
the first ever

of such a large
inflatable structure.

Come on!
(man replies indistinctly)

NARRATOR:
But the team has already done

several smaller burst tests.

BUCKLEY:
You want to build articles fast,

test, get that data.

(exploding)

Prior to this,

we did four articles,

which gave us that data
to catapult us

and give us the
confidence to go on to

our first
full-scale burst.

(blasting off)

NARRATOR:
Central to the habitat concept

by NASA and Sierra Space
is the vision

that multiple structures

can be sent
into space gradually

and linked together,

like buildings
along a city block.

Modularity is
key to this concept.

If you have a modular design

that you can configure
any way you need to.

BUCKLEY:
You're going to have
a medical facility,

you're going to have exercise,
you're going to have

a place for people to live,
to enjoy themselves in space.

NARRATOR:
As the team prepares for
the evening's burst test,

Beth Licavoli
makes her final checks

on the LIFE habitat's
vast array of wires and sensors.

We're pretty much looking
ready for burst.

NARRATOR:
Safely watching from
the control room,

the team monitors the test
in front of a dozen screens

that will capture the burst.

BUCKLEY:
So right now,
we're inside the test room

and we're taking a look at

what is happening
on the screens

and we're preparing
everything for the test.

(rumbling)

Main site's been closed down,

everything is good to go.

NARRATOR:
The habitat sits out
under the lights

at one psi,
but that soon changes.

JONAH BURGIN:
We are pressurizing to

15 psi, for a
five-minute hold.

LICAVOLI:
Oh, you can hear it.

Yeah? Go time.

Fill rate?

LICAVOLI:
Uh, 3.06 psi per minute.
I'd expect...

BURGIN:
35 psi, 35 psi.

All right.
All on the way to burst.

BUCKLEY:
Here we go, let's do this.
LICAVOLI: All right.

NARRATOR:
But about half an hour
into the test,

something is going wrong.

The flow of air
has started to slow.

LICAVOLI:
We're slowing down.

NARRATOR:
But the team still hopes
they can meet their goal.

BUCKLEY:
Gotta hit 61.

BURGIN:
Then call at 61? Okay.

BUCKLEY:
61.

This is where it
gets dicey.

BUCKLEY:
Hear a little movement.

LICAVOLI:
Come on, any second now.

61 psi, 61 psi.

(cheers and applause)
Well done!

(clapping)
Fantastic.

LICAVOLI:
Let's keep going, though.

BUCKLEY:
That is amazing.

NARRATOR:
They've reached NASA's
target psi,

but the habitat is not filling
as fast as expected.

BUCKLEY:
Are we fighting it now?

BURGIN:
Yeah, yep.

LICAVOLI:
Oh my gosh, yeah.

NARRATOR:
One potential explanation--

a leak.

That could be
disastrous in space.

BUCKLEY:
Are we still dropping?

LICAVOLI:
Yeah.

NARRATOR:
About an hour into the test,

they decide to end it--

short of their ultimate goal.

BURGIN:
R.O.V. 311 closed.

(team members confirm)

TEAM MEMBER (over comms):
R.O.V. 311 closed.

BUCKLEY:
Close it, let it leak down.

NARRATOR:
the lack of an explosion

is a major disappointment.

Testing to failure
is crucial to

understanding the habitat's
ability to withstand pressure.

After the habitat

is depressurized and safe,

the team gathers to determine
the source of the leak.

TEAM MEMBER:
All those straps want to be

aligned with the
bottom of the plate.

So there is nothing
pushing on that bladder

or doing anything like--
I would, I would highly doubt

there's a leak right there.
Okay.

BUCKLEY:
There's an air of excitement,

and then there's air of like,
"Aw, I wanted a big burst!"

Yeah, it's...
You know, you want to
take it to that failure.

LICAVOLI:
This valve seems like
our culprit.

We over-pressurized it.

NARRATOR:
As air pressure built up
in the valve,

it overcame the force of
the spring holding it closed,

allowing air to escape.

BUCKLEY:
When we found out that
it was the valve,

a little bit of
a sense of relief,

you know, knowing that
the design of the structure

was very viable.

NARRATOR:
They decide to shut
the problem valve off.

Fortunately,
the remaining working valve

is still able to inflate
the habitat.

The following night,

the group is back in
the control room.

BURGIN:
25 psi,

25 psi.

BUCKLEY:
Got our fill rate?

2922.
2922.

PSI per minute.

Ramp to burst.

TEAM MEMBER:
Just keep going.

BURGIN:
55 psi.

Went better than last time.

BURGIN:
55 psi.

63 psi, 63 psi.

(room clapping)

NARRATOR:
They have reached
the same pressure

as the failed test
the night before.

Keep going.
Going to burst.

NARRATOR:
And it keeps rising.

BURGIN: 70 psi.
TEAM MEMBER: 70 psi...

BURGIN: 75 psi.

76 psi.

This is insane.

I think I heard a little pop.
This is insane.

(loud burst)

Oh!
(cheers and applause)

(booming)

(shaking)

(booming,
cheering continues)

All right, high-fives,
high-fives.

BUCKLEY:
Well done, guys.

LICAVOLI:
This is the first one

that we could really feel
the ground shake

in this control room,
which is incredible.

To see it, to really be here.

It's kind of surreal.

NARRATOR:
And now they know
the habitat's limit--

77 psi.

BUCKLEY (voiceover):
It was just an amazing moment.

It's one of those things
you don't forget in your career,

and you always talk about it.

(explosion roaring)

NARRATOR:
We're constantly on the move.

Expanding our reach
upward, outward,

and toward new horizons.

MABRY:
Engineering is a process.
You take the baton

and continue to engineer
our world

and to build things
further,

bigger, better,
more efficient

and more valuable.

The whole human experience,
you could say, is

an experiment
in engineering

of a society
that's better,

and that's why

what has been done in the past.

NARRATOR:
Throughout history,

we've never been
content to stay put.

HARRIS II:
Engineering is not a
modern-day thing.

Engineering is
something that

expanded way into
our past.

And I think it comes from
curiosity,

It comes from the need
for survival.

One, two, three.

NARRATOR:
As we continue building
on what has come before,

who knows what
we'll innovate next.

ZILEVU:
When we look at our lives,

and we look at
technology

100 years ago versus now,
we couldn't

imagine some of the things
that we see today.

(booming)

NARRATOR:
"Building Stuff,"

to reach beyond.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪