How Do Spacecraft Return To Earth?

Find out how spacecraft make their final descent through the atmosphere to return safely to Earth. In this video we learn about heat capacity, bow shock, oriented pallasites, and why James shouldn't be allowed near a blow torch.
Filmed at NASA's Johnson Space Centre
See more at www.atomicfrontieronline.com
or on Facebook at / atomicfrontier
and on Snapchat as atomicfrontier

[@StefanMilo]

You and Tom were the perfect collab! So glad I found your channel

[@operationalhumanbeing9916]

This brings up whole new meaning of down to earth

[@nabeelkirmani]

very well made, keep uploading!

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks Nabeel! Don't worry, lots more videos coming soon - next one is tomorrow!

[@AxeAR]

I just watched your video on Tom's channel, and goddamn your content is quality, new subscriber!

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks!! Helps when NASA leaves all the cool toys laying around!

[@Sciencewithkids]

Very well-made video on re-entry. Here to support you.

[@zacharypearle2543]

I love that you still read your comments! Tom Scott brought me to your channel. Best of luck!!!

[@AtomicFrontier]

Its either that or do my homework! Glad that you stuck around :)

[@TripBloggers]

Great explanation.

[@AXkj3mmy]

Thanks for the well made video!

[@SkepticRaider]

Great video, very well explained.

[@h3x386]

Thank you! That was very informative!

[@acdeeiprrt]

I love these! So glad the al go rhythm found him at last

[@gehtdianschasau8372]

It's good to see, that you are following safety protocol. You don't want to lose an eye because of a rubber shrapnel or water projectile. Btw: How did they enter orbit, before "NASA had to invent a heat shield"? 2:02

[@MarioAlan32]

Perfect explanation. Amazing video

[@zachhoffman8514]

I'm just wondering how the capsule can control the engines if the bottom of the capsule needs to be clear so that the heat shield can protect the capsule on rentry

[@ptl4807]

Great work as always!

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks Penguintolife, glad you enjoyed it!

[@williamthomson8892]

brilliant your video was very interesting i want to see some more please thank you,,,,jt

[@GuardsmanBass]

Good video! I wish KZbin had brought up your channel's videos in my recommendations a lot earlier - I've already watched a couple of your videos and have more in my Watch Later playlist. Only just found out about it recently from the collab with Tom Scott.

[@ullassasvihallimath9161]

It's 2021 and we want you bro

[@tangudupavankumar8092]

what is the flow physics of the reentry capsule?

[@kingnoahx07]

So underrated

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks for your nice comments! You could rate us on facebook (or just leave a like) :p

[@ExtremePacifist]

how does the earth’s atmosphere moves in conjunction with the land and bodies of water, and we cannot feel this movement but at some point in the upper atmosphere the spinning stops and the vacuum of space starts.

[@Bob-gn8ph]

Your answer can be found over at Celebrate Truth Channel❤

[@themost4240]

deserves more than 1 million views. but world is so mean.

[@TeethToothman]

❤❤❤

[@narutomaniac100]

That looks like Pleasant Hill, Ca lol

[@ronkol28]

good channel. I think videos need to get to 10+minutes. also more money. good luck will keep an eye out.

[@AtomicFrontier]

Good advice. Tried it out on the most recent video. What do you think?

[@rosannawong542]

I've just now been seeing those infa red camera things that plug into a phone or phone I never knew they existed in that small form

[@thelonederanger2298]

so how do you get it to fall fat end first, cones fall point forward,

[@AtomicFrontier]

Hi! Good question. Its based on the asteroid design mentioned in the video which helps keen it oriented. As long as you dont come in with the pointy bit directly ahead, then there will be a lift imbalance to tip it back upright.

[@crazystuffproduction]

nice! you havea nice voice :)

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks! Really glad you're enjoying the videos

[@tangudupavankumar8092]

how does the heat doesnt effect the after body of the capsule?

[@fuckednegativemind]

Most of the heat is "carried" away by gases from the heatshield.

[@leechjim8023]

He is very young!

[@__Andrew_]

Why do you think you need music over the top of this?

[@Languslangus]

🚀

[@sarcasmo57]

Sometime I wish I could boldly go where no one has gone before.

[@ziggyjinx]

I’m confused Can you re enter earths atmosphere at any speed you want… ?? Can’t you slow down to say 5 MPH to the edge of earths atmosphere and gently drop through ? If you start speeding up why dropping whilst re entry just fire reverse rockets and say like keep your speed within say 100 MPH I don’t understand why we have to re enter earths atmosphere so fast ?? If we bounce off by going to slow then can we walk in this atmosphere ?? Please help thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@AtomicFrontier]

Yup! Any speed is fine, issue is if you're taking (literally thousands of kilograms of) fuel to slow down with then you're missing out on more fun payloads like science and people. So typically we just come in way too fast but with cool things

[@mcpack49]

Capsule

[@astonmartin4360]

4:14. It's not a meteor is a meterorite.

[@helencardrick1048]

Bdw the can thing is because of a liquid in the can look at a minute physics vid

[@TsarOfTheStar]

It's easier to leave Earth than to enter!

[@smokymountain4222]

Why does the craft have to go so fast on re entry. Can't they just drop down into the atmosphere and control the speed??obviously they can't. Just want to know why..

[@marcusw3891]

I have asked the same question and do not know the answer. I suspect that maybe they do not have the extra fuel to slow down to match the earths speed of rotation (1000 miles per hour at the equator). I also wonder that since air is much denser than space possibly if you matched the speed of rotation maybe you might just float on the air like a boat does in water or if off a bit might just skip off the surface like skipping a rock on water. A lot of questions, like you I wish someone would making a video addressing this.

[@unknown20611]

Can you name that meteor

[@AtomicFrontier]

I think its the Brenham main mass meteor. Pretty cool right?

[@unknown20611]

@@AtomicFrontier I tried very hard to search it on google

[@unknown20611]

@@AtomicFrontier is it brenham pallasite meteorite?

[@unknown20611]

@@AtomicFrontier is it brenham pallasite meteorite?

[@AtomicFrontier]

@@unknown20611 Interesting. I think you can just make out the name in the video at 3:39. What made you interested in this one specifically?

[@tonycastle2683]

Red shirt man brought me here

[@TheodoreAndor]

Now my son think deep. How did apollo13 re enter with zero controls at what speed i dont know and align it through a window? I remember apollo 11 and tell you the truth its all crap. No juman can go through the van Allen belt. Our sun is like a microwave x 100000

[@the18thdoctor3]

Zero controls? What are you talking about? They had the CM’s RCS for attitude control, and used a lifting-body reentry to stay on course. On the return coast phase, they did several burns with the LM to correct the trajectory. Do some research, please. You should also do some actual research about the van Allen belts. They consist of charged particle radiation, so all you need to be protected from them is a few millimeters of aluminum shielding. The fact is that the Apollo missions were real, the technology was real, the evidence is real.

[@chrisgg5650]

4:14 that's not a meteor its a meteorite Meteors do not land on the surface of earth

[@theTruthLifeNWay]

Answer - They don't, they've never left lower earth orbit

[@AXbcyz]

second hand embarrassment

[@mrziiz6893]

By a rocket, duh!

[@lp712]

Anyone here after seeing the falcon 9 re enter seen from the “seattle area”

[@Bob-gn8ph]

The wisdom of man is foolishness to God

[@toddpeachey6427]

Nobody went to the Moon all you silly pups should start waking up

[@Nonamelol.]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@AXbcyz]

bros calling people pups but says something like that

[@Turjak_art]

why didn't thank nasa for not giving you the original footage of the capsule landing instead of this cheap looking animation at the end?