0 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Dear viewer, these subtitles were generated by a machine via the service Trint and therefore are (very) buggy. If you are capable, please help us to create good quality subtitles: https://c3subtitles.de/talk/1659 Thanks! 1 00:00:47,570 --> 00:00:49,879 So one 2 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:50,880 more try. 3 00:00:52,370 --> 00:00:54,619 OK, at least I'm getting audio on my 4 00:00:54,620 --> 00:00:56,600 monitoring and here, so. 5 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,099 I'm very sorry, it seems like the 6 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:03,679 obvious finally started 7 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,959 dying on us after having run 8 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:08,119 for like one and a half 9 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:09,469 weeks straight. 10 00:01:09,470 --> 00:01:11,689 So there's a technical limitation of 11 00:01:11,690 --> 00:01:13,009 what we can do. 12 00:01:13,010 --> 00:01:14,449 I'm very sorry about that. 13 00:01:15,740 --> 00:01:18,199 Let's hope that now everything works 14 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:19,309 fine again. 15 00:01:19,310 --> 00:01:21,169 Our technical person in the background, 16 00:01:21,170 --> 00:01:23,509 Daksh was fixing stocks now 17 00:01:23,510 --> 00:01:25,909 has full control again and will hopefully 18 00:01:25,910 --> 00:01:27,349 switch back to Earth. 19 00:01:27,350 --> 00:01:29,449 So and you can just 20 00:01:29,450 --> 00:01:30,439 start again again. 21 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:31,440 Very sorry. 22 00:01:32,510 --> 00:01:33,679 OK. 23 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:34,819 No worries. OK. 24 00:01:34,820 --> 00:01:36,079 Hello, everybody. And 25 00:01:37,190 --> 00:01:39,679 now we had a little bit of a chance 26 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,409 to see my beautiful, 27 00:01:42,410 --> 00:01:43,789 but now the old who is working, so I 28 00:01:43,790 --> 00:01:45,949 shall start and this talk, I'll 29 00:01:45,950 --> 00:01:48,319 give you an overview of spacecraft 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,749 life support systems, maybe a 31 00:01:50,750 --> 00:01:52,369 more in-depth overview than you ever 32 00:01:52,370 --> 00:01:54,319 cared about, but that is how I roll. 33 00:01:55,820 --> 00:01:56,820 So here we go. 34 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,139 I'm worse, I'm sitting 35 00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:01,669 in Finland right now, as you can see 36 00:02:01,670 --> 00:02:03,439 behind me, I'm sitting in a wooden hut 37 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,239 next to a lake where the lake is frozen 38 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:06,859 over, and I've been sitting here since 39 00:02:06,860 --> 00:02:08,989 March to keep my distance 40 00:02:08,990 --> 00:02:11,029 from people because it's the farthest I 41 00:02:11,030 --> 00:02:12,709 could be from people without actually 42 00:02:12,710 --> 00:02:14,239 going to space. 43 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:15,979 And the whole time I'm giving is 44 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,549 basically a Part three in this year. 45 00:02:19,550 --> 00:02:21,829 The first one I gave in 2013 at the Glass 46 00:02:21,830 --> 00:02:23,539 program here in Germany. 47 00:02:24,590 --> 00:02:26,209 How to fly spacecraft, which was 48 00:02:26,210 --> 00:02:28,759 basically orbital navigation. 49 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,109 Then there was the second possible 50 00:02:30,110 --> 00:02:32,209 Typekit spacecraft in 2016, also in 51 00:02:32,210 --> 00:02:35,089 Germany, which talked about materials 52 00:02:35,090 --> 00:02:37,069 and how to get it all to space and how to 53 00:02:37,070 --> 00:02:38,209 keep it together. 54 00:02:38,210 --> 00:02:39,919 And now this is part of how to survive in 55 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:41,989 spacecraft, concentrating on life 56 00:02:41,990 --> 00:02:44,149 support systems in my 57 00:02:44,150 --> 00:02:45,349 normal everyday job. 58 00:02:45,350 --> 00:02:47,449 I mean, space physicist I do big 59 00:02:47,450 --> 00:02:49,789 plasma physics simulations of the new 60 00:02:49,790 --> 00:02:51,889 space, magnetic field, solar, wind and 61 00:02:51,890 --> 00:02:53,189 so on. 62 00:02:53,190 --> 00:02:54,189 But that's not what I'm going to talk 63 00:02:54,190 --> 00:02:55,190 about you. 64 00:02:56,620 --> 00:02:58,509 All right. So where are we at? 65 00:02:58,510 --> 00:02:59,619 We are in a spacecraft. 66 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:01,539 We are outside the atmosphere, which 67 00:03:01,540 --> 00:03:04,989 means there's no air, no pressure. 68 00:03:04,990 --> 00:03:06,309 There are cosmic rays hitting us. 69 00:03:06,310 --> 00:03:08,199 There are temperature fluctuations. 70 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,119 Micrometeoroid is running around and all 71 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:11,889 these kind of things. 72 00:03:11,890 --> 00:03:13,959 For most of these, especially the cosmic 73 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,759 rays and micrometeoroid, you can go back 74 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,529 to the talk about how to build spacecraft 75 00:03:17,530 --> 00:03:19,029 because you basically just need something 76 00:03:19,030 --> 00:03:20,030 shooting to get around. 77 00:03:21,100 --> 00:03:23,319 But this will especially focus on 78 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:24,729 the fact that we are outside the 79 00:03:24,730 --> 00:03:26,859 atmosphere and you need 80 00:03:26,860 --> 00:03:29,229 to somehow bring your own air 81 00:03:29,230 --> 00:03:30,230 that you can breathe. 82 00:03:32,790 --> 00:03:34,679 So what does the life support system 83 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,629 actually do? I mean, it gives you a life, 84 00:03:36,630 --> 00:03:39,659 but what does a human need to 85 00:03:39,660 --> 00:03:41,579 be like on average? 86 00:03:41,580 --> 00:03:43,199 And this is from a massive statistics 87 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,389 page. One human on a space station 88 00:03:45,390 --> 00:03:47,489 consumes 830 grams 89 00:03:47,490 --> 00:03:49,679 of oxygen, but doesn't actually seem like 90 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,989 much because it's not very 91 00:03:51,990 --> 00:03:52,990 heavy. 92 00:03:53,730 --> 00:03:55,709 This corresponds to about 12 liters of 93 00:03:55,710 --> 00:03:58,109 oxygen or the economic pressure. 94 00:03:58,110 --> 00:04:00,359 But of course, you are breathing in much 95 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,429 more air. The air that you breathe only 96 00:04:02,430 --> 00:04:04,259 contains a small amount of oxygen, and 97 00:04:04,260 --> 00:04:06,239 when you're breathing it out, a little 98 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:07,289 bit reduced. 99 00:04:07,290 --> 00:04:09,479 So about you only once you mate the 30 100 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:10,620 grams of oxygen per day, 101 00:04:11,700 --> 00:04:12,700 you also eat food. 102 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,689 And the average estimate is about 620 103 00:04:15,690 --> 00:04:17,398 grams of food per day. This is very 104 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:19,679 strongly from person to person. 105 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,838 And you drink water, and 106 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,909 these three point five kilograms are not 107 00:04:23,910 --> 00:04:25,529 just water that you drink. 108 00:04:25,530 --> 00:04:27,510 So few people drink three and a half 109 00:04:28,740 --> 00:04:30,629 liters of water. This is also air 110 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:32,579 moisture, the jobs or to your lungs. 111 00:04:32,580 --> 00:04:34,799 This is the overall water balance that 112 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:36,989 you put into your body, and 113 00:04:36,990 --> 00:04:38,639 your body does all kinds of funny things 114 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:40,709 with it, and it produces output about 115 00:04:40,710 --> 00:04:41,939 one kilogram of CO2. 116 00:04:41,940 --> 00:04:42,940 You notice already. 117 00:04:43,690 --> 00:04:45,749 You breathe in 800 grams 118 00:04:45,750 --> 00:04:47,519 of oxygen and you get out one kilogram of 119 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,709 CO2, so this carbon atom is like 120 00:04:49,710 --> 00:04:51,749 a transfer from the food, so your 121 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:54,689 metabolism into the CO2, 122 00:04:54,690 --> 00:04:56,999 then you lose about 123 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,159 100 10 grams of what knots equals 124 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:00,539 metabolic solids. 125 00:05:00,540 --> 00:05:02,040 So that's the stuff you drop in the bowl 126 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:04,960 and then you produce. 127 00:05:06,090 --> 00:05:08,149 Flewitt is an output, and that's 128 00:05:08,150 --> 00:05:10,259 Europe, and you can see all here that 129 00:05:10,260 --> 00:05:12,389 the Moss has increased a little bit 130 00:05:12,390 --> 00:05:14,699 because some part of your food with salt, 131 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:16,709 for example, goes into urine and then 132 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,459 some other products, metabolic 133 00:05:20,460 --> 00:05:21,460 products that people. 134 00:05:22,410 --> 00:05:24,179 So the job of your life support system is 135 00:05:24,180 --> 00:05:26,759 to supply the stuff on the left and 136 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,159 get rid of the stuff on the right. 137 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:30,749 In a way that does not make you 138 00:05:30,750 --> 00:05:32,069 uncomfortable. 139 00:05:32,070 --> 00:05:33,909 It also needs to keep the temperature in 140 00:05:33,910 --> 00:05:35,519 the comfortable range and keeps notes 141 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,589 away, especially ones that are 142 00:05:37,590 --> 00:05:39,439 involved with it. 143 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:40,790 Bottom two things on the right. 144 00:05:43,330 --> 00:05:45,609 Now, let's talk with air, 145 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:47,859 we want to have 146 00:05:47,860 --> 00:05:48,860 reasonable air. 147 00:05:49,620 --> 00:05:51,689 And on Earth, we hear 148 00:05:51,690 --> 00:05:53,879 around us what one bar of 149 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,369 it is refreshing and that is consisting 150 00:05:56,370 --> 00:05:58,799 of different things, and now I'm talking 151 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:00,689 specifically about partial pressures 152 00:06:00,690 --> 00:06:03,029 here. So when we have this one bar 153 00:06:03,030 --> 00:06:05,399 of ambient pressure around us, 154 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,389 78 percent of that is nitrogen. 155 00:06:07,390 --> 00:06:09,489 I'm talking just 0.78 bar 156 00:06:09,490 --> 00:06:11,909 nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 157 00:06:11,910 --> 00:06:13,739 one percent others, especially that's 158 00:06:13,740 --> 00:06:15,629 helium, CO2, argon, these 159 00:06:16,740 --> 00:06:19,529 smaller constituents of the atmosphere. 160 00:06:19,530 --> 00:06:21,659 You can also just as easily 161 00:06:21,660 --> 00:06:24,029 leave out the nitrogen and 162 00:06:24,030 --> 00:06:25,979 run in in in an atmosphere that's 163 00:06:25,980 --> 00:06:27,179 entirely on the oxygen. 164 00:06:27,180 --> 00:06:28,499 But then you need to have a much lower 165 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:30,299 pressure because otherwise you get oxygen 166 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:31,300 toxicity. 167 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:33,739 The other way round. 168 00:06:33,740 --> 00:06:36,049 You can also reduce the oxygen amount 169 00:06:36,050 --> 00:06:38,059 in the air, but then it gets quickly 170 00:06:38,060 --> 00:06:40,369 problematic as soon as you go under 171 00:06:40,370 --> 00:06:42,499 about zero point one five bar 172 00:06:42,500 --> 00:06:44,329 of oxygen, partial pressure, you get 173 00:06:44,330 --> 00:06:46,459 headaches, it's loss of concentration. 174 00:06:48,170 --> 00:06:50,359 And then if it goes even further down, 175 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,179 starting at around 0.1 to a bar, 176 00:06:53,180 --> 00:06:54,889 you get unconsciousness and death. 177 00:06:54,890 --> 00:06:57,259 So you don't want these factors 178 00:06:57,260 --> 00:06:58,260 this this. 179 00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:02,359 Boundaries here are quite specific 180 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,739 from person to person and especially 181 00:07:03,740 --> 00:07:05,209 people that live high in the mountains, 182 00:07:05,210 --> 00:07:07,489 in the Andes or the Himalayas. 183 00:07:07,490 --> 00:07:09,559 They have a much higher 184 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,569 tolerance for low oxygen demand because 185 00:07:11,570 --> 00:07:13,899 they produce more red blood cells 186 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:14,900 and so on. 187 00:07:17,300 --> 00:07:18,689 Then this is something I heard in the 188 00:07:18,690 --> 00:07:19,609 talk a while back. 189 00:07:19,610 --> 00:07:21,259 The first symptom of hypoxia is 190 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:23,779 consciousness, and that is a problem. 191 00:07:23,780 --> 00:07:25,909 If the oxygen amount goes 192 00:07:25,910 --> 00:07:28,009 down slowly, you get headaches and 193 00:07:28,010 --> 00:07:29,839 you'll notice that you only see black and 194 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,359 white. But if your oxygen content rises 195 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,969 quickly or slowly falls down quickly, 196 00:07:34,970 --> 00:07:36,739 you will not notice your missing oxygen 197 00:07:36,740 --> 00:07:37,639 until you pass out. 198 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,619 And then it's too late to act. 199 00:07:39,620 --> 00:07:41,179 So it's really important that the system 200 00:07:41,180 --> 00:07:42,769 keeps this on a good level. 201 00:07:46,450 --> 00:07:47,859 This already sets breathing without 202 00:07:47,860 --> 00:07:49,059 nitrogen isn't a problem. 203 00:07:49,060 --> 00:07:50,769 You can just reduce pressure and only 204 00:07:50,770 --> 00:07:53,079 have 0.1 oxygen, which 205 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,669 is, for example, what you do in 206 00:07:54,670 --> 00:07:55,689 spacesuits. 207 00:07:55,690 --> 00:07:57,079 If you do that in the spacesuit, they're 208 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,319 much less baloney and much easier to move 209 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,479 in, so you have lower pressure. 210 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,579 But the disadvantage of this is that you 211 00:08:03,580 --> 00:08:06,039 then have a pure oxygen atmosphere and 212 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,499 you will have lots and lots of increased 213 00:08:08,500 --> 00:08:10,509 fire risk stuff that you would normally 214 00:08:10,510 --> 00:08:12,939 not expect to ignite ignites suddenly 215 00:08:12,940 --> 00:08:14,379 in the pure oxygen atmosphere, for 216 00:08:14,380 --> 00:08:16,360 example, aluminum or. 217 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,499 Plastic or any 218 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:21,149 kind of thing that can burn will burn. 219 00:08:22,380 --> 00:08:24,149 The Americans learned this quite 220 00:08:24,150 --> 00:08:26,639 uncomfortably in Apollo one, which had a 221 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,619 disastrous fire accident on the launch 222 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:30,489 pad before takeoff. 223 00:08:30,490 --> 00:08:32,219 Well, three estimates died. 224 00:08:32,220 --> 00:08:34,319 So because of this, you try to 225 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,479 avoid oxygen out in space as much as 226 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,879 possible and try to work in, well, 227 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,399 imitating what you have both at 228 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:42,400 sea level. 229 00:08:43,710 --> 00:08:45,509 Now, how do you do this? 230 00:08:45,510 --> 00:08:48,289 How do you supply air that you can be? 231 00:08:48,290 --> 00:08:50,429 The obvious and easiest way to do this is 232 00:08:50,430 --> 00:08:52,549 to just take air and compress it 233 00:08:52,550 --> 00:08:54,949 in a bottle and breathe directly 234 00:08:54,950 --> 00:08:57,199 from the bottle via a pressure regulator. 235 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,059 So you get air to breathe that and then 236 00:08:59,060 --> 00:09:00,349 you breathe it out. And since you're in a 237 00:09:00,350 --> 00:09:02,209 spacecraft, you can just be the in space 238 00:09:02,210 --> 00:09:03,210 and gas it off. 239 00:09:04,770 --> 00:09:06,599 And that works quite OK. 240 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,879 This is like the diving apparatus, 241 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:12,539 the disadvantages in this bottle, you 242 00:09:12,540 --> 00:09:14,669 have 78 percent nitrogen, so 243 00:09:14,670 --> 00:09:16,319 that does actually nothing to your 244 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:18,129 breathing. You're just wasting mosquito 245 00:09:18,130 --> 00:09:20,339 and in space like you always want to have 246 00:09:20,340 --> 00:09:22,229 stuff as light as possible not to waste 247 00:09:22,230 --> 00:09:23,230 moths. 248 00:09:23,790 --> 00:09:25,679 So it would be much nicer to somehow 249 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:27,089 recycle the air that you breathe out 250 00:09:27,090 --> 00:09:29,189 because you're breathing in 21 percent 251 00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:30,839 oxygen and you're still breathing out 252 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:32,159 about 14 percent. 253 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,479 So why not reduce that oxygen? 254 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:35,760 But you've just based on? 255 00:09:36,890 --> 00:09:38,929 So this system is impractical for more 256 00:09:38,930 --> 00:09:40,849 than a few hours of spaceflight and 257 00:09:40,850 --> 00:09:43,129 actually no spacefaring nation 258 00:09:43,130 --> 00:09:44,459 has ever used the system like this 259 00:09:44,460 --> 00:09:46,699 already the first Mercury flight of the 260 00:09:46,700 --> 00:09:48,899 Vostok system in 261 00:09:48,900 --> 00:09:51,199 honor of the Russians, also the Chinese 262 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,329 capsules, all of them are already using 263 00:09:53,330 --> 00:09:54,919 more advanced systems. 264 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,229 As far as I know, some of the commercial 265 00:09:57,230 --> 00:09:59,299 space space planes are 266 00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:00,769 now employing simply this method. 267 00:10:00,770 --> 00:10:02,299 If they're just doing it properly, fly 268 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:03,559 for a couple of minutes. 269 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:04,560 Fine. 270 00:10:05,060 --> 00:10:06,769 But you should go beyond that right away. 271 00:10:09,020 --> 00:10:11,089 Better oxygen sources you can use, for 272 00:10:11,090 --> 00:10:13,829 example, 100 percent compressed oxygen, 273 00:10:13,830 --> 00:10:16,129 you just use an oxygen bottle and breathe 274 00:10:16,130 --> 00:10:17,349 on that. 275 00:10:17,350 --> 00:10:19,209 Right now, watch out, though, if you're 276 00:10:19,210 --> 00:10:21,009 not careful with this, then you have an 277 00:10:21,010 --> 00:10:22,010 explosive. 278 00:10:22,650 --> 00:10:24,449 This is a picture of a life support 279 00:10:24,450 --> 00:10:26,909 backpack from an American extravehicular 280 00:10:26,910 --> 00:10:29,489 mobility unit in 281 00:10:29,490 --> 00:10:31,439 the beginning of the shuttle program, 282 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,359 where this was just being developed and 283 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:34,360 tested. 284 00:10:35,820 --> 00:10:38,159 And you can see the oxygen bottle 285 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,499 on the site was feeding oxygen 286 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:42,209 into the pressure regulator here at the 287 00:10:42,210 --> 00:10:44,039 bottom, and that was made out of aluminum 288 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:45,539 and it caught fire and the entire thing 289 00:10:45,540 --> 00:10:46,589 exploded. 290 00:10:46,590 --> 00:10:47,489 Two people got hurt. 291 00:10:47,490 --> 00:10:48,490 Nobody. 292 00:10:49,890 --> 00:10:52,199 Fortunately, died, but 293 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,699 that means that even Nazar who are 294 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:56,189 building these professionally have to 295 00:10:56,190 --> 00:10:58,349 sometimes find out that they are not 296 00:10:58,350 --> 00:11:00,419 careful the same design, despite 297 00:11:00,420 --> 00:11:02,129 the waste that they just replaced as one 298 00:11:02,130 --> 00:11:04,589 regulator. And ever since then, the same 299 00:11:04,590 --> 00:11:06,119 life support pack has been used in the 300 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,039 shuttles and the International Space 301 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:09,040 Station ever since. 302 00:11:12,350 --> 00:11:14,569 Now there's an even better oxygen source, 303 00:11:14,570 --> 00:11:16,219 and that is. 304 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,570 Called a oxygen candle. 305 00:11:21,860 --> 00:11:23,989 In this, depending 306 00:11:23,990 --> 00:11:26,089 on who designs this, either if it's a 307 00:11:26,090 --> 00:11:28,549 Russian design, yes, sodium chlorate 308 00:11:28,550 --> 00:11:30,949 or for the US systems, you have lithium 309 00:11:30,950 --> 00:11:33,079 chloride packed with iron 310 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:34,279 powder. 311 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,039 And if you ignite, that's if you 312 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,199 heat it up at one ignition point high 313 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,149 enough, they start to burn. 314 00:11:41,150 --> 00:11:43,609 This sodium chloride 315 00:11:43,610 --> 00:11:46,279 just decays to 316 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,799 basically, that's a redox reaction to 317 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,139 normal table salt rust 318 00:11:51,140 --> 00:11:53,269 powder. And then there's two oxygen atoms 319 00:11:53,270 --> 00:11:55,549 left, and so that goes 320 00:11:55,550 --> 00:11:58,279 out of the system and supplies oxygen. 321 00:11:58,280 --> 00:11:59,690 So this is a compact, 322 00:12:00,830 --> 00:12:03,079 solid device that you can switch 323 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:04,879 on by igniting it at one end, and then it 324 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,219 slowly burns to over multiple hours. 325 00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:09,469 So this design, for example, 326 00:12:09,470 --> 00:12:11,539 burns for eight hours and supplies 327 00:12:11,540 --> 00:12:13,849 oxygen for three people for eight hours, 328 00:12:13,850 --> 00:12:15,979 which is very nice because then you don't 329 00:12:15,980 --> 00:12:17,579 need to care about pressure regulation 330 00:12:17,580 --> 00:12:19,699 and so on. Just ignited on one end, and 331 00:12:19,700 --> 00:12:20,750 it's replaced with oxygen. 332 00:12:21,810 --> 00:12:24,119 This is actually typically used in 333 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,229 space stations as the backup system. 334 00:12:26,230 --> 00:12:27,959 Here's a picture from the old Mir space 335 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,209 station, where one of these oxygen 336 00:12:30,210 --> 00:12:32,219 candidates was just being taken into use 337 00:12:32,220 --> 00:12:34,799 next to the regular life support system. 338 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,899 This very much up here is also 339 00:12:36,900 --> 00:12:39,059 the point where the fire broke out 340 00:12:39,060 --> 00:12:41,669 on the space station Mir at the 341 00:12:41,670 --> 00:12:43,499 middle of the 90s, which eventually 342 00:12:43,500 --> 00:12:45,149 caused the space station to be 343 00:12:45,150 --> 00:12:47,129 decommissioned. Because this thing gets 344 00:12:47,130 --> 00:12:49,589 very hot on the left, you see 345 00:12:49,590 --> 00:12:51,869 the labeling on one of the American 346 00:12:51,870 --> 00:12:53,879 oxygen candles hot surface activated. 347 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,579 They get up to 500 degrees or so. 348 00:12:56,580 --> 00:12:58,559 So you need to be careful with that, but 349 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:00,869 it's a very nice way to produce oxygen 350 00:13:00,870 --> 00:13:03,589 without needing any further equipment. 351 00:13:03,590 --> 00:13:05,179 These are typically used as the backup 352 00:13:05,180 --> 00:13:07,399 system for the more complicated ones that 353 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:08,400 we're getting to next. 354 00:13:10,660 --> 00:13:12,339 Now, before we go through the more 355 00:13:12,340 --> 00:13:13,809 complicated ones, however, we have to 356 00:13:13,810 --> 00:13:15,279 talk about the second half. 357 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:16,839 You remember the initial looks like you 358 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,939 have oxygen coming in and then the humans 359 00:13:18,940 --> 00:13:20,949 breathe CO2 out. 360 00:13:20,950 --> 00:13:23,019 So what do we do with the CO2 361 00:13:23,020 --> 00:13:25,089 just bringing oxygen doesn't make 362 00:13:25,090 --> 00:13:26,409 it for life support system it. 363 00:13:27,790 --> 00:13:29,379 If you have too much CO2, if you, for 364 00:13:29,380 --> 00:13:31,089 example, don't care about removing it 365 00:13:31,090 --> 00:13:32,559 collects in the spacecraft and did 366 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:34,389 partial pressure of CO2 will rise in 367 00:13:34,390 --> 00:13:37,029 price and you will get lots of problems 368 00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:39,039 starting from 10 millibars partial 369 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,119 pressure and that's much lower than the 370 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:43,239 O2 pressures you have before you start 371 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,289 to tire. 372 00:13:44,290 --> 00:13:46,299 You have concentration problems, you get 373 00:13:46,300 --> 00:13:47,559 tingly fingers and so on, 374 00:13:49,060 --> 00:13:51,669 and then starting from about 70 millibars 375 00:13:51,670 --> 00:13:53,439 again, you have loss of consciousness and 376 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,569 death, so you want to do something 377 00:13:55,570 --> 00:13:58,139 about it before it gets so far. 378 00:13:58,140 --> 00:14:00,539 And what can you do against CO2? 379 00:14:01,860 --> 00:14:03,779 The straightforward method is chemically 380 00:14:03,780 --> 00:14:05,999 binding. It's the so-called 381 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,299 CO two scrubber approach. 382 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:11,369 You take 383 00:14:11,370 --> 00:14:13,649 CO2 and put it into water and it forms 384 00:14:13,650 --> 00:14:15,359 carbonic acid. You all know this from 385 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,099 fizzy drinks. That's just CO2 will 386 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:19,879 dissolve water carbonic acid. 387 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:21,679 If this is an asset you can neutralize, 388 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,959 so you just let 389 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,089 your CO2 flow through a container that 390 00:14:26,090 --> 00:14:28,609 contains some sort of basic 391 00:14:28,610 --> 00:14:30,799 material. For example, lithium hydroxide, 392 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:32,629 you can also use potassium hydroxide. 393 00:14:32,630 --> 00:14:35,509 But lithium is a very favorite 394 00:14:35,510 --> 00:14:37,489 element in space flight because it's so 395 00:14:37,490 --> 00:14:38,659 light. 396 00:14:38,660 --> 00:14:40,429 So your CO2 reacts with the lithium 397 00:14:40,430 --> 00:14:42,649 hydroxide and it produces water 398 00:14:42,650 --> 00:14:44,749 and it produces lithium carbonate, 399 00:14:44,750 --> 00:14:46,399 and then the CO2 is gone from your 400 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:47,629 system. 401 00:14:47,630 --> 00:14:49,099 These canisters look, for example, like 402 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:51,169 this. This is one from the Apollo 403 00:14:51,170 --> 00:14:53,209 command module where you have one site 404 00:14:53,210 --> 00:14:55,009 where the eye gets pushed in by a fan 405 00:14:55,010 --> 00:14:57,079 flows to the to the surface in 406 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,119 there with this lithium hydroxide, and 407 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,309 then it comes out purged of CO2. 408 00:15:02,790 --> 00:15:05,329 These canisters, indestructible 409 00:15:05,330 --> 00:15:07,549 shapes are working to remove 410 00:15:07,550 --> 00:15:09,169 the Earth that one person, except for a 411 00:15:09,170 --> 00:15:11,269 couple hours. So this one, for example, 412 00:15:11,270 --> 00:15:13,369 had to be replaced every 12 hours in the 413 00:15:13,370 --> 00:15:15,139 Apollo flights that lasted three days. 414 00:15:15,140 --> 00:15:16,879 They had just had enough of the balloon. 415 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:18,559 But again, this is not yet a renewable 416 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:19,560 system. 417 00:15:20,090 --> 00:15:22,129 And in the Apollo flights, there was an 418 00:15:22,130 --> 00:15:23,130 additional problem. 419 00:15:24,330 --> 00:15:26,459 In the flag of Apollo 13, 420 00:15:26,460 --> 00:15:28,289 there was an explosion on the way to the 421 00:15:28,290 --> 00:15:29,290 Moon. 422 00:15:29,830 --> 00:15:31,409 This was actually an oxygen tank that 423 00:15:31,410 --> 00:15:33,899 exploded, but not one of oxygen 424 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:36,209 for the life support system, but one 425 00:15:36,210 --> 00:15:38,849 that was supposed to fuel the fuel cells 426 00:15:38,850 --> 00:15:40,469 for the electrical system. 427 00:15:40,470 --> 00:15:42,059 So the electrical system was gone and 428 00:15:42,060 --> 00:15:43,559 they couldn't use the command module 429 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:45,389 anymore, and the astronauts would all 430 00:15:45,390 --> 00:15:47,579 have died. If not, they had 431 00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:49,179 the lunar lander attached to the 432 00:15:49,180 --> 00:15:51,269 spacecraft. So they evacuated to the 433 00:15:51,270 --> 00:15:52,979 lunar lander and were just living in 434 00:15:52,980 --> 00:15:54,299 there while they were flying around the 435 00:15:54,300 --> 00:15:55,979 moon and back to Earth. 436 00:15:55,980 --> 00:15:57,929 The problem with that is that the lunar 437 00:15:57,930 --> 00:16:00,059 lander was designed to support two 438 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:01,529 people for two days. 439 00:16:01,530 --> 00:16:03,329 And now it had three people for three 440 00:16:03,330 --> 00:16:04,330 days. 441 00:16:04,730 --> 00:16:07,249 So it's lithium hydroxide canisters 442 00:16:07,250 --> 00:16:09,019 simply were full before 443 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:12,949 before plant and there was no backup. 444 00:16:12,950 --> 00:16:15,319 They brought the canisters from 445 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,479 the main command module and 446 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,639 found that actually, since this is a US 447 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,769 government spacecraft, the command 448 00:16:21,770 --> 00:16:23,629 module and the lunar lander were built by 449 00:16:23,630 --> 00:16:25,099 separate contractors, and these 450 00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:26,599 contractors were not talking to each 451 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,939 other. So they used very different 452 00:16:28,940 --> 00:16:30,799 design of their canisters, and these did 453 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:31,879 not fit together. 454 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:33,799 So the thing on the right was what they 455 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,509 would have needed to put into the lunar 456 00:16:35,510 --> 00:16:37,879 lander life support system. 457 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:39,499 But those were full, so they only had the 458 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:40,500 ones on the left. 459 00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:44,189 And then they had to get creative, and 460 00:16:44,190 --> 00:16:46,289 which for me is the best proof 461 00:16:46,290 --> 00:16:47,759 that you can fix everything with gaffer 462 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,619 tape if you only have enough of it. 463 00:16:49,620 --> 00:16:51,719 So they built an adapter out of some 464 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,509 space spacesuit horses and a small 465 00:16:54,510 --> 00:16:56,609 ventilator, a book to cover lots of 466 00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:59,129 gaffer tape around the lithium 467 00:16:59,130 --> 00:17:00,029 hydroxide canister. 468 00:17:00,030 --> 00:17:01,259 And then they plucked it into the life 469 00:17:01,260 --> 00:17:03,119 support system in the back. 470 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,909 You still see this is where the original 471 00:17:05,910 --> 00:17:07,709 canisters were supposed to go in, and 472 00:17:07,710 --> 00:17:08,880 then these were patched in. 473 00:17:10,310 --> 00:17:11,959 It also contains a dirty sock in the 474 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,159 middle, they have to stop this little 475 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,179 hole somewhere. 476 00:17:14,180 --> 00:17:16,129 I wanted to throw something. 477 00:17:16,130 --> 00:17:17,929 So yes, with enough gaffer tape, you can 478 00:17:17,930 --> 00:17:19,159 fix everything, even in space. 479 00:17:22,510 --> 00:17:24,729 And then we get to space, huge life 480 00:17:24,730 --> 00:17:26,858 support systems, they're basically the 481 00:17:26,859 --> 00:17:29,169 same idea, except built in a compact 482 00:17:29,170 --> 00:17:31,629 way. This is the backpack from an Apollo 483 00:17:31,630 --> 00:17:33,729 moonwalking suit and you see here all 484 00:17:33,730 --> 00:17:34,819 the components we had before. 485 00:17:34,820 --> 00:17:37,539 There's an oxygen bottle that supplies 486 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:38,529 breathing air. 487 00:17:38,530 --> 00:17:40,839 There's a CO2 scrubber that's sitting 488 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:41,919 here horizontally. 489 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,379 And then this power supply in some pumps 490 00:17:44,380 --> 00:17:46,449 and at the top here is a 491 00:17:46,450 --> 00:17:48,549 evaporation device to cool the 492 00:17:48,550 --> 00:17:50,199 space you and you're in direct sunlight 493 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:51,429 on the Moon. 494 00:17:51,430 --> 00:17:52,730 That's basically all there is to it. 495 00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:54,880 The more modern designs 496 00:17:56,050 --> 00:17:58,299 look kind of similar, this is a 497 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:00,579 Russian Orlan spacesuit that is nowadays 498 00:18:00,580 --> 00:18:02,139 being used as this. 499 00:18:02,140 --> 00:18:03,729 You flip open the back of it and you 500 00:18:03,730 --> 00:18:05,799 climb in behind and then you open the 501 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,049 door of your cosmonaut colleague, opens 502 00:18:08,050 --> 00:18:10,179 your closed the door behind 503 00:18:10,180 --> 00:18:11,409 you and seals at you. 504 00:18:11,410 --> 00:18:12,999 And here you can see as well there's an 505 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,189 oxygen bottle, there's a scrubber 506 00:18:15,190 --> 00:18:17,349 container and so on that supplies oxygen 507 00:18:17,350 --> 00:18:19,959 for eight, since it's only 508 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,429 only about 800. 509 00:18:21,430 --> 00:18:23,199 You can carry it all around in your 510 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:24,399 spacesuit. And since you are in 511 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,199 weightlessness anyway, weight doesn't 512 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:27,200 matter. 513 00:18:29,140 --> 00:18:31,899 Now, if you want something like this, 514 00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:33,339 if you know, thinking, whoa, I want my 515 00:18:33,340 --> 00:18:34,899 own spacesuit, I don't want to breathe 516 00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:36,579 the air of the people around me, which is 517 00:18:36,580 --> 00:18:38,079 very understandable in 2020. 518 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,329 You can actually buy these, 519 00:18:40,330 --> 00:18:42,639 for example, scuba breathing systems 520 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:43,929 are commercially available. 521 00:18:43,930 --> 00:18:46,389 They set you back about 7000 euros, 522 00:18:46,390 --> 00:18:48,759 but you can just go to a diving 523 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:50,379 store and buy one of these. 524 00:18:50,380 --> 00:18:51,939 And these work very much by the same 525 00:18:51,940 --> 00:18:54,039 principle. You have a oxygen 526 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,529 bottle attached to the back and you have 527 00:18:56,530 --> 00:18:58,749 a container with soda, lime and soda. 528 00:18:58,750 --> 00:19:01,209 Lime is nothing else but potassium 529 00:19:01,210 --> 00:19:02,759 hydroxide. 530 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,249 Mixed with some of the stuff, some days 531 00:19:05,250 --> 00:19:07,759 to see when the Dakota has saturated 532 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,389 it and so on, but that's exactly what it 533 00:19:09,390 --> 00:19:10,529 is for. 534 00:19:10,530 --> 00:19:13,019 And I know some people from 535 00:19:13,020 --> 00:19:15,329 the diving club of Aalto University shout 536 00:19:15,330 --> 00:19:17,489 out to them for from here that own these 537 00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:19,439 devices and they have actually been going 538 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,619 to the supermarket with a breathing 539 00:19:21,620 --> 00:19:23,759 glue to shop for 540 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,799 groceries during the crisis. 541 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:27,899 So if you don't, for whatever reason, 542 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:29,579 want to breathe the same air as the 543 00:19:29,580 --> 00:19:31,679 people around, you get 544 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,119 a scuba repeating device. 545 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:35,189 It might also be useful if later you 546 00:19:35,190 --> 00:19:36,900 get to own a spaceship or something. 547 00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:43,339 Right now, 548 00:19:43,340 --> 00:19:45,589 now that we know how it works 549 00:19:45,590 --> 00:19:47,779 in the basic form and in a space suit, 550 00:19:47,780 --> 00:19:49,429 let's look at some actual life support 551 00:19:49,430 --> 00:19:51,169 systems that are being used nowadays. 552 00:19:51,170 --> 00:19:53,419 The SpaceX Dragon two, which is currently 553 00:19:53,420 --> 00:19:54,739 attached to the International Space 554 00:19:54,740 --> 00:19:56,869 Station, has a 555 00:19:56,870 --> 00:19:59,059 pretty much run of the mill life support 556 00:19:59,060 --> 00:20:01,279 system that we can now 557 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,679 understand. Here's a diagram from the 558 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,799 from the basics publication about that. 559 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,179 You can see the capsule, the pressure 560 00:20:08,180 --> 00:20:09,979 vessel and basically at the bottom or 561 00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:12,229 under the floor covers is where all 562 00:20:12,230 --> 00:20:13,489 the magic happens. 563 00:20:13,490 --> 00:20:15,439 There you have a bunch of things that we 564 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,199 can now identify here. 565 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,329 On both sides of it are these bottle. 566 00:20:20,330 --> 00:20:23,059 They have two times three bottles 567 00:20:23,060 --> 00:20:24,559 of these, actually only one. 568 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,709 The top bottle each is filled with 569 00:20:27,710 --> 00:20:29,929 pure oxygen and the bottom two are filled 570 00:20:29,930 --> 00:20:33,289 with a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. 571 00:20:33,290 --> 00:20:35,419 The idea with that is if the 572 00:20:35,420 --> 00:20:37,459 capsule were to be evacuated, either 573 00:20:37,460 --> 00:20:39,219 because somebody needs to climb out or 574 00:20:39,220 --> 00:20:41,449 this leak that can be pressurized 575 00:20:41,450 --> 00:20:43,579 with basic compressed 576 00:20:43,580 --> 00:20:45,559 air from these two bottom bottles. 577 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,749 And then to refresh the air as 578 00:20:47,750 --> 00:20:49,249 astronauts are breathing, they only need 579 00:20:49,250 --> 00:20:50,600 one of these bottles each. 580 00:20:52,100 --> 00:20:54,199 Also, during reentry, in order 581 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,229 to cool the system, they just about 582 00:20:56,230 --> 00:20:57,769 cooling their open the valves and blow 583 00:20:57,770 --> 00:20:59,719 air through it, which causes the capsule 584 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,489 so they don't have any need for a more 585 00:21:01,490 --> 00:21:02,839 complicated cooling mechanism. 586 00:21:04,620 --> 00:21:06,839 In addition to that, they have 587 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,209 these sort of lithium hydroxide 588 00:21:09,210 --> 00:21:10,859 canisters that actually a commercial 589 00:21:10,860 --> 00:21:12,719 model that apparently you can buy it for 590 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:14,579 submarine operations. 591 00:21:14,580 --> 00:21:16,709 And these are a bit larger than the ones 592 00:21:16,710 --> 00:21:18,239 we've seen before from the Apollo thing. 593 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,519 So this actually can be 594 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,689 left in place for one day or 595 00:21:22,690 --> 00:21:25,439 four person crew and spacecraft. 596 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,569 And you can take them out and exchange 597 00:21:27,570 --> 00:21:29,699 them. They have this replacement rack to 598 00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:30,809 the site you. 599 00:21:30,810 --> 00:21:32,729 If you're in the spacecraft and you look 600 00:21:32,730 --> 00:21:34,889 down and you open the covers, 601 00:21:34,890 --> 00:21:36,479 it looks something like this. 602 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:38,729 You see the bottles here on site and 603 00:21:38,730 --> 00:21:40,200 then you see the active 604 00:21:41,610 --> 00:21:43,409 lithium hydroxide canister for CO2 605 00:21:43,410 --> 00:21:45,119 scrubbing there and then the three 606 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:46,799 replacement ones. Once a day, one of the 607 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,810 crew members open it and swap the 608 00:21:49,860 --> 00:21:51,839 kind of stuff. But then you also have the 609 00:21:52,990 --> 00:21:54,929 urine container and the waste container, 610 00:21:54,930 --> 00:21:56,849 so maybe you don't want to put your hand 611 00:21:56,850 --> 00:21:57,850 in there in space. 612 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,749 One funny feature 613 00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:02,489 of this life support system is also the 614 00:22:02,490 --> 00:22:04,260 toilet, which is part of this 615 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:06,689 sits on the ceiling. 616 00:22:06,690 --> 00:22:08,279 So when you launch you, you're actually 617 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,019 sitting under the toilet of the 618 00:22:10,020 --> 00:22:12,119 spacecraft. Of course, during launch, 619 00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:13,409 it's probably unused it. 620 00:22:13,410 --> 00:22:15,569 I'm not sure how trustworthy 621 00:22:15,570 --> 00:22:17,699 this seems to the astronauts on reentry 622 00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:19,169 window then suddenly sitting under the 623 00:22:19,170 --> 00:22:20,219 toilet. 624 00:22:20,220 --> 00:22:21,389 But apparently this works well. 625 00:22:21,390 --> 00:22:22,829 I've heard no complaints about it. 626 00:22:27,740 --> 00:22:30,109 All right. So another 627 00:22:30,110 --> 00:22:32,359 real life life support system is 628 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:34,519 the so use cockpit, and 629 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,379 you may have seen something like this in 630 00:22:36,380 --> 00:22:37,819 the movie gravity or something like that. 631 00:22:37,820 --> 00:22:40,039 It's full of displays and buttons 632 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:41,359 and levers and so on. 633 00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:43,219 But the user interface of the life 634 00:22:43,220 --> 00:22:45,949 support system is actually completely 635 00:22:45,950 --> 00:22:48,049 supplied by these three valves. 636 00:22:48,050 --> 00:22:50,239 After two middle ones, which can 637 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,519 be used to regulate the oxygen 638 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,189 flow from the main and backup systems. 639 00:22:55,190 --> 00:22:57,499 And then for the last stage of reentry 640 00:22:57,500 --> 00:22:59,989 and also for emergency cases, the 641 00:22:59,990 --> 00:23:02,089 valve left open see emergency 642 00:23:02,090 --> 00:23:04,129 oxygen flow, and that's all there is. 643 00:23:04,130 --> 00:23:06,349 The fans are always running 644 00:23:06,350 --> 00:23:08,809 the CO2 scrubbers, all the scrubbing, 645 00:23:08,810 --> 00:23:11,389 and you do not need more than this 646 00:23:11,390 --> 00:23:13,099 as a user interface for your life support 647 00:23:13,100 --> 00:23:15,019 system. So you don't need to worry that 648 00:23:15,020 --> 00:23:16,709 much when you're in the Soyuz craft. 649 00:23:16,710 --> 00:23:19,009 If after a night of drinking 650 00:23:19,010 --> 00:23:20,419 with some Russians, you suddenly find 651 00:23:20,420 --> 00:23:22,549 yourself waking up in a Soyuz craft. 652 00:23:22,550 --> 00:23:24,859 You don't need to mess with many 653 00:23:24,860 --> 00:23:26,569 controls. If you have too little oxygen, 654 00:23:26,570 --> 00:23:27,459 you just turn this off. 655 00:23:27,460 --> 00:23:28,460 That's. 656 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:33,379 So now we've been talking about all these 657 00:23:33,380 --> 00:23:35,449 practical things that have been used in 658 00:23:35,450 --> 00:23:37,609 spacecraft, but these are not really 659 00:23:37,610 --> 00:23:40,129 reusable. I mean, we have oxygen bottles 660 00:23:40,130 --> 00:23:42,409 when they're empty, they're empty. 661 00:23:42,410 --> 00:23:44,479 We can't get new oxygen in space 662 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:45,889 and we have CO2 scrubbers. 663 00:23:45,890 --> 00:23:47,959 And when they're saturated with CO2, then 664 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,739 therefore then you need to go back to 665 00:23:49,740 --> 00:23:50,740 Earth. 666 00:23:51,450 --> 00:23:53,309 So both the Soyuz spacecraft and the 667 00:23:53,310 --> 00:23:55,379 Dragon two have very reasonable life 668 00:23:55,380 --> 00:23:57,479 support systems for what they're built 669 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,549 for the flight to the ISIS, and then they 670 00:23:59,550 --> 00:24:01,379 come back in 90 minutes if you want. 671 00:24:01,380 --> 00:24:03,569 They don't need anything more fancy. 672 00:24:03,570 --> 00:24:05,309 But for the space station itself or 673 00:24:05,310 --> 00:24:07,379 anything more complex than that, you want 674 00:24:07,380 --> 00:24:09,389 something reusable and how do you do 675 00:24:09,390 --> 00:24:10,390 that? 676 00:24:10,980 --> 00:24:12,749 There is a very practical, endless source 677 00:24:12,750 --> 00:24:14,609 of oxygen available if you have 678 00:24:14,610 --> 00:24:16,979 electrical power because you can simply 679 00:24:16,980 --> 00:24:19,379 take water, H2O 680 00:24:19,380 --> 00:24:21,839 and with electricity, 681 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,760 split it into hydrogen and oxygen. 682 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:26,579 On Earth, it's quite easier just to 683 00:24:26,580 --> 00:24:28,799 electrodes, water at life, electric 684 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,299 current. You see the. 685 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:32,399 One side if you hydrogen or the other one 686 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:33,929 side gives the oxygen. 687 00:24:33,930 --> 00:24:36,209 It's not that easy in 688 00:24:36,210 --> 00:24:38,729 space because the 689 00:24:38,730 --> 00:24:41,009 if you put an electrode into 690 00:24:41,010 --> 00:24:43,379 water in zero gravity, 691 00:24:43,380 --> 00:24:45,029 it forms the bubble around the electrode. 692 00:24:45,030 --> 00:24:46,859 And then the electrode no longer touches 693 00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:48,219 the water because the bubble doesn't go 694 00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:49,220 with. 695 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:50,999 But you can do it, and I can show you in 696 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,109 a second how you do it. 697 00:24:52,110 --> 00:24:54,209 First thing, though, you need to 698 00:24:54,210 --> 00:24:56,339 have a good source of water 699 00:24:56,340 --> 00:24:57,869 that you are not planning to use for 700 00:24:57,870 --> 00:24:59,519 anything else, like drinking. 701 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:01,109 So what's a good source of water that you 702 00:25:01,110 --> 00:25:03,359 do not want to drink anymore 703 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:04,649 on the ice? 704 00:25:04,650 --> 00:25:05,880 They simply use the toilet. 705 00:25:07,190 --> 00:25:09,769 Astronaut P gets recycled 706 00:25:09,770 --> 00:25:11,839 into the oxygen system on the 707 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,730 ISS. The oxygen system looks like this, 708 00:25:15,110 --> 00:25:17,029 so sometimes people ask if you are on the 709 00:25:17,030 --> 00:25:18,409 International Space Station and you're 710 00:25:18,410 --> 00:25:19,969 staying there for six months, do you have 711 00:25:19,970 --> 00:25:21,499 to drink your own pee in space or 712 00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:22,549 something like that? 713 00:25:22,550 --> 00:25:24,259 And the answer can be a resounding no. 714 00:25:24,260 --> 00:25:26,329 You don't need to drink your own pee. 715 00:25:26,330 --> 00:25:28,160 You will breathe your own penis. 716 00:25:32,910 --> 00:25:33,910 So. 717 00:25:35,910 --> 00:25:37,949 How does this work, then you see these 718 00:25:37,950 --> 00:25:40,379 two wrecks are the life support 719 00:25:40,380 --> 00:25:42,749 water recycling system of the SS. 720 00:25:44,990 --> 00:25:47,149 We have here a centrifuge where 721 00:25:47,150 --> 00:25:49,309 the water gets boiled 722 00:25:49,310 --> 00:25:51,379 and separated from salt and 723 00:25:51,380 --> 00:25:53,329 any other more complicated components of 724 00:25:53,330 --> 00:25:55,699 it. And then we have two more centrifuges 725 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:58,219 that are the electricity 726 00:25:58,220 --> 00:26:00,229 system that actually takes the hydrogen 727 00:26:00,230 --> 00:26:01,400 and the oxygen apart. 728 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:03,829 There are also other things like. 729 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,059 Filter system to get any other pollutants 730 00:26:07,060 --> 00:26:09,399 out and then you need to regulate the 731 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:10,899 level and so on. 732 00:26:10,900 --> 00:26:13,059 But in the end, pee goes in one side of 733 00:26:13,060 --> 00:26:13,959 this device. 734 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,939 Oxygen comes off the other. 735 00:26:15,940 --> 00:26:18,129 And since you have solar panels and 736 00:26:18,130 --> 00:26:20,079 much more effective solar power and space 737 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,389 on Earth, you can produce 738 00:26:22,390 --> 00:26:24,459 basically endless amounts 739 00:26:24,460 --> 00:26:26,679 of oxygen by just splitting 740 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:27,680 up. 741 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,469 Which leaves you with the problem of CO2. 742 00:26:31,470 --> 00:26:34,049 How do you do a reusable CO2 743 00:26:34,050 --> 00:26:35,219 scrubbing? 744 00:26:35,220 --> 00:26:37,349 And here nature gives us 745 00:26:37,350 --> 00:26:39,209 some wonderful materials, for example, 746 00:26:39,210 --> 00:26:40,379 activated charcoal. 747 00:26:40,380 --> 00:26:42,029 If you have a surface of activated 748 00:26:42,030 --> 00:26:44,609 charcoal, actually let air continue 749 00:26:44,610 --> 00:26:45,899 to run over it. 750 00:26:45,900 --> 00:26:48,059 CO2 molecules like to attach to 751 00:26:48,060 --> 00:26:49,060 the surface. 752 00:26:49,730 --> 00:26:51,350 But only one molecular layer. 753 00:26:52,580 --> 00:26:54,169 There are others that are working even 754 00:26:54,170 --> 00:26:55,669 better than charcoal, for example, there 755 00:26:55,670 --> 00:26:57,529 are some zeolites and some amines that 756 00:26:57,530 --> 00:26:59,659 useful that not going into too much 757 00:26:59,660 --> 00:27:01,369 detail at you. 758 00:27:01,370 --> 00:27:03,499 So you let it run over and it 759 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:05,929 touches on the CO2 molecule 760 00:27:05,930 --> 00:27:07,639 stick to the surface. And after about one 761 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,829 hour, the shockable filter is full. 762 00:27:09,830 --> 00:27:11,989 No more CO2 attaches to it. 763 00:27:11,990 --> 00:27:14,059 What you can then do is you 764 00:27:14,060 --> 00:27:15,769 close the valve to your spacecraft and 765 00:27:15,770 --> 00:27:17,419 open the valve on the other side and open 766 00:27:17,420 --> 00:27:20,209 this surface to the vacuum of space 767 00:27:20,210 --> 00:27:21,409 and you heat it up a little and 768 00:27:21,410 --> 00:27:23,299 evaporates off to space. 769 00:27:23,300 --> 00:27:25,189 And then you've got a clean piece of 770 00:27:25,190 --> 00:27:26,689 charcoal again. 771 00:27:26,690 --> 00:27:28,729 That's exactly what this device does on 772 00:27:28,730 --> 00:27:30,889 the International Space Station. 773 00:27:30,890 --> 00:27:33,529 This is the so-called carbon dioxide 774 00:27:33,530 --> 00:27:36,799 removal assembly, and it has these fancy 775 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,029 violet connectors. 776 00:27:38,030 --> 00:27:39,530 I like the design of this very much. 777 00:27:41,740 --> 00:27:44,109 It has some zeolite 778 00:27:44,110 --> 00:27:46,269 absorption bits by the cabin 779 00:27:46,270 --> 00:27:47,619 egg it's run into. 780 00:27:47,620 --> 00:27:49,689 And then after an hour or so when 781 00:27:49,690 --> 00:27:51,849 it's full, it gets closed off and open 782 00:27:51,850 --> 00:27:52,929 to the vacuum of space. 783 00:27:52,930 --> 00:27:54,999 And because then it's half the time 784 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,109 up and half the time closed, there are 785 00:27:56,110 --> 00:27:58,269 actually two systems that are alternating 786 00:27:58,270 --> 00:27:59,859 between open and closed state. 787 00:27:59,860 --> 00:28:01,389 Here at the bottom, you see these two 788 00:28:01,390 --> 00:28:03,489 openings where it then attaches out to 789 00:28:03,490 --> 00:28:05,229 the other side of the spacecraft, and 790 00:28:05,230 --> 00:28:08,319 that leads off to the vacuum of space. 791 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,659 This method is called pressure swing 792 00:28:10,660 --> 00:28:13,029 adsorption because you are swinging 793 00:28:13,030 --> 00:28:15,399 between inner pressure and pressure 794 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:16,400 outside. 795 00:28:21,730 --> 00:28:24,369 Now, if you have your CO2 removed, 796 00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:25,749 you can just vent it out, and that's 797 00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:26,879 mostly what is being done in 798 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,259 International Space Station, but there is 799 00:28:29,260 --> 00:28:31,329 another helpful chemical reaction 800 00:28:31,330 --> 00:28:33,399 that makes even more sense to 801 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:34,400 do after. 802 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,409 We have CO2 and we're just separated it 803 00:28:37,410 --> 00:28:39,559 using our precious wing mechanism. 804 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,069 And we also didn't have the hydrogen left 805 00:28:41,070 --> 00:28:42,299 from splitting our water. 806 00:28:42,300 --> 00:28:43,739 I mean, we split the water and we're 807 00:28:43,740 --> 00:28:45,239 breathing the oxygen. What do we do with 808 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:46,559 the hydrogen? 809 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,629 If these two are put together, 810 00:28:48,630 --> 00:28:50,909 they can chemically react to methane 811 00:28:50,910 --> 00:28:52,319 and water. 812 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,629 Isn't that nice because we have something 813 00:28:54,630 --> 00:28:56,519 that we don't want and something that is 814 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,829 no use for us and we get something 815 00:28:58,830 --> 00:28:59,789 at least part of it. 816 00:28:59,790 --> 00:29:02,219 All that is food again, water 817 00:29:02,220 --> 00:29:04,739 as an input in order to do this. 818 00:29:04,740 --> 00:29:06,449 Unfortunately, it requires pretty high 819 00:29:06,450 --> 00:29:08,129 temperatures, so you need to heat these 820 00:29:08,130 --> 00:29:10,259 up to 300 tubes and you need to do 821 00:29:10,260 --> 00:29:11,789 it under high pressure so that the 822 00:29:11,790 --> 00:29:14,549 molecules actually react with another. 823 00:29:14,550 --> 00:29:15,719 You also need two catalysts. 824 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:17,789 Nickel is quite normal for this. 825 00:29:17,790 --> 00:29:19,589 Ruthenium is more efficient, but much 826 00:29:19,590 --> 00:29:21,239 more expensive. So that's what's used in 827 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:22,619 space because money doesn't matter. 828 00:29:23,940 --> 00:29:26,339 And then you need to 829 00:29:26,340 --> 00:29:28,739 first compress it to that and expand 830 00:29:28,740 --> 00:29:31,019 it again for use in the space station. 831 00:29:31,020 --> 00:29:32,819 But the advantage of this is from the 832 00:29:32,820 --> 00:29:34,899 original water that you put into the 833 00:29:34,900 --> 00:29:37,139 splitting. You have four 834 00:29:37,140 --> 00:29:39,779 water molecules that went in. 835 00:29:39,780 --> 00:29:42,449 You still recover two of them back. 836 00:29:42,450 --> 00:29:45,089 So you are getting half of your water 837 00:29:45,090 --> 00:29:47,519 recovered in these cycles. 838 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:49,319 This is what the device looks like on the 839 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,059 International Space Station, and it has 840 00:29:51,060 --> 00:29:52,949 lots and lots of troops and complicated 841 00:29:52,950 --> 00:29:54,419 mechanisms. Because it contains 842 00:29:54,420 --> 00:29:56,579 decompression stage, it needs to 843 00:29:56,580 --> 00:29:58,469 mix the input gases, needs to separate 844 00:29:58,470 --> 00:30:00,389 the output gases and then expanded to. 845 00:30:00,390 --> 00:30:02,549 So it's installed right next to 846 00:30:02,550 --> 00:30:04,980 the carbon dioxide removal assembly. 847 00:30:06,350 --> 00:30:09,109 The second output have methane 848 00:30:09,110 --> 00:30:10,729 at the moment is just dumped overboard 849 00:30:10,730 --> 00:30:12,289 from the International Space Station, but 850 00:30:12,290 --> 00:30:14,239 in principle, this one can also still be 851 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:15,829 used for something useful. 852 00:30:15,830 --> 00:30:17,929 It can be used as a rocket fuel space. 853 00:30:17,930 --> 00:30:20,149 This new rockets run with this, 854 00:30:20,150 --> 00:30:22,519 or it can be heated and 855 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,889 electrically decayed to 856 00:30:24,890 --> 00:30:27,259 decompose to carbon and hydrogen 857 00:30:27,260 --> 00:30:30,289 again. Then you have the hydrogen used 858 00:30:30,290 --> 00:30:31,290 reusable. 859 00:30:32,260 --> 00:30:33,789 The problem with this is that you need to 860 00:30:33,790 --> 00:30:35,529 basically put this in a steel tube and 861 00:30:35,530 --> 00:30:37,329 heated 2000 degrees, and then you have 862 00:30:37,330 --> 00:30:39,829 the carbon starting to lay on your steel. 863 00:30:39,830 --> 00:30:41,469 So this is not something you want in the 864 00:30:41,470 --> 00:30:43,629 space station right now, and this is 865 00:30:43,630 --> 00:30:45,729 not something that's overly, overly 866 00:30:45,730 --> 00:30:48,129 practical, but it's 867 00:30:48,130 --> 00:30:50,049 a possibility for the future, maybe on a 868 00:30:50,050 --> 00:30:52,329 Mars. You can do this to get 869 00:30:52,330 --> 00:30:54,999 carbon for also for 870 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,290 of virtualization of sorts. 871 00:30:58,970 --> 00:31:00,649 So let's plug it all together. 872 00:31:00,650 --> 00:31:02,749 This is life support system looks 873 00:31:02,750 --> 00:31:04,699 like this. This is the American life 874 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:07,159 support system in its original design 875 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,009 when the ISIS was launched in 1998. 876 00:31:10,010 --> 00:31:12,349 You still see here is a fancy tube screen 877 00:31:12,350 --> 00:31:14,449 that was used for computer controlling 878 00:31:14,450 --> 00:31:15,349 it and so on. 879 00:31:15,350 --> 00:31:17,449 This is also still the design that 880 00:31:17,450 --> 00:31:20,029 was supposed to include a shower kit in 881 00:31:20,030 --> 00:31:21,619 the shower never actually made it to the 882 00:31:21,620 --> 00:31:24,169 space station due to weight restrictions. 883 00:31:24,170 --> 00:31:25,069 But this the toilet. 884 00:31:25,070 --> 00:31:26,299 Then there's the water processing 885 00:31:26,300 --> 00:31:28,429 assembly, the O'Toole generation, 886 00:31:28,430 --> 00:31:30,619 the carbon dioxide removal and all that. 887 00:31:30,620 --> 00:31:32,869 So it's not small, 888 00:31:32,870 --> 00:31:34,519 but it's also not too big, given that 889 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:35,520 it's mostly 890 00:31:36,740 --> 00:31:38,839 regenerative as 891 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:39,769 a diagram. 892 00:31:39,770 --> 00:31:41,119 It looks like this. 893 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:42,949 It has all the parts we never talked 894 00:31:42,950 --> 00:31:45,109 about. It generates oxygen by 895 00:31:45,110 --> 00:31:47,179 splitting water, it 896 00:31:47,180 --> 00:31:50,179 removes CO2 from the air, 897 00:31:50,180 --> 00:31:52,459 and then part of the CO2 is still 898 00:31:52,460 --> 00:31:54,709 vented overboard and part is fed 899 00:31:54,710 --> 00:31:56,089 Sabatier system. 900 00:31:56,090 --> 00:31:58,159 Also, part of the hydrogen is vented 901 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,139 overboard and part is fed into the system 902 00:32:00,140 --> 00:32:03,169 and then the methane gets into global. 903 00:32:03,170 --> 00:32:05,329 Noteworthy here is there 904 00:32:05,330 --> 00:32:06,859 are only two inputs. 905 00:32:06,860 --> 00:32:09,139 This one is nitrogen, which 906 00:32:09,140 --> 00:32:10,699 is just used to regulate the atmospheric 907 00:32:10,700 --> 00:32:12,169 pressure. That's actually a very small 908 00:32:12,170 --> 00:32:13,579 amount. Basically, you only need to 909 00:32:13,580 --> 00:32:15,199 contract some leaks in your station. 910 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:16,219 Not much. 911 00:32:16,220 --> 00:32:18,199 And the other one is only water. 912 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,059 So the only thing you need in the ice is 913 00:32:20,060 --> 00:32:22,249 to keep people alive is water 914 00:32:22,250 --> 00:32:23,250 and electricity. 915 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:25,240 How much water? 916 00:32:26,010 --> 00:32:27,729 I found some conflicting reports. 917 00:32:27,730 --> 00:32:29,939 I look to is a status report 918 00:32:29,940 --> 00:32:31,829 of the last couple of years. 919 00:32:31,830 --> 00:32:34,049 One thing I found from 2010 was 920 00:32:34,050 --> 00:32:36,059 talking about the entire station using a 921 00:32:36,060 --> 00:32:38,099 seven and a half liters of water per day, 922 00:32:38,100 --> 00:32:39,929 which is not that much. 923 00:32:39,930 --> 00:32:42,269 But then, with newly updated systems, a 924 00:32:42,270 --> 00:32:44,249 more recent report was talking about only 925 00:32:44,250 --> 00:32:45,989 a little bit of a one liter of water per 926 00:32:45,990 --> 00:32:47,399 day. And that would be quite amazing 927 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,559 because that's a tiny amount to 928 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,119 supply all the tremendous. 929 00:32:53,620 --> 00:32:55,299 Yet there's still a venting of bullet, 930 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:58,119 and especially it's it's kind of 931 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:00,279 unsatisfying that this carbon atom. 932 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,019 I mean, it came into the human body as 933 00:33:02,020 --> 00:33:04,149 food and we breathe that out CO2 and then 934 00:33:04,150 --> 00:33:05,979 be vented overboard. 935 00:33:05,980 --> 00:33:07,869 Wouldn't it be nice if there was somebody 936 00:33:07,870 --> 00:33:10,029 who would like to make use of 937 00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:11,649 the carbon? Wouldn't it be great if 938 00:33:11,650 --> 00:33:13,990 something produced the carbon from CO2? 939 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,109 And indeed, there 940 00:33:17,110 --> 00:33:19,449 is. I mean, we humans turn 941 00:33:19,450 --> 00:33:22,269 oxygen to CO2 through respiration 942 00:33:22,270 --> 00:33:24,849 and the other way around plants and 943 00:33:24,850 --> 00:33:27,459 other marine life forms, for example, 944 00:33:27,460 --> 00:33:30,369 cyanobacteria and some 945 00:33:30,370 --> 00:33:31,959 other micro-organisms. 946 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,029 So in CO2, back into oxygen through 947 00:33:34,030 --> 00:33:35,030 photosynthesis. 948 00:33:38,020 --> 00:33:40,029 And experiments have shown that many 949 00:33:40,030 --> 00:33:42,129 plants do just fine in space without 950 00:33:42,130 --> 00:33:44,199 gravity. There's a picture of salad 951 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,389 growing on the SS as they grow these on. 952 00:33:46,390 --> 00:33:48,579 Not actually in soil, but in some growth 953 00:33:48,580 --> 00:33:50,169 pillows that contain nutrients. 954 00:33:50,170 --> 00:33:51,759 And then you put the seed in and a little 955 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:53,380 bit of water and the gold 956 00:33:54,610 --> 00:33:56,799 in general, plants that want to grow 957 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,019 upwards and want to form stalks or grow 958 00:33:59,020 --> 00:34:01,149 away from gravity have a bit of problems 959 00:34:01,150 --> 00:34:03,009 in zero gravity because they don't know 960 00:34:03,010 --> 00:34:04,479 where to grow. And then they get weird 961 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,579 shapes and sometimes don't properly work. 962 00:34:06,580 --> 00:34:07,989 But if you have something like this, 963 00:34:07,990 --> 00:34:09,908 which is just a cell, it just wants to be 964 00:34:09,909 --> 00:34:10,899 a leaf. 965 00:34:10,900 --> 00:34:11,900 It grows just fine. 966 00:34:14,210 --> 00:34:16,099 So the question is, why not just stuff 967 00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:18,349 your space plant roof full of plants and 968 00:34:19,460 --> 00:34:21,439 see if that works as a life support 969 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:23,749 system? This is not just a good idea 970 00:34:23,750 --> 00:34:26,119 to support you to get your CO2 971 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,189 away and supply you with oxygen. 972 00:34:28,190 --> 00:34:30,319 It's also such that 973 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,019 plants are psychologically 974 00:34:33,020 --> 00:34:35,089 been shown to be a big comfort factor. 975 00:34:35,090 --> 00:34:37,189 I mean, if you are 976 00:34:37,190 --> 00:34:39,019 living in a gray box office spacecraft 977 00:34:39,020 --> 00:34:40,759 all the time, it's actually very nice to 978 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:42,349 be able to tend to a little flower now 979 00:34:42,350 --> 00:34:44,329 and then maybe even talk to it if you're 980 00:34:44,330 --> 00:34:45,738 starting to go crazy. 981 00:34:45,739 --> 00:34:48,169 Well, before you started to go crazy, 982 00:34:48,170 --> 00:34:50,149 this picture here shows the first flower 983 00:34:50,150 --> 00:34:51,809 that has ever bloomed outside the Earth. 984 00:34:51,810 --> 00:34:52,819 That's Xenia. 985 00:34:52,820 --> 00:34:55,158 That was the video zero one experiment 986 00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:57,229 on the Earth. You see the same plant 987 00:34:57,230 --> 00:34:58,230 pillows being used. 988 00:35:00,170 --> 00:35:02,269 So this begs the question how much green 989 00:35:02,270 --> 00:35:04,459 stuff does one human 990 00:35:04,460 --> 00:35:06,619 actually require for its life 991 00:35:06,620 --> 00:35:08,270 support and. 992 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:10,999 Basically, all spacefaring nations have 993 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,320 done some experiments about that, 994 00:35:13,490 --> 00:35:15,409 the Russians were the first ones they set 995 00:35:15,410 --> 00:35:16,309 this up. 996 00:35:16,310 --> 00:35:18,379 The Bio's facilities 997 00:35:18,380 --> 00:35:21,889 by history, especially since 1972. 998 00:35:21,890 --> 00:35:24,290 This is an underground steel and closed. 999 00:35:26,210 --> 00:35:28,489 Well, the laboratory in the wonderful 1000 00:35:28,490 --> 00:35:30,949 city of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, 1001 00:35:31,970 --> 00:35:34,129 where people have 1002 00:35:34,130 --> 00:35:36,349 been living since 1972 1003 00:35:36,350 --> 00:35:37,760 in continuous experiments, 1004 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:40,609 they have successfully had people in 1005 00:35:40,610 --> 00:35:41,509 complete isolation. 1006 00:35:41,510 --> 00:35:43,669 So the system was shut off only 1007 00:35:43,670 --> 00:35:45,949 electricity, electric power going in 1008 00:35:45,950 --> 00:35:48,019 for 180 days and they 1009 00:35:48,020 --> 00:35:49,519 were eating the food that they were 1010 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:51,739 growing and the plants were supplying 1011 00:35:51,740 --> 00:35:53,899 their oxygen worked fine. 1012 00:35:53,900 --> 00:35:55,699 Their research showed that you need about 1013 00:35:55,700 --> 00:35:57,889 eight square meters of plant growth area 1014 00:35:57,890 --> 00:35:59,659 to supply sufficient oxygen for one 1015 00:35:59,660 --> 00:36:01,909 person, which is not as big as you might 1016 00:36:01,910 --> 00:36:04,039 think. Of course, they chose plants 1017 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:06,529 to be ideal yields, especially 1018 00:36:06,530 --> 00:36:08,569 there are small growing varieties of 1019 00:36:08,570 --> 00:36:10,699 wheat, super wheat and 1020 00:36:10,700 --> 00:36:13,039 dwarf wheat that grow very quickly 1021 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:14,389 and produce lots of biomass. 1022 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:16,899 So eight square meters, they found, is 1023 00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:18,669 sufficient to supply oxygen for one 1024 00:36:18,670 --> 00:36:19,670 person. 1025 00:36:20,230 --> 00:36:21,579 They also found that it's not sufficient 1026 00:36:21,580 --> 00:36:23,739 to supply food for one person, and 1027 00:36:23,740 --> 00:36:25,479 their calculations came two that you need 1028 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:27,669 about 11 square meters to supply 1029 00:36:27,670 --> 00:36:29,229 food for one person. 1030 00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:31,629 Yet they supplemented protein 1031 00:36:31,630 --> 00:36:33,669 and some additional meat products and so 1032 00:36:33,670 --> 00:36:35,919 on from from 1033 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:36,999 their stores. 1034 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,429 So they did not just only eat 1035 00:36:39,430 --> 00:36:41,499 the stuff they 1036 00:36:41,500 --> 00:36:42,500 grew their. 1037 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,479 The Chinese space agency 1038 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:47,069 and China is very keen on going to the 1039 00:36:47,070 --> 00:36:48,509 Moon. They also have a very similar 1040 00:36:48,510 --> 00:36:51,059 experiment running since 2014. 1041 00:36:51,060 --> 00:36:53,039 The Moon Palace, one in Beijing looks 1042 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,109 like this. It has two growing 1043 00:36:55,110 --> 00:36:57,119 chambers and one living chamber, and 1044 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,129 three people have successfully lived in 1045 00:36:59,130 --> 00:37:00,779 there in isolation. 1046 00:37:00,780 --> 00:37:03,029 For the longest I found was one hundred 1047 00:37:03,030 --> 00:37:04,859 and five days, and the difference to the 1048 00:37:04,860 --> 00:37:07,049 Russian system is it's a more 1049 00:37:07,050 --> 00:37:09,389 modern form of of 1050 00:37:09,390 --> 00:37:10,390 enclosed 1051 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:13,719 farming. They are using vertical farms 1052 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:15,419 stacked in multiple layers with LED 1053 00:37:15,420 --> 00:37:17,759 lighting, so it's more energy efficient. 1054 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,919 And then they are also recycling 1055 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,139 the human waste as fertilizer, 1056 00:37:22,140 --> 00:37:24,239 and they are growing their own animal 1057 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:26,669 protein by having mealworms. 1058 00:37:26,670 --> 00:37:28,569 And there was a very funny part of the 1059 00:37:28,570 --> 00:37:30,509 the article that they had invited Western 1060 00:37:30,510 --> 00:37:32,459 astronauts to participate in the study, 1061 00:37:32,460 --> 00:37:34,289 but they refused due to the idea of 1062 00:37:34,290 --> 00:37:36,090 eating mealworms as their primary diet. 1063 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:38,459 But apparently mealworms. 1064 00:37:38,460 --> 00:37:40,859 They get about finger sized and they 1065 00:37:40,860 --> 00:37:42,689 are 75 percent protein and quite 1066 00:37:42,690 --> 00:37:44,690 practical on close ecosystems like. 1067 00:37:47,210 --> 00:37:49,519 Then the Americans always keen to overdo 1068 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:51,199 things, also had a 1069 00:37:52,460 --> 00:37:54,799 experiment for enclosed ecosystems 1070 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,449 called the Biosphere two. 1071 00:37:56,450 --> 00:37:57,859 In the end of the 80s, a billionaire 1072 00:37:57,860 --> 00:37:59,809 decided that he wants to do the biggest 1073 00:37:59,810 --> 00:38:02,419 and best ever biosphere 1074 00:38:02,420 --> 00:38:04,699 project like this and invested 1075 00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:06,439 enormous amounts of money building this 1076 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,809 in the desert without consulting 1077 00:38:08,810 --> 00:38:10,759 scientists. Too much, though. 1078 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,069 And it turned out not 1079 00:38:13,070 --> 00:38:14,779 so well. 1080 00:38:14,780 --> 00:38:17,269 The first experiment was unsuccessful 1081 00:38:17,270 --> 00:38:19,369 because, as it turned out, 1082 00:38:19,370 --> 00:38:21,589 if you put a greenhouse full 1083 00:38:21,590 --> 00:38:22,759 of plants, you have trees. 1084 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,859 Here you'll see wood, which is 1085 00:38:24,860 --> 00:38:26,689 not me or just brown, who does not 1086 00:38:26,690 --> 00:38:28,579 photosynthesis. So a lot of the biomass 1087 00:38:28,580 --> 00:38:30,049 they put in was actually not doing 1088 00:38:30,050 --> 00:38:31,849 anything. They also had two parts 1089 00:38:31,850 --> 00:38:33,509 simulating desert. And as it turns out, 1090 00:38:33,510 --> 00:38:35,059 the cactus is not a good source for 1091 00:38:35,060 --> 00:38:37,129 photosynthesis. If you want to live off 1092 00:38:37,130 --> 00:38:38,130 it, 1093 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:40,849 then they also wanted to make it look 1094 00:38:40,850 --> 00:38:42,979 like nature. So they built all 1095 00:38:42,980 --> 00:38:44,749 these stone structures out of concrete, 1096 00:38:44,750 --> 00:38:46,279 and they used the same kind of concrete 1097 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:48,379 that, for example, Disneyland uses to 1098 00:38:48,380 --> 00:38:50,149 build artificial mountains and so on. 1099 00:38:51,350 --> 00:38:53,219 The problem is when concrete is freshly 1100 00:38:53,220 --> 00:38:55,639 set and curing it is absorbing 1101 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:57,859 CO2 from the air because of the reactions 1102 00:38:57,860 --> 00:38:59,869 that are going on in the computer room. 1103 00:38:59,870 --> 00:39:01,009 So what happened there is that the 1104 00:39:01,010 --> 00:39:02,809 concrete absorbed all the CO2 from the 1105 00:39:02,810 --> 00:39:04,639 air, which was fine at first. 1106 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:06,949 But then the oxygen, like 1107 00:39:06,950 --> 00:39:08,629 the plant stopped doing photosynthesis 1108 00:39:08,630 --> 00:39:10,909 because there was no CO2 for them to work 1109 00:39:10,910 --> 00:39:12,709 with. And then the oxygen gets dropped 1110 00:39:12,710 --> 00:39:15,559 and they had to resupply multiple times 1111 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,719 oxygen from the outside because it did 1112 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:18,720 not really work. 1113 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,609 There are nowadays other and less 1114 00:39:22,610 --> 00:39:25,009 overdone closed ecosystem 1115 00:39:25,010 --> 00:39:25,969 research facilities. 1116 00:39:25,970 --> 00:39:28,359 One in Utah, one at the Johnson space is 1117 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:30,619 Houston, and they are on smaller scales, 1118 00:39:30,620 --> 00:39:31,969 producing very successfully 1119 00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:35,569 enclosed by a life 1120 00:39:35,570 --> 00:39:36,739 support system. Results. 1121 00:39:36,740 --> 00:39:38,839 But this one was a quite famous 1122 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:40,130 and quite unsuccessful one. 1123 00:39:43,340 --> 00:39:45,769 In spacecraft so far, 1124 00:39:45,770 --> 00:39:47,809 there has not been the attempt to supply 1125 00:39:47,810 --> 00:39:49,879 large amounts, the major amount 1126 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,019 of life support to plants 1127 00:39:52,020 --> 00:39:53,569 there are, though, some experiments on 1128 00:39:53,570 --> 00:39:55,159 the Earth, apart from the plants that 1129 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:57,799 we've seen earlier that have mostly 1130 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:00,349 grown to test plant growing, per say, 1131 00:40:00,350 --> 00:40:02,429 there's now a so-called photo 1132 00:40:02,430 --> 00:40:05,029 bioreactor running the ices. 1133 00:40:05,030 --> 00:40:06,979 This is the wreck of the European life 1134 00:40:06,980 --> 00:40:09,259 support system that 1135 00:40:09,260 --> 00:40:10,789 works in a similar system as the one 1136 00:40:10,790 --> 00:40:11,869 described before. 1137 00:40:11,870 --> 00:40:14,509 And on its CO2 output lines 1138 00:40:14,510 --> 00:40:16,819 enriched to CO2 enriched air 1139 00:40:16,820 --> 00:40:18,889 gets fit into these boxes here on 1140 00:40:18,890 --> 00:40:20,989 the site. And in these boxes, 1141 00:40:20,990 --> 00:40:24,139 there are other microscopic 1142 00:40:24,140 --> 00:40:25,149 chloride bodies 1143 00:40:26,210 --> 00:40:28,639 in the water solution, and they are being 1144 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:30,709 supplied to the CO2 rich air and 1145 00:40:30,710 --> 00:40:31,710 light, and they 1146 00:40:32,870 --> 00:40:34,939 turn it into oxygen and they also produce 1147 00:40:34,940 --> 00:40:36,019 edible biomass. 1148 00:40:36,020 --> 00:40:38,419 This very same alga is used, for example, 1149 00:40:38,420 --> 00:40:40,399 in Japanese cuisine as a seasoning, so 1150 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:42,559 you can use it or you can 1151 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,839 drink it as a protein. Shake me 1152 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:46,549 inside these boxes. 1153 00:40:46,550 --> 00:40:47,869 This reactor looks like this. 1154 00:40:47,870 --> 00:40:49,579 You have a bit of a problem if you want 1155 00:40:49,580 --> 00:40:51,649 to bubble CO2 to 1156 00:40:51,650 --> 00:40:54,139 a solution in zero gravity 1157 00:40:54,140 --> 00:40:56,059 because bubbles don't rise. 1158 00:40:56,060 --> 00:40:58,249 So this system is pumping 1159 00:40:58,250 --> 00:41:00,679 the air and water mixed 1160 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:02,929 around through this lighting source 1161 00:41:02,930 --> 00:41:05,709 all the time. And that way, the 1162 00:41:05,710 --> 00:41:08,299 water by erector produces oxygen, 1163 00:41:08,300 --> 00:41:10,009 so that works well. 1164 00:41:10,010 --> 00:41:11,329 Here's another picture of another 1165 00:41:11,330 --> 00:41:12,330 astronaut just 1166 00:41:13,730 --> 00:41:16,009 taking out the bottle where the other 1167 00:41:16,010 --> 00:41:18,649 solution is stored so you can. 1168 00:41:18,650 --> 00:41:20,539 After a while when the I have grown big 1169 00:41:20,540 --> 00:41:22,279 enough to take this out, you put some of 1170 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,349 it or maybe drink it, maybe 1171 00:41:24,350 --> 00:41:26,389 bring it home to Earth for analysis and 1172 00:41:26,390 --> 00:41:28,609 fill in your water and some nutrients 1173 00:41:28,610 --> 00:41:30,139 and put it back in to continue 1174 00:41:30,140 --> 00:41:31,599 operations. 1175 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:33,189 But as soon as you saw this is just a 1176 00:41:33,190 --> 00:41:35,139 small device, this is maybe 10 1177 00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:36,729 centimeters by 10 centimeters. 1178 00:41:36,730 --> 00:41:38,289 This is not enough to supply even a 1179 00:41:38,290 --> 00:41:39,369 single human. 1180 00:41:39,370 --> 00:41:40,779 We've seen you need maybe eight square 1181 00:41:40,780 --> 00:41:41,780 meters of front. 1182 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:44,839 It's a it's a test, but 1183 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:46,819 since it seems to be running well, that's 1184 00:41:46,820 --> 00:41:48,739 something that can probably be scaled up 1185 00:41:48,740 --> 00:41:51,109 to run the entire spacecraft 1186 00:41:51,110 --> 00:41:52,130 life support systems. 1187 00:41:53,430 --> 00:41:55,199 The second one that's been on the. 1188 00:41:56,710 --> 00:41:59,379 ISIS, that's also very interesting. 1189 00:41:59,380 --> 00:42:01,019 This is an even smaller one, so this is 1190 00:42:01,020 --> 00:42:03,369 we can see the comparison to the fingers 1191 00:42:03,370 --> 00:42:05,469 has been using cyanobacteria. 1192 00:42:05,470 --> 00:42:07,569 And if you go to the supermarket 1193 00:42:07,570 --> 00:42:09,459 and buy spirulina tablets, it was all 1194 00:42:09,460 --> 00:42:11,919 like dietary additions, green 1195 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:13,270 bean tablets that contain 1196 00:42:14,950 --> 00:42:16,899 protein. This is exactly the same 1197 00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:19,239 cyanobacteria that they use in that. 1198 00:42:19,240 --> 00:42:21,669 And this also manages to produce 1199 00:42:21,670 --> 00:42:23,169 oxygen quite successfully. 1200 00:42:23,170 --> 00:42:25,179 And I'm thinking this specifically 1201 00:42:25,180 --> 00:42:27,339 because this website about a 1202 00:42:27,340 --> 00:42:29,679 guy who just did this at home, 1203 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:31,839 he took some, some 1204 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,209 clear bottles, put 1205 00:42:34,210 --> 00:42:36,099 these cyanobacteria and water in there 1206 00:42:36,100 --> 00:42:38,199 and produces on oxygen that way. 1207 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,329 So if you have a hackerspace and want to 1208 00:42:40,330 --> 00:42:42,489 run it like a spaceship, you can 1209 00:42:42,490 --> 00:42:43,389 think of just doing that. 1210 00:42:43,390 --> 00:42:45,669 You take some maybe clear glass 1211 00:42:45,670 --> 00:42:47,229 or plastic tubes, fill them with water, 1212 00:42:47,230 --> 00:42:48,789 put these cyanobacteria in and you 1213 00:42:48,790 --> 00:42:50,679 produce your own oxygen and get rid of 1214 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:51,819 CO2. 1215 00:42:51,820 --> 00:42:54,069 So again, another hint for the year 2020. 1216 00:42:54,070 --> 00:42:55,269 If you don't want to breathe other 1217 00:42:55,270 --> 00:42:57,399 people's air, this is a very practical 1218 00:42:57,400 --> 00:42:59,649 way to do it, and this can be basically 1219 00:42:59,650 --> 00:43:00,789 done with hotspot material. 1220 00:43:04,540 --> 00:43:05,909 Then. 1221 00:43:05,910 --> 00:43:07,710 One thing to think of if you have 1222 00:43:09,150 --> 00:43:11,369 an enclosed ecosystem, even if you have 1223 00:43:11,370 --> 00:43:13,949 perfect CO2 removal and oxygen 1224 00:43:13,950 --> 00:43:16,529 replenishment, you are still 1225 00:43:16,530 --> 00:43:18,179 in a closed box and you're still 1226 00:43:18,180 --> 00:43:20,039 breathing the same air over and over 1227 00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:22,289 again. Whatever other gases 1228 00:43:22,290 --> 00:43:24,099 you produce, and I'm not specifically 1229 00:43:24,100 --> 00:43:25,799 talking about gases coming from your 1230 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,349 butts, but I'm also talking about those 1231 00:43:28,350 --> 00:43:30,509 even small concentrations will accumulate 1232 00:43:30,510 --> 00:43:32,639 over time. So if you are not taking care 1233 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:34,739 of them, your spacecraft will get 1234 00:43:34,740 --> 00:43:36,809 smelly and might also get in 1235 00:43:36,810 --> 00:43:38,010 other ways, problematic. 1236 00:43:39,370 --> 00:43:41,529 One example was a plant growth 1237 00:43:41,530 --> 00:43:43,059 experiment on the Russian space station 1238 00:43:43,060 --> 00:43:45,279 Mir. They were trying to grow wheat 1239 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,169 just to see how well it goes in zero 1240 00:43:47,170 --> 00:43:49,449 gravity. It was a continuation 1241 00:43:49,450 --> 00:43:51,669 of this Russian Bio's experiment, 1242 00:43:51,670 --> 00:43:53,409 trying to run it in the middle and 1243 00:43:53,410 --> 00:43:54,410 everything drew well. 1244 00:43:55,810 --> 00:43:58,029 They even got large amounts of results. 1245 00:43:58,030 --> 00:43:59,679 This is from the research paper. 1246 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,199 They found that everything 1247 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,599 grew even better than on Earth. 1248 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:05,919 And when they returned the seeds to 1249 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,029 Earth, they found that all of them were 1250 00:44:07,030 --> 00:44:08,030 sterile. 1251 00:44:08,850 --> 00:44:10,529 And I didn't quite understand why. 1252 00:44:10,530 --> 00:44:12,539 I mean, there was no obvious DNA damage 1253 00:44:12,540 --> 00:44:14,069 from radiation or anything, and there was 1254 00:44:14,070 --> 00:44:16,049 also no obvious reason why Zero-Gravity 1255 00:44:16,050 --> 00:44:18,119 would make me see 1256 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:19,589 it sterile. 1257 00:44:19,590 --> 00:44:21,089 And then they did a bunch of experiments, 1258 00:44:21,090 --> 00:44:22,979 and after many years, they published this 1259 00:44:22,980 --> 00:44:25,349 paper and found that actually 1260 00:44:25,350 --> 00:44:27,719 ethylene gas was trapped 1261 00:44:27,720 --> 00:44:29,099 in the space station and that didn't do 1262 00:44:29,100 --> 00:44:30,629 anything to remove it. 1263 00:44:30,630 --> 00:44:32,459 And ethylene gas is a plant hormone. 1264 00:44:32,460 --> 00:44:34,589 You probably know it's from the 1265 00:44:34,590 --> 00:44:35,849 supermarket bananas. 1266 00:44:35,850 --> 00:44:37,979 If you have a 1267 00:44:37,980 --> 00:44:39,419 supermarket, you can always buy fresh 1268 00:44:39,420 --> 00:44:40,619 yellow bananas. 1269 00:44:40,620 --> 00:44:42,149 But they're being harvested on the other 1270 00:44:42,150 --> 00:44:43,469 side of the planet. So how does that 1271 00:44:43,470 --> 00:44:44,429 work? 1272 00:44:44,430 --> 00:44:45,809 You ship them while they're green and 1273 00:44:45,810 --> 00:44:47,069 then you give them ethylene gas. 1274 00:44:47,070 --> 00:44:48,689 And that's a hormone for the bananas to 1275 00:44:48,690 --> 00:44:50,759 turn yellow and ripe and has 1276 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:52,259 lots of different effects on different 1277 00:44:52,260 --> 00:44:53,909 plants. And as it happens in the 1278 00:44:53,910 --> 00:44:55,679 concentration that they had here, it made 1279 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:56,820 the weeds grow. 1280 00:44:58,450 --> 00:45:00,159 Sterile, so this doesn't work. 1281 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:02,139 So you have to take into account what are 1282 00:45:02,140 --> 00:45:04,989 used to trace gas concentrations 1283 00:45:04,990 --> 00:45:06,789 as you grow plants in space. 1284 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:09,849 And this actually also leads to the 1285 00:45:09,850 --> 00:45:12,129 interesting question if plant hormones, 1286 00:45:12,130 --> 00:45:14,049 gases, plant hormones have some strong 1287 00:45:14,050 --> 00:45:15,219 effects in wheat. 1288 00:45:15,220 --> 00:45:16,539 How is it with humans? 1289 00:45:16,540 --> 00:45:18,639 I mean, so far, we've always 1290 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:20,589 had astronauts under very controlled 1291 00:45:20,590 --> 00:45:22,299 conditions in space stations for a long 1292 00:45:22,300 --> 00:45:23,439 time. 1293 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,779 But what is in control in commercial 1294 00:45:25,780 --> 00:45:27,069 space flight coming up? 1295 00:45:27,070 --> 00:45:28,809 You will suddenly have, let's say, 1296 00:45:28,810 --> 00:45:30,939 teenagers flying in a spacecraft to 1297 00:45:30,940 --> 00:45:33,219 do their hormones suddenly accumulate. 1298 00:45:33,220 --> 00:45:35,889 Does it cause psychological problems? 1299 00:45:35,890 --> 00:45:37,359 This is nothing that's been researched 1300 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,339 yet, but I find the idea very interesting 1301 00:45:39,340 --> 00:45:40,809 that maybe there are 1302 00:45:41,890 --> 00:45:43,899 biological messengers that we actually 1303 00:45:43,900 --> 00:45:45,219 are unaware of that are very much 1304 00:45:45,220 --> 00:45:47,319 concentrated then causing some 1305 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:48,320 issues in the future. 1306 00:45:50,870 --> 00:45:53,089 Another thing that is a problem 1307 00:45:53,090 --> 00:45:55,969 in space stations is smells, 1308 00:45:55,970 --> 00:45:58,069 not just smells produced by humans, but 1309 00:45:58,070 --> 00:45:59,070 also molds. 1310 00:46:00,150 --> 00:46:01,859 Here's a picture from the International 1311 00:46:01,860 --> 00:46:03,239 Space Station. 1312 00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:05,249 It's on the in the Russian, I think the 1313 00:46:05,250 --> 00:46:07,259 space, the module where the astronauts 1314 00:46:07,260 --> 00:46:09,449 typically hang their towels to dry off 1315 00:46:09,450 --> 00:46:10,439 the workout. 1316 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:12,749 And as you can see, there's a nasty 1317 00:46:12,750 --> 00:46:14,969 looking black patch of mold growing 1318 00:46:14,970 --> 00:46:15,899 there. 1319 00:46:15,900 --> 00:46:17,279 I'm not quite sure which mode this one 1320 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:18,779 is, but there have been samples from 1321 00:46:18,780 --> 00:46:20,849 different parts of the ISS brought to 1322 00:46:20,850 --> 00:46:23,159 Earth and analyzed, and I found that 1323 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:25,079 Aspergillus nigar, for example, that's 1324 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:26,639 the common black food. 1325 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:29,279 The girl was very nicely on the ISS 1326 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:30,959 and there were ideas. Maybe this needs to 1327 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:32,549 be sterilized. Maybe we just go around 1328 00:46:32,550 --> 00:46:35,249 with a big UV light lamp because UV light 1329 00:46:35,250 --> 00:46:37,699 tends to kill fungal spores. 1330 00:46:37,700 --> 00:46:39,869 But as it turns out, Aspergillus 1331 00:46:39,870 --> 00:46:42,299 kneecapped produces melanin, 1332 00:46:42,300 --> 00:46:44,189 which is just the same brown 1333 00:46:45,450 --> 00:46:47,789 color, and that's also in skin and hair 1334 00:46:47,790 --> 00:46:49,799 and so on. And it produces so much of it 1335 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:51,809 that it's basically resistant to UV 1336 00:46:51,810 --> 00:46:54,119 radiation, so we can't kill it like that. 1337 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:56,309 You also can't kill it by shutting 1338 00:46:56,310 --> 00:46:58,799 all of the doors and evacuating 1339 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:00,629 the air, because as it turns out, it has 1340 00:47:00,630 --> 00:47:03,329 spores that survive vacuum. 1341 00:47:03,330 --> 00:47:05,489 So it looks like you will not 1342 00:47:05,490 --> 00:47:07,859 get rid of mold in the spacecraft 1343 00:47:07,860 --> 00:47:09,449 anytime soon. At the moment, they're just 1344 00:47:09,450 --> 00:47:11,129 scrubbing the surfaces with alcohol now 1345 00:47:11,130 --> 00:47:13,199 and then. And that way, trying to keep 1346 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:15,299 it in check on the space 1347 00:47:15,300 --> 00:47:16,349 station Mir. 1348 00:47:16,350 --> 00:47:18,329 There was in the end of its lifetime the 1349 00:47:18,330 --> 00:47:20,639 problem that actually mold was growing 1350 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:22,559 through insulation foam layers on the 1351 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:24,299 walls of the space station. 1352 00:47:24,300 --> 00:47:26,849 And the smell got so bad that astronaut 1353 00:47:26,850 --> 00:47:28,919 cosmonauts apparently developed 1354 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,169 a so-called second space sickness. 1355 00:47:31,170 --> 00:47:32,999 The first one, their normal space 1356 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:35,549 sickness you get when you fly to space 1357 00:47:35,550 --> 00:47:37,829 and you get weightlessness 1358 00:47:37,830 --> 00:47:39,419 and some people throw up. 1359 00:47:39,420 --> 00:47:41,069 And then there was the second from one of 1360 00:47:41,070 --> 00:47:43,139 our astronauts returned into the 1361 00:47:43,140 --> 00:47:46,019 space station from, for example, a 1362 00:47:46,020 --> 00:47:48,119 spacewalk where they had seen spacesuit. 1363 00:47:48,120 --> 00:47:49,349 And then they went to the space station 1364 00:47:49,350 --> 00:47:51,389 and it smelled so bad that they got 1365 00:47:51,390 --> 00:47:52,439 physically sick from it. 1366 00:47:53,810 --> 00:47:56,239 Likewise, there are stories of Soyuz 1367 00:47:56,240 --> 00:47:58,639 spacecraft landing in Kazakhstan and 1368 00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:00,979 the people that open these space capsules 1369 00:48:00,980 --> 00:48:02,599 for the first time, they have problems 1370 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:04,759 that the astronauts brought 1371 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:06,469 with them the ugly smell of space. 1372 00:48:06,470 --> 00:48:09,079 So spacecraft tend to be 1373 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:11,149 quite smelly. It's it's how 1374 00:48:11,150 --> 00:48:12,079 do you get rid of that? 1375 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,059 Well, one way, of course, is plants help 1376 00:48:14,060 --> 00:48:15,679 with this. If you have lots of plants, 1377 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:17,899 they make you ask me a and they they feel 1378 00:48:17,900 --> 00:48:19,669 that they are especially the sort of 1379 00:48:19,670 --> 00:48:21,559 plants that have air roots. 1380 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:23,689 They just make the 1381 00:48:23,690 --> 00:48:24,739 room atmosphere better. 1382 00:48:24,740 --> 00:48:26,989 This is, in this case, literally 1383 00:48:26,990 --> 00:48:28,519 the way they do it. 1384 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:30,619 But you can, of course, also use chemical 1385 00:48:30,620 --> 00:48:33,109 methods for if you heat your air to 500 1386 00:48:33,110 --> 00:48:35,239 degrees, it destroys most 1387 00:48:35,240 --> 00:48:36,139 organic molecules. 1388 00:48:36,140 --> 00:48:38,029 They just simply do produce and fall 1389 00:48:38,030 --> 00:48:40,099 apart or burn 1390 00:48:40,100 --> 00:48:41,209 with suitable catalysts. 1391 00:48:41,210 --> 00:48:43,339 You can also make this 1392 00:48:43,340 --> 00:48:45,439 more efficient. You can also make 1393 00:48:45,440 --> 00:48:47,659 it destroy ammonia because 1394 00:48:47,660 --> 00:48:49,909 ammonia is a compound 1395 00:48:49,910 --> 00:48:51,619 that forms in your sweat. 1396 00:48:51,620 --> 00:48:53,749 And if ammonia accumulates too 1397 00:48:53,750 --> 00:48:55,549 much, it starts to attack plastic and 1398 00:48:55,550 --> 00:48:57,079 parts of the life support system, so you 1399 00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:58,160 want to get rid of ammonia 1400 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:00,799 and sulfur and so on. 1401 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:03,019 So lead still, 1402 00:49:03,020 --> 00:49:05,569 keep your air up, run it over a catalyst 1403 00:49:05,570 --> 00:49:07,429 and just keep cycling through it. 1404 00:49:07,430 --> 00:49:08,430 And that keeps the 1405 00:49:09,530 --> 00:49:12,409 trace contaminants on the ISIS control. 1406 00:49:12,410 --> 00:49:14,419 Activated charcoal filters also work well 1407 00:49:14,420 --> 00:49:16,609 to get more more complex molecules 1408 00:49:16,610 --> 00:49:18,839 out of the air. All of these are running 1409 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:20,659 the analysis. The problem with this is 1410 00:49:20,660 --> 00:49:23,149 that they are still quite bulky. 1411 00:49:23,150 --> 00:49:25,129 If you have a small spacecraft, you just 1412 00:49:25,130 --> 00:49:26,899 want in a small capsule to return to 1413 00:49:26,900 --> 00:49:28,999 Earth, you normally don't have 1414 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:30,979 these and these tend to get smelly. 1415 00:49:30,980 --> 00:49:33,079 So if you 1416 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:34,969 are thinking in terms of science fiction 1417 00:49:34,970 --> 00:49:37,049 and and nice and fancy stuff that we 1418 00:49:37,050 --> 00:49:39,169 might be aware, most of this 1419 00:49:39,170 --> 00:49:40,579 spacecraft you see in such a cheap, 1420 00:49:40,580 --> 00:49:41,690 probably very smart. 1421 00:49:43,930 --> 00:49:45,429 Right, and that brings us to the 1422 00:49:45,430 --> 00:49:46,689 conclusion. 1423 00:49:46,690 --> 00:49:48,849 Life support systems have developed lots 1424 00:49:48,850 --> 00:49:50,020 and they are 1425 00:49:51,580 --> 00:49:53,709 practically surviving in space, and 1426 00:49:53,710 --> 00:49:55,869 they are not too bulky, but also not too 1427 00:49:55,870 --> 00:49:56,870 small. 1428 00:49:57,730 --> 00:49:59,469 It's almost time for completely closed 1429 00:49:59,470 --> 00:50:01,179 systems. We're still venting a bit of the 1430 00:50:01,180 --> 00:50:02,949 International Space Station into space 1431 00:50:02,950 --> 00:50:05,049 all the time, but with enough plants in 1432 00:50:05,050 --> 00:50:06,849 the roof, it's probably going to be seen 1433 00:50:06,850 --> 00:50:08,439 such that you are in a completely 1434 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:09,819 enclosed, distant way when you need to 1435 00:50:09,820 --> 00:50:10,820 put electricity 1436 00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,229 by a regenerative systems are not just 1437 00:50:14,230 --> 00:50:15,969 important in space, you can also help 1438 00:50:15,970 --> 00:50:18,159 them at home and live nicely with 1439 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:19,179 them. 1440 00:50:19,180 --> 00:50:20,829 So if you run your hackerspace like a 1441 00:50:20,830 --> 00:50:22,269 spaceship, maybe start building one 1442 00:50:22,270 --> 00:50:25,209 yourself. It's not that complicated. 1443 00:50:25,210 --> 00:50:26,949 If you want to learn more, I've published 1444 00:50:26,950 --> 00:50:29,439 a book about all this and even more. 1445 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:30,759 There's also a German version if you 1446 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:32,139 Google for it, it's 1447 00:50:33,190 --> 00:50:35,259 available in the typical places where you 1448 00:50:35,260 --> 00:50:36,669 find books. 1449 00:50:36,670 --> 00:50:38,739 So I am very much looking forward to the 1450 00:50:38,740 --> 00:50:41,259 questions and hope you learned something 1451 00:50:41,260 --> 00:50:42,280 for your life in space. 1452 00:50:45,780 --> 00:50:46,780 Yeah. 1453 00:50:50,980 --> 00:50:51,980 Blown 1454 00:50:53,140 --> 00:50:55,029 pretty amazing talk. 1455 00:50:55,030 --> 00:50:57,009 One thing, maybe that we want to fix 1456 00:50:57,010 --> 00:50:59,109 right away, we're still having some 1457 00:50:59,110 --> 00:51:01,269 audio issues and I'm very sorry about 1458 00:51:01,270 --> 00:51:03,619 that to the stream we luckily 1459 00:51:03,620 --> 00:51:04,620 did. 1460 00:51:07,490 --> 00:51:09,559 Back up, recording locally at 1461 00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:11,659 all this place, like, like we said 1462 00:51:11,660 --> 00:51:13,759 earlier, he's like 1463 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:15,949 in the depths of Finland, somewhere 1464 00:51:15,950 --> 00:51:18,289 in the little hut and in connection 1465 00:51:18,290 --> 00:51:19,309 is not that great. 1466 00:51:19,310 --> 00:51:21,829 What's amazing is working as a this 1467 00:51:21,830 --> 00:51:23,959 was, if you could, 1468 00:51:23,960 --> 00:51:26,059 in there in the share that 1469 00:51:26,060 --> 00:51:28,159 we have this webcam share a small 1470 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:29,989 icon on the bottom. 1471 00:51:29,990 --> 00:51:32,209 If you click on, that will 1472 00:51:32,210 --> 00:51:33,589 turn off your video. 1473 00:51:33,590 --> 00:51:35,419 And we are hoping that even though we 1474 00:51:35,420 --> 00:51:37,459 cannot see it anymore, that maybe the 1475 00:51:37,460 --> 00:51:39,079 audio now has a better bent with a 1476 00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:41,269 friend. At least, yeah, we 1477 00:51:41,270 --> 00:51:42,270 can hear you better. 1478 00:51:43,210 --> 00:51:45,369 Yeah, let's try it like this, see if this 1479 00:51:45,370 --> 00:51:48,009 works. OK, so 1480 00:51:48,010 --> 00:51:50,439 our lovely signal angel has collected 1481 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:52,449 a bunch of questions and the chat was 1482 00:51:52,450 --> 00:51:53,349 super on fire. 1483 00:51:53,350 --> 00:51:55,599 Like I 1484 00:51:55,600 --> 00:51:57,759 actually had the IFC channel 1485 00:51:57,760 --> 00:51:59,889 open all the time and I saw messages, 1486 00:51:59,890 --> 00:52:01,839 scrolling feeds, so shout out to each 1487 00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:02,259 other. 1488 00:52:02,260 --> 00:52:04,419 Yeah, I think this was like 1489 00:52:04,420 --> 00:52:06,639 the worst shift ever for a signal 1490 00:52:06,640 --> 00:52:07,959 angel. 1491 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:10,209 So much to do, but there are 1492 00:52:10,210 --> 00:52:11,259 a few questions. 1493 00:52:11,260 --> 00:52:12,519 So let's go through them. 1494 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:16,959 First question was Wait, can you brief 1495 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,299 just 100 percent oxygen 1496 00:52:19,300 --> 00:52:20,679 at 0.2 bar? 1497 00:52:21,930 --> 00:52:24,119 Yes, that works, this is how it's usually 1498 00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:26,459 done in space suits in order to reduce 1499 00:52:26,460 --> 00:52:28,079 their bulkiness, you just reduce the 1500 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:28,979 pressure. 1501 00:52:28,980 --> 00:52:31,259 The problem is not breathing 1502 00:52:31,260 --> 00:52:33,509 100 percent oxygen, that 0.2 power. 1503 00:52:33,510 --> 00:52:35,639 The problem is getting there because 1504 00:52:35,640 --> 00:52:37,319 if you start from a normal environment 1505 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:39,179 like sea level environment, you just. 1506 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:41,639 Depressurize, you still have your blood 1507 00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:43,799 were born because you have lots of gases 1508 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:45,809 dissolved in your tissue, in your blood 1509 00:52:45,810 --> 00:52:48,089 insulin, you need to really slowly 1510 00:52:48,090 --> 00:52:49,349 go down with your pressure. 1511 00:52:49,350 --> 00:52:50,539 Otherwise you are. 1512 00:52:50,540 --> 00:52:52,829 Your nitrogen is going to form bubbles 1513 00:52:52,830 --> 00:52:55,619 in your in your tissue and tear your body 1514 00:52:55,620 --> 00:52:56,759 apart. 1515 00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:58,439 So what they typically do on the 1516 00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:00,629 International Space Station is they go 1517 00:53:00,630 --> 00:53:02,609 to the airlock a couple of hours before a 1518 00:53:02,610 --> 00:53:04,679 spacewalk and start to 1519 00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:06,839 lower the price. I'd read you in 1520 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:09,809 the past, what they used to do was 1521 00:53:09,810 --> 00:53:10,889 camp out. 1522 00:53:10,890 --> 00:53:12,809 So overnight they were already the night 1523 00:53:12,810 --> 00:53:14,369 before sleeping in the airlock and then 1524 00:53:14,370 --> 00:53:15,570 the next morning they went out. 1525 00:53:16,650 --> 00:53:18,569 Nowadays, they found a more efficient 1526 00:53:18,570 --> 00:53:20,669 method as they put on this spacesuit with 1527 00:53:20,670 --> 00:53:21,670 normal pressure, 1528 00:53:23,340 --> 00:53:25,379 start filling it with oxygen slowly and 1529 00:53:25,380 --> 00:53:26,819 reducing the pressure, and then sit on 1530 00:53:26,820 --> 00:53:28,639 the cycle ergometer and to cycle cycle 1531 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:30,599 cycles because that pumps the air or the 1532 00:53:31,710 --> 00:53:33,119 nitrogen out of your system. 1533 00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:35,609 So it's a similar problem. 1534 00:53:35,610 --> 00:53:37,859 If you are diving and you are 50 1535 00:53:37,860 --> 00:53:39,539 meters depth and you suddenly come to the 1536 00:53:39,540 --> 00:53:41,609 surface, you would die because 1537 00:53:41,610 --> 00:53:43,889 of the compressed nitrogen expanse. 1538 00:53:43,890 --> 00:53:45,479 And that causes problems. 1539 00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:47,399 But apart from that, yes, you can easily 1540 00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:49,619 survive in 100 per cent oxygen atmosphere 1541 00:53:49,620 --> 00:53:50,879 as long as the pressure is low enough 1542 00:53:50,880 --> 00:53:52,079 that it doesn't get toxic. 1543 00:53:52,080 --> 00:53:54,209 Yeah, it's like when diving, 1544 00:53:54,210 --> 00:53:56,189 you know, normal atmosphere is sort of 1545 00:53:56,190 --> 00:53:58,279 space and diving as 1546 00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:00,359 your spaceship and you need 1547 00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:01,800 to slowly depressurize. 1548 00:54:04,020 --> 00:54:07,079 Next question regarding oxygen candles 1549 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:09,239 if this thing burns through at least 1550 00:54:09,240 --> 00:54:11,369 oxygen, doesn't that need oxygen for 1551 00:54:11,370 --> 00:54:12,629 the burning process? 1552 00:54:12,630 --> 00:54:14,789 Again, I think there's maybe 1553 00:54:14,790 --> 00:54:17,849 a slight misnomer here, 1554 00:54:17,850 --> 00:54:18,749 and not really. 1555 00:54:18,750 --> 00:54:20,819 I mean, I can probably go back to 1556 00:54:20,820 --> 00:54:23,250 the slides wherever it was. 1557 00:54:25,860 --> 00:54:28,169 They don't need oxygen 1558 00:54:28,170 --> 00:54:29,699 for burning because it's a redox 1559 00:54:29,700 --> 00:54:31,020 reaction. I mean, you have 1560 00:54:32,220 --> 00:54:34,319 the potassium chloride sort of 1561 00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:36,929 chloride coming in, and 1562 00:54:36,930 --> 00:54:39,029 I reported that reacts with and it simply 1563 00:54:39,030 --> 00:54:41,249 passes one oxygen from this one 1564 00:54:41,250 --> 00:54:44,369 to the ihren. So the oxygen ends up here 1565 00:54:44,370 --> 00:54:47,129 red objects and just reduces 1566 00:54:47,130 --> 00:54:48,689 and oxidized at the same point. 1567 00:54:48,690 --> 00:54:50,429 So it brings its own oxygen along and it 1568 00:54:50,430 --> 00:54:52,169 actually has oxygen to spare. 1569 00:54:52,170 --> 00:54:54,599 That's why these produce oxygen stable. 1570 00:54:54,600 --> 00:54:55,619 Mm-Hmm. 1571 00:54:55,620 --> 00:54:57,659 Interesting. Yeah, something for the 1572 00:54:57,660 --> 00:54:58,920 chemistry nerds there. 1573 00:55:00,300 --> 00:55:02,369 So these slides will, of course, be up in 1574 00:55:02,370 --> 00:55:03,989 the recording and you can go through the 1575 00:55:03,990 --> 00:55:06,059 equations, probably and 1576 00:55:06,060 --> 00:55:07,170 found that out herself. 1577 00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:11,829 Is there any advantage to using either 1578 00:55:11,830 --> 00:55:13,899 sodium chloride or lithium 1579 00:55:13,900 --> 00:55:14,900 chloride? 1580 00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,739 The advantage of sodium chloride is that 1581 00:55:17,740 --> 00:55:18,729 it's just dirt cheap. 1582 00:55:18,730 --> 00:55:20,949 It's really just table salt that 1583 00:55:20,950 --> 00:55:23,229 you can get from anywhere and then you 1584 00:55:23,230 --> 00:55:25,629 just need to have the reactions 1585 00:55:25,630 --> 00:55:27,369 to get the oxygen on there. 1586 00:55:27,370 --> 00:55:29,320 In compressed lithium flow rate is 1587 00:55:30,430 --> 00:55:31,389 more of a problem. 1588 00:55:31,390 --> 00:55:33,699 It's more expensive, and B lithium 1589 00:55:33,700 --> 00:55:35,859 salts in general have psychological 1590 00:55:35,860 --> 00:55:37,269 effects if they get out. 1591 00:55:37,270 --> 00:55:39,309 If you have any dust coming out, defense 1592 00:55:39,310 --> 00:55:41,439 holes have been used for a long time 1593 00:55:41,440 --> 00:55:43,239 to try to cure depression. 1594 00:55:43,240 --> 00:55:45,129 So you don't want too much of that flying 1595 00:55:45,130 --> 00:55:46,509 around in the space station. 1596 00:55:46,510 --> 00:55:48,009 The advantage of lithium, on the other 1597 00:55:48,010 --> 00:55:50,049 hand, is that it's much lighter and 1598 00:55:50,050 --> 00:55:52,269 weight is almost a premium in space. 1599 00:55:52,270 --> 00:55:54,339 So it's a trade off 1600 00:55:54,340 --> 00:55:56,169 and the Russians have decided to go with 1601 00:55:56,170 --> 00:55:58,119 sodium, whereas the Americans have 1602 00:55:58,120 --> 00:55:59,199 decided to go with lithium. 1603 00:55:59,200 --> 00:56:00,309 So that's both. 1604 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:03,000 Cool. 1605 00:56:03,860 --> 00:56:06,109 And that's the question, I think, 1606 00:56:06,110 --> 00:56:08,269 to the equation where, 1607 00:56:08,270 --> 00:56:10,459 you know, inputs of some Nessus and 1608 00:56:10,460 --> 00:56:11,899 output of some muscles. 1609 00:56:11,900 --> 00:56:13,969 And the question was 1610 00:56:13,970 --> 00:56:15,619 so the additional carbon that's 1611 00:56:15,620 --> 00:56:18,019 essentially coming from the food sources. 1612 00:56:18,020 --> 00:56:20,089 Could this be recycled and plant 1613 00:56:20,090 --> 00:56:21,090 materials? 1614 00:56:22,450 --> 00:56:24,369 Yes, I mean, that's basically what the 1615 00:56:24,370 --> 00:56:26,169 second half of my talk was about. 1616 00:56:26,170 --> 00:56:28,539 I mean, I saw the Christian scrolling by 1617 00:56:28,540 --> 00:56:30,969 as I was still talking about their 1618 00:56:30,970 --> 00:56:31,869 methods in the beginning. 1619 00:56:31,870 --> 00:56:33,159 That's exactly the point you have to 1620 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:35,169 carbon coming from the food, going 1621 00:56:35,170 --> 00:56:36,669 through your system, being trained to do 1622 00:56:36,670 --> 00:56:38,199 so too. And then the plants do the 1623 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:39,729 opposite and turn it back into their 1624 00:56:39,730 --> 00:56:41,079 sugar so that they continue to head 1625 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,089 south. So that's where the idea comes 1626 00:56:43,090 --> 00:56:44,469 from to use plants as life support 1627 00:56:44,470 --> 00:56:45,379 systems. 1628 00:56:45,380 --> 00:56:47,349 Yeah, pretty much like a circle of life 1629 00:56:47,350 --> 00:56:49,719 inside a spaceship, essentially. 1630 00:56:49,720 --> 00:56:51,009 Yeah, I was I was thinking in the 1631 00:56:51,010 --> 00:56:52,779 beginning, should I draw this such that 1632 00:56:52,780 --> 00:56:54,669 these errors actually go around? 1633 00:56:54,670 --> 00:56:56,049 But then I thought, it's a bit disgusting 1634 00:56:56,050 --> 00:56:57,369 to just throw an arrow from the brain 1635 00:56:57,370 --> 00:56:58,370 back to the what? 1636 00:57:01,150 --> 00:57:03,279 Well, it seems to me like there's 1637 00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:05,559 lots of pretty disgusting smells 1638 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:07,689 and everything, so people might 1639 00:57:07,690 --> 00:57:09,769 not have been shocked that that much. 1640 00:57:09,770 --> 00:57:11,949 When I was actually talking to 1641 00:57:11,950 --> 00:57:14,079 a Swedish astronaut a couple 1642 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,419 of weeks back, he was giving a 1643 00:57:16,420 --> 00:57:18,669 seminar in Helsinki, and I ask him this 1644 00:57:18,670 --> 00:57:20,709 Did he have the feeling it was actually 1645 00:57:20,710 --> 00:57:21,969 working on the outside of the 1646 00:57:21,970 --> 00:57:24,039 International Space Station installing 1647 00:57:24,040 --> 00:57:25,629 one of these solar panels? 1648 00:57:25,630 --> 00:57:27,219 Did he have the feeling that it got 1649 00:57:27,220 --> 00:57:28,659 smelly in his spacesuit? 1650 00:57:28,660 --> 00:57:30,729 And he said that you were so busy doing 1651 00:57:30,730 --> 00:57:32,289 everything that you didn't notice? 1652 00:57:32,290 --> 00:57:34,389 But some of his colleagues remarked about 1653 00:57:34,390 --> 00:57:36,639 the smell all the time in the space 1654 00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:38,919 station. And apparently when 1655 00:57:38,920 --> 00:57:40,869 you look at web streams of astronauts 1656 00:57:40,870 --> 00:57:42,789 returning to the space station when 1657 00:57:42,790 --> 00:57:44,169 they've been there before and then come 1658 00:57:44,170 --> 00:57:46,149 back, it's always the first thing they 1659 00:57:46,150 --> 00:57:47,889 say. When they enter the space station, 1660 00:57:47,890 --> 00:57:50,319 they remark on this man are the Iceman. 1661 00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:51,819 It's apparently very characteristic 1662 00:57:51,820 --> 00:57:52,820 smell. 1663 00:57:53,290 --> 00:57:55,239 Wow. Yeah. 1664 00:57:55,240 --> 00:57:57,159 Sadly, most of us will not be able to 1665 00:57:57,160 --> 00:57:59,649 experience it, but apparently 1666 00:57:59,650 --> 00:58:00,669 it's legendary. 1667 00:58:00,670 --> 00:58:01,989 So let's leave it at that 1668 00:58:03,700 --> 00:58:06,039 again. Next question When scaling 1669 00:58:06,040 --> 00:58:08,559 up from space stations to bigger habitats 1670 00:58:08,560 --> 00:58:11,129 like Mars colonies or even O'Neale 1671 00:58:11,130 --> 00:58:13,869 cylinders, does something fundamental 1672 00:58:13,870 --> 00:58:16,059 changed about what to consider and 1673 00:58:16,060 --> 00:58:18,010 how to build life support systems? 1674 00:58:19,930 --> 00:58:22,359 Well, there's already some questions that 1675 00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:23,949 need to be addressed in scaling up from 1676 00:58:23,950 --> 00:58:25,209 what we have now. 1677 00:58:25,210 --> 00:58:27,879 Like we have, for example, the 1678 00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:29,889 The Dragon capsule that just wants to fly 1679 00:58:29,890 --> 00:58:31,989 for three days, go to the east, go 1680 00:58:31,990 --> 00:58:32,990 back to Earth. That's it. 1681 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:35,739 So there you don't need to consider much. 1682 00:58:35,740 --> 00:58:37,509 You just built a scrubber and you have 1683 00:58:37,510 --> 00:58:39,669 oxygen bottles and you've got, of course, 1684 00:58:39,670 --> 00:58:41,349 this still needs to be reliable and work 1685 00:58:41,350 --> 00:58:43,689 very well about that's that's 1686 00:58:43,690 --> 00:58:45,039 where we are right now. 1687 00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:47,469 The International Space Station is 1688 00:58:48,790 --> 00:58:51,699 almost completely reusable 1689 00:58:51,700 --> 00:58:54,249 in terms of its life support system. 1690 00:58:54,250 --> 00:58:56,319 But the problem with that is it's still 1691 00:58:56,320 --> 00:58:58,389 designed as an experiment platform. 1692 00:58:58,390 --> 00:59:00,579 The system fails from time to time, and 1693 00:59:00,580 --> 00:59:02,379 then they had problems that they need to 1694 00:59:02,380 --> 00:59:03,819 change to the Russian system instead of 1695 00:59:03,820 --> 00:59:05,359 the American. Because something breaks 1696 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:06,849 here, something fix that. 1697 00:59:06,850 --> 00:59:08,979 One thing that you really definitely want 1698 00:59:08,980 --> 00:59:10,779 if you fly to Mars or if you have 1699 00:59:10,780 --> 00:59:12,999 colonies, you want the system to be fail 1700 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:14,799 safe, you need to build it tested. 1701 00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:16,329 It's serviceable. You need to build it 1702 00:59:16,330 --> 00:59:18,609 such that it is redundant 1703 00:59:18,610 --> 00:59:21,219 enough and that it 1704 00:59:21,220 --> 00:59:23,259 well, ideally that it cannot break down. 1705 00:59:23,260 --> 00:59:24,849 And that is one additional advantage of 1706 00:59:24,850 --> 00:59:27,099 plants because plants don't break down. 1707 00:59:27,100 --> 00:59:28,899 If one dies, the next one goes in its 1708 00:59:28,900 --> 00:59:31,059 place as long as you don't poison 1709 00:59:31,060 --> 00:59:32,409 their whole life support system 1710 00:59:32,410 --> 00:59:33,489 altogether. 1711 00:59:33,490 --> 00:59:35,349 You'll be able to just scale about by 1712 00:59:35,350 --> 00:59:36,909 just giving it more place to grow. 1713 00:59:36,910 --> 00:59:38,979 So these systems, if you want 1714 00:59:38,980 --> 00:59:40,839 to have more like you growing or you need 1715 00:59:40,840 --> 00:59:43,269 to put an additional bottle there, 1716 00:59:43,270 --> 00:59:45,189 put some lights up and you can grow more 1717 00:59:45,190 --> 00:59:46,190 of it. 1718 00:59:46,810 --> 00:59:48,699 So that is something that 1719 00:59:49,870 --> 00:59:51,459 is an active development because people 1720 00:59:51,460 --> 00:59:53,259 want to fly to Mars pretty soon. 1721 00:59:53,260 --> 00:59:54,819 I mean, you know, Musk keeps talking 1722 00:59:54,820 --> 00:59:56,949 about it in the next five years. 1723 00:59:56,950 --> 00:59:59,019 But nobody has proven yet that there 1724 00:59:59,020 --> 01:00:00,969 is a life support system that is reliable 1725 01:00:00,970 --> 01:00:02,259 enough to actually get you there. 1726 01:00:02,260 --> 01:00:04,239 You don't want to strand halfway with the 1727 01:00:04,240 --> 01:00:05,679 non-working life support system. 1728 01:00:07,300 --> 01:00:09,309 And then as soon as you are on a planet 1729 01:00:09,310 --> 01:00:11,409 and as soon as you can plant stuff in 1730 01:00:11,410 --> 01:00:13,419 the ground, then there's no reason not to 1731 01:00:13,420 --> 01:00:15,639 just go for bananas with growing 1732 01:00:15,640 --> 01:00:17,769 plants literally full bananas. 1733 01:00:17,770 --> 01:00:19,359 I suppose there have been experiments 1734 01:00:19,360 --> 01:00:21,489 with strawberries 1735 01:00:21,490 --> 01:00:23,709 growing in lunar soil. 1736 01:00:23,710 --> 01:00:25,809 As long as you give them water and a 1737 01:00:25,810 --> 01:00:27,879 little bit of nitrogen that they grow 1738 01:00:27,880 --> 01:00:28,960 in lunar soil just fine. 1739 01:00:30,550 --> 01:00:32,709 Then you have Martian dust 1740 01:00:32,710 --> 01:00:34,689 equivalent studies of people trying to 1741 01:00:34,690 --> 01:00:36,969 grow stuff on Martian soil, 1742 01:00:36,970 --> 01:00:38,409 and that apparently is also something 1743 01:00:38,410 --> 01:00:39,399 that is possible. 1744 01:00:39,400 --> 01:00:41,259 So then you just need to go there and 1745 01:00:41,260 --> 01:00:42,189 start growing things. 1746 01:00:42,190 --> 01:00:44,319 And as soon as you have an ecosystem 1747 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:46,479 like like the closest ecosystems that 1748 01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:48,489 we've seen on Earth, we have eight square 1749 01:00:48,490 --> 01:00:50,229 meters per person. You can just scale up 1750 01:00:50,230 --> 01:00:52,479 by getting eight more square meters per 1751 01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:53,480 second person. 1752 01:00:59,180 --> 01:01:01,459 As soon as you have a life 1753 01:01:01,460 --> 01:01:03,109 support system where you have eight 1754 01:01:03,110 --> 01:01:05,359 square meters of plants growing for one 1755 01:01:05,360 --> 01:01:07,429 person, you can just scale it 1756 01:01:07,430 --> 01:01:09,529 up by adding another eight square 1757 01:01:09,530 --> 01:01:11,629 meters and you have capacity for a 1758 01:01:11,630 --> 01:01:12,630 second person. 1759 01:01:13,330 --> 01:01:14,330 Mm hmm. 1760 01:01:15,440 --> 01:01:17,299 Premeditated brings us to the to the 1761 01:01:17,300 --> 01:01:18,300 next. 1762 01:01:19,460 --> 01:01:20,780 Question. 1763 01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:25,339 Yeah, I think maybe you've answered 1764 01:01:25,340 --> 01:01:26,539 this already. 1765 01:01:26,540 --> 01:01:28,039 I'll just read it out. 1766 01:01:28,040 --> 01:01:30,349 Why is the entire system set up in one 1767 01:01:30,350 --> 01:01:32,419 place seems to be super dangerous, single 1768 01:01:32,420 --> 01:01:33,709 point of failure? 1769 01:01:33,710 --> 01:01:36,139 Why not have multiple smaller systems so 1770 01:01:36,140 --> 01:01:38,179 lots of one could be compensated by 1771 01:01:38,180 --> 01:01:39,549 sealing off a part of the station? 1772 01:01:39,550 --> 01:01:41,569 And yeah, I think that's essentially what 1773 01:01:41,570 --> 01:01:43,369 you just said right now. 1774 01:01:43,370 --> 01:01:45,499 Well, on the access, there is 1775 01:01:45,500 --> 01:01:46,999 the big system that I've showed. 1776 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:48,859 That's the American system in the 1777 01:01:48,860 --> 01:01:50,959 military that does most 1778 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:52,169 of the work for the station. 1779 01:01:52,170 --> 01:01:54,319 But the Russian part of the station 1780 01:01:54,320 --> 01:01:56,389 also has a system that works 1781 01:01:56,390 --> 01:01:58,159 in pretty much the same way. 1782 01:01:58,160 --> 01:02:00,319 It's not quite as redundant. 1783 01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:02,419 So if anything were to happen, you could 1784 01:02:02,420 --> 01:02:03,949 seal off the American pot and run with 1785 01:02:03,950 --> 01:02:05,119 the Russian system. 1786 01:02:05,120 --> 01:02:07,219 Since the last five years, 1787 01:02:07,220 --> 01:02:09,829 there's also the European advanced 1788 01:02:09,830 --> 01:02:11,449 closed loop system that has the 1789 01:02:11,450 --> 01:02:13,099 bioreactor attached, and that's in the 1790 01:02:13,100 --> 01:02:14,689 Columbus module. So that's again on the 1791 01:02:14,690 --> 01:02:15,689 other end of the station. 1792 01:02:15,690 --> 01:02:17,989 So right now, there are three redundant 1793 01:02:17,990 --> 01:02:19,699 life support systems running on the space 1794 01:02:19,700 --> 01:02:21,079 station. 1795 01:02:21,080 --> 01:02:22,669 Of course, the advantage of having it all 1796 01:02:22,670 --> 01:02:24,859 in one place and together is 1797 01:02:24,860 --> 01:02:26,419 that you can more easily feed stuff from 1798 01:02:26,420 --> 01:02:27,739 one system to the other. 1799 01:02:27,740 --> 01:02:29,659 If you want, for example, your water to 1800 01:02:29,660 --> 01:02:31,249 come from your toilet into your water 1801 01:02:31,250 --> 01:02:32,869 recycling system, and from there you want 1802 01:02:32,870 --> 01:02:34,759 the hydrogen and the oxygen to go further 1803 01:02:34,760 --> 01:02:36,229 into other systems. 1804 01:02:36,230 --> 01:02:38,659 So it's always a design question 1805 01:02:38,660 --> 01:02:40,609 how much redundancy and fail safety do 1806 01:02:40,610 --> 01:02:42,499 you want and how much compactness of the 1807 01:02:42,500 --> 01:02:43,789 system do you want? 1808 01:02:43,790 --> 01:02:45,919 I suppose it's similar 1809 01:02:45,920 --> 01:02:46,920 like any other. 1810 01:02:47,600 --> 01:02:49,819 Yeah, the audio is again breaking up a 1811 01:02:49,820 --> 01:02:50,820 lot. 1812 01:02:51,980 --> 01:02:55,039 I think I will 1813 01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:57,259 pick one last question here and 1814 01:02:57,260 --> 01:02:58,400 then we'll wrap it up. 1815 01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:02,429 Also, time starting to run out. 1816 01:03:02,430 --> 01:03:04,639 So last question 1817 01:03:04,640 --> 01:03:05,640 that I'll pick 1818 01:03:06,710 --> 01:03:08,779 so someone would like to know if due 1819 01:03:08,780 --> 01:03:11,029 to the growth of surface and square 1820 01:03:11,030 --> 01:03:13,189 and the volume in Cuba, it gets easier 1821 01:03:13,190 --> 01:03:15,289 or harder to create and maintain the 1822 01:03:15,290 --> 01:03:17,469 life support system on spacecraft. 1823 01:03:20,290 --> 01:03:21,290 Some. 1824 01:03:22,040 --> 01:03:24,709 Well, interesting 1825 01:03:24,710 --> 01:03:25,710 question. 1826 01:03:27,110 --> 01:03:29,209 So in general, as 1827 01:03:29,210 --> 01:03:30,210 as. 1828 01:03:30,800 --> 01:03:33,109 There are more people you just need 1829 01:03:33,110 --> 01:03:34,759 more life support system, a bigger 1830 01:03:34,760 --> 01:03:36,769 system, or you just build more smaller 1831 01:03:36,770 --> 01:03:39,559 ones. So that should not be 1832 01:03:39,560 --> 01:03:41,749 fundamentally a problem. 1833 01:03:41,750 --> 01:03:43,130 You just need more of them. 1834 01:03:45,980 --> 01:03:48,349 I would assume that the bigger systems 1835 01:03:48,350 --> 01:03:50,239 in general have high efficiency because 1836 01:03:50,240 --> 01:03:52,549 you can just devote more 1837 01:03:52,550 --> 01:03:54,949 space to smaller things to 1838 01:03:54,950 --> 01:03:57,199 do more little cleaning assemblies 1839 01:03:57,200 --> 01:03:58,159 and so on. 1840 01:03:58,160 --> 01:03:59,539 But then on the other hand, you need more 1841 01:03:59,540 --> 01:04:00,659 redundancy as well. 1842 01:04:00,660 --> 01:04:03,020 So that's actually a very good question. 1843 01:04:04,730 --> 01:04:06,409 Then there's also one thing now that I 1844 01:04:06,410 --> 01:04:08,269 still have to slide up here, the numbers 1845 01:04:08,270 --> 01:04:10,189 I have here oxygen, food and water 1846 01:04:10,190 --> 01:04:12,349 requirement, these are given by Nassau 1847 01:04:12,350 --> 01:04:14,479 for the standard crew member. 1848 01:04:14,480 --> 01:04:16,969 So that is for one human male. 1849 01:04:16,970 --> 01:04:19,219 Nassau always calculates this in terms 1850 01:04:19,220 --> 01:04:20,569 of human males. 1851 01:04:20,570 --> 01:04:23,089 On average, female crew members 1852 01:04:23,090 --> 01:04:25,399 have lower metabolic rates, 1853 01:04:25,400 --> 01:04:27,349 so they use less calories. 1854 01:04:27,350 --> 01:04:29,899 They also use less oxygen and 1855 01:04:29,900 --> 01:04:31,579 less water proportionately. 1856 01:04:31,580 --> 01:04:33,769 So actually, it makes no sense 1857 01:04:33,770 --> 01:04:36,799 that muscles since a majority of male 1858 01:04:36,800 --> 01:04:38,479 astronauts into space, all the other 1859 01:04:38,480 --> 01:04:40,819 space agencies as well because women 1860 01:04:40,820 --> 01:04:42,889 simply consume less resources 1861 01:04:42,890 --> 01:04:44,359 from their life support system 1862 01:04:44,360 --> 01:04:46,789 perspective. So if you wanted 1863 01:04:46,790 --> 01:04:48,919 to make an argument, why you should a 1864 01:04:48,920 --> 01:04:50,419 crew of women to Mars, this is your 1865 01:04:50,420 --> 01:04:52,489 argument here. They would use less 1866 01:04:52,490 --> 01:04:53,659 like support resources. 1867 01:04:54,810 --> 01:04:56,219 Yeah. Well, yeah, that's a pretty big 1868 01:04:56,220 --> 01:04:57,959 advantage right there, like you can't 1869 01:04:57,960 --> 01:04:59,940 argue with with that, you know? 1870 01:05:03,070 --> 01:05:05,229 Cool. So I think 1871 01:05:05,230 --> 01:05:06,429 we will wrap it up here. 1872 01:05:06,430 --> 01:05:08,649 I see that you're also active in the IOC 1873 01:05:08,650 --> 01:05:10,480 trend, so if you have any more questions, 1874 01:05:11,620 --> 01:05:13,389 feel free to hit up the IOC trip. 1875 01:05:13,390 --> 01:05:15,099 Maybe you can stick around a little bit 1876 01:05:15,100 --> 01:05:16,659 and answer some more questions there. 1877 01:05:18,190 --> 01:05:20,499 I'll also be walking around the 1878 01:05:20,500 --> 01:05:22,899 world in the cases where it works. 1879 01:05:22,900 --> 01:05:24,999 Yeah, great. So if you catch us, if 1880 01:05:25,000 --> 01:05:26,800 you catch or somewhere there hit them up 1881 01:05:29,200 --> 01:05:31,179 about the audio issues, I'm very sorry 1882 01:05:31,180 --> 01:05:33,339 again. We do have some back 1883 01:05:33,340 --> 01:05:35,499 up recording. Probably we'll take a look 1884 01:05:35,500 --> 01:05:37,839 at that and see if we can fix the audio. 1885 01:05:37,840 --> 01:05:40,539 So hopefully in the final release 1886 01:05:40,540 --> 01:05:42,759 that we will make to media CCC, 1887 01:05:42,760 --> 01:05:45,039 the E the audio will 1888 01:05:45,040 --> 01:05:47,079 be a little bit better again. 1889 01:05:47,080 --> 01:05:48,080 Sorry, 1890 01:05:49,300 --> 01:05:51,369 but yeah. Well, thank 1891 01:05:51,370 --> 01:05:52,539 you very much. 1892 01:05:52,540 --> 01:05:54,999 I'm very honored that we were able 1893 01:05:55,000 --> 01:05:57,069 to show like the first 1894 01:05:57,070 --> 01:05:59,199 part of the trilogy about Epic Space 1895 01:05:59,200 --> 01:06:00,999 Adventure and what they need to do to 1896 01:06:01,000 --> 01:06:03,159 make that happen on our 1897 01:06:03,160 --> 01:06:04,539 stage. 1898 01:06:04,540 --> 01:06:05,540 Thank you a lot. 1899 01:06:06,300 --> 01:06:07,300 And. 1900 01:06:08,720 --> 01:06:11,159 I hope we'll have a great 1901 01:06:11,160 --> 01:06:13,039 I'll see free for the rest of the day.