SPACE TRASH! ft. Chemistry

Remember when Elon Musk launched a car into space? It’s not just peacefully drifting through a vacuum–it’s hurtling around the sun at 63,592 mph, being bombarded by solar radiation. It might be in pieces. But, not the same pieces it would be in if it was down here on Earth. The environment of space breaks it down differently. And the space debris a little closer to us, all the stuff that we humans have sent into space and just left there to orbit us? The unusual environment of space means it too breaks down and degrades differently than it would down here on earth. But… how long does it take to break down? Does it all break down? And how is that car looking right about now… You might also like: We Are Made of "Star Stuff" 🤍youtu.be/2bm479V8qPs Challenger: The Real Story of an Avoidable Disaster 🤍youtu.be/uI174WMnWl4 What Do Astronauts Do With Pee in Space? 🤍youtu.be/w6x54zYuqXk What Does the Moon Smell Like? 🤍youtu.be/iQod_oYnFTc What Could An Explosion On the Sun Do Here On Earth? 🤍youtu.be/i7mZBaleCFE Credits: Executive Producers: Matthew Radcliff Producers: Elaine Seward Andrew Sobey Darren Weaver Writer/Host: Alex Dainis, PhD Scientific Consultants: Michelle Boucher, PhD John Crassidis, PhD; Jer Chyi (J.-C.) Liou, PhD; Brianne Raccor, PhD Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing Reactions is a production of the American Chemical Society. © 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. Sources: 🤍🤍whereisroadster.com/ 🤍education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/meteoroid 🤍🤍nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html 🤍onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2004.tb00765.x 🤍dewesoft.com/daq/every-satellite-orbiting-earth-and-who-owns-them 🤍earth.org/space-junk-what-is-it-what-can-we-do-about-it/#:~:text=But%20how%20does%20space%20junk,detrimental%20effects%20on%20Earth's%20environment 🤍🤍esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers 🤍🤍nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html 🤍onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2004.tb00765.x 🤍ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20160012733 🤍🤍scientificamerican.com/article/webb-telescopes-giant-mirror-struck-by-micrometeoroid/ 🤍🤍spacelegalissues.com/space-law-the-kessler-syndrome/ 🤍🤍nasa.gov/news/debris_faq.html 🤍🤍sciencefocus.com/space/does-metal-corrode-or-rust-in-space/ 🤍🤍sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780815515005500252 🤍sciencing.com/write-chemical-reaction-rusting-iron-8558862.html 🤍🤍faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/III.4.1.2_The_Space_Environment.pdf 🤍🤍sciencefocus.com/space/does-metal-corrode-or-rust-in-space/ 🤍esmat.esa.int/publications/published_papers/corrosion_in_space.pdf 🤍🤍sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780815515005500252 🤍web.archive.org/web/20060624082520/🤍triz-journal.com/archives/1998/07/a/index.htm 🤍🤍sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780815515005500252 🤍🤍annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.physchem.49.1.73 🤍🤍nature.com/articles/354048a0 🤍🤍livescience.com/61680-will-spacex-roadster-survive-in-space.html 🤍esmat.esa.int/publications/published_papers/corrosion_in_space.pdf 🤍🤍esa.int/Applications/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Sustainable_connectivity_in_space 🤍🤍sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211029103127.htm 🤍elpasoheraldpost.com/amys-everyday-astronomy-cold-welding-what-is-it-and-can-it-be-done-on-earth/#:~:text=Don't%20worry%2C%20though%2C,%2Dwelding%20doesn't%20occur 🤍esmat.esa.int/Publications/Published_papers/STM-279.pdf 🤍🤍researchgate.net/publication/352145728_Cold_Welding_Based_Space_Debris_Removal_System 🤍🤍livescience.com/61680-will-spacex-roadster-survive-in-space.html