To turn Schiff’s idea into a reality, the Gravity Probe B team needed to invent and verify several new technologies in both physics and engineering. One example was the porous plug—a device designed to control the superfluid helium from escaping from the outlet of the dewar once on orbit.
To turn Schiff’s idea into a reality, the Gravity Probe B team needed to invent and verify several new technologies in both physics and engineering. One example was the porous plug—a device designed to control the superfluid helium from escaping from the outlet of the dewar once on orbit. Pores on the surface of the plug allowed for the slow release and instant evaporation of helium much like the process of sweating. Invented at Stanford with engineering support from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Lockheed Martin, the porous plug was first used in 1983 for the InfraRed Astronomy Satellite (IRAS).
Image credit: Stanford University/Barron Storey