Carbon Fiber - The Materials Of The Future?

The rocket animation shown around 1:00 looks pretty hokey to me, though the concept is pretty outstanding.

I was speaking to a former student of mine who now works as an engineer in the aircraft industry. She said that one of the major issues with the carbon fiber laminates being used in airplane bodies nowadays is going to be the lack of recyclability after the plane's usable lifespan.

In this video we get a brief history of how carbon fibers are made, the initial uses of and driving forces for development carbon fibers, an explanation of the directional strength of the composite material, the general procedure of curing the laminate, and a quick look at SpaceX's use of carbon fiber composite laminate in its reusable fuel tank.

It lacks a bit in the 'how it's made' first steps, but it's a great overview of how carbon fiber works, its strengths and weaknesses.