Space Inflations

Throughout Puffed Up, we’ve seen how compressed air has shaped life here on Earth. But what happens when we leave our planet behind? In this final episode, Professor Mark Miodownik explores how this invisible material could help humanity venture further into space than ever before.

Joined by space engineer and architect Maxim De Jong, Mark discovers how inflatable space habitats might provide the solution to one of space travel’s biggest problems: having enough space! Packed up tightly for launch and then expanded like a balloon once up there, inflatable structures could help astronauts live more comfortably on space stations, the moon, or even on long journeys to Mars and beyond.

And speaking to aerospace engineer Anita Sengupta, Mark hears about another technology developed for space, but that could transform life back here on Earth: hydrogen fuel cells. Powered by hydrogen and compressed air, Anita argues that this renewable technology could power the planes of the future.

From inflatable homes among the stars to cleaner flight here on Earth, in this final episode, Mark discovers that there may still be a few giant leaps left to be squeezed out of compressed air.

Producer: Mel Brown
Assistant Producer: Alex Rodway
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem