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This long tube shape may not look like a spacecraft
to most people, but something like it may someday take
instruments to Mars or return cargo to Earth.
Packed into its restraining bag is IRVE-3,
the Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment, developed
at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
It's designed to demonstrate that inflatable spacecraft are feasible.
>> [ DILLMAN ] It's very challenging to develop an
inflatable spacecraft because you have to use materials
that do not mind being packed down into a small volume
for launch and then unfolded up to their full size.
So we use fabrics whereas a traditional rigid heat shield
would be more of a solid material that doesn't fold.
>> IRVE-3 is scheduled to launch from a sounding rocket
at Wallops Flight Facility, also in Virginia,
much like its predecessor, IRVE-2 did in 2009.
[ SOUNDING ROCKET LAUNCH ]
But first, the hardware and software has had to go through
a series of tests, including a visit to the shaker table.
One of the last destinations before flight -
NASA Langley's Transonic Dynamics Tunnel,
or TDT, to check out the whole system inflation and all.
>> [ RHOADES ] We were using the TDT for a vacuum chamber, and
what we do is actually bring it down to low pressure, just like it'll see
during reentry, to make sure that this thing's going to inflate properly.
During the test, we have the pyro initiators, which are little cutters
that, they don't explode or anything, they just cut the strings.
They initiated. The bag started to unzip; it actually paused,
so we all got excited for a minute.
And then, it just paused a second and let go and the
rest of the bag opened up. The inflatable came out.
>> That was much to the relief of the engineers
who thoroughly checked the IRVE-3 afterwards.
Also performing well during the test -- the thermal blanket,
which will protect the inflatable from the forces and heat of atmospheric entry.
Now the team can only hope everything works
just as flawlessly later this year in space.