From Green Airplanes to Space Tourism: How We'll Travel in the Future | Shapers of Tomorrow (1/8)

Justin Shaifer is an environmental scientist who has always dreamed of exploring space. In this episode, he meets groundbreaking scientists and engineers tackling the challenges associated with living in such a hostile environment as Mars. Once exclusively financed by governments, this new Space Race is now driven by private companies. Shaifer starts at the Center of Science and Industry in Ohio, where a conversation with a former NASA astronaut sets the stage for today's race to Mars. The journey continues with the Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser, a new high-flying space shuttle that ferries researchers to inflatable habitats in outer space. Having learned about transportation and housing solutions, Justin Shaifer then visits the Final Frontier Design facilities and tries out innovative technologies such as optimized spacesuits that make mobility and dexterity less bulky. Justin Shaifer's next stop is Honeybee Robotics, where engineers have developed high-tech drills and pressurization chambers that extract crucial water resources. At the Mars Desert Research Station, simulated Martian missions reveal the practical challenges of extraterrestrial living. Meanwhile, the research at Biosphere 2 provides insights into creating

More than fifty years after the Apollo missions, the Moon is once again at the center of space exploration. In January 2019, China achieved a historic first: landing the Chang’e 4 probe on the far side of the Moon. This scientific breakthrough reignited global interest in lunar exploration and marked the beginning of a new space race. Why are the world’s major space powers returning to the Moon? To uncover the history of our Solar System? To search for frozen water hidden in lunar craters? To build future Moon bases, exploit lunar resources, or use the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars and deep space? This documentary investigates the new race to the Moon, from China’s Chang’e missions to NASA’s Artemis program, the Orion spacecraft and the future Gateway lunar station. In France, CNES and IRAP are working with the Chinese space agency CNSA to develop advanced instruments capable of studying the lunar surface and detecting water. In Europe, ESA is contributing to the next generation of exploration vehicles for the Artemis program. Blending science, geopolitics, cutting-edge technology and

Discover how the booming commercial space industry is changing what's possible in space and on Earth, from tech innovation to democratizing space travel. In this episode of Behind the Wings, we dive deep into the rise of the space economy, exploring how public-private partnerships, entrepreneurial startups, and billionaires are reshaping space exploration. Learn why NASA's new approach of collaborating with private companies is enabling more innovation, faster progress, and access to orbit for companies of all sizes. Hear from leaders at Voyager Space Holdings, Lunar Outposts, and Sierra Space about how competition and cooperation are fueling unprecedented investment, driving down launch costs, and making routine trips to space a reality. We also showcase real-world NASA spinoff technologies that are solving critical problems on Earth, such as sensors initially designed for lunar dust now improving air quality near schools and breweries capturing CO2 for reuse. Former astronauts and pioneers explain how these advances not only push the boundaries of space but also lead to practical benefits like more affordable solar power, better environmental monitoring, and new opportunities in manufacturing and research.

This film will recount the full Odyssey of the Rosetta Mission including the landing of the Philae Probe in Oct 2015 and the ultimate Philae mission phase in Sept 2016. From the water found on the comet, to the organic molecules detected in the comet dust, this film brings the latest findings on Comet material. A space journey filled with drama, to save Rosetta before its final collapse and further our knowledge about the origins of life. ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Introduction ▷ 01:22 - Waiting for a signal from Rosetta ▷ 05:06 - Understand the origins of the solar system and life on earth ▷ 10:46 - Gravity assist required for Rosetta, which is moving far away from the sun ▷ 14:10 - The materials of Rosetta, the work of a lifetime ▷ 18:00 - Tracking Rosetta in deep space ▷ 21:00 - Finding out about a totally unknown comet that Rosetta is going to land on ▷ 26:15 - The long minutes of Rosetta's landing on the comet ▷ 35:22 - Analysis of the comet ▷ 39:30

Discover how human spaceflight began and why it matters for our lives today! Explore NASA, the Cold War space race, astronaut training, and the impact of seeing Earth from space. In this episode of "Behind the Wings," hosts Karina Vuk and Myrna James journey through the dramatic beginnings of human spaceflight. Starting at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, you’ll hear from NASA historians, astronauts, and cultural anthropologists to uncover how the Cold War rivalry fueled the race to the moon - and how global collaboration now defines the International Space Station. Dive deep into the story of Project Mercury, President Kennedy’s bold lunar challenge, and the intense astronaut training that included survival skills with indigenous people in Panama. Learn about the psychological shift astronauts experience, known as the overview effect, when they view our fragile planet from orbit, and see how this perspective inspires environmental awareness. Get firsthand accounts of space shuttle launches, life on the International Space Station, and the remarkable NASA twin study that revealed the effects of long-duration spaceflight. This episode not only traces space exploration’s transformation from

How far can the human body and mind adapt to a zero gravity environment over time? What are the effects of extraterrestrial travel on the astronauts and how can they be prevented or even reverted? ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Introduction ▷ 02:06 - The initial nausea and disorientation of life in space ▷ 07:49 - The body finally adapting to life in space after one week ▷ 09:28 - Combatting the inevitable loss of muscle ▷ 12:19 - Will they be able to take the first steps on Mars? ▷ 15:05 - Astronauts as guinea pigs for future explorers ▷ 17:00 - The Overview Effect - seeing the Earth with your own eyes ▷ 21:06 - The artificial, monotonous, isolated life on a spaceship ▷ 27:56 - Craving a human connection ▷ 33:01 - Women in space ▷ 36:52 - When a fire breaks out in space ▷ 40:39 - Facing the unknown dangers of a trip to Mars ▷ 47:00 - What compels astronauts to risk their lives? ▷ 50:41 - Readapting to life on Earth - physically