- 2 weeks ago
- #brightside
- #brightsideglobal
Space is a vast and empty place, but it is not completely still. There are many forces and factors that affect the movement of a spaceship in space. In this video, we'll explain what would happen if a spaceship stops in the middle of space and why it is not as simple as it sounds.
#brightside #brightsideglobal
TIMESTAMPS:
0:01 What if a spaceship runs out of fuel
08:05 What's it really like to sleep in space
15:10 Packing list to bring to space
This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
#brightside #brightsideglobal
TIMESTAMPS:
0:01 What if a spaceship runs out of fuel
08:05 What's it really like to sleep in space
15:10 Packing list to bring to space
This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:00Picture this. You're an astronaut hurtling through the cosmos in your state-of-the-art spaceship.
00:05But suddenly, you notice that you're running out of fuel.
00:08What are you going to do? Trapped in the middle of space?
00:12It's hardly like there's a floating gas station.
00:14The good news is that you're not going to get completely stuck.
00:18A spaceship will never actually stop after running out of fuel.
00:22All because there's basically no atmosphere in space.
00:25That's where the popular phrase, in space, no one can hear you scream.
00:30Comes from.
00:31Sound travels through the vibration of teeny tiny atoms and molecules.
00:35In space, where there is no air, there's simply no way for sound to travel.
00:40It's the same for our spaceship.
00:42Because there's no air, there's also a complete lack of air resistance.
00:46Those tiny particles that do exist in space are way too small to reduce the spacecraft's momentum or drag it
00:52back.
00:53Because of this, most spacecraft actually turn their engines off for the biggest part of their journey.
00:58So, don't believe those movies that show spaceships with their engines on all the time.
01:03That's completely inaccurate.
01:05Unlike vessels in the water, a ship in space doesn't need constant thrust to keep moving forward.
01:11Usually, its engine is only fired up for short periods of time.
01:15This is not only practical, but also saves money.
01:18Fuel is really expensive to transport into space, as it's heavy.
01:22That's why space probes try to use as little fuel as possible.
01:26They need it when they set off from Earth, and then again when they re-enter the atmosphere.
01:31It happens when they need to slow down upon their return.
01:34While cars and trains have brakes, it's not that simple to bring a spaceship to a screeching halt.
01:39The engines are needed to slow the ship down or bring it to a complete stop.
01:44This involves strategically firing up impressive thrusters at the front.
01:48It creates the needed drag and reduces the spaceship's speed.
01:52But this process also requires super high levels of precision.
01:56One wrong move, and you're toast.
01:58Literally.
01:59Hit the thrusters too fast, and the spacecraft will set on fire as you re-enter Earth's atmosphere at thousands
02:05of miles per hour.
02:06However, traveling too slowly can also cause problems, because in this case, you might miss our planet's orbit completely and
02:14move way past Earth.
02:15And most spacecraft don't have enough fuel to try for a second re-entry, so traveling too slowly needs to
02:22be avoided at all costs.
02:24But back to the issue at hand.
02:26This basically means that any vehicle with an empty tank will continue traveling at the same speed across space until
02:33it eventually runs into something.
02:34Anyway, there's just no other way for it to stop.
02:38Wait.
02:39Actually, maybe that's not good news.
02:41If you get stranded, it's pretty unlikely that your buddies over there at NASA are going to organize a rescue
02:46mission.
02:47This sounds kind of sad, but it does make sense.
02:51By the time they set up a new team and find a ship to come and rescue you, you'll have
02:55already traveled so far into space it would take them years to reach you.
02:59This would also cost a ridiculous amount of money.
03:01NASA spends on average a whopping $152 million to launch a ship into space.
03:07That's as much as buying six brand-new top-of-the-range Lamborghinis.
03:11Even crazier, it costs NASA about $49 billion to develop and launch the first space shuttle.
03:18Unfortunately, once you've left Earth's orbit, it's near impossible that you'll make it back without fuel.
03:24That's what actually happened to NASA's Dawn spacecraft back in 2018.
03:28On a random day, the spaceship ran out of fuel.
03:31This left it completely stranded in the middle of space.
03:34It stopped transmitting signals to Earth, bringing an end to an 11-year-long mission that set loads of space
03:40records.
03:41The spacecraft could no longer generate electricity, as it had no fuel to move its solar panels to point them
03:47toward the sun.
03:48And to this day, the spaceship is still floating somewhere in space in a derelict state.
03:53Luckily, Dawn had no astronauts on board.
03:57The spacecraft began to orbit the dwarf planet Ceres, which was the object it was originally investigating.
04:03For context, in orbit is a curved path around a star, planet, or moon that an object gets stuck in.
04:09But wait!
04:10NASA are experts in all things relating to spacecraft.
04:13So how did they allow a ship to run out of fuel in the first place?
04:16It's actually super difficult to accurately measure the amount of fuel you'll need in space.
04:22On Earth, gravity keeps all the fuel at the bottom of the tank, and you can use a float sensor
04:27to measure how full the tank is.
04:29But this is impossible in space due to a lack of gravity that normally weighs the fuel down.
04:34Instead, a common approach is to add an air bladder into the fuel tank that's pressurized before launch to push
04:40the fuel into lines.
04:42The more fuel is used, the more this bladder expands.
04:45It takes up more space and keeps the fuel under the right amount of pressure.
04:49This pressure is monitored.
04:50That's how they can tell how much fuel is left.
04:53As you see, it's a lot more complicated than here on Earth.
05:05NASA usually calculates the extra amount of food astronauts need for their trip to avoid adding extra weight to the
05:12spacecraft.
05:12But the good news is that this food can technically be rationed, and its consumption can be spread out.
05:18That's because astronaut food comes in special packaging to stop it from going bad.
05:23There are no refrigerators aboard spacecraft.
05:25The food comes in clear, flexible pouches that can be snipped open with scissors.
05:30All the food is pre-cooked and processed, so it doesn't need to be stored in a fridge.
05:35The only exceptions are fresh fruit and vegetables.
05:38These are the only things that need to be eaten quickly, as they will spoil.
05:42Today, astronauts also work with nutritionists so they can pick out the foods that they like and will enjoy eating.
05:48They can choose from a whole bunch of products, including mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, chicken, beef, ham, nuts, and
05:56even yummy cookies.
05:57Shrimp cocktail is apparently a new favorite among astronauts because of how spicy it tastes.
06:03Flavored drinks also come in powdered form, just like the Kool-Aid or instant coffee packets you have sitting in
06:09your kitchen cupboard.
06:10Interestingly, astronauts often report not feeling hungry in space, so it may be easier than you'd think to ration the
06:17food.
06:17But even if you can make your food last, what about water?
06:21Transporting anything into space costs a lot, and water is quite heavy, so it costs even more to transport.
06:27For this reason, tanks of water can't be constantly shipped up to space.
06:32Instead, astronauts have a really complex water system.
06:35It squeezes every last drop of safe and available liquid out of the environment.
06:40This involves recycling used water.
06:42It means that our buddies in space drink water that's been filtered from old shower water,
06:47their breath, the spaceship's fuel cells, sweat, and so on.
06:51But don't worry, such water is safe to drink, and it's actually even better than most drinking water that comes
06:57out of taps in the U.S.
06:58The water on a spacecraft first goes through a bunch of filters, starting with one that removes particles and debris.
07:05Then it passes through multi-filtration beds, containing clever substances that remove impurities.
07:11The final stage gets rid of harmful compounds and destroys nasty bacteria and viruses.
07:16There are also water reserves in case of emergency.
07:19For example, the International Space Station keeps around 530 gallons of water in its reserves, just in case.
07:27But what about the air supply?
07:29The primary source of oxygen on spacecraft comes from something called water electrolysis.
07:34This is an amazing system that uses electricity from the craft's solar panels to split water into hydrogen and oxygen
07:41gas.
07:42But as we saw with NASA's Dawn, without electricity, it's pretty difficult to aim the solar panels at the sun,
07:48which means that the oxygen system would likely shut down.
07:51There is some oxygen stored in a pressurized storage tank, though.
07:55This is a backup supply designed for emergencies, so it's not all bad news.
08:04When you think of astronauts going to space, you probably imagine those cool things they can do up there.
08:09First of all, it's flying like a superhero all the time.
08:13Astronauts hold onto rails and use their arm strength to move among modules.
08:17It probably takes some time to get used to this way of moving around, but in a couple of months
08:21in space, they can become real acrobats.
08:24They also read books, watch movies, or take awesome pictures of Earth through the cupola windows, which is a special
08:29viewing area on the space station.
08:31They also invent new games, like the one where they try to hit a target, or where they race one
08:36another from one end of the station to the other as fast as they can.
08:40And zero-gravity sports must be so cool.
08:43Imagine playing soccer up there.
08:44It's the only way I'd ever be able to do a bicycle kick properly.
08:47It's cool how they eat or try to catch a bite from a floating spoon.
08:51But besides all these fun things, they need to sleep too.
08:55And that's not so easy in space.
08:57Not having gravity can be cool when you fool around and fly across your chamber.
09:01But it's definitely not that great when you're tired and can't wait for your head to hit the pillow.
09:06Because in space, that won't happen.
09:09Instead, astronauts have to sleep in small sleeping bags attached to the wall.
09:14This way, they won't float around or potentially bump into things while they're sleeping.
09:17No sleepwalkers up there, only sleep floaters.
09:21Astronaut orbited our home planet a whopping 17 times in a spacecraft, proving humans could live, work, and sleep in
09:28space.
09:29But just because it's possible doesn't mean it's easy.
09:32Some astronauts describe their space capsule as a small garbage can, and the cabin itself is about the size of
09:38the front seat of a Volkswagen Beetle.
09:40Sleeping in space is very different from sleeping on Earth, to say the least.
09:44There is no up or down in space, so astronauts can choose any position they find comfortable.
09:49On the International Space Station, sleeping quarters are about the size of a phone booth.
09:53It's a tight space, and it doesn't look as cool as the rest of the things up there.
09:58But they make it work.
10:00Astronauts have to sleep near an air vent to make sure they have good ventilation.
10:04Breathing is trickier in space, because the carbon dioxide they breathe out can form a bubble around their heads,
10:10which can be problematic, since they may not get enough oxygen.
10:15Astronauts cover up windows to block out sunlight and may wear sleep masks, just like some people on Earth do
10:20to block out light.
10:22The sun in space can be really bright, even with window shades, because there's no atmosphere to filter sunlight.
10:27Oh, those things we take for granted down here.
10:31Also, the space station orbits Earth every 90 minutes, so astronauts get to see a new sunrise every hour and
10:36a half.
10:37The station can be noisy, too, since they have all those fans and other equipment, so astronauts sometimes wear earplugs
10:43to help them sleep.
10:44We all become grumpy if we don't get enough sleep, with or without gravity.
10:48Not just that.
10:49A lack of sleep can affect our blood pressure, immune system, balance, and health in general.
10:54And it's way trickier when you're not feeling well up there than on Earth.
10:58NASA schedules its astronauts for about 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep per day.
11:02But those who work on the ISS, on average, go with 6 hours of sleep, because the space environment can
11:09disrupt their natural sleep patterns.
11:11That's why it's not so unusual to have insomnia and sleep deprivation when in space.
11:16Astronauts sometimes have changes in their schedules.
11:18They have to work long shifts or finish tasks assigned at night.
11:22All this works against good sleep.
11:25That's why NASA has sleep education and promotes special relaxation techniques to help crew members sleep better.
11:32Dreams and nightmares are as common in space as they are on Earth.
11:35You just can't get away from your mind making up different scenarios while you're sleeping.
11:40And you know that feeling when you first wake up all groggy and sluggish?
11:43It's like your body and brain are still trying to catch up and fully wake up.
11:47You might feel a little bit disoriented, plus it might be hard for you to think clearly or move quickly.
11:52It's called sleep inertia.
11:54This feeling usually goes away after a little while.
11:57But it's probably way harder to get rid of it in space because many astronauts have issues with it.
12:02And even if you had perfect conditions for sleep, just being in space would probably disrupt your body's natural sleep
12:08-wake cycle.
12:09Two things regulate this cycle, the S-process and circadian rhythms.
12:14The S-process controls whether we are asleep or awake throughout the day.
12:18In space, your body gets less deep sleep, which means it goes through some changes in the S-process.
12:24Circadian rhythms help regulate our internal body clock as well.
12:28In space, where such cues as exposure to light and darkness are a complete mess,
12:33you can't simply set your alarm clock at 7 a.m. every morning.
12:37Hmm, at least up there, I'd have a good excuse for not doing this.
12:42To help astronauts adjust, NASA has added special lighting inside the space station,
12:46which mimics a regular day on Earth.
12:48They try to block out outside light at night and provide enough light during the day
12:52to help astronauts stay awake and sleep at the right times as much as possible.
12:56Astronauts need to be careful not to get exposed to blue light from electronic devices
13:00because that disrupts sleep too.
13:02Hmm, that tip sounds familiar.
13:05We need to figure out as many tricks as possible to get better sleep
13:08because we don't want to go on a mission to Mars
13:10and come to our potential new home all grumpy and moody.
13:14Plus, people who will go on these special space missions
13:16won't have as much space as astronauts on the ISS.
13:19Their quarters may not be like the comfortable bedrooms they have back on Earth,
13:23but they will still be dark, quiet, and best of all, private.
13:28At the same time, say goodbye to privacy on your way to the moon.
13:32On such missions, there will be less space for crew members to sleep.
13:36It will be like camping with your friends, but with not enough tents.
13:41And imagine jet lag in space.
13:43It usually hits astronauts even before they get to the space station.
13:47To help with this, they start adjusting their sleep schedules a few days before they launch into space.
13:52They change their sleeping and waking times to match the time of day and time zone of their launch location.
13:58Once they reach the space station, where astronauts from different countries work together,
14:02they all switch to using a common time called Greenwich Mean Time, GMT.
14:08This helps everyone synchronize their schedules because it's a middle ground time
14:11that can be easily understood by people from different parts of the world.
14:15So to help crew members have better sleep, scientists have simulated space missions on Earth.
14:20They have a special habitat called HERA at Johnson Space Center,
14:24which is almost the same size as a lunar base or spacecraft.
14:28Crews live there for certain periods, and researchers study their sleep patterns and performance.
14:33NASA is planning a cool experiment called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, CHAPEA.
14:40The first mission is supposed to start soon with four crew members,
14:44a commander, a medical officer, a flight engineer, and a science officer,
14:49living in a habitat called Mars Dune Alpha at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
14:54They will live in the 3D-printed habitat and exercise, cook, clean, do other things,
15:00and collect data just like they would on the Red Planet.
15:03I mean, we still have a decade or two till the first human missions on Mars,
15:06but we better hurry and prepare well.
15:12Houston, we've got good news.
15:14A group of select humans is being interviewed to hop on board the first commercial vacation to outer space.
15:19The space agency has given you a survey to answer.
15:21They want to know what you would pack on this space adventure.
15:24Depending on your answers, you just might be one of the chosen ones.
15:28Now, how about we take a look at that list together?
15:36Pencils.
15:37I guess I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense.
15:41Legend has it that the U.S. spent millions of dollars trying to design a pen that worked in space.
15:45You know, since the lack of gravity is a huge, I mean, inescapable,
15:50factor of life in outer space, pens don't work.
15:53The ink won't flow down as it does here on Earth.
15:56It turns out that pencils will do the trick.
15:58This way you can play word puzzles with the other space tourists,
16:01or even make some drawings of your adventure.
16:04You'd never forget to pack a toothbrush, of course.
16:07According to veteran astronauts, toothbrushes are so simple,
16:10yet their technology is enough for space.
16:13If you were to squeeze a water bottle inside a spacecraft,
16:16the molecules of water would float around in small bubbles.
16:19But if you wet your toothbrush, it naturally holds the water in it,
16:22keeping it moist to receive your toothpaste.
16:25Oh, I was going to say funny socks.
16:27Glad that you beat me to it.
16:29Here are two things.
16:30First, there's not a lot of walking that goes on in space.
16:34People don't tend to touch the ground too much up there.
16:36And second, space isn't the best place to showcase your fashion style.
16:40Yeah!
16:41Astronauts tend to use special clothes while they're out there.
16:44And it will be no different for you as a space vacationer.
16:47So socks will keep your feet warm and fuzzy,
16:49but they'll also speak for your fashion interest.
16:51Maybe one day you'll wear a smiley face sock,
16:54while the other day you'll go for a Grinch-themed one.
16:57Of course, socks are pretty helpful on board an aircraft.
17:00They'll make you slide through stuff more easily.
17:02Next time I go to the convenience store,
17:04I'll remember to buy some wet wipes for your space travel.
17:07Experienced space travelers do love them.
17:09And it wasn't even NASA that invented them, huh?
17:12Since water is a no-go inside a spaceship,
17:15the best option is wet wipes.
17:17Better yet, if they're scented.
17:19Astronauts even use different kinds of wipes.
17:21They buy the disinfecting ones and the ones to use on their bodies.
17:24Just make sure you know how to tell the difference between them when you're up there.
17:28There's a popular myth that says that NASA invented Velcro.
17:31But the truth is,
17:33we tend to think that everything that's used in space
17:35was invented by NASA for a very intelligent and specific purpose.
17:38It wasn't, though.
17:40Velcro was invented for mundane reasons back in the 1950s by a Swiss company.
17:44They were adopted by space travelers because they work as anti-gravity props.
17:49They don't erase gravity, of course.
17:51But you can glue Velcros into daily stuff
17:53and then hang them on the Velcro attached to the spaceship's walls.
17:56It's a very smart system,
17:58but best to take your own pair, right?
18:00If you're spending a long time in outer space,
18:03photographs from back home might come in handy.
18:05Choose them well, though.
18:07Since the spacecraft isn't all that big,
18:09the rest of the people on board will know which pictures you decided to bring along.
18:13Best to keep that Harry Styles poster back in your earthly bedroom, right?
18:17Just bring real pictures of people that you know and love.
18:20Did I hear pizza?
18:23A huge part of traveling and exploring new places
18:26is being able to taste different flavors of food.
18:28In outer space, that's a bit more complicated.
18:32But hey, at least you can take some pizza with you.
18:35Well, actually you'd have to have it delivered to you in a cargo ship.
18:38This way, ingredients would come fresh and ready to eat.
18:42It wouldn't be the first time that people in space tried eating earthling junk food.
18:45Some astronauts have even eaten crepes and hot dogs.
18:48Perhaps the best part of this pizza party would be that your food could float.
18:52Now isn't this a super nice way to enjoy some earth delicacies?
18:56Hmm, as much as I understand your desire to pack a toilet with you on this space trip,
19:00that's virtually impossible.
19:01I mean, I understand you.
19:03Some people are attached to the toilets in their homes.
19:05And a space toilet is far from the ideal experience.
19:08But NASA has been improving their toilet system.
19:11And it's the best it's been over the years.
19:14So that will have to do.
19:16Here's something I would take as well.
19:17A laptop.
19:19But what good would it do in outer space, you might ask?
19:22Apparently, there is internet all over the International Space Station.
19:26So even if you're not spending most of your trip docked at the ISS,
19:29you could enjoy some Netflix on the days you spend over there.
19:32There is internet all over the ISS, apparently.
19:35Crazy, huh?
19:36And speaking of leisure, I love that you would take a yo-yo.
19:39I'm not sure how efficient it would be in space,
19:42since there's no gravity to bounce it back and forth.
19:44But it would be nice to see how a yo-yo reacts in a gravity-free environment.
19:49Oh, I love jigsaw puzzles.
19:51This would definitely be on my list as well.
19:54Imagine trying to build a jigsaw puzzle that keeps floating in the air.
19:57Maybe you'll have to create a system to avoid the separate pieces
20:00floating aimlessly through the spacecraft.
20:02But imagine once you finish that turtle puzzle,
20:05it will look like it's swimming around the craft.
20:07You can't pack a window, but they sure are an important part of life in outer space.
20:12Let's keep in mind some of the rules of the trip.
20:14Each traveler will have the opportunity to do one spacewalk during their time in space.
20:22This is already huge.
20:24Consider yourself lucky.
20:25Some elite astronauts only get to do one spacewalk during their entire career.
20:29That is so, because spacewalks are risky and require a lot of training.
20:33But you'll get your training once you're up there.
20:35The thing is, all other days, you'll be stuck inside a floating tin can.
20:40So windows will come a long way.
20:43They'll help to remind you where you are.
20:45They'll give you some perspective of space and Earth.
20:48Of course, you should take your camera.
20:50How else will you be able to register for this once-in-a-lifetime experience?
20:54Just make sure it works inside an aircraft or the ISS, and you're good to go.
20:59Hmm?
21:00Coffee?
21:01Don't worry.
21:02You don't need to pack your own.
21:04Up until recently, astronauts had to rely solely on instantly-brewed cups of coffee when they were in space.
21:09But you're lucky that coffee experts have already solved this issue.
21:13Nowadays, there's the IS Espresso machine.
21:16The machine itself is similar in size to an Earthling Espresso machine.
21:20But to drink it, space travelers have to use a zero-gravity coffee cup, together with a straw.
21:26If you try drinking it regularly, you wouldn't get hot coffee to hit you directly in your face.
21:31Instead, the coffee would be glued to the bottom of your cup.
21:34I have to say I really stand this invention.
21:36Last, but not least, why not pack your guitar with you?
21:40I noticed you were missing a musical instrument.
21:42If this was a conventional flight, you might have to pay extra for luggage.
21:47But since it's all included, don't be shy and take your guitar.
21:51Astronauts such as Chris Hadfield take their musical instruments with them when they're in space.
21:55He even became famous for his version of Bowie's space oddity.
21:58Up to the point that Bowie himself told him he lived Chris's version of it.
22:02It helps to pass the time, but it's also great for socializing.
22:06Can you imagine a pretend bonfire happening in the void of space?
22:09I can.
22:10And it looks super cool.
22:12Well, I think you're set to go.
22:13I'll personally call NASA and ask them to pick you as one of the lucky space travelers.
22:18See you in outer space, amigo.
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