Narrator: PARACHUTES GIVE THE ULTIMATE ADRENALINE RUSH.
Man: YOU FEEL LIKE A BIRD.
WE KNOW WHY BIRDS SING.
IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE HAVING SO MUCH FUN UP THERE.
Narrator: BUT BESIDE THE THRILLS,
THOUSANDS OWE THEIR LIVES TO THE PARACHUTE.
Man: HE CUT MY TAIL OFF,
AND I WAS HEADED STRAIGHT DOWN AT 600 MILES AN HOUR.
Narrator: PERFECTING THE PARACHUTE
HAS BEEN A RISKY ENDEAVOR FOR THE PIONEERS.
Man: I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS SIX OR SEVEN TIMES
BY OPENING SHOCKS.
Narrator: PARACHUTES HAVE CONQUERED EARTH.
THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS PARACHUTING ASTRONAUTS
TO ALIEN PLANETS.
Man: WE ARE STANDING BY FOR PARACHUTE DEPLOY.
Narrator: THIS IS THE UNTOLD STORY OF PARACHUTES,
FROM THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGN THEM,
TEST THEM,
AND WHO OWE THEIR LIVES TO THEM.
THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
JANUARY 2015.
LUE MORTON IS PILOTING A BRAND-NEW PRIVATE PLANE
2,000 MILES FROM CALIFORNIA TO HAWAII.
TO FLY THIS FAR, HE NEEDS EXTRA FUEL.
Lue Morton: THE AIRCRAFT’S NORMAL RANGE
IS ABOUT A THOUSAND NAUTICAL MILES.
AND SO THE TWO EXTRA FUEL TANKS ADD THE EXTRA RANGE.
Narrator: BUT JUST OVER HALFWAY THERE,
MORTON NOTICES THAT ONE OF THE RESERVE TANKS IS BLOCKED.
HE’LL RUN OUT OF FUEL 150 MILES FROM LAND.
Morton: IT SETTLED IN PRETTY QUICKLY.
I’VE JUST GOT TO FOCUS
ON PREPARING FOR DITCHING THE AIRCRAFT.
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
NOVEMBER 7 YANKEE TANGO.
Narrator: A PASSING JETLINER CAPTAIN TRIES TO HELP.
AND THE U.S. COAST GUARD
GUIDES HIM TO THE ONLY SHIP WITHIN RANGE.
MORTON IS GOING TO TRY AND FIND IT
BEFORE HIS FUEL RUNS OUT.
Morton: SO I CALCULATED OUT,
OK, HERE’S THE COORDINATES, HERE’S THE DIRECTION IT’S GOING,
HERE’S HOW FAST IT’S GOING.
I HOPE I CAN FIND THIS BOAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.
Narrator: MORTON REACHES THE SHIP
JUST AS HIS TANK RUNS DRY.
[BEEPING]
A COAST GUARD PLANE FILMS THE UNFOLDING DRAMA.
BUT HE’S NOT PLANNING ON DITCHING IN THE OCEAN...
BECAUSE HIS ENTIRE PLANE HAS AN EMERGENCY PARACHUTE.
Morton: IT JUST FEELS LIKE
SOMEBODY GRABBED THE TAIL OF YOUR PLANE
AND JUST YANKED YOU BACK.
Narrator: AMAZINGLY,
MORTON GRABS HIS CAMERA AND HITS RECORD.
Morton: YOU JUST SEE THIS WIDE-OPEN CANOPY
OF A PARACHUTE ABOVE YOU.
Narrator: INCREDIBLY,
A PARACHUTE IS GOING TO LOWER THE ENTIRE 1.5-TON AIRPLANE
ONTO THE WATER.
WITHOUT IT, HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAKE HIS CHANCES
WITH A CRASH LANDING IN HEAVY SEAS.
Morton: YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE OCEAN,
AND IT WAS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
I MEAN, THOSE SWELLS,
I MEAN, IT’S LIKE A THREE-STORY BUILDING COMING AT YOU.
Narrator: THE PARACHUTE ALLOWS MORTON
TO PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY EXIT.
Morton: I’M ALREADY ABLE TO HAVE MY DOOR OPEN
AND READY TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Narrator: HE GETS OUT...
JUST IN TIME.
Morton: PRETTY SHORTLY AFTER THE IMPACT ON THE WATER,
THE RIGHT WING GOT GRABBED BY A SWELL
AND COMPLETELY FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT OVER.
Narrator: THE PLANE PARACHUTE HAS SAVED HIM.
Morton: I WAS KIND OF JUST THINKING ABOUT
HOW LUCKY I WAS
TO HAVE THIS AIRCRAFT WITH THIS PARACHUTE SYSTEM.
Narrator: MODERN PARACHUTES
ARE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY.
THEY ARE A RESULT
OF OVER 500 YEARS OF PARACHUTE DEVELOPMENT.
IT ALL STARTS IN 1485,
WHEN LEONARDO DA VINCI DESIGNS A DEVICE
TO SAVE PEOPLE PLUNGING FROM A TALL BUILDING.
IT’S THE FIRST WORKABLE PARACHUTE DESIGN.
DA VINCI HAS FIGURED OUT
THAT AIR RESISTANCE WILL SLOW THE RATE OF DESCENT.
BUT DA VINCI’S AERIAL LIFE-SAVER REMAINS A SKETCH UNTIL 1783,
WHEN INVENTOR SEBASTIEN LENORMAND
LEAPS INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
WITH THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL PARACHUTE JUMP
FROM AN OBSERVATORY IN FRANCE.
EVENTUALLY PARACHUTES BECOME FAIRGROUND ATTRACTIONS,
WITH CROWDS GATHERING TO WATCH DAREDEVILS
DROP FROM GREAT HEIGHTS.
THESE SHOWS ARE POPULAR
THROUGHOUT THE 19th CENTURY AND INTO THE 20th.
Pat Works: ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD
SET UP, PUT OUT WAYBILLS
THAT SAID, "HEY, COME WATCH THIS GUY DIE,
DEATH-DEFYING...
YADA YADA YADA,
WHOOP WHOOP."
Announcer: 3,000 FEET TO GO.
A LONG DROP.
LET’S HOPE HE MAKES A HAPPY LANDING.
Narrator: BUT FOR PARACHUTES TO REALLY COME OF AGE
TAKES CONFLICT TO BREAK OUT IN EUROPE.
WORLD WAR I.
AERIAL WARFARE ADDS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE BATTLEFIELD.
SUPREMACY OF THE SKIES IS KEY FOR BOTH SIDES,
AND HIGHLY TRAINED PILOTS ARE A SCARCE RESOURCE.
YET THEY’RE DYING IN THEIR THOUSANDS.
Works: LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A PILOT WAS 60 FLIGHT HOURS.
ABOUT THREE WEEKS.
Narrator: BY SAVING PILOTS’ LIVES,
COMMANDERS COULD GAIN AN EDGE OVER THE ENEMY.
AS THE WAR GOES ON,
IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS THAT PILOTS NEED PARACHUTES
TO SAVE THEM FROM STRICKEN AIRCRAFT.
BUT THERE’S A PROBLEM.
NO ONE HAS YET SOLVED
HOW TO SAFELY ESCAPE FROM A DOOMED PLANE.
OCTOBER 1918.
THE YEAR AFTER AMERICA JOINS THE WAR,
THE U.S. AIR SERVICE ASSEMBLES A CRACK TEAM
TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE.
Andrew Kididis: THIS EFFORT WAS PROBABLY
THE FIRST REAL TECHNICAL LOOK
AT DEVELOPING A PARACHUTE FOR A SPECIFIC APPLICATION:
TO SAFELY BAIL OUT OF AN AIRPLANE.
Narrator: THEY’RE LED BY JAMES FLOYD SMITH,
AN ENGINEER WITH AN UNCONVENTIONAL PAST.
Kididis: JAMES FLOYD SMITH HAD AN INTERESTING BACKGROUND.
HE HAD BEEN A CIRCUS PERFORMER, AN AERIALIST.
HE HAD ALSO BUILT HIS OWN AIRPLANE
AND TAUGHT HIMSELF TO FLY.
Narrator: SMITH ANALYZES PARACHUTES
THAT HAVE BEEN SAVING LIVES IN THE WAR SINCE 1916.
TETHERED ABOVE THE FRONT LINE,
BALLOON OBSERVERS CAN SPOT ENEMY POSITIONS,
BUT THEY’RE VULNERABLE TO ATTACK,
SO THE OBSERVERS ARE GIVEN PARACHUTES.
Kididis: THE BALLOON PILOT COULD BAIL OUT,
JUMP OUT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BASKET.
Narrator: THE OBSERVER’S HARNESS
IS ATTACHED TO A PARACHUTE HANGING FROM THE BALLOON,
SO AS THEY FALL,
THE CHUTE OPENS AUTOMATICALLY.
THE DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM
IS CALLED A STATIC LINE.
AND IT’S VERY EFFECTIVE.
SO MUCH SO, THAT IN MARCH 1918,
GERMANY STARTS GIVING SIMILAR PARACHUTES
TO THEIR FIGHTER PILOTS.
Bill Booth: THE AMERICANS STARTED NOTICING
THAT THEY WERE FIGHTING THE SAME GERMAN
THEY’D SHOT DOWN THE DAY BEFORE
THE NEXT DAY.
Narrator: LIKE THE BALLOON OBSERVERS,
THE PILOTS’ PARACHUTES ARE ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT
AND OPEN AUTOMATICALLY AS THE PILOT JUMPS.
[GUNFIRE]
Works: WHEN THEY GOT LIT UP BY THE ALLIED FORCES,
THEY COULD HOP OVER THE SIDE INSTEAD OF GETTING BARBECUED.
Narrator: BUT ALTHOUGH THE CHUTE WORKS FOR SOME PILOTS,
MANY PERISH...
AS THERE’S A DEADLY GLITCH
IN THE STATIC-LINE DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM.
THEY WORK WELL FROM A STABLE BALLOON,
BUT WHEN A PILOT HAS TO JUMP FROM A PLANE
THAT’S OUT OF CONTROL,
THEIR CHUTE CAN GET TRAPPED.
Booth: IF THE AIRPLANE’S SPINNING
AND YOU’RE TIED TO IT AND JUMP OUT,
YEAH, THE PARACHUTE’S GOING TO ENTANGLE WITH THE AIRPLANE,
YOU’RE STILL GOING TO DIE.
Narrator: FOR EVERY TWO GERMAN PILOTS SAVED,
ONE IS LOST.
FOR THE ALLIES,
THE PARACHUTE TEAM KNOW THAT SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE
IS NOT AN OPTION.
BUT JAMES FLOYD SMITH’S EXPERIENCE AS A CIRCUS PERFORMER
HAS GIVEN HIM A RADICAL IDEA.
[SPLASH]
HE MEETS UP WITH AN UNLIKELY CHARACTER:
HOLLYWOOD STUNTMAN LESLIE IRVIN,
WHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE SMITH NEEDS TO PROVE HIS POINT.
Kididis: LESLIE IRVIN HAD BEEN A WELL-KNOWN STUNT-JUMPER
INVOLVED IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES.
HE WAS KNOWN AS SKY-HIGH IRVIN.
Narrator: SMITH THINKS HE’S FOUND A WAY
TO AVOID PARACHUTES
GETTING TANGLED UP WITH A SPINNING PLANE:
BY JUMPING FREE OF THE AIRCRAFT
BEFORE RELEASING THE PARACHUTE BY HAND.
HE PERSUADES IRVIN TO HELP.
SMITH’S RADICAL IDEA
REQUIRES BEING IN FREE-FALL FOR A FEW SECONDS.
BUT AT THE TIME, MOST PEOPLE ARE SCARED THAT FREE-FALL IS DEADLY.
Booth: SCIENTISTS TOLD PEOPLE
THAT IF YOU FELL OUT OF AN AIRPLANE,
YOU WOULD DIE OR AT LEAST LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS
AND YOU COULDN’T BREATHE.
Narrator: IRVIN AND SMITH DISAGREE.
THEY KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT FREE-FALL IS SAFE.
Kididis: LESLIE IRVIN HAD BEEN AROUND ENOUGH HOLLYWOOD STUNTS
THAT HE SAW PLENTY OF PEOPLE FALLING THROUGH THE AIR,
AS WELL AS HIS OWN EXPERIENCES,
TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT INCAPACITATED
WHEN THEY FELL THROUGH THE AIR.
Narrator: SO SMITH DESIGNS A MANUALLY OPERATED PARACHUTE.
AFTER GETTING AWAY FROM A DAMAGED PLANE,
THE AIRMAN PULLS A RIPCORD.
THAT LAUNCHES A SMALL PILOT PARACHUTE OUT THE BACK,
WHICH CATCHES THE AIR
AND PULLS OUT THE MAIN CHUTE.
IT’S A REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN.
[CHEERING]
BY THE TIME IT’S READY, THE WAR IS OVER.
BUT PILOTS WILL STILL BE CRUCIAL IN ANY FUTURE WAR,
SO THEY CARRY ON,
AS DETERMINED AS EVER TO TEST THEIR NEW PARACHUTE FOR PLANES.
STUNTMAN IRVIN AGREES TO PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE.
ON APRIL 28, 1919,
JAMES FLOYD SMITH FLIES LESLIE IRVIN TO 1,500 FEET.
IRVIN TAKES A DEEP BREATH...
AND JUMPS.
Kididis: AND THE PARACHUTE OPENED JUST AS PLANNED.
EVERYTHING WENT FINE UNTIL LESLIE HIT THE GROUND,
AND HE HAD A BAD LANDING AND HE BROKE HIS ANKLE.
Narrator: DESPITE THE BROKEN ANKLE,
IRVIN, SMITH, AND THE TEAM
HAVE PROVED THAT BEING IN FREE-FALL IS SAFE,
AND THAT UNLIKE A STATIC-LINE PARACHUTE,
THEIR NEW DESIGN WOULD ALLOW PILOTS
TO JUMP CLEAR OF A DAMAGED PLANE.
THEY CALL IT THE "MODEL A" PARACHUTE,
AND IT’S INSTANTLY IN DEMAND.
Works: RIGHT AFTER IRVIN GOT HIS ORDER FOR 250
FROM THE AMERICANS,
THE BRITS GAVE HIM ONE FOR OVER 2,500,
AND ULTIMATELY ALL OF THE WORLD BOUGHT THAT PARACHUTE
BECAUSE OF ITS TEST RECORD,
AND IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,
IRVIN SOLD 100,000 PARACHUTES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
Narrator: THE RIPCORD AND PILOT CHUTE OF THE MODEL A
ARE SO SUCCESSFUL,
THEY’VE BARELY CHANGED IN ALMOST A CENTURY.
EVEN TODAY, EMERGENCY CHUTES HAVE A SIMILAR DESIGN...
APART FROM ONE KEY COMPONENT:
THE MATERIAL THEY’RE MADE FROM.
AND THAT CHANGE COMES DURING WORLD WAR II.
PLANES HAVE ADVANCED RADICALLY,
AND AERIAL COMBAT IS NOW CRITICAL
TO THE ALLIED WAR EFFORT.
[GUNFIRE]
BUT WHILE AIRPLANE SPEEDS HAVE INCREASED
FROM JUST 170 MILES PER HOUR TO OVER 450,
PARACHUTES HAVE HARDLY CHANGED.
THEY MAY NO LONGER BE A MATCH
FOR THE NEW BREED OF FASTER PLANE.
Booth: AS THE AERIAL VEHICLES GOT MORE PERFORMANCE,
WE NEEDED PARACHUTES WITH MORE PERFORMANCE.
YOU’VE GOT TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT YOU’RE WORKING WITH.
Narrator: U.S. FIGHTER PILOT BOB WITHEE’S LIFE
WILL HANG IN THE BALANCE
AFTER HE OPENS HIS CHUTE AT HIGH SPEED.
HE’S FLYING A P-51 MUSTANG IN TAIWAN--
THEN KNOWN AS FORMOSA--
AND WEARING A RIPCORD-ACTIVATED SILK PARACHUTE.
HIS MISSION IS TO PROTECT FOUR OTHER FIGHTERS
ATTACKING TARGETS ALONG THE COAST.
Robert Withee: WE WERE HITTING EVERYTHING THAT MOVED.
WHETHER TROOPS ON THE GROUND,
PLANES IN AN AIRPORT,
OR SHIPS AT SEA.
Narrator: HE’S CRUISING AT 350 MILES PER HOUR
AND AN ALTITUDE OF 5,000 FEET.
WITHOUT WARNING, HIS WINGMAN TURNS ABRUPTLY TOWARD HIM.
THEY COLLIDE,
CUTTING OFF THE TAIL OF WITHEE’S PLANE,
PUTTING IT INTO A TERMINAL DIVE.
Withee: I WAS SPINNING DOWN AT A GREAT RATE,
SO WHEN I RELEASED MY SAFETY BELT,
JUST THE AIR CURRENT PULLED ME OUT.
THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I WAS IN THE AIR.
Narrator: DUE TO HIS PLANE’S SPEED,
WITHEE IS FALLING THROUGH THE AIR AT 350 MILES PER HOUR,
MUCH FASTER THAN NORMAL TERMINAL VELOCITY.
AND HE KNOWS HE ONLY HAS SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT.
Withee: I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCE OF HITTING THE WATER,
SO I OPENED MY CHUTE.
Narrator: BUT THE HIGH SPEED IS TEARING THE SILK CHUTE APART.
Withee: IT RIPPED OUT TO THE POINT
WHERE I COULD LOOK THROUGH AND SEE MY WINGMAN ABOVE ME.
SO YOU’RE THINKING OF ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
WAS IT GONNA RIP OUT MORE?
Narrator: AS WITHEE PLUNGES TO EARTH,
HE DOESN’T KNOW IF HIS CHUTE WILL HOLD.
Withee: I JUST PREPARED MYSELF TO HIT THE WATER
AT A PRETTY GOOD SPEED.
Narrator: DESPITE THE RIP,
THE PARACHUTE SLOWED HIM DOWN ENOUGH.
NEITHER HE, NOR HIS CHILDREN,
GRANDCHILDREN, OR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
WOULD BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT IT.
Withee: HE’S MY BUDDY.
THIS IS JUST A PART OF THE PARACHUTE.
Narrator: WITHEE STILL HAS A SECTION OF THE CHUTE
AND THE RIPCORD THAT SAVED HIM.
Withee: RIGHT HERE.
SO WHEN YOU WANT TO OPEN THE CHUTE, YOU PULL THIS.
Narrator: BUT HIS CLOSE SHAVE
REVEALS THAT SILK PARACHUTES CAN BE UNRELIABLE
WHEN DEPLOYED AT HIGH SPEED.
Kididis: SILK PARACHUTES HAD DISADVANTAGES.
THEY WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO, UH, MOLD, MILDEW.
Works: IF SILK IS FOLDED IN THE SAME PLACE SEVERAL TIMES,
IT’S LIKE PAPER.
IF YOU FOLD IT ENOUGH, IT’S GOING TO BREAK.
Narrator: THE AIR FORCE
MUST FIND A STURDIER MATERIAL THAN SILK,
AND THERE’S AN ADDED URGENCY TO THEIR SEARCH.
Booth: ALL THE WORLD’S SILK
PRETTY MUCH CAME FROM JAPAN AND CHINA,
AND JAPAN CUT OFF THE SUPPLY OF SILK TO US.
Narrator: ONE NEW FABRIC STANDS OUT.
AND IT COMES FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE.
LADIES’ STOCKINGS.
TRADITIONALLY MADE FROM SILK,
BY WORLD WAR II,
THEY’VE SWITCHED TO A MORE DURABLE ALTERNATIVE
CALLED NYLON.
IT’S A SYNTHETIC MATERIAL
CREATED BY CHEMIST WALLACE CAROTHERS OF DUPONT.
ITS MOLECULAR STRUCTURE MAKES IT EXTREMELY ROBUST.
THE NYLON FIBERS ARE MADE UP OF SUPER-LONG MOLECULAR CHAINS.
THE OVERLAPPING MOLECULES
GIVE THE MATERIAL EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTH.
Works: SILK IS DAMN GOOD,
AND THE ONLY THING THAT’S BETTER IS NYLON.
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE IT.
Narrator: TESTS REVEAL THAT NYLON
IS EVEN STRONGER THAN SILK,
AND IT HAS OTHER BENEFITS, TOO.
Booth: IT PACKS UP SMALLER, AND IT’S STRONGER THAN SILK,
AND IT COSTS A WHOLE LOT LESS.
Narrator: BY 1942,
DUPONT HAS TURNED ITS ENTIRE NYLON PRODUCTION OVER
FROM STOCKINGS TO CHUTES
AND OTHER MILITARY SUPPLIES.
AS A RESULT,
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORLD WAR II PILOTS’ LIVES
ARE SAVED.
EVEN TODAY, NYLON IS ESSENTIAL FOR PARACHUTES,
AND NOT JUST CANOPIES, BUT ALSO STRAPS AND HARNESSES.
BILL BOOTH’S COMPANY HAS MADE OVER 60,000 PARACHUTE SYSTEMS.
THEY REGULARLY TEST THE MATERIALS
THAT SKYDIVERS’ LIVES DEPEND ON...
Booth: NOW, IT’S JUST BEGINNING TO LOAD UP.
Narrator: ...LIKE THE NYLON WEBBING USED IN HARNESSES.
Booth: THE MACHINE IS GOING TO SLOWLY PUT FORCE
ON THIS WEBBING.
Narrator: ONE PIECE OF WEBBING
CAN HOLD THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF WEIGHT.
Booth: EVERYBODY STAND BACK A LITTLE BIT.
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN GETTING ON THIS NOW?
Man: OVER SIX.
Booth: OVER SIX. 6,500. HERE IT GOES.
[SNAP]
[MACHINERY WHIRRING]
THE MACHINE HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN THE NYLON MOLECULES
AND PULLED THEM APART TILL THEY BROKE.
THIS LITTLE, THIN PIECE OF NYLON TOOK--WHAT WAS THE NUMBER?
Man: 6,789.
Booth: 6,789 POUNDS TO BREAK.
IT’S A COOL SUBSTANCE.
NYLON IS THE KING.
WE MAKE OUR PACKS, OUR HARNESSES,
AND OUR PARACHUTE CANOPIES OUT OF NYLON.
SO THAT HASN’T CHANGED SINCE WORLD WAR II.
Narrator: IN 1942,
AMERICAN FACTORIES ARE PRODUCING MILLIONS OF NYLON PARACHUTES
FOR THE WAR EFFORT,
BUT THEY’RE NOT JUST SAFETY DEVICES FOR PILOTS.
THE WAR BRINGS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT USE.
SPECIALIST AIRBORNE UNITS,
WITH THE SKILLS AND NERVE TO PARACHUTE INTO BATTLE.
Kididis: YOU CAN FLY THEM AND DROP THEM WHEREVER YOU WANT,
THE ENEMY DOESN’T KNOW WHEN THEY’RE COMING
AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO SHOW UP.
HAVING AIRBORNE TROOPS REALLY PROVIDED THE CAPABILITY
THAT CHANGED MODERN WARFARE.
Narrator: IN 1944,
13,000 U.S. PARATROOPERS
LEAD THE D-DAY INVASION OF FRANCE
TO DEVASTATING EFFECT.
Works: THE SKIES LITERALLY WERE BLACKENED,
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO INJECT AIRBORNE FORCES
BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES AT STRATEGIC POINTS
WHERE THEY COULD CONTROL CROSSROADS, BRIDGES,
AND HARASS ENEMY FROM THE REAR.
THEY MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
Narrator: PARATROOPERS SOON EARN THE REPUTATION
AS AMONG THE ARMED FORCES’ MOST ELITE SOLDIERS.
THE U.S. ARMY FORMS FIVE AIRBORNE DIVISIONS
THAT PLAY A DECISIVE ROLE IN WINNING THE WAR.
IN THE POST-WAR YEARS,
EX-PARATROOPERS INVENT A WHOLE NEW USE FOR PARACHUTES:
JUMPING FROM A PLANE JUST FOR THE THRILL OF IT.
Booth: AFTER THE WAR,
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD JUMPED OUT OF AIRPLANES
AND KNEW THEY COULD DO IT.
MY FIRST JUMP WAS ON MILITARY
SURPLUS GEAR FROM THE FIFTIES.
Narrator: THE NOVELTY SPREADS,
AND SKYDIVING CLUBS START OPENING AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT THERE’S A HIDDEN DANGER
FOR THIS NEW BREED OF INEXPERIENCED JUMPER.
John Eiff: THE PARACHUTES
WERE NOT VERY MANEUVERABLE AT THE TIME,
AND YOU GOT BLOWN WHERE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO GO.
Booth: THERE WAS A FATALITY I HEARD OF IN THE EARLY FIFTIES.
A GUY WAS KILLED LANDING ON A MOVING TRAIN.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DROWNED
BECAUSE THEY GOT BLOWN OVER BODIES OF WATER.
Narrator: SKYDIVERS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE WIND
AND HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHERE THEY LAND.
THEY NEED A PARACHUTE
THAT CAN GLIDE TOWARD A SAFE LANDING SPOT.
IT WILL TAKE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING
TO ACHIEVE THIS.
IN 1957, A KITE MAKER AND PILOT CALLED DOMINA JALBERT
HAS A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA.
Eiff: HE WAS A KITE DESIGNER.
AND IT WAS INTERESTING HOW HE TOOK THE CONCEPT.
HE WAS FLYING OVER TO THE BAHAMAS ONE DAY,
AND HE JUST KIND OF LOOKED OUT AT THE WING
AND STARTED TO IMAGINE THE FLOW OF THE AIR
GOING ACROSS THE WING.
AND HE WAS THINKING,
BOY, IF I COULD DESIGN A KITE LIKE A WING,
IT WOULD FLY LIKE A WING.
SO THAT’S WHAT HE DID.
Narrator: AS SOON AS HE LANDS,
JALBERT MEASURES THE PLANE’S DIMENSIONS.
HIS PLAN IS TO MAKE A WING OUT OF FABRIC.
GERALD NATHE WAS A RESEARCHER WHO WORKED WITH JALBERT.
HE’S TRACKED DOWN SOME OF THE ORIGINAL KITES.
Gerald Nathe: YOU SEE THIS,
IT SAYS, "JALBERT’S MULTICELLED PARAFOIL, PATENT APPLIED FOR."
BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT I’M HOLDING HERE,
THE RED PART OF THE SIDE HERE
IS THE AIRFOIL OR THE WING,
WHAT LOOKS LIKE A WING ON AN AIRPLANE.
Narrator: AIR ENTERS THE HOLES AT THE FRONT,
INFLATING THE KITE INTO A RIGID SHAPE:
A TECHNIQUE CALLED RAM-AIR.
AS THE FABRIC WING PASSES THROUGH THE AIR,
THE PRESSURE ON TOP IS LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE UNDERNEATH,
PRODUCING LIFT...
JUST LIKE THE WINGS ON A PLANE.
Domina Jalbert: OK, UP STRAIGHT, UP STRAIGHT.
THERE’S A RIGHT TURN.
PULL TO THE RIGHT.
Works: A KITE THAT GLIDES...
THAT’S REVOLUTIONARY.
Jalbert: I RELEASE THE RIGHT AND PULL ON THE LEFT.
SHE GOES TO LEFT TURN.
LEFT-HAND TURN.
STRAIGHT UP.
BRING IT DOWN TO A STALL.
Narrator: AFTER HIS SUCCESS WITH SMALL KITES,
JALBERT AND HIS TEAM MAKE BIGGER AND BIGGER VERSIONS
OF HIS INVENTION.
Nathe: I HAVEN’T SEEN THIS BABY IN 50 YEARS EITHER.
IT’S A MUCH BIGGER ONE
THAN THE SMALL ONE THAT WE JUST USED.
Narrator: THE BIGGER IT GETS,
THE MORE LIFT IT PRODUCES.
Nathe: YOU FEEL IT.
THERE’S A LOT OF PULL ON IT.
YOU CAN FEEL THE LIFT ON THE THING.
A PERSON COULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME
HOLDING THIS IN A STRONG WIND.
Narrator: JALBERT SOON REALIZES THAT HIS NEW FABRIC WING
HAS HUGE POTENTIAL.
IF HE COULD MAKE A PARACHUTE FROM ONE,
IT WOULD GLIDE,
GIVING SKYDIVERS THE CONTROL THEY NEED.
BUT IS IT RELIABLE ENOUGH TO USE AS A PARACHUTE?
Nathe: I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL ABOUT
IF WE EVER HAD SOMEONE PUT ON IT
AND THEY JUMPED OUT OF AN AIRPLANE,
WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD OPEN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME.
Narrator: THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT
IS TO TRY IT.
BILL BOOTH IS ONE OF THE PIONEERS
WHO TESTS THE NEWLY DESIGNED CHUTES.
Booth: I TEST-JUMPED SOME OF THE EARLY JALBERT FOILS.
SOMETIMES IT’S A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH,
AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED WORKING OUT THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
A LOT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE HAVING ENOUGH GUTS
TO JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE WITH AN UNPROVEN PARACHUTE.
Narrator: THE NEW DESIGN WORKS,
AND BOOTH GLIDES THROUGH THE SKY.
Booth: IT WAS SUCH A GOOD FEELING.
MEN HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY LIKE BIRDS,
AND NOW WE REALLY COULD.
WITH A ROUND PARACHUTE,
ALL YOU DID WHEN YOU POINTED IT IS YOU CHANGED YOUR VIEW.
YOU DIDN’T REALLY GO THERE.
BUT WITH A RAM-AIR,
I COULD ACTUALLY FLY WHERE I WANTED TO.
YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE KING OF THE SKY NOW.
♪
Narrator: JALBERT NAMES HIS INVENTION
THE PARAFOIL.
BUT WHEN THE TEST-JUMPERS TRY WAITING A FEW SECONDS
BEFORE PULLING THEIR RIPCORD,
THEY NOTICE A DESIGN FLAW.
Booth: THE RAM-AIR WOULD COME OUT AND GO, "BAM! HI!"
AND YOU’RE AT THE OTHER END GOING BOOM.
SO YOU’RE GOING FROM 120 MILES AN HOUR,
AND HALF A SECOND LATER YOU’RE GOING 10 MILES AN HOUR.
THAT’S PUTTING ON THE BRAKES HARD.
Narrator: WHEN THEY PULL THE RIPCORD,
THE PARACHUTE SLOWS THEM DOWN TOO VIOLENTLY.
JOHN EIFF ALSO MAKES SOME TEST JUMPS.
Eiff: AT NIGHT YOU’D SEE THE BRUISES
WHERE YOUR PARACHUTE HARNESS WAS.
IT’S LIKE BELLY-FLOPPING FROM A HIGH DIVE.
Booth: I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS SIX OR SEVEN TIMES
BY OPENING SHOCKS.
SO WE HAD TO STOP IT FROM GOING BAM.
WE HAD TO FIND WAYS
TO STOP THE AIR FROM GETTING IN SO FAST.
Narrator: JALBERT’S REVOLUTIONARY PARAFOIL
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE SAFEST, MOST RELIABLE PARACHUTE
OF ALL TIME.
BUT FIRST, SOMEONE MUST FIND A WAY
TO EASE THE VIOLENT OPENING.
Eiff: YOU WOULD TRY EVERYTHING.
I MEAN LITERALLY WE’D TIE THINGS IN KNOTS
AND SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK.
Narrator: IT’S NOT UNTIL 1973
THAT AN ENGINEER CALLED GREG JARBENET
COMES UP WITH THE SOLUTION WHILE TESTING A MODEL PARACHUTE.
Booth: AND HE LOOKED AT HIS WEDDING RING
AND SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE.
WHAT IF I TAKE THIS RING AND PUT IT OVER THESE LINES
AND SLIDE IT UP TO THE CANOPY?"
HE WENT, "WOW, THAT CLOSES IT WAY DOWN, IT REEFS IT."
BUT WHEN I LET GO OF THIS RING,
THEN THE PARACHUTE’S ALLOWED TO OPEN.
IT JUST SLOWS DOWN THE OPENING.
AND THAT’S WHAT MADE JUMPING RAM-AIRS
AT TERMINAL VELOCITY POSSIBLE.
SIMPLE LITTLE DEVICE.
Narrator: THE SLIDER IS BORN.
BY KEEPING THE PARACHUTE PARTIALLY CLOSED
FOR A FEW SECONDS,
THE SKYDIVER SLOWS DOWN MORE GENTLY.
MODERN SLIDERS ARE A RECTANGULAR PIECE OF FABRIC
THAT MOVES DOWN THE LINES ABOVE THE SKYDIVER’S HEAD.
JALBERT’S PARAFOIL IS COMPLETE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
PARACHUTES COULD BE FLOWN OVER LARGE DISTANCES
TO A PRECISE LANDING SPOT.
THE PARACHUTE HAS CHANGED FROM A DEVICE TO SIMPLY SLOW YOU DOWN
TO A FABRIC WING
THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FLY WITH INCREDIBLE CONTROL.
Eiff: IT JUST GIVES YOU THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM.
YOU FEEL LIKE A BIRD.
WE KNOW WHY BIRDS SING.
IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE HAVING SO MUCH FUN UP THERE.
Narrator: THRILL-SEEKERS NOW MAKE OVER THREE MILLION JUMPS
WITH RAM-AIR PARACHUTES EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S. ALONE.
FROM FIRST-TIME TANDEMS...
TO EXPERIENCED BASE JUMPERS...
TO COMPETITIVE SWOOPERS.
BUT PARACHUTES ARE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST PEOPLE.
AND THAT STORY GOES BACK
TO THE HANG-GLIDING BOOM IN THE 1970s.
Boris Popov: THE HANG-GLIDING SCENE
IN THE ’70s WAS WILD, CRAZY.
IT WAS GREAT.
IT GOT YOU INTO THE AIR.
SO ALL OF US WERE, YOU KNOW, THRILLED.
IT’S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL ACTIVITY.
Narrator: BUT IT’S ONLY FUN UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG,
BECAUSE PERSONAL PARACHUTES ARE NO USE.
Popov: BEING IN A HANG-GLIDER,
YOU’D HAVE TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE HANG-GLIDER,
SOMEHOW CUT AWAY.
IT TAKES TIME.
IT’S NOT GONNA WORK IN THIS SITUATION.
Narrator: IN 1977,
BORIS POPOV IS FLYING HIS HANG-GLIDER
BEHIND A FRIEND’S BOAT.
Popov: I SAID IF I CROSS MY SKIS, SLOW DOWN,
IF I SPREAD MY SKIS APART, SPEED UP.
SO HE HIT THE THROTTLE ON THIS THING,
AND UP I WENT.
Narrator: HE CLIMBS TO 500 FEET,
BUT THEN COMMUNICATION BREAKS DOWN.
Popov: I’M SCREAMING IN SPEED, WAY TOO FAST.
SO I SIGNAL FOR HIM TO SLOW DOWN,
AND HE GOT THE MESSAGE CROSSED.
HE HIT THE REST OF THE THROTTLE.
THE CROSSBAR BROKE.
PITCHED UP, STOPPED, PITCHED DOWN...
START SPINNING TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY SURE DEATH.
500 FEET, YOU’RE NOT GONNA SURVIVE THAT.
Narrator: AS HE FALLS, HE HAS A MOMENT OF REALIZATION.
Popov: I WAS ANGRY, I WAS SCARED.
A LOT OF EMOTIONS.
BUT THE PRIMARY ONE
WAS HOW STUPID THIS SITUATION IS
WHEN I HAVE ALL THIS TIME, ALL THIS AIR AROUND ME.
SO I’M THINKING, IF YOU SURVIVE THIS,
BY GOD, YOU’RE GONNA DEVELOP SOME KIND OF A PARACHUTE SYSTEM.
Narrator: AS HE SPINS,
POPOV IS PINNED TO THE WRECKAGE AND CANNOT FREE HIMSELF.
BUT HE HAS AN ADVANTAGE.
AS A GYMNAST, HE’S BEEN TRAINED HOW TO FALL.
Popov: I GOT IN THAT TUCK POSITION
AND PREPARED FOR IMPACT.
KNOCKED A COUPLE FILLINGS OUT OF MY TEETH,
BUT BASICALLY SWAM AWAY AND WALKED AWAY.
Narrator: WITH A NEW LEASE ON LIFE,
POPOV KEEPS GOOD THE PROMISE HE MADE
TO DESIGN A NEW PARACHUTE SYSTEM.
ALTHOUGH THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TIME
TO FREE YOURSELF FROM A HANG-GLIDER
AND DEPLOY A PERSONAL PARACHUTE,
POPOV REALIZES A LARGER PARACHUTE
COULD BRING THE WHOLE HANG-GLIDER AND PILOT DOWN
TOGETHER.
Popov: I WANTED TO JUST GET IN THE AIR
AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEPLOY A PARACHUTE IN THE AIR.
Narrator: THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR,
THE HANG-GLIDER PARACHUTE SLOWLY TAKES SHAPE.
BUT POPOV DOESN’T STOP THERE.
HE WANTS TO SCALE IT UP
TO PROTECT AS MANY AVIATORS AS POSSIBLE.
PARACHUTES FOR WHOLE PLANES.
HE KNOWS THAT IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY
AVIATORS ALREADY EXPERIMENTED WITH PARACHUTES ON PLANES,
BUT THE MASSIVE CHUTES TOOK UP TOO MUCH SPACE.
Popov: THEY WEIGHED A LOT,
THEY WERE BIG, THEY WERE CUMBERSOME.
Narrator: TO CONVINCE PILOTS TO INSTALL THEM,
POPOV MUST DESIGN A FAR MORE COMPACT CHUTE
THAT STILL GIVES ENOUGH DRAG.
IT’S A HUGE UNDERTAKING.
AND THE FIRST TESTS ARE A DISASTER.
Popov: WHAT THE HELL?
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
WAS BASICALLY GETTING A LIGHT ENOUGH MATERIAL
TO MAKE THE PARACHUTE SMALL ENOUGH.
Narrator: FOR INSPIRATION,
HE TURNS TO THE WORLD OF SPORTS PARACHUTES.
FOR RAM-AIR CHUTES TO WORK AT THEIR BEST,
FABRIC MANUFACTURERS HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW MATERIAL
CALLED ZERO-POROSITY FABRIC.
ORDINARY PARACHUTE NYLON
ALLOWS SOME AIR TO PASS BETWEEN THE FIBERS,
WHICH REDUCES THE DRAG.
BUT NYLON WITH A SILICONE COATING
PREVENTS THE AIR FROM PASSING THROUGH,
CREATING MORE DRAG.
THAT MEANS A MUCH SMALLER PARACHUTE
CAN DO THE SAME JOB.
Popov: USING ZERO-POROSITY MATERIAL
PROBABLY DECREASES THE SIZE OF A GIVEN PARACHUTE
WITH THE SAME GEOMETRY AND SAME DESIGN,
I WOULD GUESS 30, 40 PERCENT AT LEAST.
SO IT’S SIGNIFICANT.
Narrator: POPOV REFINES HIS NEW ZERO-POROSITY PARACHUTE
UNTIL IT’S CERTIFIED FOR USE IN LIGHT AIRCRAFT.
IN 2015, LUE MORTON BOARDS
A PARACHUTE-EQUIPPED CIRRUS PLANE.
A RED HANDLE ABOVE HIS HEAD TRIGGERS THE EMERGENCY CHUTE.
WHEN HE RUNS OUT OF FUEL ABOVE ROUGH SEAS,
HE REACHES FOR IT.
Morton: YOU FEEL LIKE THIS 5-YEAR-OLD KID AT THE HIGH DIVE,
LIKE STANDING AT THE EDGE.
JUST LIKE, ALRIGHT, WELL, NOW’S THE TIME,
YOU GOTTA MAKE THE JUMP."
THEY SERIOUSLY CALL ME THE NUMBER 104,
BECAUSE IT’S THE 104th LIFE SAVED
FROM THAT PARACHUTE SYSTEM.
Narrator: AND THAT’S IN THE CIRRUS AIRCRAFT ALONE.
IN TOTAL, OVER 300 LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED--
A NUMBER THAT BORIS POPOV IS VERY PROUD OF.
Popov: IF YOU WERE TO ASK ALL 324 OF THOSE PEOPLE,
DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WERE REALLY GONNA USE THAT PARACHUTE?
THEY’D SAY OF COURSE NOT.
IT WAS, "MY WIFE MADE ME BUY IT,"
OR "I REALLY DIDN’T THINK I NEEDED IT,
BUT THANK GOD I HAVE ONE,
AND I’LL NEVER FLY WITHOUT ONE AGAIN."
Narrator: AS MATERIALS SCIENCE ADVANCES,
SOME IN THE INDUSTRY EVEN BELIEVE JETLINERS
COULD ONE DAY BE FITTED WITH THEIR OWN CHUTES.
Popov: SOMEBODY ONCE ASKED ME, CAN YOU DO A 747?
I SAID SURE.
THERE’S TECHNOLOGY THAT’S LIKE ARTIFICIAL SILK
THAT IS AMAZINGLY STRONG AND LIGHTWEIGHT.
I SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
WHEN IT COMES TO MATERIALS
THAT MIGHT MAKE AN EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT AND SMALL CANOPY.
AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THE SKY’S THE LIMIT.
Narrator: PARACHUTES HAVE BROUGHT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
SAFELY TO EARTH.
THEY’VE EVEN ALLOWED US TO RETURN FROM SPACE.
NOW THEY’RE HELPING US REACH ALIEN WORLDS.
Mark Adler: WE HAVE MARS MISSIONS,
EXPLORING TITAN WITH THE HUYGENS MISSION,
MOON OF SATURN.
WE HAVE VEHICLES GOING TO VENUS.
THEY’VE ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE,
USED PARACHUTES FOR LANDING.
Narrator: SO FAR, ONLY ROBOTS HAVE FLOWN UNDER CANOPY
IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SKIES.
BUT PLANS ARE NOW UNDER WAY FOR HUMANS TO FOLLOW.
PUTTING ASTRONAUTS ON MARS IS THE NEXT GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.
Adler: IT’LL BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES
HUMANS HAVE EVER FACED,
TO PUT PEOPLE ON MARS.
Narrator: A PAYLOAD MORE MASSIVE THAN AN 18-WHEELER TRUCK
MUST BE SLOWED FROM SEVERAL TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND
TO A STANDSTILL.
AND THE AIR IS 100 TIMES THINNER THAN ON EARTH,
MAKING IT MUCH HARDER TO DECELERATE.
FORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE
OF LANDING HEAVY PAYLOADS THERE.
IN 2012, NASA’S CURIOSITY ROVER,
WHICH WEIGHS ALMOST A TON,
ARRIVES AT MARS.
Adam Steltzner: WHEN IT CAME TIME TO LAND CURIOSITY,
THE BIGGEST VEHICLE WE’VE PUT ON THE SURFACE OF MARS,
WE NEEDED A VERY BIG PARACHUTE,
THE WORLD’S LARGEST SUPERSONIC PARACHUTE.
Narrator: THE 70-FOOT-WIDE SUPERSONIC PARACHUTE
MUST SLOW IT DOWN FROM 1,000 MILES PER HOUR
TO JUST 180.
AFTER THAT, RETROROCKETS WILL BRING IT TO A NEAR STANDSTILL,
BEFORE THE ROVER IS LOWERED TO THE GROUND BY A SKYCRANE.
BUT WILL IT WORK?
THE MODULE ENTERS THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE.
Man: WE’RE GOING ABOUT MACH 2.4
AT AN ALTITUDE OF 17...
WE ARE STANDING BY FOR PARACHUTE DEPLOY.
Man: GEAR POSITION.
Man: PARACHUTE DEPLOYED.
[CHEERING]
Man: WE ARE DECELERATING.
DESCENDING AT ABOUT .75 METERS PER SECOND...
Steltzner: ALL OF A SUDDEN...BOOM!
Man: TOUCHDOWN CONFIRMED.
WE’RE SAFE ON MARS.
Steltzner: WE’RE ON THE GROUND.
IT’S HAPPENED, AND IT’S OVER.
I’VE BEEN SORT OF RUNNING A RACE FOR EIGHT YEARS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I’M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FINISH LINE.
THERE WAS SORT OF A SENSE OF DISBELIEF.
Narrator: LANDING SUCH A HEAVY CRAFT ON MARS
IS A TRIUMPH OF ENGINEERING.
HOWEVER, ANY HUMAN MISSION WILL WEIGH MANY TIMES MORE,
WHICH INTRODUCES NEW CHALLENGES.
MARK ADLER IS MANAGING THE NASA PROJECT
TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION PARACHUTE.
Adler: NOW THAT WE WANT TO LAND BIGGER THINGS ON MARS,
WE GOTTA MAKE BIGGER PARACHUTES,
AND WE HAVE TO TEST THEM
BECAUSE THE OLD TESTS DON’T APPLY.
Narrator: AT 100 FEET ACROSS,
THIS IS THE BIGGEST SUPERSONIC PARACHUTE EVER MADE.
IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE TOUGHEST.
Adler: ALL OF THIS YELLOW STUFF HERE IS KEVLAR,
SAME STUFF THAT’S USED IN BULLET-PROOF VESTS.
VERY, VERY STRONG MATERIAL.
Narrator: BEFORE IT CAN BE USED ON MARS,
IT MUST BE TESTED FOR STRENGTH
AND FOR PERFORMANCE AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS.
BUT BECAUSE IT’S SO BIG, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO TEST.
Adler: THIS PARACHUTE IS TOO BIG TO TEST
IN THE LARGEST WIND TUNNEL AVAILABLE ON EARTH.
Narrator: MARK’S TEAM MUST FIND ANOTHER WAY TO TEST IT.
INSTEAD OF MOVING AIR PAST THE PARACHUTE,
LIKE IN A WIND TUNNEL,
THEY DECIDE TO PULL THE PARACHUTE THROUGH THE AIR,
WITH A GIANT ROCKET-PROPELLED SLED.
Steltzner: SOUNDS PRETTY CRAZY, AND IT KIND OF IS.
THE HELICOPTER LIFTS THE PARACHUTE UP,
IT LETS IT GO...
THEN WE LIGHT THE ROCKETS.
Narrator: A CABLE ATTACHES THE ROCKET SLED TO THE PARACHUTE,
PULLING IT TO EARTH.
Steltzner: THAT ALLOWS US TO PUT
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF FORCE ON THIS PARACHUTE.
Narrator: THE ROCKETS PULL THE PARACHUTE
WITH MORE THAN 120,000 POUNDS OF FORCE WHEN IT FINALLY RIPS.
BUT THE TEST HAS BEEN A SUCCESS.
[CHEERING]
Steltzner: THAT’S A LOT OF FORCE,
AND ENOUGH FOR US TO USE TO SLOW DOWN ON THE WAY TO MARS.
Narrator: THE PARACHUTE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE THE LOAD,
BUT IT’S NOT READY FOR THE RED PLANET YET.
FIRST, THEY MUST SHOW IT CAN OPERATE IN THE SAME CONDITIONS
IT WILL ENCOUNTER ON MARS.
IN JUNE 2015,
THEY’RE READY FOR A HIGH-ALTITUDE SUPERSONIC TEST.
AFTER A WEEK OF DELAYS,
CONDITIONS IN HAWAII ARE PERFECT.
Man: AND LAUNCH.
START LOOKING AT YOUR TELEMETRY,
AND MAKE SURE ALL SYSTEMS ARE HEALTHY.
Narrator: THE PARACHUTE IS FITTED INSIDE A TEST VEHICLE
AND CARRIED UP TO 120,000 FEET BY A GIANT BALLOON.
ROCKETS REPLICATE THE SUPERSONIC SPEED
OF A SPACECRAFT ARRIVING AT MARS...
Man: ONE, DROP.
SEPARATION CONFIRMED.
Narrator: WHICH WILL CAUSE THE PARACHUTE TO OPEN EXPLOSIVELY
AND ADD EXTRA STRESS.
Man: DVR’S RECORDING...
[CHEERING]
Narrator: THE TEST VEHICLE CLIMBS ANOTHER 60,000 FEET--
Man: GOT STABLE FLIGHT.
Narrator: HALFWAY TO SPACE.
ONLY THERE IS THE AIR AS THIN AS ON MARS.
AT MACH 2.4, THE PARACHUTE DEPLOYS...
AND IS DESTROYED IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND.
[PEOPLE GROAN]
Man: FLIGHT, THIS IS P.I. PARTIAL CHUTE.
Man: COPY PARTIAL CHUTE.
Adler: AND WE’RE WATCHING,
AND VERY SHORTLY, WITHIN HALF A SECOND,
WE SAW THE PARACHUTE JUST ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATE
AND TURN INTO CONFETTI.
Narrator: DESPITE KEVLAR REINFORCEMENTS,
THE PARACHUTE CAN’T WITHSTAND THE STRESSES
OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT.
BUT THE TEAM ARE NOT DETERRED.
Adler: IF YOU DON’T HAVE FAILURES,
THEN YOU’RE NOT REALLY PUSHING HARD ENOUGH
TO GET THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE’RE GONNA NEED
FOR OUR FUTURE MISSIONS TO MARS.
Narrator: EVEN THOUGH THE PARACHUTE FAILED,
THE TEST IS IN MANY WAYS SUCCESSFUL.
IT REACHED THE CORRECT ALTITUDE AND SPEED,
WHICH MEANS DATA FROM THE EXPERIMENT
WILL HELP THEM LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPERSONIC PARACHUTES.
Man: 0.6 SECONDS.
SO IT’S THE FASTEST INFLATION WE’VE EVER SEEN.
Ian Clark: I’M CONFIDENT
WE’VE GOT ANOTHER GREAT DATA SET IN FRONT OF US
THAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND EVEN MORE
ABOUT THE NATURE OF THESE PARACHUTES
AND HELP US DESIGN PARACHUTES FOR THE FUTURE.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH THE CHUTE DIDN’T SURVIVE,
THE TEST HAS BROUGHT NASA CLOSER THAN EVER
TO PUTTING ASTRONAUTS ON MARS.
PARACHUTES HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE DA VINCI’S FIRST DESIGN--
FROM A SIMPLE DRAG DEVICE
TO A NYLON WING...
FROM PEOPLE...
TO PLANES.
BUT THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR PARACHUTES IS STILL TO COME.
Clark: MARS IS VERY FAR AWAY.
THE STEPS THAT WE’RE TAKING NOW,
THEY ARE STEPS THAT WE ARE TAKING
IN THE DIRECTION OF GETTING HUMANS TO THE SURFACE OF MARS.
Man: WE FOUND A NICE FLAT PLACE FOR COMING IN.