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Join us on a captivating journey through space exploration and the fascinating challenges it presents.
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00:03Houston, we've got good news.
00:05A group of select humans is being interviewed to hop on board the first commercial vacation to outer space.
00:10The space agency has given you a survey to answer.
00:13They want to know what you would pack on this space adventure.
00:16Depending on your answers, you just might be one of the chosen ones.
00:20Now how about we take a look at that list together.
00:28Pencils.
00:29I guess I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense.
00:32Legend has it that the U.S. spent millions of dollars trying to design a pen that worked in space.
00:37You know, since the lack of gravity is a huge, I mean, inescapable, factor of life in outer space, pens
00:44don't work.
00:45The ink won't flow down as it does here on Earth.
00:48It turns out that pencils will do the trick.
00:50This way you can play word puzzles with the other space tourists, or even make some drawings of your adventure.
00:56You'd never forget to pack a toothbrush, of course.
00:59According to veteran astronauts, toothbrushes are so simple, yet their technology is enough for space.
01:05If you were to squeeze a water bottle inside a spacecraft, the molecules of water would float around in small
01:10bubbles.
01:11But if you wet your toothbrush, it naturally holds the water in it, keeping it moist to receive your toothpaste.
01:17Oh, I was going to say funny socks.
01:19Glad that you beat me to it.
01:21Here are two things.
01:22First, there's not a lot of walking that goes on in space.
01:26People don't tend to touch the ground too much up there.
01:28And second, space isn't the best place to showcase your fashion style.
01:33Astronauts tend to use special clothes while they're out there.
01:36And it will be no different for you as a space vacationer.
01:39So socks will keep your feet warm and fuzzy, but they'll also speak for your fashion interest.
01:43Maybe one day you'll wear a smiley face sock, while the other day you'll go for a Grinch-themed one.
01:49Of course, socks are pretty helpful on board an aircraft.
01:51They'll make you slide through stuff more easily.
01:54Next time I go to the convenience store, I'll remember to buy some wet wipes for your space travel.
01:59Experienced space travelers do love them.
02:01And it wasn't even NASA that invented them, huh?
02:04Since water is a no-go inside a spaceship, the best option is wet wipes.
02:09Better yet if they're scented.
02:11Astronauts even use different kinds of wipes.
02:13They buy the disinfecting ones and the ones to use on their bodies.
02:16Just make sure you know how to tell the difference between them when you're up there.
02:20There's a popular myth that says that NASA invented Velcro.
02:23But, the truth is, we tend to think that everything that's used in space was invented by NASA for a
02:28very intelligent and specific purpose.
02:30It wasn't though.
02:32Velcro was invented for mundane reasons back in the 1950s by a Swiss company.
02:36They were adopted by space travelers because they work as anti-gravity props.
02:40They don't erase gravity, of course.
02:42But you can glue Velcros into daily stuff and then hang them on the Velcro attached to the spaceship's walls.
02:48It's a very smart system, but best to take your own pair, right?
02:52If you're spending a long time in outer space, photographs from back home might come in handy.
02:57Choose them well, though.
02:59Since the spacecraft isn't all that big, the rest of the people on board will know which pictures you decided
03:04to bring along.
03:05Best to keep that Harry Styles poster back in your earthly bedroom, right?
03:08Just bring real pictures of people that you know and love.
03:12Did I hear pizza?
03:15A huge part of traveling and exploring new places is being able to taste different flavors of food.
03:20In outer space, that's a bit more complicated.
03:24But hey, at least you can take some pizza with you.
03:27Well, actually you'd have to have it delivered to you in a cargo ship.
03:30This way, ingredients would come fresh and ready to eat.
03:33It wouldn't be the first time that people in space tried eating earthling junk food.
03:37Some astronauts have even eaten crepes and hot dogs.
03:40Perhaps the best part of this pizza party would be that your food could float.
03:44Now isn't this a super nice way to enjoy some earth delicacies?
03:47Hmm, as much as I understand your desire to pack a toilet with you on this space trip, that's virtually
03:52impossible.
03:53I mean, I understand you.
03:55Some people are attached to the toilets in their homes.
03:57And a space toilet is far from the ideal experience.
04:00But NASA has been improving their toilet system.
04:03And it's the best it's been over the years.
04:06So that will have to do.
04:08Here's something I would take as well.
04:09A laptop.
04:11But what good would it do in outer space, you might ask?
04:14Apparently, there is internet all over the International Space Station.
04:18So even if you're not spending most of your trip docked at the ISS,
04:21you could enjoy some Netflix on the days you spend over there.
04:24There is internet all over the ISS, apparently.
04:27Crazy, huh?
04:28And speaking of leisure, I love that you would take a yo-yo.
04:31I'm not sure how efficient it would be in space, since there's no gravity to bounce it back and forth.
04:36But it would be nice to see how a yo-yo reacts in a gravity-free environment.
04:41Oh, I love jigsaw puzzles.
04:43This would definitely be on my list as well.
04:45Imagine trying to build a jigsaw puzzle that keeps floating in the air.
04:49Maybe you'll have to create a system to avoid the separate pieces floating aimlessly through the spacecraft.
04:54But imagine once you finish that turtle puzzle, it will look like it's swimming around the craft.
04:59You can't pack a window, but they sure are an important part of life in outer space.
05:04Let's keep in mind some of the rules of the trip.
05:06Each traveler will have the opportunity to do one spacewalk during their time in space.
05:14This is already huge.
05:16Consider yourself lucky.
05:17Some elite astronauts only get to do one spacewalk during their entire career.
05:21That is so, because spacewalks are risky and require a lot of training.
05:25But you'll get your training once you're up there.
05:27The thing is, all other days you'll be stuck inside a floating tin can.
05:31So windows will come a long way.
05:35They'll help to remind you where you are.
05:37They'll give you some perspective of space and Earth.
05:40Of course, you should take your camera.
05:42How else will you be able to register for this once-in-a-lifetime experience?
05:46Just make sure it works inside an aircraft or the ISS, and you're good to go.
05:51Hmm?
05:52Coffee?
05:53Don't worry.
05:54You don't need to pack your own.
05:55Up until recently, astronauts had to rely solely on instantly-brewed cups of coffee when they were in space.
06:01But you're lucky that coffee experts have already solved this issue.
06:04Nowadays, there's the ISS Espresso Machine.
06:08The machine itself is similar in size to an Earthling Espresso Machine.
06:12But to drink it, space travelers have to use a zero-gravity coffee cup together with a straw.
06:17If you try drinking it regularly, you wouldn't get hot coffee to hit you directly in your face.
06:22Instead, the coffee would be glued to the bottom of your cup.
06:25I have to say I really stand this invention.
06:28Last, but not least, why not pack your guitar with you?
06:32I noticed you were missing a musical instrument.
06:34If this was a conventional flight, you might have to pay extra for luggage.
06:38But since it's all included, don't be shy and take your guitar.
06:43Astronauts such as Chris Hadfield take their musical instruments with them when they're in space.
06:47He even became famous for his version of Bowie's Space Oddity.
06:50Up to the point that Bowie himself told him he lived Chris's version of it.
06:54It helps to pass the time, but it's also great for socializing.
06:58Can you imagine a pretend bonfire happening in the void of space?
07:01I can.
07:02And it looks super cool.
07:04Well, I think you're set to go.
07:06I'll personally call NASA and ask them to pick you as one of the lucky space travelers.
07:10See you in outer space, amigo.
07:14NASA has some incredible plans for the moon.
07:17For example, their next ambitious lunar program, Artemis 2.
07:21They've set their sights on landing astronauts, including the first woman and the next man, on the moon by 2024.
07:28Artemis is all about building a sustainable presence on the moon.
07:31They're planning to establish a lunar gateway, a sort of space station in lunar orbit,
07:36which will serve as a jumping-off point for lunar landings.
07:39And let's not forget about the cool lunar landers.
07:42Scientists are developing the mighty Space Launch System rocket,
07:44which will launch the Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts towards the moon.
07:48Then there's the human landing system, a snazzy lunar lander that will gently touch down on the moon's surface,
07:54allowing astronauts to explore and conduct amazing scientific experiments.
07:59And NASA isn't going alone this time.
08:02They're teaming up with international partners, like the European Space Agency,
08:06to make this lunar dream a reality.
08:08But all these wonderful dreams might be ruined by something that seems super small and insignificant at first.
08:15Picture this.
08:16No atmosphere.
08:17No air to breathe.
08:19And suddenly, a mysterious haze and radiant beams of light appear at sunrise and sunset.
08:25It's as if the moon is putting on a celestial show.
08:28But there is a twist to this beauty.
08:30During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972,
08:34this beautiful sight made one of the NASA astronauts, Harrison Schmidt, sneeze and made his eyes water.
08:41He called it lunar hay fever.
08:44This mysterious fever affected all 12 moonwalkers.
08:47From sneezing fits to stuffy noses,
08:49those astronauts experienced symptoms as if they caught a cold.
08:53It took days for the reactions to fade away.
08:55This event led to a discovery about lunar dust and its darker side.
09:01When scientists found out about these rays,
09:03they rolled up their sleeves and delved into their origins.
09:06And here's what they discovered.
09:08Those radiant bands of light were actually caused by sunlight sneaking through layers of teeny tiny lunar dust.
09:15The dust was composed of small particles and sharp glass shards and was lurking everywhere.
09:21And it turned out that this lunar dust was a sneaky villain.
09:24It brought a whole host of problems.
09:27Astronauts who found themselves with impaired vision were just the beginning.
09:31The troublemaker went even further,
09:33damaging precious machinery and causing electronic malfunctions.
09:37It even had the audacity to corrode components
09:40and smelled like burnt gunpowder inside the spacecraft.
09:44Yikes.
09:45It clings to everything, coating surfaces like a mischievous blanket.
09:48It can clog up equipment, get into delicate machinery, and even mess with astronauts' spacesuits.
09:55In 1972, things got really hairy again.
09:58The Apollo 17 astronauts faced a nightmare.
10:02After just 22 hours of gallivanting on the lunar surface,
10:05their spacesuits suffered irreparable damage.
10:08Yes, you heard that right.
10:10Irreparable.
10:11The dust diminished astronauts' mobility,
10:13making it harder for them to move around and perform their moonwalks with grace.
10:17And no matter how hard they tried to clean it off,
10:20it clung on for dear life,
10:22leaving the spacesuits in a sorry state.
10:25So, as you can see, it poses some serious challenges for future moon missions.
10:29But our intrepid scientists aren't giving up.
10:32To solve this problem,
10:34they have to understand how lunar dust forms and why it's so darn clingy.
10:38They found out that it all begins with meteorite impacts.
10:41When these space rocks crash into the moon,
10:44they generate a fine dust that fills the air.
10:46Sometimes, these impacts even cause minerals to melt,
10:49forming sharp glass shards that mix with the dust.
10:52Talk about a moon makeover.
10:54The dust is also filled with silicate,
10:57a material commonly found on volcanic planets.
11:00Silicate inhalation can cause serious lung problems for Earth's miners,
11:04so you can imagine the trouble it can cause on the moon.
11:06A recent study found that even a scoop of replica moon dust
11:10was toxic enough to destroy up to 90% of lung and brain cells exposed to it.
11:14But it gets worse.
11:16The low gravity on the moon
11:17allows those tiny particles to float around for much longer,
11:21penetrating deeper into the lungs.
11:23Imagine breathing particles 50 times smaller than a human hair for months.
11:27That's a recipe for trouble.
11:29And you see, on the moon's surface,
11:32things are a bit different than here.
11:34There are no rainstorms or strong gusts of wind to blow this dust away.
11:38There is also no atmosphere to protect the surface.
11:41So without the natural forces of wind and water erosion like we have on Earth,
11:46these dry particles stick around persistently.
11:48And to make matters more electrifying,
11:51the moon is constantly showered by radiation from the sun.
11:54This exposure gives the dust an electric charge.
11:57The solar winds create positively and negatively charged particles.
12:01The particles then buzz around,
12:03repelling each other and giving rise to those radiant bands of light
12:06that the Apollo 8 astronauts witnessed.
12:09It's like a disco party on the moon.
12:13ESA, the European Space Agency,
12:16has gathered a team of experts to study the lunar dust.
12:19They're working with simulated moon dust
12:21mined from a volcanic region in Germany
12:23to understand its behavior and effects.
12:25Engineers also need to find a way to protect future astronauts and equipment.
12:30Engineers and NASA want to create spacesuits that can survive not one,
12:34not ten,
12:34but a whopping 100 extravehicular activities on the lunar surface.
12:39That's like spending 800 hours out there,
12:42exploring and having a blast.
12:44Besides that,
12:45NASA initiated the Breakthrough Innovative and Game-Changing Idea Challenge in 2021.
12:50It was open to clever university students from all over the world.
12:54These young minds put their thinking caps on
12:57and unleashed a wave of innovative solutions.
12:59For example,
13:00they proposed using special fibers that conduct electricity,
13:04inspired by fluffy chinchilla hair.
13:06Just like how chinchillas stay dust-free,
13:09these fibers would help keep the lunar dust at bay.
13:12A furry friend lending a helping paw, isn't that adorable?
13:16Another bright idea involved an electrically charged brush activated by UV radiation.
13:21It's like a magical wand that zaps away the dust with a flick.
13:26Abracadabra,
13:27lunar dust be gone.
13:28And let's not forget the fabric inspired by clever insects.
13:31These insects have pollen-collecting structures that repel unwanted dust.
13:36So our ingenious students thought,
13:38why not mimic that?
13:39They designed a fabric with similar properties,
13:42creating a shield against the sneaky lunar particles.
13:45What's remarkable about these ideas
13:47is that they all use the power of charge to fight the dust.
13:50They cleverly repel it from the spacesuits,
13:53keeping them clean and protected.
13:55And even though all these ideas sound pretty great,
13:59scientists and NASA unleashed another,
14:01even better solution.
14:03Carbon nanotubes.
14:04It's a great way to revolutionize spacesuit fabric.
14:08What makes these carbon nanotubes so special?
14:11Well, they possess some amazing superpowers.
14:14First off, they're superconductive,
14:17meaning they can carry electricity like nobody's business.
14:19It's like having a lightning bolt trapped inside a microscopic tube.
14:23Not only that,
14:24but these carbon nanotubes are tougher than the toughest meteors.
14:28They have the strength to withstand the harsh lunar environment,
14:31where even a speck of dust can cause trouble.
14:34Imagine having a suit made of a material that's stronger than Superman's cape.
14:39So, NASA's scientists decided to weave these extraordinary carbon nanotubes
14:43into the spacesuit fabric.
14:45The electrodes were carefully integrated into the outer layer of the fabric,
14:49making it a force to be reckoned with.
14:51But how do they banish the lunar dust?
14:54Well, here comes electrifying science again.
14:57When activated by a special alternating current,
15:00the electrodes create powerful electric fields.
15:03These fields work like magnets,
15:05repelling both charged and uncharged dust particles away from the spacesuit.
15:10Picture this like a dance party,
15:11where the dust particles are the uninvited guests,
15:14and the electric fields are the bouncers,
15:17swiftly escorting them out.
15:18Thanks to this technology,
15:20lunar dust doesn't stand a chance against our astronauts.
15:23Also on the bright side,
15:25the lunar soil can be used to make bricks for shelters.
15:28It can also help extract oxygen for astronauts
15:30to survive on the moon for long periods of time.
15:33When life gives you lemons,
15:35make a lemonade, right?
15:37So, let's cheer on our NASA dream team
15:40as they embark on this epic lunar quest.
15:42Let's hope that they succeed in their findings,
15:44and the next moon mission won't be a big problem.
15:47Stay tuned!
15:49Have you ever wondered why all planets are perfectly round?
15:52And what if these celestial bodies decided to break the rules
15:55and change their shape?
15:56Would we end up with square planets,
15:58triangular moons,
16:00or maybe even intergalactic shapes we can't even imagine?
16:03Well, let's find out.
16:06So how do planets form in the first place?
16:08The universe is filled with swirling clouds of dust and gas.
16:12These clouds, called molecular clouds,
16:14consist of various elements and compounds,
16:16such as hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, and so on.
16:19They're like a cosmic kitchen
16:21filled with the ingredients needed
16:22to cook up some brand new planets.
16:26The first step in the recipe for planetary formation
16:29is called the accretion theory.
16:31Let's say that something happens
16:33that causes gravitational instability,
16:36like a supernova goes off nearby or something.
16:39This pushes the gas and dust in the cloud
16:41and causes them to come together.
16:45Because of gravity,
16:46these particles start falling toward a central point.
16:49They become more tightly packed together,
16:52like when you squeeze a ball in your hand.
16:54And eventually,
16:56they're squeezed so hard
16:57that the cloud starts to flatten into a disk shape.
17:00Kind of like when you mix flour and water
17:02to make pizza dough.
17:04This disk is called a protoplanetary disk.
17:08It's also spinning
17:09because the cloud's particles
17:10had some rotation to begin with.
17:13Now, imagine these tiny dust particles
17:15and gas molecules dancing around in the disk.
17:18Sometimes, they bump into each other.
17:20And when they do,
17:22they stick together like Velcro.
17:24These little clumps of dust and gas
17:26are called planetesimals.
17:28They're the building blocks of planets.
17:30And as the planetesimals
17:32continued to collide and merge,
17:33they grew larger and larger,
17:35forming protoplanets.
17:37The protoplanets were getting serious
17:39about their size,
17:40and their gravity became stronger.
17:42Some of them got so massive
17:44that they became the grandmasters
17:45of their cosmic neighborhoods,
17:47the planets we know and love.
17:50Each planet had its own unique recipe
17:52of gases, rocks, and sometimes even water.
17:54But why do the planets look like spheres?
17:56Well, it's all because of gravity.
18:00Let's go back to our protoplanets.
18:02Imagine you're squeezing a balloon with your hands.
18:04The air inside of the balloon pushes back,
18:07creating pressure.
18:08Something similar happens with planets.
18:11Gravity squeezes its material inward,
18:13pulling in towards the center.
18:15And since gravity acts equally in all directions,
18:18it pulls material from all sides
18:20toward the center of mass,
18:22resulting in a sphere-like shape.
18:25And that material pushes back with pressure,
18:27resisting the force of gravity.
18:29In the end, they both find a sweet spot
18:32where they balance each other out.
18:34It's called hydrostatic equilibrium,
18:37a fancy term that means
18:38everything inside a planet is in balance.
18:40But that's not all.
18:41Another thing that makes the planet spherical
18:43is their rotation.
18:45Think about a ball of Play-Doh
18:46or something like that.
18:47Imagine you spin it rapidly.
18:50The material starts to push outward,
18:52making the Play-Doh bulge at the equator
18:54and flatten at the poles.
18:56The same thing happens to planets
18:58as they spin on their axes.
19:00The combination of gravity and rotation
19:03pushes the material outward,
19:05making the planet bulge at the equator.
19:07They low-key want to become disks again.
19:10However, gravity doesn't want any lumpy planets.
19:13It wants them to be nice and round.
19:15So it keeps pulling on the material,
19:17trying to make everything as compact as possible.
19:20Eventually, gravity wins,
19:22and the planet settles into a spherical shape.
19:25Let's take some examples from our planetary playlist.
19:29Jupiter, the giant of the solar system,
19:31loves to show off its ablateness.
19:33It spins so fast that it becomes
19:35noticeably squished at the poles
19:37and chubby in the middle.
19:38It's like a spinning top with a cute belly.
19:41Saturn, the ringed wonder,
19:42also joins the oblate party.
19:44It spins around with its beautiful rings,
19:46and its ablateness is even more pronounced than Jupiter's.
19:50These examples show how rotation
19:51can give planets a unique shape.
19:53They go from being perfectly round
19:55to having a delightful bulge around the middle.
19:58It's like cosmic pottery,
19:59where the spinning motion creates
20:01a playful and distinct shape.
20:02So, now you know why the planets are round.
20:05But what's more interesting is,
20:07what if they weren't?
20:08What if they were, let's say, cubicle,
20:09or even triangular?
20:11Well, let's see.
20:14A cube-shaped, or a triangle-shaped planet
20:17would have its mass spread out
20:18in a completely different way than a sphere.
20:20And you know what that means?
20:22Gravity would be all shook up too.
20:24On a spherical planet,
20:26gravity pulls everything towards the center
20:28because the mass is evenly distributed
20:30around that center.
20:31But when we introduce a cube-shaped,
20:33or triangle-shaped planet,
20:34things get interesting.
20:36If you're standing at the center
20:38of one of those faces,
20:39you'd feel the strongest pull of gravity.
20:42That's because the faces
20:43are the closest to the center of gravity.
20:45And as you venture away from the center
20:48and start walking towards the edges,
20:49gravity starts playing tricks on you.
20:52You would feel the struggle
20:53against the steep-angled gravity.
20:56Walking on those edges
20:57would feel just like climbing a mountain,
20:59or walking on a super-steep slope.
21:02All because gravity wants you
21:04right in the middle of the face,
21:05and nowhere else.
21:07Now imagine the terrain
21:09along the edges and corners.
21:11It's a barren, rocky, and dry landscape.
21:14Why?
21:15Well, all the water would pool in
21:16at the center of each face,
21:18leaving the edges high and dry.
21:20And the air quality?
21:21Well, it's either non-existent
21:23or so thin that it can't support life.
21:25Not the coziest place to set up camp,
21:27that's for sure.
21:28And don't forget your warm clothes,
21:30lunch, and hiking boots.
21:31You'll need them because of the crazy climate.
21:34The type of climate you'll encounter
21:36on our cube or triangle-shaped earth
21:38depends on how it spins.
21:39If it rotates at its corners,
21:41each side would enjoy
21:42a mild, temperate climate.
21:44However, if it rotates on an axis
21:46through two of its faces,
21:48things get intense.
21:50Picture a rollercoaster version
21:51of our current climate.
21:53Some faces would be polar wonderlands,
21:55icy and chilly.
21:56The top and bottom faces for the cube,
21:58and the bottom face for the triangle.
22:01Meanwhile, the other sides
22:02would be completely different.
22:04In a cube, they would be scorching hot
22:07with an equatorial climate
22:08that would make you break a sweat.
22:10Instead of sunlight gently curving
22:12along the surface,
22:13it would directly beam onto these faces.
22:15Talk about feeling the heat.
22:18And on a triangular planet,
22:20the sunlight would strike the faces
22:22at an angle.
22:23This angled sunlight would create
22:25fascinating temperature variations
22:26across the planet.
22:28Imagine this.
22:29As you move from the base of the triangle
22:32towards the tip,
22:33the temperatures would gradually decrease.
22:35The base,
22:35where the sunlight hits most directly,
22:38would be the hottest region,
22:39just like the equatorial climate
22:41we're familiar with
22:42on our spherical Earth.
22:43But as you venture towards the tip,
22:45the angle of sunlight would be less direct,
22:47leading to cooler temperatures.
22:48But the base is still super cold and dark,
22:51since the sunlight doesn't directly reach it.
22:53So the triangle would be absolutely crazy
22:56in terms of temperature changes
22:57and climate zones.
22:59By the way,
23:00you know that cozy blanket of air
23:01we call the atmosphere?
23:03Well,
23:03on our angular Earth,
23:05things would get a little topsy-turvy.
23:07Gravity would be pulling stronger
23:09from the center of each face.
23:10The result?
23:11The atmosphere would go through
23:13some crazy changes.
23:14Picture this.
23:15At the center of each face,
23:17where gravity is strongest,
23:18the atmosphere would gather and thicken.
23:20It would be like a bustling city,
23:22full of air molecules.
23:23But as you venture towards the edges,
23:26things would start to thin out.
23:27The atmosphere would become scarce
23:29and very thin.
23:30So breathing along the edges
23:32would be quite a challenge,
23:33and the edges would be a tough neighborhood
23:35for life to thrive.
23:37Moreover,
23:37a thinner atmosphere
23:38means less protection
23:39from the sun's radiation
23:40and solar winds.
23:42So corners and edges
23:43would be extremely dangerous
23:44for humans.
23:45Of course,
23:46this is all just a playful exploration
23:48of what could be.
23:49Our Earth loves its spherical shape,
23:51and that's a good thing.
23:52But there's no harm
23:53in imagining wild
23:54and wonderful possibilities.
23:55So keep your imagination soaring
23:57and continue to marvel
23:58at the marvels of our amazing planet,
24:00however it may be shaped.
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