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Sit back, as we take you on an extraordinary cosmic voyage!
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00:00Tired of waiting for colonization?
00:02Does the Earth seem way too boring with all its problems and mosquitoes?
00:06Well, have no fear.
00:08It's time to take matters into your own hands and build your own planet.
00:12But before you start reaching for the cosmic glue and glitter,
00:16there are a few things you'll need to consider.
00:19Let's start our ultimate DIY project.
00:23First of all, we need to choose a location.
00:26Every planet has to orbit a star, right?
00:28In a cosmic buffet, every star has its own unique flavor.
00:33To keep things organized, astronomers use the so-called stellar classification system.
00:40The massive stars are the divas of the cosmos.
00:44They're huge, bright, and are always stealing the spotlight.
00:47But it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
00:50They have a short lifespan, burning out super fast, like a candle.
00:54They also have huge gravity.
00:57So, be careful that your planet doesn't get sucked in.
01:01The dwarf stars, on the other hand, may be small, but they make up for it with their stamina.
01:07They can burn for trillions of years.
01:10Which means that their planets have plenty of time to develop line.
01:15Super hot stars are blue or white ones, while the cold stars are usually red or orange.
01:22Yeah, seems like it should be the other way around, but we're not the ones making the rules.
01:27So, what do we choose?
01:29Well, the planets around the blue and white stars could be scorched and fried, like a crispy chicken nugget.
01:36On the other hand, with cool red stars, our planet may turn into an ice ball.
01:43If that's your preference, then sure.
01:46But you can always pick a nice middle ground.
01:49A yellow star, like our sun, for example.
01:52Not too cold, not too hot, but just right.
01:56Now that you've picked the star, let's start building the planet.
02:01The heart of the planet is its core.
02:04The core creates a magnetic field, an invisible force that protects a planet from harsh cosmic rays and charged particles.
02:11If it weren't for this field, the planet would be fried by the star's radiation, like a well-done burger.
02:19But the magnetic field isn't always a force for good.
02:23On some planets, like Jupiter, it's so strong that it creates super-intense radiation belts and some crazy weather.
02:31If you were hoping to use a compass to find your way around on such a planet, forget it.
02:36The magnetic field would have the needle spinning like a breakdancer on caffeine.
02:41So, if you pick a small, light core, the planet will have less protection from solar radiation, like tanning without
02:49sunscreen.
02:50On the other hand, larger cores can generate more heat, which can lead to more volcanic activity and earthquakes.
02:58The best option is a medium-sized core made mostly of iron and nickel.
03:03Enough to keep the bad things away, but not too strong to turn a planet into a cosmic hot potato.
03:10Once the heart is in place, we can move on to the next step.
03:15Oogers!
03:15Uh, sorry.
03:17Planets are like onions.
03:19They have layers.
03:21Most planets have three main layers.
03:24The core, the crust, and the mantle.
03:26The core is the filling, as we've already discussed.
03:30The mantle is like a hot and gooey layer of caramel between the crust and the core.
03:35And the crust is like a thin layer of icing on a planetary cake, covering its surface.
03:43But not all planets are built the same way.
03:46Because of that, we have tons of options.
03:50First up, we have the gas giants, the big boys of the universe.
03:54In our solar system, it's Jupiter and Saturn.
03:57They don't have a crust at all.
03:59They're basically huge balls of gas, like hydrogen and helium.
04:04Hence the name.
04:06Next, we have the ice giants, like Uranus and Neptune.
04:10They're like younger, cooler siblings of gas giants.
04:14These planets don't really have a solid surface, but it's not pure gas either.
04:19They're made mostly of water, ammonia, and methane ice.
04:24There are also ocean worlds.
04:27And no, they aren't made of pure water.
04:29They do have some kind of solid surface, but it's located so deep.
04:34And the ocean on their surface is so huge, that it kind of does look like a giant water drop.
04:41Finally, we have terrestrial planets, like the Earth.
04:45They're made mostly of rock and metal.
04:47These planets have a surface to stand on, and usually come with a cool mineral collection.
04:54And let's not forget about the dwarf planets.
04:57The small, but mighty.
04:59Pluto is probably the most famous one.
05:01But there are others in our solar system.
05:04Eris, Ceres, Haumea, and so on.
05:07They're the scrappy underdogs of the planetary world.
05:10Always trying to prove their worth, but never making it to full-fledged planets.
05:16Which type do you like the most?
05:18Gas giants are probably the coolest ones with their enormous sizes, crazy winds, and scary lightning.
05:26We also need to create an atmosphere.
05:29It's the outer layer of a planet that plays a huge role in its climate and weather.
05:34It's also the planet's ultimate protector.
05:37Did you know that 90 to 95% of meteors burn up in the Earth's atmosphere?
05:42Imagine what would happen if they didn't.
05:45Dense and hazy atmospheres, the ones you'll find on places like Venus, have thick layers of carbon dioxide and sulfuric
05:53acid.
05:54In other words, it's not a planet, but an oven.
05:57It's so hot that you could cook a pizza on its surface in no time.
06:02And get cooked yourself.
06:05Next, we have thin and wispy atmospheres, like on Mars.
06:09The thin layer of carbon dioxide makes its surface pressure about 1% that of Earth's.
06:15On planets like these, you could fly like a superhero if you had a good enough jetpack.
06:22Then we have mixed atmospheres, like the one on Earth.
06:26The layers of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases create the perfect conditions for life as we know it.
06:32It's also where we get to enjoy sunny days, rainbows, and of course, water.
06:38And last but not least, exotic atmospheres.
06:42You'll find them on planets like Neptune, where the layers of hydrogen, helium, and methane create a blue-colored world
06:50that looks like a giant marble.
06:51They're super weird and unusual, so just perfect for creative planet builders.
06:58Almost done.
06:59The final question is, would you like your planet to have life on it?
07:03In that case, there are some things you should consider.
07:07For example, it should be located in the habitable zone.
07:11This is the sweet spot around a star, where conditions are just right for liquid water to exist on the
07:17surface.
07:17Make sure your planet isn't too close or too far from its star.
07:23And don't forget about the temperatures.
07:25For example, you'll want a good amount of oxygen for a planet to be nice and warm, but not too
07:31much that everything spontaneously combusts.
07:35Of course, we need some water, but not too much, and a stable climate.
07:40You don't want your planet to be going through extreme swings in temperature or moisture.
07:45That's a recipe for extinction, not evolution.
07:48Oh, and the orbit should be stable, so that there are no major astronomical events that could throw things off.
07:56As you can see, this type of planet is very picky.
08:00No wonder it's so hard to find extraterrestrial life.
08:04Anyway, now that we've finished messing around in the planet creation editor, how do we even build it?
08:12Well, how about terraforming?
08:14It's when we deliberately alter a planet's atmosphere, temperature, and other conditions to make it habitable for humans and other
08:21Earth-based lifeforms.
08:23For example, we could release greenhouse gases on Mars to warm up the planet and create a thicker atmosphere.
08:31But this method is more like polishing a monstrosity that was given to you by a character randomizer.
08:38What about building from scratch?
08:40That's something straight out of sci-fi.
08:42But maybe in the future, we could do that, using large-scale 3D printing or nanotechnology.
08:48We could create the basic structure and then add all the necessary conditions for life to exist.
08:55Of course, all this is still purely theoretical.
08:59But while creating a planet artificially is still a long way off,
09:03there are many creative ideas and concepts being explored by scientists and sci-fi writers.
09:09Who knows what the future might hold for the possibility of creating new worlds.
09:18Two pictures are rapidly changing in front of your eyes.
09:21Our huge planet and a black void.
09:24The picture of Earth is getting smaller by the second.
09:27You're flying away from the spaceship into an endless vacuum and don't know what to do next.
09:34The International Space Station flies 250 miles above Earth's surface.
09:39A spacewalk is routine for astronauts who work there.
09:42Astronauts have spent more than 11,000 hours in the black abyss to this day.
09:47Fortunately, during all this time, no one has ever flown away into outer space without coming back, as we've seen
09:55in the movies.
09:55But unfortunately, astronauts face other, no less terrible, dangers during spacewalks.
10:05One such accident happened in 1966.
10:09Eugene Cernan put on a jetpack and went into outer space to carry out some repair work.
10:14The jetpack, which helps an astronaut control flight in zero gravity, heated up a lot.
10:20Eugene put on special protective pants made of metal to protect himself from this heat.
10:25The pants protection didn't work when he went into outer space.
10:29Instead of directing the heat away from his body, the pants began to heat up.
10:34The suit was heavy and uncomfortable, like a knight's armor.
10:38It rubbed his skin and restricted movement.
10:42Working in zero gravity is physically very hard.
10:45But Eugene also had to deal with his whole suit heating up that day.
10:49Inside the spacesuit, he felt like he was in a hot bath.
10:53High temperatures and hard work caused overexertion, dehydration, and severe weight loss.
11:00His face was sweating, and drops of sweat blinded him.
11:04During this spacewalk, the astronaut lost about 13 pounds of weight.
11:09Other astronauts came to the rescue and took him back to his spacecraft.
11:14To reduce overheating, they sprayed him with cold water from a hose.
11:19In a sense, to go out into an infinitely huge open space,
11:23an astronaut must put on a suit resembling a body cage.
11:31Another dangerous incident happened in 1973.
11:35Two astronauts, Pete Conrad and Joe Kerwin,
11:38went into outer space to repair a solar wing on the Skylab space station.
11:44The wing didn't turn around, and the astronauts tried moving it manually.
11:49Using force, they turned the stuck wing, but it pushed them.
11:53The push was so strong that it threw both astronauts aside.
11:57They didn't have time to grab onto a nearby surface and began to fly away into outer space.
12:03Fortunately, they had safety cables that didn't let the astronauts go away for good.
12:08By grasping them, the astronauts returned to safety.
12:13In an ordinary modern spacesuit, there are more than 10 protective layers.
12:18Such a suit protects against extreme cold and hot temperatures.
12:22It's tear-resistant and doesn't leak moisture from the outside.
12:27This protection is necessary to prevent depressurization.
12:31If a small passage appears between your body and space,
12:35then all the oxygen will start coming out of the spacesuit.
12:38The more oxygen the suit loses, the more vacuum it gets.
12:42This leads to terrible consequences, such as suffocation and increased body volume.
12:48It looks as if you start to inflate from the inside.
12:53In 2007, Rick Mastracchio went into outer space to do some repair work.
12:58For some reason, there was a hole in his left glove next to his thumb.
13:02It was on the outer layer of the glove.
13:04But the worst thing was that the astronaut hadn't noticed it.
13:08He continued to work as if nothing had happened.
13:21Rick was supposed to work six hours in outer space.
13:25But during the fourth hour, he noticed the damage in his spacesuit.
13:29The astronaut reported this to command and received an urgent order to return to the ship.
13:35He never found out how the hole had appeared.
13:41Inside the ISS, there are many chemicals necessary for working in space.
13:45For example, ammonia has the property of freezing almost any surface.
13:51This chemical frost is used to cool some components of the station during overheating.
13:55The leakage of this substance on the ISS is practically impossible.
13:59This is exactly what astronaut Robert Kerbeam heard from experts during the training before his first flight to space.
14:06But this accident occurred to him on his first spacewalk in 2001.
14:13Robert was working outside the space station when an ammonia leak started.
14:18The liquid splattered all over his spacesuit.
14:21A thick layer of ice quickly covered the glass.
14:24Robert didn't see anything.
14:26He feared that he had broken something, but the accident was not his fault.
14:32The protective layers of the spacesuit didn't allow Robert to freeze.
14:36But the ammonia severely restricted his movements.
14:39The main problem was that he couldn't return to the ship.
14:43Ammonia could get into the station, and this could lead to an emergency.
14:47Robert had to stand in outer space for one and a half hours and wait for the leak to end.
14:52After that, he successfully returned to the station.
14:57To realize how difficult work is in outer space, we need to understand what a spacesuit is.
15:03It weighs 280 pounds, which is as much as a scooter.
15:08You won't feel its weight in zero gravity, but it will still make you sweat.
15:13Astronaut Chris Hadfield had described it by saying that every movement inside your spacesuit meets resistance.
15:20The suit scratches your skin, squeezes your bones and joints, and forces you to spend twice as much energy on
15:27simple movements.
15:28In such conditions, you start sweating and your eyes get wet.
15:32This moisture flies inside the helmet and blinds you until it evaporates.
15:37But if there's too much moisture, it can threaten the life of an astronaut.
15:43Such a case happened in 2013 with astronaut Luca Parmitano.
15:48He went into space to measure something outside the station.
15:51At one point, he felt that the back of his head was wet.
15:55He informed the others about it and got an order to return to the station.
16:01When Luca was coming back, he had to turn upside down.
16:04As soon as he did this, water gushed into his helmet.
16:08It covered most of his face.
16:10Luca couldn't see or hear.
16:12He tried to report the trouble to base, but the water covered his mouth.
16:16Fortunately, his partners rescued him and helped him return to the station.
16:21When they opened the helmet, almost half a gallon of water poured out.
16:29Astronauts' cables are some of the most reliable defenses against floating away into space.
16:33But what if one broke from a strong push?
16:37Or because the astronaut didn't fix it well?
16:40For additional protection, there's a backpack called Safer, simplified aid for EVA rescue.
16:46It's like a jet pack.
16:47It releases gas from small tubes and changes the direction of your flight.
16:52If you're spinning in space, Safer stops and aligns your movements.
16:57You can take manual control and fly using a special joystick.
17:02Safer was first used in 1994.
17:05But before engineers created it, there was the MMU, the Manned Maneuvering Unit.
17:12In 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless used it for the first time.
17:16You may have seen this famous photo where he floats in outer space without a cable.
17:22The problem was that Bruce was the first tester of such a jet pack.
17:27He wasn't 100% sure if it would work.
17:29He went into outer space and unhooked the cable from himself.
17:33There was nothing else to keep him from flying into the infinite black abyss.
17:38And his team wouldn't be able to save him.
17:41Imagine how scary it must have been.
17:43Fortunately, the jet pack worked.
17:46However, after three missions, NASA decided to stop using the MMU as it was unsafe.
17:52After that, engineers invented Safer.
17:57Jet packs and cables are reliable safety systems.
18:00But the best protection for an astronaut in space is their skills.
18:04Each astronaut has six years of higher education and several more years of training.
18:10They spend many hours training in virtual reality with spacewalk simulations.
18:15They train their body, endurance, and mind,
18:19since the main thing in a dangerous situation in space is not to panic and stay calm.