Space Elevators, Skyhooks, and Space Fountains
About this episode
The episode explores various unconventional methods of reaching space and the physics behind them.
What is the fastest, cheapest and possibly worst way to get into space? Could a nuclear explosion launch a manhole cover beyond the Earth’s atmosphere? And could space elevators, skyhooks or launch loops one day replace rockets? In this episode, Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens (VSauce) explore where space really begins, why orbit means falling forever, and how Newton’s cannon explains the motion of the International Space Station. They also interrogate the physics of the Kármán line, orbital velocity and geostationary orbit, before asking whether humans could ever climb a staircase to space, or catch a rotating skyhook into orbit. Plus, the far future fate of Earth, firing a bullet around the Moon, the true value of the Apollo Moon landing, the ethics of colonising Mars and whether the future of space exploration should belong to private companies or the public! ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/our-research/rest-is-science Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103)…
More episodes of The Rest Is Science
- What Is Collagen All About?
- The Threshold of Human Sensation
- The Scale of the Universe
- Why Loud Chewing Makes You Angry
- How Does Language Change What You Smell?
- Hannah Ranks Michael's Bizarre Watches
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Rest Is Science podcast page.