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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,690 NASA has set its sights on Mars. 2 00:00:08,690 --> 00:00:12,106 Its goal is to send humans to the red planet 3 00:00:12,130 --> 00:00:14,946 in the next 20 years. 4 00:00:14,970 --> 00:00:16,346 Looking up at Mars in the sky, 5 00:00:16,370 --> 00:00:18,046 I really do feel like I'm looking at a place 6 00:00:18,070 --> 00:00:22,046 that someday there will be people walking around on it. 7 00:00:22,070 --> 00:00:25,816 It feels so much like earth in so many ways, 8 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,356 and it's a place that really captures my imagination 9 00:00:29,380 --> 00:00:30,886 as a result. 10 00:00:30,910 --> 00:00:32,296 It's the most earthlike environment 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,056 we see in our solar system. 12 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,026 So we're not going to leave it alone. 13 00:00:36,050 --> 00:00:38,766 We're going to try to do this. 14 00:00:38,790 --> 00:00:41,466 But conquering our planetary neighbor 15 00:00:41,490 --> 00:00:45,336 is a tougher challenge than we ever thought possible. 16 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,406 It's an isolated environment 17 00:00:47,430 --> 00:00:49,446 where a million things can go wrong, 18 00:00:49,470 --> 00:00:52,500 where there's absolutely no hope of rescue. 19 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:56,116 There are so many hurdles to overcome 20 00:00:56,140 --> 00:00:59,486 for human exploration of Mars, and it makes it quite difficult. 21 00:00:59,510 --> 00:01:03,086 Sure, we can get there, but are we going to be in one piece? 22 00:01:03,110 --> 00:01:07,626 Sometimes it feels like Mars is designed to keep us away. 23 00:01:07,650 --> 00:01:10,250 Are we doomed to fail in this endeavor? 24 00:01:11,660 --> 00:01:14,636 Captions by vitac... www.vitac.com 25 00:01:14,660 --> 00:01:17,690 captions paid for by discovery communications 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,076 ♪ 27 00:01:26,100 --> 00:01:30,316 The red planet... earth's neighbor 28 00:01:30,340 --> 00:01:36,026 and the destination of NASA's most ambitious mission to date. 29 00:01:36,050 --> 00:01:38,696 But this expedition will be harder 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,226 than we ever thought possible. 31 00:01:41,250 --> 00:01:44,066 It hurts to think of how hard it is. 32 00:01:44,090 --> 00:01:47,736 It's the farthest a human being has ever been from the earth. 33 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,206 We got to take every precaution 34 00:01:50,230 --> 00:01:53,036 as NASA's astronauts arrive at Mars, 35 00:01:53,060 --> 00:01:55,946 they'll face a huge obstacle. 36 00:01:55,970 --> 00:01:59,500 Landing on the planet is a daunting task. 37 00:02:02,540 --> 00:02:07,686 In the past, Mars hasn't always rolled out the welcome mat. 38 00:02:07,710 --> 00:02:10,456 Mars is kind of like a graveyard for spacecraft. 39 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,356 It's actually really hard to send something from earth 40 00:02:13,380 --> 00:02:15,796 and land it on Mars. 41 00:02:15,820 --> 00:02:18,096 This is how the European space agency 42 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,166 hoped its $250 million Schiaparelli lander 43 00:02:22,190 --> 00:02:24,890 would touch down in 2016... 44 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:30,370 ...but the lander's systems got it wrong. 45 00:02:31,470 --> 00:02:36,346 The parachute detached early, sending the craft into free fall 46 00:02:36,370 --> 00:02:38,110 for 33 seconds. 47 00:02:40,340 --> 00:02:42,526 Schiaparelli smashed into the surface 48 00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:46,196 at 335 miles an hour, 49 00:02:46,220 --> 00:02:51,366 leaving a deep, black scar on the martian landscape. 50 00:02:51,390 --> 00:02:52,696 It turns out that Mars is actually 51 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,506 a particularly difficult planet to land on. 52 00:02:55,530 --> 00:02:57,506 Even humanity's most brilliant engineers, 53 00:02:57,530 --> 00:02:59,636 we've got about a 50% success rate 54 00:02:59,660 --> 00:03:02,506 when it comes to landing on Mars. 55 00:03:02,530 --> 00:03:05,846 The red planet is littered with dead spacecraft 56 00:03:05,870 --> 00:03:08,000 that didn't stick the landing. 57 00:03:10,140 --> 00:03:13,356 And for NASA's first crewed descent to Mars, 58 00:03:13,380 --> 00:03:17,956 the space agency must learn from these mistakes. 59 00:03:17,980 --> 00:03:20,896 But as the crew hurdles toward the surface 60 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:22,666 they're battling the same problem 61 00:03:22,690 --> 00:03:25,450 as all the landers that failed before. 62 00:03:29,290 --> 00:03:30,666 The martian atmosphere 63 00:03:30,690 --> 00:03:33,136 is 100 times thinner than earth's 64 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:34,906 so it can't provide the drag needed 65 00:03:34,930 --> 00:03:38,716 to slow a spacecraft down. 66 00:03:38,740 --> 00:03:40,246 So it's not like the earth, where you can have 67 00:03:40,270 --> 00:03:41,786 these big, giant parachutes 68 00:03:41,810 --> 00:03:44,870 that gently glide you down to the surface. 69 00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:51,410 You can use some of the air, but it's hard. 70 00:03:53,580 --> 00:03:55,796 The red planet's thin atmosphere 71 00:03:55,820 --> 00:04:00,096 is a problem that's been billions of years in the making. 72 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,396 Mars doesn't have a large atmosphere 73 00:04:01,420 --> 00:04:04,636 because it's constantly being peeled away 74 00:04:04,660 --> 00:04:07,900 due to the lack of protection of a magnetic field. 75 00:04:10,370 --> 00:04:14,876 The solar wind can strip away an atmosphere. 76 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:18,816 On earth, a liquid metal core creates a magnetic field 77 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:22,680 which shields the planet and helps maintain the atmosphere. 78 00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:29,126 Mars is different. 79 00:04:29,150 --> 00:04:31,496 4.5 billion years ago, 80 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,590 Mars and earth formed from dust and gas in space. 81 00:04:38,730 --> 00:04:42,776 Mars forms where building materials were scarce. 82 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,616 Its growth was stunted. 83 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,986 So Mars is much smaller than the earth. 84 00:04:49,010 --> 00:04:51,016 It's a factor of 10 smaller than the earth, 85 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,586 and that factor of 10 in mass is important. 86 00:04:54,610 --> 00:04:58,526 All of that extra mass allows the inside of the earth 87 00:04:58,550 --> 00:05:01,496 to stay warm and to have a core that's rotating, 88 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,020 which generates a magnetic field. 89 00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:08,506 4 billion years ago, the churning heart of Mars 90 00:05:08,530 --> 00:05:11,190 started to cool and solidify. 91 00:05:13,300 --> 00:05:18,416 With no hot core, there's no magnetic field being generated. 92 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,016 All of the high-velocity charged particles coming from the sun 93 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,870 pick away at the atmosphere and slowly tear it away. 94 00:05:27,910 --> 00:05:30,526 We know it's losing atmosphere every second 95 00:05:30,550 --> 00:05:31,856 due to the solar wind. 96 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,680 So, you know, bye-bye atmosphere. 97 00:05:39,290 --> 00:05:43,866 ♪ 98 00:05:43,890 --> 00:05:46,436 With little martian atmosphere to work with, 99 00:05:46,460 --> 00:05:50,306 NASA had to be creative to get its crewless landers 100 00:05:50,330 --> 00:05:52,046 to the martian surface. 101 00:05:52,070 --> 00:05:57,316 ♪ 102 00:05:57,340 --> 00:06:00,586 In 2012, the revolutionary sky crane 103 00:06:00,610 --> 00:06:05,680 landed the curiosity rover using parachutes and retro rockets. 104 00:06:08,550 --> 00:06:11,196 Previous missions have used both a parachute 105 00:06:11,220 --> 00:06:13,566 and something else like a bouncy ball 106 00:06:13,590 --> 00:06:15,836 inflated around the spacecraft. 107 00:06:15,860 --> 00:06:21,506 ♪ 108 00:06:21,530 --> 00:06:24,146 I don't think a human crew is going to be too pleased 109 00:06:24,170 --> 00:06:25,746 if they're gonna be bouncing onto the surface 110 00:06:25,770 --> 00:06:29,016 in an airbag, rolling to a stop, right? 111 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:34,816 To land people on Mars, NASA will need some new tricks. 112 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:39,096 The 2020 rover will overcome the challenge with the advanced 113 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,366 supersonic parachute inflation research experiment, 114 00:06:43,390 --> 00:06:46,436 a.s.p.i.r.e. 115 00:06:46,460 --> 00:06:50,736 It will rapidly slow down the craft 116 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,930 with the force of an airplane jet engine. 117 00:06:56,630 --> 00:06:58,076 This is fine for the rover. 118 00:06:58,100 --> 00:06:59,746 It's actually gonna work no problem. 119 00:06:59,770 --> 00:07:02,846 But it's not going to work for people. 120 00:07:02,870 --> 00:07:05,216 A human lander will weigh far more 121 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,386 than the 2,300-pound rover. 122 00:07:08,410 --> 00:07:10,286 Not even supersonic parachutes 123 00:07:10,310 --> 00:07:12,780 could land a crew safely on Mars. 124 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,226 NASA will need a new plan. 125 00:07:18,250 --> 00:07:22,266 One idea is to use the thin martian atmosphere 126 00:07:22,290 --> 00:07:24,206 in a unique way. 127 00:07:24,230 --> 00:07:26,536 There's an idea of coming in really fast, 128 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,476 getting to the thick part of the atmosphere, 129 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:30,646 and then going horizontal to the ground 130 00:07:30,670 --> 00:07:33,730 and gliding and losing your momentum that way. 131 00:07:37,870 --> 00:07:39,586 As the astronauts descend, 132 00:07:39,610 --> 00:07:43,726 they tilt the nose of the lander towards the martian surface 133 00:07:43,750 --> 00:07:46,356 aiming for the thickest part of the atmosphere 134 00:07:46,380 --> 00:07:48,666 close to the ground. 135 00:07:48,690 --> 00:07:51,396 Then they pull up at the last second 136 00:07:51,420 --> 00:07:55,020 using friction from the atmosphere to slow the craft. 137 00:07:57,090 --> 00:08:01,076 Descent engines switch on for the final touchdown. 138 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:08,346 ♪ 139 00:08:08,370 --> 00:08:09,816 Is this a crazy idea? 140 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,516 I mean, yeah, it's a little bit weird. 141 00:08:12,540 --> 00:08:13,886 I don't know if we'd really think about it, 142 00:08:13,910 --> 00:08:15,256 doing something like this, 143 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,526 but, I mean, you've got to think outside the box sometimes. 144 00:08:18,550 --> 00:08:22,166 Right now, NASA's plans for landing a craft on Mars 145 00:08:22,190 --> 00:08:24,266 are still on the drawing board. 146 00:08:24,290 --> 00:08:27,866 But even if they can get astronauts onto the surface, 147 00:08:27,890 --> 00:08:32,706 the thin atmosphere isn't done with them yet. 148 00:08:32,730 --> 00:08:35,406 It causes swirling dust storms 149 00:08:35,430 --> 00:08:38,046 that cover the planet's entire surface. 150 00:08:38,070 --> 00:08:39,646 Mars doesn't just have dust devils. 151 00:08:39,670 --> 00:08:42,346 It has dust hell. 152 00:08:42,370 --> 00:08:47,340 And these towering clouds have killed before. 153 00:08:58,050 --> 00:09:03,236 ♪ 154 00:09:03,260 --> 00:09:07,936 If NASA's astronauts arrive on Mars as planned, in 2035, 155 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,646 the settlers will find one of the red planet's 156 00:09:10,670 --> 00:09:13,730 biggest challenges is its dust. 157 00:09:17,140 --> 00:09:18,656 It's sticky, 158 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:20,716 basically, light from the sun 159 00:09:20,740 --> 00:09:22,656 can give the stuff a static charge 160 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:24,656 and then it clings to stuff. 161 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:26,256 So it's not just a matter of, like, you know, 162 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,026 standing on a doormat outside your your space habitat 163 00:09:29,050 --> 00:09:30,466 and shaking yourself off. 164 00:09:30,490 --> 00:09:31,626 It's gonna get in your space suit. 165 00:09:31,650 --> 00:09:33,296 It's gonna coat your visor. 166 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:34,800 It's going to cover your solar panels. 167 00:09:36,230 --> 00:09:38,636 If you get it in your lungs, it's not a good thing. 168 00:09:38,660 --> 00:09:41,400 We have to figure out how to clear this stuff out. 169 00:09:43,170 --> 00:09:46,546 300 feet. 170 00:09:46,570 --> 00:09:50,046 Through the '60s and '70s, 171 00:09:50,070 --> 00:09:53,716 Apollo astronauts walked on the moon. 172 00:09:53,740 --> 00:09:55,856 When they returned to their landing module, 173 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,350 they brought moon dust back with them. 174 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,426 The lunar dust clogged seals, caused equipment to overheat, 175 00:10:04,450 --> 00:10:07,496 and resulted in false instrument readings. 176 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,706 It even made the astronauts sick. 177 00:10:10,730 --> 00:10:13,906 You don't want to be breathing in fine, dusty material 178 00:10:13,930 --> 00:10:16,606 by itself, you can get things like silicosis. 179 00:10:16,630 --> 00:10:19,276 It's, you know, almost basically a lung cancer 180 00:10:19,300 --> 00:10:21,146 that you can get just from breathing the dust itself. 181 00:10:21,170 --> 00:10:23,846 You don't want to do that. 182 00:10:23,870 --> 00:10:27,586 The red planet is covered in sticky dust, 183 00:10:27,610 --> 00:10:32,150 and new research suggests it all came from one place... 184 00:10:35,750 --> 00:10:38,796 ...the Medusae Fossae formation. 185 00:10:38,820 --> 00:10:41,696 When the 600-mile-long volcanic deposit formed 186 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,406 3 billion years ago, 187 00:10:43,430 --> 00:10:47,506 it was around half the size of the United States, 188 00:10:47,530 --> 00:10:50,376 but the martian winds have eroded this structure 189 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,530 and spread the dust across the entire planet. 190 00:10:56,570 --> 00:10:58,816 When the wind whips up this dust, 191 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,626 it can have disastrous consequences. 192 00:11:02,650 --> 00:11:06,056 The real problem is just that all these fine particles 193 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,196 get lofted into the atmosphere, 194 00:11:08,220 --> 00:11:11,166 and it takes a really long time for them to settle back out. 195 00:11:11,190 --> 00:11:13,866 And what the dust does is it just gets up in the sky 196 00:11:13,890 --> 00:11:17,206 and it sits there and sits there and sits there. 197 00:11:17,230 --> 00:11:20,636 As more material gets lifted into the atmosphere, 198 00:11:20,660 --> 00:11:24,546 it forms huge dust storms. 199 00:11:24,570 --> 00:11:27,846 The storms are so large they block out the sunlight 200 00:11:27,870 --> 00:11:29,970 and cool the martian surface... 201 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,016 ...creating a temperature difference 202 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,626 between the ground and atmosphere 203 00:11:36,650 --> 00:11:40,510 that causes winds to increase and the storms to grow. 204 00:11:43,490 --> 00:11:46,896 And NASA's opportunity rover knows firsthand 205 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,666 the dangers of being trapped in one. 206 00:11:50,690 --> 00:11:54,936 Opportunity was a NASA rover sent to Mars 207 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,946 to hunt for signs of past water on the surface 208 00:11:59,970 --> 00:12:03,546 and potentially signs of past life. 209 00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:06,456 This is a rover that we really worked with so long, 210 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,926 knew so well, and who had come up with 211 00:12:08,950 --> 00:12:13,326 so many amazing new results from Mars. 212 00:12:13,350 --> 00:12:15,526 June 2018. 213 00:12:15,550 --> 00:12:18,590 Opportunity was 15 years into its mission... 214 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,736 ...when giant clouds of dust appeared on the horizon. 215 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:30,846 NASA could only watch as the storm grew and grew. 216 00:12:30,870 --> 00:12:34,716 Once this dust storm coated the entire planet, 217 00:12:34,740 --> 00:12:36,516 it blocked the sun. 218 00:12:36,540 --> 00:12:40,056 And the sun was the source of opportunity's power. 219 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:42,526 Opportunity works using solar panels, 220 00:12:42,550 --> 00:12:46,626 and so it gradually got less and less and less electricity. 221 00:12:46,650 --> 00:12:49,520 For opportunity, there was no escape. 222 00:12:51,790 --> 00:12:53,596 Lost in the darkness, 223 00:12:53,620 --> 00:12:58,206 opportunity's power reserves slowly ran dry. 224 00:12:58,230 --> 00:13:02,206 The rover fell silent. 225 00:13:02,230 --> 00:13:04,746 We thought, well, maybe once the dust storm clears up 226 00:13:04,770 --> 00:13:07,476 the panels can fire up again and we can get it back, 227 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:11,186 but it just never woke up. 228 00:13:11,210 --> 00:13:14,416 If NASA's astronauts do make it to Mars, 229 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,310 the storms could damage more than the crew's power supply. 230 00:13:21,620 --> 00:13:26,836 When the storms begin to blow, they crackle with electricity. 231 00:13:26,860 --> 00:13:28,766 Just like you can create a static charge 232 00:13:28,790 --> 00:13:30,166 by rubbing your foot on the carpet 233 00:13:30,190 --> 00:13:32,106 or a balloon on your hair, 234 00:13:32,130 --> 00:13:36,506 this happens at large scale in these dust storms on Mars. 235 00:13:36,530 --> 00:13:38,506 The sand grains rub up against each other, 236 00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:40,776 and that creates a static charge. 237 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,846 So you get these electrical flows that occur. 238 00:13:44,870 --> 00:13:47,286 Here on earth, we see this in volcanic eruptions 239 00:13:47,310 --> 00:13:49,886 as the dust, the ash burbling out 240 00:13:49,910 --> 00:13:51,226 of one of these huge eruptions. 241 00:13:51,250 --> 00:13:54,226 You'll see lightning discharges in those volcanic plumes 242 00:13:54,250 --> 00:13:57,096 from this same charge transfer. 243 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,466 If you're in a place with a lot of electrostatic discharge, 244 00:13:59,490 --> 00:14:01,336 that means sparks are going to fly, 245 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,776 which is really terrible for operating instruments. 246 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:07,476 To survive on Mars, 247 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:12,476 the settlers are going to need a protective shelter. 248 00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:15,816 The keyword to living on Mars is protection... 249 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:17,746 protection from the cold, 250 00:14:17,770 --> 00:14:19,556 protection from the lack of atmosphere, 251 00:14:19,580 --> 00:14:22,310 protection from the radiation from space. 252 00:14:25,310 --> 00:14:27,426 NASA could build shelters, 253 00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:32,366 but martian history offers them a shortcut. 254 00:14:32,390 --> 00:14:34,366 Millions of years ago, 255 00:14:34,390 --> 00:14:38,430 the planet's volcanoes erupted huge amounts of lava. 256 00:14:42,730 --> 00:14:44,146 But the silver lining is that, 257 00:14:44,170 --> 00:14:46,346 as the lava was flowing away, 258 00:14:46,370 --> 00:14:49,016 it did that through underground tubes. 259 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,616 And then as the lava evacuated away, 260 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,556 it left behind empty caverns, 261 00:14:52,580 --> 00:14:54,286 just like this really big lava tube 262 00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:57,286 that we're standing in right now. 263 00:14:57,310 --> 00:15:00,656 Martian gravity is a third as strong as earth's 264 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:04,126 thanks to the red planet's lower mass. 265 00:15:04,150 --> 00:15:06,666 So when martian lava flows underground, 266 00:15:06,690 --> 00:15:08,236 it meets less resistance 267 00:15:08,260 --> 00:15:11,606 and can carve out monstrous cave systems, 268 00:15:11,630 --> 00:15:14,006 natural astronaut shelters 269 00:15:14,030 --> 00:15:17,106 hidden away from the dust storms. 270 00:15:17,130 --> 00:15:20,446 If you actually then seal them, you can fill them with air. 271 00:15:20,470 --> 00:15:23,046 You've got a great place to live. 272 00:15:23,070 --> 00:15:26,856 These tunnels are ready-made for people to move into. 273 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,986 We already have the keys. 274 00:15:30,010 --> 00:15:33,356 But a lava tube may not be everyone's idea 275 00:15:33,380 --> 00:15:35,666 of home sweet home. 276 00:15:35,690 --> 00:15:38,166 Because they're a natural feature, 277 00:15:38,190 --> 00:15:39,896 you can't pick and choose where they are. 278 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,590 You have to go to where they already exist. 279 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:47,206 Building their own shelters 280 00:15:47,230 --> 00:15:50,746 gives the astronauts more choices, 281 00:15:50,770 --> 00:15:53,476 and they can be built by robots 282 00:15:53,500 --> 00:15:57,116 before the settlers even arrive. 283 00:15:57,140 --> 00:15:59,886 And we could even send 3-d printers. 284 00:15:59,910 --> 00:16:02,726 I'm talking about something that actually uses the rock there 285 00:16:02,750 --> 00:16:04,686 and makes something like concrete, 286 00:16:04,710 --> 00:16:07,996 and it could build structures for us to live in. 287 00:16:08,020 --> 00:16:10,666 Even with shelters, the settlers will still need 288 00:16:10,690 --> 00:16:13,996 to eat, breathe, and drink. 289 00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:17,466 But there is no food, no breathable oxygen, 290 00:16:17,490 --> 00:16:20,236 and no liquid water on Mars. 291 00:16:20,260 --> 00:16:23,206 So even though Mars is the closest friendly environment 292 00:16:23,230 --> 00:16:24,876 to life that there is to the earth, 293 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:26,976 it's really not all that friendly. 294 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,316 Without easy access to the essentials of life, 295 00:16:30,340 --> 00:16:33,640 will settling on Mars be possible? 296 00:16:44,650 --> 00:16:48,496 ♪ 297 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,330 Humans have evolved to life on earth. 298 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,946 We have oxygen to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat... 299 00:16:58,970 --> 00:17:01,270 everything we need to survive. 300 00:17:04,670 --> 00:17:06,156 Compared to earth, 301 00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:10,186 life on Mars is a recipe for disaster. 302 00:17:10,210 --> 00:17:13,196 If you look at it as a human being who wants to live there, 303 00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:14,796 yeah, this is an alien world 304 00:17:14,820 --> 00:17:17,426 that's going to try to kill you at every step. 305 00:17:17,450 --> 00:17:19,366 It's far away. It's cold. 306 00:17:19,390 --> 00:17:20,996 There are just so many reasons why 307 00:17:21,020 --> 00:17:23,966 we really wouldn't be happy campers on Mars. 308 00:17:23,990 --> 00:17:25,206 So why on earth are we talking 309 00:17:25,230 --> 00:17:27,576 about sending people there? 310 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,046 Well, the next closest planet, Venus, it's way worse. 311 00:17:31,070 --> 00:17:33,446 Its surface is super hot. 312 00:17:33,470 --> 00:17:36,286 It's got horrible chemicals in the atmosphere. 313 00:17:36,310 --> 00:17:37,486 So in comparison, 314 00:17:37,510 --> 00:17:39,716 Mars looks like a great, great place to visit. 315 00:17:39,740 --> 00:17:42,786 It's close, it's relatively earthlike, 316 00:17:42,810 --> 00:17:44,826 and although there are many challenges 317 00:17:44,850 --> 00:17:48,196 they're challenges that we could overcome. 318 00:17:48,220 --> 00:17:49,496 To settle on Mars, 319 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,396 NASA's astronauts need a few essentials. 320 00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:56,466 If we want to live there, short term or long term, 321 00:17:56,490 --> 00:17:58,036 you know, what do you need physically? 322 00:17:58,060 --> 00:18:02,806 Well, you need air. You need water. You need food. 323 00:18:02,830 --> 00:18:05,676 Those are all things that we can bring with us, 324 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:11,616 but it's a lot easier if they exist there on Mars. 325 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,416 The settlers will need to grow their own food, 326 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:19,156 but the martian ground is poisonous. 327 00:18:19,180 --> 00:18:20,856 Mars' dust looks really benign. 328 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,466 It looks kind of like dust you would find in Southern Utah. 329 00:18:23,490 --> 00:18:24,966 But it turns out it contains 330 00:18:24,990 --> 00:18:27,266 a lot of something called perchlorate, 331 00:18:27,290 --> 00:18:30,320 and these materials are really toxic to human life. 332 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,076 Perchlorates are chemicals formed by electricity 333 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:39,006 produced in martian dust storms. 334 00:18:39,030 --> 00:18:43,916 And they make up about 1% of the martian soil 335 00:18:43,940 --> 00:18:45,586 which doesn't sound like much, 336 00:18:45,610 --> 00:18:48,086 but this could be a significant problem 337 00:18:48,110 --> 00:18:51,926 for any humans living on the surface of the red planet. 338 00:18:51,950 --> 00:18:56,226 Food grown in the martian dirt will absorb the perchlorates, 339 00:18:56,250 --> 00:19:00,466 posing a health hazard for the astronauts. 340 00:19:00,490 --> 00:19:02,766 But that's not all. 341 00:19:02,790 --> 00:19:05,506 Direct exposure to the toxic soil 342 00:19:05,530 --> 00:19:08,000 will make astronauts very sick. 343 00:19:10,430 --> 00:19:11,846 One of the effects that perchlorates 344 00:19:11,870 --> 00:19:15,886 have biologically in our bodies is to sort of mess with 345 00:19:15,910 --> 00:19:19,486 and alter the function of our thyroid glands. 346 00:19:19,510 --> 00:19:23,086 Astronauts would get rashes and feel nauseous. 347 00:19:23,110 --> 00:19:27,926 Extended exposure to the dirt could even kill them. 348 00:19:27,950 --> 00:19:29,296 And Mars is not the sort of place 349 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,096 where you would ever want to get seriously ill, 350 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:34,296 millions of miles from all the hospitals 351 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,790 and health care of the earth. 352 00:19:38,730 --> 00:19:42,606 There are ideas of how to clean the poisonous soil 353 00:19:42,630 --> 00:19:44,746 using water or bacteria, 354 00:19:44,770 --> 00:19:48,176 but the technology is not yet ready. 355 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,616 The first settlers will need to find a safer way to grow food, 356 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,386 and NASA has the solution... hydroponics. 357 00:19:57,410 --> 00:19:59,556 Hydroponics will provide all the food 358 00:19:59,580 --> 00:20:02,296 a martian settler might need. 359 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:07,466 Instead of growing in soil, the settlers grow crops in water 360 00:20:07,490 --> 00:20:10,706 so all you need to do is bring the seeds or the plants 361 00:20:10,730 --> 00:20:13,706 and then have them grow right there in water. 362 00:20:13,730 --> 00:20:17,246 But if we decide to grow our crops hydroponically on Mars, 363 00:20:17,270 --> 00:20:18,476 then we still have this problem 364 00:20:18,500 --> 00:20:22,216 of needing lots and lots of water. 365 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,646 Before astronauts water their plants, 366 00:20:24,670 --> 00:20:27,556 they'll need water to drink, 367 00:20:27,580 --> 00:20:33,556 and Mars hasn't had running water for millions of years. 368 00:20:33,580 --> 00:20:34,956 We've all seen the movies of people 369 00:20:34,980 --> 00:20:37,226 stranded in different places and having to survive 370 00:20:37,250 --> 00:20:39,396 and they can last for months without food. 371 00:20:39,420 --> 00:20:42,960 But a human cannot last beyond three days without water. 372 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,276 Astronauts on the international space station 373 00:20:50,300 --> 00:20:57,416 recycle water from bathing, breath, urine, and sweat, 374 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,916 but they still need 1,500 gallons sent up each year. 375 00:21:01,940 --> 00:21:04,780 Each delivery weighs over six tons. 376 00:21:07,150 --> 00:21:09,226 Transporting water to Mars 377 00:21:09,250 --> 00:21:12,296 will add a lot of weight to the manifest. 378 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,666 You have to use fuel to launch it 379 00:21:14,690 --> 00:21:16,536 but then you also have to use more fuel 380 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,266 to launch the weight of the other fuel, 381 00:21:18,290 --> 00:21:20,236 and so on and so on. 382 00:21:20,260 --> 00:21:23,776 You have to keep to an absolute minimum 383 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,476 the amount of weight you try to launch from earth. 384 00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:29,986 So if NASA wants to set up residence on Mars, 385 00:21:30,010 --> 00:21:34,116 astronauts will need to find a water source. 386 00:21:34,140 --> 00:21:38,026 Even though no liquid water exists on the planet's surface, 387 00:21:38,050 --> 00:21:41,356 there are other places to look. 388 00:21:41,380 --> 00:21:43,826 It turns out there is a lot of water on Mars. 389 00:21:43,850 --> 00:21:46,166 It's trapped underneath the ground beneath the dirt 390 00:21:46,190 --> 00:21:47,896 and the soils at high latitudes. 391 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,690 It's also found in huge volumes up at the polar ice caps. 392 00:21:54,460 --> 00:21:56,076 Ice... you melt, and it becomes water. 393 00:21:56,100 --> 00:21:57,476 You can drink it. Yay. 394 00:21:57,500 --> 00:21:59,476 You can grow plants and do things like that. 395 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:02,376 In fact, if you were to melt all of Mars' polar ice, 396 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,956 then you would be able to cover the globe in water 397 00:22:06,980 --> 00:22:11,426 so ice is an extremely important thing to have access to. 398 00:22:11,450 --> 00:22:15,296 So if we do go to Mars to explore and live there, 399 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:20,396 following the ice is the way it's going to go. 400 00:22:20,420 --> 00:22:23,266 Even if NASA's astronauts can turn the martian ice 401 00:22:23,290 --> 00:22:28,036 into drinking water, without another resource, 402 00:22:28,060 --> 00:22:31,876 settlers will be dead in three minutes... 403 00:22:31,900 --> 00:22:34,776 oxygen to breathe. 404 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,616 There is oxygen on Mars, but it's not in the air. 405 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:38,846 You can't breathe it. 406 00:22:38,870 --> 00:22:42,416 It's bound up in the dirt and combined with iron 407 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:47,196 to make iron oxide, giving it its characteristic red color. 408 00:22:47,220 --> 00:22:49,256 And so we need to bring it with us, 409 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:50,926 and that's a huge amount to bring, 410 00:22:50,950 --> 00:22:55,366 or we need to make it at Mars, and that's really difficult. 411 00:22:55,390 --> 00:22:59,066 We can deliver oxygen to the I.S.S., 412 00:22:59,090 --> 00:23:01,806 but the trip to Mars is long 413 00:23:01,830 --> 00:23:05,876 so there will be few supply missions. 414 00:23:05,900 --> 00:23:08,076 Once you're on Mars, you can't pull out your app 415 00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:10,816 and order an oxygen delivery to your door. 416 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,240 You got to take it with you, and that's a lot of oxygen. 417 00:23:14,980 --> 00:23:17,056 NASA astronauts will need a way 418 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,826 to make oxygen on the red planet, 419 00:23:19,850 --> 00:23:22,950 and the space agency is working on a solution. 420 00:23:26,420 --> 00:23:30,236 When their 2020 rover arrives on Mars, it will carry out 421 00:23:30,260 --> 00:23:35,506 the Mars oxygen in-situ resource utilization experiment, 422 00:23:35,530 --> 00:23:38,276 or M.O.X.I.E. 423 00:23:38,300 --> 00:23:42,676 M.O.X.i.e. Will take carbon dioxide from the martian air. 424 00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:47,856 And use electricity to split that CO2 and release oxygen 425 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,256 that astronauts could breathe in the future. 426 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,656 This test will create oxygen on another planet 427 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:56,296 for the first time, 428 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,596 but M.O.X.I.E. Can't make enough for a crewed mission to Mars. 429 00:24:00,620 --> 00:24:02,036 Will be able to make 430 00:24:02,060 --> 00:24:06,606 about half a pound of oxygen per day, 431 00:24:06,630 --> 00:24:11,546 which is only enough to keep a human alive for about six hours. 432 00:24:11,570 --> 00:24:15,346 NASA needs to significantly scale up the technology 433 00:24:15,370 --> 00:24:19,316 to support a whole crew on Mars. 434 00:24:19,340 --> 00:24:24,556 But even if the astronauts can survive on the red planet, 435 00:24:24,580 --> 00:24:27,826 can they actually reach it? 436 00:24:27,850 --> 00:24:31,526 This is a long trip in a bathtub with three other people. 437 00:24:31,550 --> 00:24:33,236 It's really challenging. 438 00:24:33,260 --> 00:24:35,036 I think we're still asking ourselves this question, 439 00:24:35,060 --> 00:24:36,290 how will we do it? 440 00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:53,316 ♪ 441 00:24:53,340 --> 00:24:57,986 NASA plans to put boots on Mars. 442 00:24:58,010 --> 00:25:02,020 To achieve this, you need to carry a lot of stuff. 443 00:25:03,650 --> 00:25:06,336 You need oxygen, you need medical supplies, 444 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:08,236 you need food, you need stores of water, 445 00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:11,206 you need some fuel if you want to come back, 446 00:25:11,230 --> 00:25:16,560 and all this has to be packed into an incredibly tiny volume. 447 00:25:18,370 --> 00:25:21,246 NASA's solution... Orion, 448 00:25:21,270 --> 00:25:27,016 a 28-ton spacecraft nearly twice the mass of a school bus. 449 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,156 The rocket that launches Orion 450 00:25:29,180 --> 00:25:33,926 will need to produce millions of pounds of thrust, 451 00:25:33,950 --> 00:25:36,056 and that is a problem. 452 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:37,796 If we decided tomorrow, like, 453 00:25:37,820 --> 00:25:40,566 "hey, you know what? Let's go to Mars." 454 00:25:40,590 --> 00:25:41,836 We can't. 455 00:25:41,860 --> 00:25:43,720 We don't have powerful-enough rockets to do it. 456 00:25:45,790 --> 00:25:49,436 In 1969, NASA's Saturn V rocket 457 00:25:49,460 --> 00:25:52,046 fired Apollo astronauts to the moon 458 00:25:52,070 --> 00:25:55,476 with 7.6 million pounds of thrust. 459 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:59,586 That's the power of more than 34 jumbo jets. 460 00:25:59,610 --> 00:26:03,786 A Saturn V could have sent astronauts to Mars. 461 00:26:03,810 --> 00:26:07,426 Not anymore. We stopped making them. 462 00:26:07,450 --> 00:26:09,866 To break free from earth's gravity, 463 00:26:09,890 --> 00:26:14,090 the space rocket must travel at 25,000 miles an hour. 464 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:16,636 To achieve that, 465 00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:20,706 NASA is building the most powerful rocket in the world. 466 00:26:20,730 --> 00:26:23,276 The Space Launch System, or S.I.S., is the rocket 467 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:26,176 that's being designed to carry Orion off of earth 468 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,216 and beyond low earth orbit. 469 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,386 And the philosophy is, "hey, remember those big rockets 470 00:26:31,410 --> 00:26:33,856 that we used to make back in the '60s and stuff? 471 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,910 Let's do that again but more so." 472 00:26:39,250 --> 00:26:40,396 It's really big. 473 00:26:40,420 --> 00:26:42,156 It's larger than the Saturn V rocket 474 00:26:42,180 --> 00:26:44,696 that was built to carry the Apollo spacecraft 475 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,996 and is therefore going to be the largest rocket built. 476 00:26:49,020 --> 00:26:51,536 The space launch system will be taller 477 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,236 than the statue of Liberty. 478 00:26:53,260 --> 00:26:56,036 Its gargantuan engines will thrust the rocket 479 00:26:56,060 --> 00:26:57,706 through the atmosphere 480 00:26:57,730 --> 00:27:01,676 with the horsepower of 160,000 corvettes, 481 00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:05,986 producing 8.8 million pounds of thrust. 482 00:27:06,010 --> 00:27:11,126 The s.I.S. Will be able to blast the Orion capsule into space 483 00:27:11,150 --> 00:27:14,280 and send it on its way to Mars. 484 00:27:17,150 --> 00:27:21,166 Unfortunately, the rocket has fallen behind schedule. 485 00:27:21,190 --> 00:27:26,006 Its maiden test flight was set for December of 2017. 486 00:27:26,030 --> 00:27:30,706 Now it's scheduled for the end of 2020. 487 00:27:30,730 --> 00:27:34,546 Critics see the s.I.S. As a waste of money, 488 00:27:34,570 --> 00:27:38,710 with the project reported to be billions of dollars over budget. 489 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,426 It's still hoped NASA's space-launch system 490 00:27:44,450 --> 00:27:49,396 will go to Mars in the 2030s. 491 00:27:49,420 --> 00:27:52,426 But even though the red planet is our neighbor, 492 00:27:52,450 --> 00:27:56,606 the timing of our visit will be complicated. 493 00:27:56,630 --> 00:27:58,206 If you're planning a family vacation 494 00:27:58,230 --> 00:28:00,276 and you want to get in the car, it's easy, right? 495 00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:02,636 You look at a map and you say I live in city "a" 496 00:28:02,660 --> 00:28:03,846 and I want to go to city "B" 497 00:28:03,870 --> 00:28:05,876 and I'll just take the highways there." 498 00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:07,016 Well, great. 499 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,476 Now imagine that city "a" is moving this way 500 00:28:09,500 --> 00:28:10,846 at 50 miles per hour, 501 00:28:10,870 --> 00:28:13,786 and this city is moving this way at 200 miles per hour. 502 00:28:13,810 --> 00:28:14,916 Now what do you do? 503 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:17,226 Well, that is a very small problem 504 00:28:17,250 --> 00:28:19,726 compared to getting to another planet. 505 00:28:19,750 --> 00:28:21,396 The timeline of a Mars mission, 506 00:28:21,420 --> 00:28:22,656 the scheduling, if you will, 507 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,366 is all governed by celestial mechanics, 508 00:28:24,390 --> 00:28:25,566 the orbits of the planets. 509 00:28:25,590 --> 00:28:27,966 It's not just you pick a time to go to Mars 510 00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:29,936 randomly whenever you feel like going. 511 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:31,066 You've literally got to wait 512 00:28:31,090 --> 00:28:33,906 for the planets to be aligned, right? 513 00:28:33,930 --> 00:28:36,236 On average, the distance from the earth to Mars 514 00:28:36,260 --> 00:28:38,606 is about 140 million miles. 515 00:28:38,630 --> 00:28:40,116 But this is changing all the time 516 00:28:40,140 --> 00:28:42,646 because we are both plants that are orbiting the sun. 517 00:28:42,670 --> 00:28:45,716 So about the closest that earth ever comes to Mars 518 00:28:45,740 --> 00:28:48,580 is a distance of about 35 million miles. 519 00:28:52,010 --> 00:28:54,496 But on other times when we're on the opposite side 520 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:55,756 of the sun from Mars, 521 00:28:55,780 --> 00:28:58,996 it can be as much as 250 million miles. 522 00:28:59,020 --> 00:29:00,196 Launching near the time 523 00:29:00,220 --> 00:29:05,406 of Mars' closest approach shortens the journey 524 00:29:05,430 --> 00:29:08,736 so NASA can save on fuel and resources, 525 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,676 boosting the mission's chances of success, 526 00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:18,546 but this planetary alignment only happens every 26 months. 527 00:29:18,570 --> 00:29:21,716 So if NASA misses a launch window, 528 00:29:21,740 --> 00:29:25,426 it'll have to wait over two years for another go. 529 00:29:25,450 --> 00:29:28,780 But simply picking the right time isn't enough. 530 00:29:32,350 --> 00:29:35,866 Mars and the earth are both orbiting the sun. 531 00:29:35,890 --> 00:29:40,836 So Orion can't fly in a straight line to Mars. 532 00:29:40,860 --> 00:29:45,946 Instead, it'll use what's known as a Hohmann transfer. 533 00:29:45,970 --> 00:29:49,676 What we want to do is sort of put ourselves on our spacecraft 534 00:29:49,700 --> 00:29:51,416 in orbit around the sun 535 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,116 so we might start right here on earth, 536 00:29:54,140 --> 00:29:55,816 launch our spacecraft, 537 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,796 and, essentially, we just make a nice, gentle arc 538 00:29:59,820 --> 00:30:02,196 that's arcing around the sun 539 00:30:02,220 --> 00:30:04,996 so that it can naturally slide into this orbit 540 00:30:05,020 --> 00:30:07,496 and then end up on Mars. 541 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:11,136 The journey will take around 10 months. 542 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,136 To get there quicker means burning more fuel, 543 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:16,436 which is not an option. 544 00:30:16,460 --> 00:30:20,076 The Hohmann transfer keeps fuel usage low 545 00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:22,146 by putting the craft in an orbit 546 00:30:22,170 --> 00:30:25,816 that gradually intersects with the orbit of Mars 547 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,340 before being captured by the red planet's gravity. 548 00:30:31,050 --> 00:30:34,856 But the crew will need to get their direction just right. 549 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:36,796 The way the orbits work, 550 00:30:36,820 --> 00:30:39,296 you've got to aim a little bit different direction 551 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,536 from where Mars appears to be now. 552 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,336 You got to aim for where it's going to be when you get there. 553 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,636 This has to happen so that it can naturally slide 554 00:30:46,660 --> 00:30:50,106 into this orbit and then end up on Mars. 555 00:30:50,130 --> 00:30:51,346 If we miss that precision, 556 00:30:51,370 --> 00:30:54,400 then we just could end up hurtling out into space. 557 00:30:56,670 --> 00:30:59,286 Even if NASA hit their target. 558 00:30:59,310 --> 00:31:03,540 The crew still has a long 10-month journey in space. 559 00:31:04,580 --> 00:31:08,556 The human body is just simply not designed 560 00:31:08,580 --> 00:31:10,826 for long-duration space travel. 561 00:31:10,850 --> 00:31:13,566 Space travel can destroy bones, 562 00:31:13,590 --> 00:31:17,090 weaken heart muscles, and even mess with the mind. 563 00:31:18,890 --> 00:31:22,600 Could a cruise survive the journey to the red planet? 564 00:31:34,110 --> 00:31:37,726 ♪ 565 00:31:37,750 --> 00:31:42,080 NASA plans to put humans on Mars in the 2030s. 566 00:31:44,690 --> 00:31:48,150 Rocket technology will be pushed to its limits. 567 00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:55,636 But the greatest hurdle is our own fragile bodies 568 00:31:55,660 --> 00:31:58,906 out there in a spacecraft between the planets, 569 00:31:58,930 --> 00:32:00,116 all bets are off. 570 00:32:00,140 --> 00:32:04,316 It's going to be a dangerous trip. 571 00:32:04,340 --> 00:32:07,416 Both hands down to about the fourth rung up. 572 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,326 When astronaut James Irwin stood on the moon, 573 00:32:10,350 --> 00:32:12,910 his heart beat irregularly. 574 00:32:15,350 --> 00:32:17,826 Back on earth, Irwin suffered heart attacks, 575 00:32:17,850 --> 00:32:21,166 which eventually proved fatal. 576 00:32:21,190 --> 00:32:24,166 A 2016 study found that Apollo lunar astronauts 577 00:32:24,190 --> 00:32:27,376 are four to five times more likely to die 578 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,676 from cardiovascular disease 579 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:35,246 than astronauts who never left earth's orbit. 580 00:32:35,270 --> 00:32:39,686 One cause could be deep-space radiation. 581 00:32:39,710 --> 00:32:41,656 And the radiation in outer space 582 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,126 won't just be damaging the heart muscles 583 00:32:45,150 --> 00:32:46,956 but also the nervous system 584 00:32:46,980 --> 00:32:49,880 and astronauts' brains in outer space. 585 00:32:52,090 --> 00:32:54,936 Astronauts heading to Mars will face radiation 586 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,336 created in the core of stars. 587 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,036 Some comes from our sun when solar ejections 588 00:33:02,060 --> 00:33:05,276 throw out streams of deadly charged particles. 589 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:11,246 ♪ 590 00:33:11,270 --> 00:33:16,156 There are also cosmic rays from outside the solar system. 591 00:33:16,180 --> 00:33:20,756 Created in supernovas, the death of giant stars, 592 00:33:20,780 --> 00:33:23,496 these energetic particles 593 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,136 race through the galaxy at close to the speed of light. 594 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,666 And you don't want to be exposed to too many of them. 595 00:33:29,690 --> 00:33:32,306 In low doses, it's not a problem at all, really. 596 00:33:32,330 --> 00:33:35,306 But in high enough doses, these things penetrate ourselves 597 00:33:35,330 --> 00:33:37,746 and damage our DNA and over the long term 598 00:33:37,770 --> 00:33:41,970 can cause really bad damage to human bodies in space. 599 00:33:44,770 --> 00:33:50,626 The longer you stay in space, the greater the danger. 600 00:33:50,650 --> 00:33:52,086 Remember, our missions to the moon 601 00:33:52,110 --> 00:33:53,656 were on the order of a week or two. 602 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,396 A mission to Mars, at the minimum, 603 00:33:56,420 --> 00:33:58,196 is going to be something like two 604 00:33:58,220 --> 00:34:00,896 or two-and-a-half years, probably. 605 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:07,136 These cosmic bullets can cause mutations and even cancer. 606 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:11,276 New research from 2019 suggests space radiation 607 00:34:11,300 --> 00:34:13,176 will cause memory loss 608 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:17,686 in one to three astronauts on a mission to Mars. 609 00:34:17,710 --> 00:34:18,886 And it's not just a problem 610 00:34:18,910 --> 00:34:21,016 of forgetting where you've left your keys. 611 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,626 Trying to come back in through the airlock, you do not want 612 00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:26,156 to be forgetting emergency procedures. 613 00:34:26,180 --> 00:34:28,556 So we're going to have to really consider, 614 00:34:28,580 --> 00:34:30,926 how do we mitigate the effects of this radiation 615 00:34:30,950 --> 00:34:34,196 to make it possible for people to go to Mars 616 00:34:34,220 --> 00:34:37,436 and actually spend some time without being ill? 617 00:34:37,460 --> 00:34:41,736 So the ship needs to protect the astronauts. 618 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,136 Well, you think, "well, I would just, 619 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,306 I don't know, build a spaceship out of really thick lead. 620 00:34:45,330 --> 00:34:47,516 Like, well, that weighs a lot, and it turns out 621 00:34:47,540 --> 00:34:50,246 lead doesn't protect you from this kind of radiation. 622 00:34:50,270 --> 00:34:52,286 You need something else. 623 00:34:52,310 --> 00:34:53,716 Well, there is something else 624 00:34:53,740 --> 00:34:55,116 that protects you from this radiation, 625 00:34:55,140 --> 00:34:56,686 and that's water. 626 00:34:56,710 --> 00:34:58,056 We need to bring lots and lots of water 627 00:34:58,080 --> 00:34:59,856 to drink and cook with. 628 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,556 And if we just place that water in a layer 629 00:35:02,580 --> 00:35:06,196 around our spacecraft, that can absorb the cosmic rays. 630 00:35:06,220 --> 00:35:08,866 You might think, well, you're drinking the very water 631 00:35:08,890 --> 00:35:12,406 that using to stop the radiation that's causing damage to us 632 00:35:12,430 --> 00:35:14,336 won't the water be dangerous to drink it? 633 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,136 It doesn't really work quite like that. 634 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,606 You're just taking one high-speed subatomic particle 635 00:35:19,630 --> 00:35:21,346 and changing it into another one 636 00:35:21,370 --> 00:35:22,976 as it gets captured by the water. 637 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,960 Water's still gonna be safe to drink, fortunately. 638 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,610 But even if NASA can shield its astronauts from radiation... 639 00:35:32,750 --> 00:35:36,396 ...space causes other health issues. 640 00:35:36,420 --> 00:35:39,726 Your bones are starting to demineralize. 641 00:35:39,750 --> 00:35:41,066 They're getting weak. 642 00:35:41,090 --> 00:35:44,466 You're getting arthritis even in the prime of your life. 643 00:35:44,490 --> 00:35:47,036 Weightlessness during a 10-month journey 644 00:35:47,060 --> 00:35:49,676 will thin the astronauts' bones. 645 00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:51,606 Muscles will waste away, 646 00:35:51,630 --> 00:35:55,946 making walking on landing difficult. 647 00:35:55,970 --> 00:35:57,086 We've evolved. 648 00:35:57,110 --> 00:36:00,456 We've grown up on a planet with gravity. 649 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,186 And as soon as you're an astronaut in outer space 650 00:36:03,210 --> 00:36:05,186 floating around in weightlessness, 651 00:36:05,210 --> 00:36:06,956 it looks like a lot of fun 652 00:36:06,980 --> 00:36:12,096 but, actually, your body is deteriorating from the inside. 653 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:16,736 Astronauts need assistance to walk when returning to earth. 654 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,006 If NASA's Mars crew arrive on the red planet 655 00:36:20,030 --> 00:36:23,530 in a poor physical state, they won't be able to function. 656 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,146 Intense exercise regimes in space 657 00:36:32,170 --> 00:36:35,956 would help the crew stay fit and healthy. 658 00:36:35,980 --> 00:36:37,356 But we're in the dark 659 00:36:37,380 --> 00:36:40,710 about the full impact of extended space travel. 660 00:36:44,620 --> 00:36:46,196 On a mission to Mars, 661 00:36:46,220 --> 00:36:50,166 bodies will be pushed to the extreme. 662 00:36:50,190 --> 00:36:52,136 To say that sending humans to Mars 663 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:54,606 is a challenge would be an understatement. 664 00:36:54,630 --> 00:36:57,406 We could be ahead of ourselves. 665 00:36:57,430 --> 00:36:59,546 Eventually we're going to lose people doing this, 666 00:36:59,570 --> 00:37:01,546 and that's something we have to face. 667 00:37:01,570 --> 00:37:04,846 The question is, is it worth it? 668 00:37:04,870 --> 00:37:08,316 But there may not be a choice. 669 00:37:08,340 --> 00:37:11,086 We know that, over time, 670 00:37:11,110 --> 00:37:13,326 this planet is not going to be habitable. 671 00:37:13,350 --> 00:37:14,596 So we really should consider 672 00:37:14,620 --> 00:37:17,380 if there are places we can go outside of earth. 673 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,176 ♪ 674 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,016 NASA's mission to Mars 675 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:39,186 will be the toughest undertaking in its history. 676 00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:43,080 The launch from earth will be a monumental challenge... 677 00:37:45,210 --> 00:37:49,456 ...the journey to Mars filled with danger, 678 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,726 and survival on the red planet will be a test 679 00:37:52,750 --> 00:37:55,496 unlike anything NASA has faced before. 680 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,436 It's easy to make a bullet list 681 00:37:58,460 --> 00:38:00,576 of of why going to Mars is hard. 682 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:02,306 And that's going to be a long list, 683 00:38:02,330 --> 00:38:04,946 and those bullet points are going to be scary. 684 00:38:04,970 --> 00:38:08,376 A lot of these are serious problems. 685 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:12,140 NASA's mission to Mars needs to be a success. 686 00:38:14,540 --> 00:38:17,126 Earth is in danger 687 00:38:17,150 --> 00:38:20,256 from climate change 688 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:22,196 to asteroid strikes 689 00:38:22,220 --> 00:38:23,950 to nuclear destruction. 690 00:38:26,390 --> 00:38:28,966 We need an escape plan. 691 00:38:28,990 --> 00:38:31,406 Earth may just need a lifeboat in the future. 692 00:38:31,430 --> 00:38:34,076 We are growing very quickly, 693 00:38:34,100 --> 00:38:37,346 and we're using a lot of our resources. 694 00:38:37,370 --> 00:38:39,476 We're changing the planet. 695 00:38:39,500 --> 00:38:41,676 We're looking for a lifeboat. 696 00:38:41,700 --> 00:38:45,400 Maybe Mars is the closest, best chance we've got. 697 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:48,816 Despite the challenges, 698 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:52,726 NASA's goal is to send the Orion spacecraft to Mars 699 00:38:52,750 --> 00:38:54,080 in the 2030s. 700 00:38:56,250 --> 00:38:59,696 But to do that, we need a rehearsal. 701 00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:01,366 I'd love to see us go to Mars. 702 00:39:01,390 --> 00:39:02,766 I would love to go myself. 703 00:39:02,790 --> 00:39:04,506 But it might be nice to have a little bit of practice 704 00:39:04,530 --> 00:39:06,190 before we try it. 705 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:14,346 Where better to practice than a destination closer to home. 706 00:39:14,370 --> 00:39:19,216 The ultimate aim is to get humans to Mars, and one approach 707 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,256 is to first have a goal of getting humans back to the moon. 708 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:27,180 Orion will first make the shorter trip to the moon. 709 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,766 There are a lot of advantages to using the moon. 710 00:39:32,790 --> 00:39:35,866 We can test out different scenarios for operations 711 00:39:35,890 --> 00:39:38,266 we can also test out technologies 712 00:39:38,290 --> 00:39:42,576 much more close to home, and so if something were to go awry, 713 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,206 we can much more easily intervene. 714 00:39:44,230 --> 00:39:45,506 It's a little bit safer. 715 00:39:45,530 --> 00:39:47,216 If we send people to Mars, 716 00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:48,976 you know, it's going to be a lot harder for us 717 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:50,840 to help them if they need it. 718 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,556 NASA's Orion moon missions will be far more 719 00:39:57,580 --> 00:39:59,780 than just a training exercise. 720 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,126 They'll use them to build a lunar outpost called gateway, 721 00:40:06,150 --> 00:40:10,406 a space station in orbit around the moon. 722 00:40:10,430 --> 00:40:12,306 It's actually a lot easier to do that 723 00:40:12,330 --> 00:40:13,706 than trying to build something on earth 724 00:40:13,730 --> 00:40:16,636 and get it out of earth orbit. 725 00:40:16,660 --> 00:40:20,516 Six planned missions will build and maintain 726 00:40:20,540 --> 00:40:24,616 a space station in orbit around the moon. 727 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,216 It will be a proving ground for the technology 728 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:31,386 and the science that will help us get to the red planet. 729 00:40:31,410 --> 00:40:34,396 And once NASA has ironed out any problems, 730 00:40:34,420 --> 00:40:37,896 the real mission can begin. 731 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:41,866 Gateway won't simply be a small step for man. 732 00:40:41,890 --> 00:40:46,106 It'll be a springboard to another planet. 733 00:40:46,130 --> 00:40:49,106 When we first sent humans to another planetary body, 734 00:40:49,130 --> 00:40:52,176 it was the moon, and we had never done that before. 735 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,346 So now we've got the moon under our belt. 736 00:40:54,370 --> 00:40:57,886 We know something about how to send people to another planet. 737 00:40:57,910 --> 00:41:01,356 We don't yet have all the technologies that we might need 738 00:41:01,380 --> 00:41:04,340 to send humans to Mars, but we're well on our way. 739 00:41:06,380 --> 00:41:09,626 As NASA begins its journey to the red planet, 740 00:41:09,650 --> 00:41:11,620 not everyone is on board. 741 00:41:13,620 --> 00:41:15,796 A lot of people think of Mars as our lifeboat 742 00:41:15,820 --> 00:41:17,966 just in case we screw things up on earth, 743 00:41:17,990 --> 00:41:21,236 but we really need to take care of our own planet. 744 00:41:21,260 --> 00:41:24,106 If you want to go there and explore 745 00:41:24,130 --> 00:41:26,506 or build a base, more power to you. 746 00:41:26,530 --> 00:41:27,976 But I'm going to stay 747 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,846 where it's a little bit more green and blue. 748 00:41:30,870 --> 00:41:36,216 ♪ 749 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:39,726 Even so, NASA is already building rockets 750 00:41:39,750 --> 00:41:41,796 and testing the technology. 751 00:41:41,820 --> 00:41:47,766 The stage is set for humankind's greatest adventure. 752 00:41:47,790 --> 00:41:50,936 I think we will send humans to Mars. 753 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:53,606 It's just a really, really, really big problem 754 00:41:53,630 --> 00:41:55,736 that we have to figure out how to solve. 755 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,306 But we're good at solving problems. 756 00:41:58,330 --> 00:42:00,746 Given the human mind and how curious we are 757 00:42:00,770 --> 00:42:03,846 and how much we like to climb the next mountain 758 00:42:03,870 --> 00:42:07,146 and achieve the next challenge, Mars is right there. 759 00:42:07,170 --> 00:42:08,556 There is something in the human psyche 760 00:42:08,580 --> 00:42:11,926 that will send us to Mars despite all of the challenges. 761 00:42:11,950 --> 00:42:15,696 And so for sure we will go to Mars. 762 00:42:15,720 --> 00:42:17,926 Even though it's extremely difficult to go to Mars, 763 00:42:17,950 --> 00:42:19,726 the answer is always yes 764 00:42:19,750 --> 00:42:21,696 if somebody asks me if we should go 765 00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:23,860 because that's the ultimate goal. 61187

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