The JWST Took a Look at Alpha Centauri - And What It Saw There Shocked the Scientists!

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:07]NASA is working on revolutionary propulsion technology that will enable us to reach Alpha Centauri in just 40 years. Currently, however, the dream of interstellar travel still seems like an impossible wish thwarted by the vast distances of space. But in the future, the sunbeam propulsion system is expected to accelerate a research probe to 10% of the speed of light, bringing it within reach of previously unattainable star systems. But how does it work? What technical tricks will make the endless vastness of space a thing of the past? It's news that couldn't be more spectacular. The James Webb telescope has recently confirmed that dimethyl sulfide actually exists in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b, a molecule that is produced exclusively by organisms on Earth. This is by far the strongest evidence of extraterrestrial life found to date. And according to experts, the oceans of this alien water world could even be teeming with life. Now, imagine that we could send a research probe to K2-18b that would conclusively confirm the existence of our long hidden contemporaries and possibly even capture them on camera. After all, the extra solar world of desire is only 124 light-years away from us. And what's 124 lightyear? Well, in astronomical terms, no more than a stone's throw. But for space travel, this distance unfortunately still represents an insurmountable hurdle. A single lightyear is an inconceivable 9.46 trillion km. And although the two Voyager probes have been flying through space for almost 50 years, they haven't even covered a single light day yet. And that's not because the aging probes are creeping through space like slow snails.

[00:01:57]In fact, their traveling speed is around 61,500 kmh. But 61,500 km per hour is simply not enough to make the leap to exoplanets or alien star systems. And that's putting it mildly because K2-18b is by no means the only celestial body out there suspected of harboring a groundbreaking secret. In fact, astronomers have already identified a whole series of potentially habitable exoplanets in our cosmic neighborhood, and one of them is practically right on our doorstep. Discovered in August 2016 and located in the constellation Centaurus, Proxima B is only 4.2 lighty years away from us, the planet orbits its aonomous red dwarf, Proxima Centauri, which in turn forms a triple star system with the binary star Alpha Centauri. And since Proxima B is the closest known exoplanet to Earth, it is also the most obvious target when it comes to the question of the research object for the first interstellar mission of all time. The sobering news, however, is that with our current resources, it would take 70,000 to 80,000 years for a probe to reach Proxima B. But in the future, and this is the crucial point, thanks to unprecedented propulsion technology, we could succeed in dramatically shortening this utopian journey time and finally make the dream of interstellar travel a reality.

[00:03:24]How NASA's Sunbeam propulsion system works.

[00:03:28]When it comes to speed records, there was currently no way around Parker Solar Probe. After all, NASA's Icarus recently reached an incredible speed of 692,000 kmh, flying faster than any other man-made object before it. But let's be honest, what is 692,000 kmh compared to 100 million kmh?

[00:03:52]Well, what at first glance sounds like a crazy speed that can only be achieved in science fiction films is actually the realistic travel speed that NASA is aiming for with its sunbeam concept.

[00:04:04]That's equivalent to 30,000 km/s or about 10% of the speed of light.

[00:04:11]Against this backdrop, the Alpha Centauri system would no longer be tens of thousands of light years away, but only 40 years. But how on Earth is that even possible? Well, basically the idea behind the Sunbeam drive is astonishingly simple. Instead of providing a space probe with fuel for its journey at launch, it is to be supplied with the necessary energy from outside during its mission. The role of the corresponding permanent filling station is taken over by an external platform which ensures a constant supply of energy via a particle beam. And let's be clear, the aim is not to send a puny mini probe to distant stars and planets, but a fullgrown 1,00 kg research probe equipped with all the latest instruments.

[00:04:58]The real heart of this innovative propulsion technology is the relativistic electron beam. We are therefore dealing with electrons that are accelerated to almost the speed of light and thus generate enough power to propel a space probe across interstellar distances. And as mentioned this is to be achieved with an external platform more precisely with a so-called solar stat which will be stationed near the sun. There it will hover in place with the help of radiation pressure and solar magnetic fields and fire the high energy electron beam at the probe. The solar stated thus transfers the impulse that constantly accelerates the spacecraft without it having to rely on its own fuel. The longer the beam acts on the probe, the greater the speed boost. But wouldn't the electrons eventually disperse in the vastness of space? After all, they usually have the property of repelling each other. Fortunately, we know of a physical solution to this problem in the form of the pinch effect, which is based on Einstein's time dilation. Put simply, this describes the effect that time appears to pass more slowly from outside a moving system. The example of a moving clock that appears to run slower from the perspective of a stationary observer is often used to illustrate this. Applied to the sunbeam drive, this simply means that time dilation prevents the relativistic electrons from drifting apart and that the particle beam remains focused even over ludicrous distances.

[00:06:29]The advantages over other concepts.

[00:06:33]If this ambitious idea actually becomes reality, we would be able to venture into interstellar worlds for the first time within a realistic time frame and verify firsthand whether exoplanets live up to their exciting reputation as potential cradles of life. And as mentioned above, this also applies to Proxima B. Although the celestial body probably has a bound rotation and is therefore divided into a cold night side and a hot dayside, it orbits within the habitable zone. This zone indicates how far a planet can be from its parent star for water to exist in a permanently liquid form. And in the case of Proxima B, it's conceivable that there is a narrow twilight zone between the two extreme zones where cool water splashes merrily along. However, the whole truth is that we simply do not yet have enough data to say whether this is really the case and whether life may even have already developed on Proxima B. An interstellar space probe could answer this exciting question on site and Sunbeam is not the only concept being discussed. However, Breakthrough Starshot is approaching the dream of interstellar travel from a slightly different, not to say smaller angle.

[00:07:47]Once launched by renowned figures such as Stephven Hawking and Freeman Dyson, this approach is based on a mini probe the size of a microchip equipped with a light sail and propelled by a gigantic laser array. In comparison, a single solar stated near the sun seems much more economical. Not to mention the advantages that a full-scale research probe would have over such a tiny probe.

[00:08:11]But when will it actually happen? When will the first sunbeam probe leave Earth and set off for Alpha Centauri?

[00:08:20]The hurdles to realization.

[00:08:22]Well, unfortunately, we will have to be patient. While Sunbeam appears simple and promising on paper, we are dealing with a completely new propulsion technology that must first be developed from scratch. And that applies not only to the relativistic electron beam itself, but also to the requirement that it must be precisely aligned with the probe across interstellar distances.

[00:08:45]Even tiny deviations would mean that the beam would miss the spacecraft and the mission would come to a premature end.

[00:08:52]In addition, the beam requires more and more energy to remain effective as the distance increases. And since the solar stated it is to be stationed near the sun, we would need materials that can withstand the intense heat and radiation of our source of warmth and life. But at the same time, and this is the exciting part, many of the fundamentals of the novel Sunbeam propulsion system are already in place. In fact, the large Hadron Collider at CERN can already generate beams with higher energy than would be required for Sunbeam. In addition, the beam guidance systems of modern particle accelerators could also be used for precise guidance in space.

[00:09:32]And if we think back to Parker Solar Probe, we see that we have already developed and launched space probes that can survive approaching the sun unscathed. However, the thermoelectric generators that experts want to use to convert the enormous heat near the sun into electricity exist only in theory.

[00:09:50]Currently, there is simply no technology that could make the idea of these extraterrestrial solar power plants a reality. The necessary technology still has to be developed. And apart from the question of financing, this will take time. As a result, even the most optimistic forecasts predict that it will be at least 20 to 30 years before the first sunbeam prototype can be launched. Never before have we seen the universe with such clarity. Neil deGrasse Tyson now says the debate in physics is over. The latest James Webb discovery finally proves the truth and a crisis has erupted in science. Those who are not prepared to throw outdated theories overboard and turn to new possibilities about the true nature of the universe will have a bad hand in science in the future. The James Webb telescope is now opening the doors to a whole new science and may even reveal the infinity of the universe. James Web is one of the most remarkable scientific instruments we humans have ever created.

[00:10:49]Thanks to this space telescope, we can see so far back in time that we can almost look back to when space is said to have been born. But something is wrong. Either these galaxies were something like cosmic early developers or the theory of the big bang is wrong.

[00:11:04]Just imagine galaxies that were probably just in their infancy appear like mature adult galaxies. James Webb found more than a dozen galaxies 200 to 300 million years after the Big Bang that were highly complex, structured, and full of stars in a way that astronomers have come to expect only from very old galaxies. These discoveries shed light on apoch of the universe that were previously in the dark and they put the foundations of cosmology to the test.

[00:11:34]James Webb has triggered a scientific crisis.

[00:11:38]A quote from Tyson, it's a crisis. Let's reiterate the standard model of cosmology is a theoretical framework that describes the development and structure of the universe from its beginning to the present day. For decades, this model has served as a compass based on the fundamental laws of classical physics, Albert Einstein's relativity equations, and observations in the current cosmos. But the data provided by JWST reveals phenomena that lie outside the predictions of this model. And now scientists are facing disaster. A large part of the global community of astronomers, cosmologists, and physicists agreed that the universe began with a big bang and has continued to expand from that point ever since. In between there was an apoch of darkness in which there were no stars in the young universe. Then the first light sources came into play and gradually stars formed. First loose clusters and then complex galaxies like our Milky Way. Now you are probably wondering how researchers were able to determine the big bang when there was no light at all.

[00:12:43]No one was around and it was clear that no one would ever see this event. They took the picture of all the current phenomena such as the movements of galaxies and the action of certain forces. Then they calculated the scenario back to a starting point. The catch, however, is that no one knew for sure if there ever was a beginning. A quote from Tyson, "We didn't know the exact age or size of the universe because our estimates could be off by a factor of two." The scientists were therefore aware that all the values and sizes of their theories were prone to error. Nevertheless, everything still fitted into the picture quite well until James Webb came along. Now the physicists and astronomers house of cards are collapsing and what has long been sold to us as truth is now turning out to be false.

[00:13:31]Big bang the evidence was always missing. Did you know that the theories of the big bang the expansion of the universe and the age of the universe were nothing more than estimates and model calculations. Nevertheless, these theories are considered the central pillars of modern cosmology. In fact, the ideas were also supported by a multitude of observations and scientific findings. But there were also warning signs that scientists consistently overlooked. The theories offered a reasonably coherent picture of the origin and evolution of the universe.

[00:14:03]And some of the ideas were also confirmed by various independent measurements, but by no means all of them. The cosmic microwave background radiation or CMBB for short is the classic when it comes to confirming the idea of the big bang and the expansion of the universe. Discovered in 1965 by Arno Pensas and Robert Wilson, this radiation which is still omniresent in space today was interpreted as the afterglow of the big bang. The radiation was seen as a kind of photographic imprint of the universe created when the universe was only 380,000 years old and when it became cool enough for electrons and protons to combine to form neutral atoms. The almost perfect uniformity of the CMBB across the entire sky with tiny temperature fluctuations apparently not only confirmed the big bang but also provided crucial information about the composition and the evolution of the universe. Everything looked coherent and the discovery of the CMBB was long regarded as the proof of the theory put forward by George Lamett. In 1927, the Belgian priest and astrophysicist observed that distant galaxies were moving away from us. He made this discovery by analyzing the red shift in the light of these galaxies. From these observations, Lamett concluded that the universe was expanding from a single extremely dense and hot point. He presented the idea of an expanding universe that originated from a primordial atom from which all matter in the universe was formed. In 1929, Edwin Hubble provided the first direct evidence for the expansion of the universe by observing that galaxies are moving away from us, their speed being proportional to their distance. This observation became known as Hubble's law and was taken as direct evidence of a dynamic expanding universe. The determination of the age of the universe was based on the measurement of the expansion rate or the Hubble constant and on the observation of the oldest known stars at the time. However, James Webb has now observed stars and galaxies that tell a completely different story.

[00:16:08]The standard model has reached its limits and it is now clear that something was wrong with the previous considerations. It was basically foreseeable. But for a long time, most scientists did not want to hear about the criticisms of the old ideas. There were persistent uncertainties and discrepancies in the precise measurements of the Hubble constant.

[00:16:28]Different methods such as the observation of sephiids and supernovi in nearby galaxies compared to the values derived from the CMBB led to slightly different results. These discrepancies were actually an indication of an incomplete understanding of cosmic dynamics.

[00:16:45]measurement error. They didn't want to believe it.

[00:16:49]It sounds crazy, but the indications that the previous theories could not be correct were always there. In addition to the discrepancy between the various measurements of the expansion rate of the universe already mentioned, precise measurements of the CMB itself always raised questions that were difficult to reconcile with the standard model. The subtle fluctuations in the CMBB which were mapped with unprecedented accuracy by satellite missions such as plank clearly indicated an early complexity of the universe. In particular, the scale dependence of these fluctuations provided evidence for phenomena that could not be explained by classical cosmology. If we look at quantum physics, the discrepancies become even greater. Phenomena such as the quantum fluctuations in the early universe and the indications of the existence of several realities side by side show that the determinism of the old theories is possibly a dead end. It is precisely this dead end that scientists whom Neil deGrasse Tyson calls old-timers are now stuck in. A hard time has dawned for the old-timers of science said the astrophysicist in an interview meaning that the old ways of thinking will no longer hold. James Webb shows us that something very different in the early universe than previously assumed and the discussion about the correctness of the old standard model of astrophysics is now over. The old theories are no longer tenable, but hardly anyone wants to say it so clearly.

[00:18:16]Are we approaching infinity?

[00:18:20]Could the biggest flaw in the standard model of cosmology lie in the assumption of a universe that must have a beginning and an end? Could the inconsistencies and the search for new physics actually open the long overdue door to a truly infinite universe or even a multiverse?

[00:18:37]There is growing evidence that we do not live in a temporarily or spatially closed universe but in a multiverse. The inflationary theories and string theory show that we may have overlooked much more. Although direct evidence for the infinity of the universe or the existence of a multiverse remains elusive, these concepts score points in other respects, string theory is currently the only coherent explanation that can reconcile the world of the smallest particles with the laws of the universe of large scale phenomena.

[00:19:08]However, this only works if we allow for further dimensions that we do not yet know. The old-timers among scientists have always rejected such ideas.

[00:19:18]Supposedly, the evidence is lacking. But as James Webb has now impressively shown us, the evidence for the theories that have been accepted as truths for almost a century was also lacking.

[00:19:30]Will we see the Big Bang after all?

[00:19:33]Something that most people overlook is the fact that now our chances of looking back to 13.8 billion years ago are increasing. James Webb looks back 13.5 billion years and shows us that there must have been large galaxies back then.

[00:19:47]These galaxies were at least several million years old at that time. So there was already light in the universe at apoch very close to the magical 13.8 threshold. Realize for a moment that scientists used to think that the universe was only dark for a long time.

[00:20:03]An assumption that made it completely impossible to ever look back to the big bang. We can only collect and interpret traces of light or rely on radiation sources such as the CMBB. But if these very old galaxies now show us that there were already many stars when the universe was supposedly still young, then we must still be able to find older galaxies. We are slowly approaching the exact point in time that is supposed to have been the beginning. If 13.8 8 billion years ago, ready-made galaxies were already shining brightly. We know for sure that the Big Bang could not have happened. It is only a matter of time before we can do this. It's possible that James Webb will present more and more images of even older galaxies and science will gain even more clues as to what really happened in the past of the universe. The shocking findings to date were drawn by researchers from a single image that James Webb took at the very beginning of his mission. The deep image was just the start, so to speak, and we can look forward to seeing what new fascinating facts we get about the universe. A celestial body on the run. NASA has recently tracked down a mysterious entity that is hurtling through space at a breakneck speed of 1.6 million kmh.

[00:21:17]As a result, the object is moving so fast that it could escape the gravity of the Milky Way and shoot into intergalactic space. But what kind of galactic speedy Gonzalez is this in detail? How is it possible for a celestial body to reach such an insane speed? And how was it discovered in the first place? Have you ever heard of NASA's Backyard Worlds project? On the one hand, this research project is searching for unknown brown dwarfs and stars close to the sun in the backyard of the solar system. And on the other, it's on the lookout for the hypothetical planet 9, which is said to be hidden deep in the Kyper belt. But what kind of academic career do you actually need to have in order to take part in this exciting galactic hunt? Well, none at all. Backyard Worlds is a citizen science project funded by NASA, but mainly run by volunteers. However, they don't have to have any prior knowledge of astronomy, but only have to prove that they have taken part in a tutorial.

[00:22:17]And a look at the exciting objects that have already been added to the star charts, thanks to Backyard Worlds, shows that the discoveries made by amateurs in no way have to hide behind those of professionals. Made available to the public in February 2017, it took just 4 months for the community search to land its first direct hit in the form of a brown dwarf 111 light-years away. A brief introduction. Brown dwarfs are celestial bodies that occupy a special position between stars and planets. As the objects have less than 75 Jupiter masses, they are not able to stimulate hydrogen fusion in their interior. But because they are also more massive than gas giants, they are still heavy enough for duterium fusion to begin. And we now know that brown dwarfs are anything but rare in space. Backyard Worlds participants have now been able to track down over 4,000 of these celestial bodies. But what's more, a resourceful amateur astronomer also discovered the oldest and coldest known white dwarf with a dust disc. But now, the members of Backyard Worlds have made a much more rapid discovery in the truest sense of the word. As NASA announced in August this year, we now know of the existence of an object in the Milky Way that is traveling at an incredible speed of 1.6 million km hour. But what leads to this insane speed? And how do you even track down such a fast celestial body?

[00:23:49]A breathtaking find.

[00:23:51]The foundation stone of the cosmic blitzer photo was laid with the NASA mission wide field infrared survey explorer or wise for short. As part of this mission, the aonomous space telescope examined the sky in the mid infrared range from 2010. The mission was reactivated in 2013 under the name Neoise and discontinued on August 8th, 2024.

[00:24:15]Some time ago, the wise images finally came to the attention of longtime backyard worlds participants Martin Kabatnik, Thomas P. Bickl, and Dan Casteldon. The amateur astronomers had become aware of a faint fast-moving object with the scientific designation Sea Wise J1249.

[00:24:34]Kabatnik, who incidentally lives in Nuremberg, could hardly believe what was moving across his screen on the wise images, and NASA quotes him as follows.

[00:24:43]I can't describe the excitement. When I first saw how fast it was moving, I was convinced that it must have already been reported. But as we now know, this was not the case. And after the clues from the Backyard World's community were received by NASA, follow-up observations with several groundbased telescopes were to confirm the exciting discovery. And so it was that the citizen scientists ultimately became co-authors of an official research study published in the astrophysical journal Letters. As already mentioned, the cosmic rabbit's foot with its astonishing speed is currently also taking flight from our local Milky Way. But the bottom line is that it is by no means just the high speed that makes CY's J1249 so extraordinary. There is also its mass which is so small that classifying it as a celestial body is complicated to say the least. And in the absence of reliable facts, researchers must therefore delve into the world of theories. It is therefore conceivable that we are dealing with a low mass star here. Provided it is not constantly fusing hydrogen in its core, it could also be classified as a brown dwarf.

[00:25:54]However, if this is indeed the case, the celestial body would become an astronomical exception. This is because we know of no other brown dwarf that is about to turn its back on its home galaxy. And while the object is certainly not getting into the iron on its journey through space, data collected with the KEK Observatory has revealed that it actually contains much less iron and other metals than would normally be expected for stars and brown dwarfs. According to NASA, this unique composition suggests that the celestial body is exceptionally old and could even belong to one of the first generations of stars in the Milky Way.

[00:26:33]Why is the object so fast?

[00:26:37]Well, unsurprisingly, the experts can only speculate. One hypothesis is based on the assumption that Sewise J1249 once formed a binary star system together with a white dwarf. At some point, however, the white dwarf could have extracted so much material from its companion that it exploded as a supernova, literally hurling its stellar companion away from it. An alternative theory suggests that the later Speedy Gonzalez was originally at home in a closely connected star cluster, a so-called globular cluster. Ultimately, the chance encounter with several black holes could have caused the object to make an unexpectedly rapid descent into the depths of space. In this scenario, it's indeed possible that the complex dynamics of this threebody interaction could catapult a star out of the globular cluster. The bottom line is that it is now up to the experts to find out which of the two possibilities is the more likely. In order to decipher this, the scientists will soon take a closer look at the nature of Sewise J1249 and will hopefully soon be able to say with absolute certainty what turned the mysterious object into a cosmic lead foot, the fastest star in the Milky Way. In view of the speed just presented, the question arises as to whether it can go any faster. And the answer is yes, and significantly so. Because although CY's J1249 travels a good 444 km/s, it is no more than a lame snail compared to the star S4711.

[00:28:15]Unbelievable, but true. The speeding star in the center of the Milky Way moves at a monkey speed of 24,000 km/s or 86.4 million km hour. This corresponds to up to 8% of the speed of light. And the fact that the celestial body can reach this speed is again due to its special position. As the fastest known star in the Milky Way, S4711 orbits our central black hole, Sagittarius A star, and the stellar speed miracle takes just 7.6 years to completely orbit the mass monster. In detail, the discovery of S4711 can be traced back to the research team led by Florian Pisker from the University of Cologne. They had combed through the observation data of two spectrographs at the very large telescope of the European Southern Observatory, ESO, and traced the orbit and speed of several faint stars. The experts had previously identified S2, an unusually bright star in the vicinity of our central black hole. And while S2 was subsequently used to put Einstein's predictions on the gravitational red shift and the so-called Schwarzild procession to the test, it also became the fastest known star in our home galaxy. But while S2 still takes 15.6 years to complete an orbit, S4711 accomplishes this feat more than twice as fast. However, the new record holder does not maintain a consistently high speed. Its average orbital speed is around 0.5% of the speed of light, but it only reaches its maximum speed of almost 8% in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. And experts actually assume that we could be dealing with a so-called squeezar here. In other words, a class of star that so far only exists in theory. On paper, squeezars orbit their super massive black holes in extremely eccentric orbits so that they are strongly heated by the tidal forces of the black holes as they approach before they cool down again in the distance. And indeed, spectral investigations have shown that the thermometer on S4711 climbs to a good 10,000 Kelvin or 9700° C. For comparison, the surface temperature of the sun is around 5,772 Kelvin or 5,500° C. However, the researchers also assume that the strong tidal forces also cause extreme bursts of radiation in such stars. And if S4711 is confirmed as a squeezar in the course of further observations, it would be the first known object to bring this hypothetical class of stars from theory to reality. At the same time, the discovery of S4711 and four other faint stars in the center of the Milky Way also indicates that a whole population of previously undiscovered stars could still be dormant in the extreme zone around the black hole. And together with the stars already detected in the so-called S-cluster, the orbits of the new discoveries form two discs that are almost edgetoedge at a 45° angle to the main plane of the Milky Way. How long do you want to be around? Voyager 1? Yes.

[00:31:33]In fact, the ancient probe has done it again and once more proven that despite all the complications, it is still a reliable outpost in the mysterious world of interstellar space. This was preceded by an event that has almost become part of NASA's daily routine. The experts had lost contact with Voyager 1 due to technical problems. And this was not the first time they had been forced to find creative solutions to restore contact with the aging spacecraft. Ultimately, the path to success led through a component that had actually been obsolete for decades. And yet, the backup transmitter, which had not been used since 1981, worked as desired and allowed the space veteran to phone home again. When it's cold outside, it's a good idea to turn on the heating. So far so obvious, but it gets a little trickier when the temperatures in the depths of interstellar space need to be turned up and on a spacecraft that has been traveling through space for almost 50 years and has repeatedly attracted attention for its technical ailments.

[00:32:34]And so it happened that what should have been a routine task once again led to an unforeseen Voyager 1 problem. After NASA experts had given the spacecraft the command to activate one of its heaters on October 16th, they were perplexed to discover 2 days later that the deep space network could no longer detect Voyager 1's signal. The fact that the researchers had to wait 46 hours before this unwelcome realization reached them is again due to the immense distance that now exists between Voyager 1 and our Earthly home. Specifically, since 1977, the probe has been separated from Earth by about 24.7 billion km. And it takes almost 23 hours for a message to bridge that enormous distance. The same period of time is therefore also estimated for the response. But what actually happened? Well, Voyager 1 is basically equipped with an onboard error protection system that reacts independently to problems. This is the case, for example, when the spacecraft's power supply is overloaded and the error protection system switches off systems that are not absolutely necessary for the spacecraft to operate in order to save energy. But apparently, the aforementioned heating command also triggered the error protection system, even though Voyager 1 actually had enough energy to activate this component. For a better understanding, it should be briefly mentioned at this point that Voyager 1 normally communicates with Earth via a so-called Xband radio transmitter, named after its specific frequency. And following the loss of contact, the experts correctly assumed that the error protection system had reduced the rate at which the corresponding transmitter sent its data back. This is not surprising since this mode consumes less energy. But unfortunately, it also changes the Xband signal that the deep space network has to search for. Fortunately, NASA engineers were able to identify the signal of desire on October 18th. And although Voyager 1 appeared to be in a stable state, apart from that, the next problem was not long and coming.

[00:34:38]How a 40-year-old backup transmitter helped NASA out of a tight spot. The next day, communication with Voyager 1 actually broke down completely. The flight team suspected that the errorprone devil was lurking in the error protection system again. It's possible that the system was triggered again by mistake, switching off the Xband transmitter and instead switching to a second radio transmitter, the Sband. However, this had actually been in technical retirement for a long time.

[00:35:07]Although the Sband consumes less power than the Xband, Voyager 1 had not used it to exchange messages with Earth since 1981.

[00:35:16]A brief historical note. While Voyager 1 has now even passed the boundaries of the solar system, at the time it had only just explored Saturn and its moons.

[00:35:26]Incidentally, 1981 was also the year in which US President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II were seriously injured in assassinations and in which the current King Charles married a certain lady die. Back to the present, we can see why the S-band has been obsolete for 43 years. Despite all the energy saving advantages, it uses a different frequency from the Xband transmitter and therefore has a significantly weaker signal. Given the enormous distance, the NASA experts were initially unsure whether they would even be able to detect the Sband, but they found it and then had to decide what steps to take next. However, in view of the error protection history, simply switching the Xband back on seemed too risky to them.

[00:36:11]This should only be done once the cause of the system being triggered has been clearly identified. However, past experience has shown us that such an error analysis can take weeks or even months. But does this now mean that contact with Voyager 1 will also be lost during this time? Well, luckily not.

[00:36:30]After all, there is still the SBAN transmitter. On October 22nd, the experts sent a command to check whether it was still working properly. And lo and behold, on October 24th, the relieving answer came back that a stable connection had been reestablished. So, it turns out that NASA's backup transmitter, which has not been used in over 40 years, is now helping out of trouble, maintaining contact with humanity's most remote outpost. But despite all the reawakened S-band transmitters, it's also undeniable that the journey to the edge of the solar system has now noticeably taken its toll on the prob's instruments, and that we may slowly but surely have come to terms with the idea that even the longest lasting success story in space travel will eventually come to an end.

[00:37:17]How the life of the Voyager probes is being extended.

[00:37:21]But the time of farewell has not yet come and that is the good news. However, it's also true that the members of the Voyager mission sometimes have to find creative solutions to extend the deployment of their sister probes, which are identical in construction with regular certainty. But no one could have guessed in 1977 that it would ever come to this. When the Voyager probe set out into the vastness of space back then, the predicted mission duration was just 5 years. The fact that the spacecraft have now exceeded this prediction by almost 10 times is partly due to the fact that they have since been put on a strict power diet. In other words, in order to save energy from the aging radionucline batteries, NASA has systematically switched off more and more of its instruments. For example, the use of Voyager 2's plasma sensor has been a thing of the past for a few weeks now in order to be able to supply the remaining instruments with energy for a few years longer. However, this power saving plan always becomes somewhat tricky as soon as something unexpected happens. And if, for example, an essential nozzle fails to function, it may be that the terrestrial experts, well, the nozzle goes. But what had happened? Well, in order for the Voyager probes to point their antennas in the direction of Earth and phone home in the best ET manner, they have to position them using small positioning thrusters.

[00:38:45]These thrusters, fueled by liquid hydroine, adjust the alignment in several bursts that last only a few milliseconds, and Voyager 1 originally had three sets of these mini thrusters.

[00:38:56]But with decades in space, deposits also accumulated in the fuel lines, and NASA was forced to switch from the first to the second set of nozzles as early as 22 years ago. In 2018, it finally switched to the third set of nozzles, which was actually intended for coarse correction.

[00:39:14]But unfortunately, this set also recently attracted attention due to so-called clogging, or in other words, clogged lines. And in fact, the situation is even more serious in this case than in the previous ones. While the original diameter of the coarse correction nozzles was still 0.25 mm, today only 0.035 mm remain. For comparison, that's not even half the diameter of a human hair. Before the components finally give up the ghost, the experts decided to switch back to one of the two previous not so worn nozzle sets. But that's easier said than done. After all, Voyager 1 has hardly any energy left despite all the power saving measures. And any additional power consumption could in the worst case mean the failure of an indispensable system. And that is precisely the crux of the matter. In order for the alternative thruster set to be switched on again at all, it has to be preheated. Due to its depleted energy reserves, however, this is only possible if another system is deactivated for it. But which one? Well, that was precisely the question because in and of themselves, all the systems that are still running are actually indispensable. To make matters more complicated, the scientific instruments might not turn back on once they were powered down. And so, it was that NASA scientists first withdrew for weeks to pour over their calculations and tests.

[00:40:41]At the end of this consultation phase, it was again concluded that switching off one of Voyager 1's main heating units posed the least risk. On August 27th, the time had come. NASA carried out its risky jet change maneuver and was ultimately rewarded for its courage.

[00:40:58]Because while the main heating unit was shut down for an hour, the nozzles heated up during this time, enabling Voyager 1 to aim back at Earth from then on. Well, at least for now. As mentioned, this set is also anything but brand new, but rather already has a history of clogged pipes. And at some point, no matter how sophisticated the nozzle tweaks, they will no longer help.

[00:41:22]Because even if the Voyager 1 antenna is still pointing in the direction of Earth, experts assume that radio contact will be lost by 2036 at the latest due to the everinccreasing distance. China is a nation that until recently did not appear in the space race. This was a fatal mistake. And actually, it's also completely incomprehensible why NASA and SpaceX underestimated the power of Chinese space travelers. After all, China has equally powerful rockets and even its own space station. Next, the Middle Kingdom will conquer the moon, and Mioaku warns that the US must keep its eye on the ball if it wants to secure a piece of the moon. The popular US explorer and space maven has just revealed China's shocking discovery on the moon that will change everything.

[00:42:12]China's lunar base.

[00:42:15]Many wonder why the Chinese have suddenly emerged with such a presence in space. Hardly anyone in the west knew until now that China has built its own space station that can rival the ISS in size and sophistication any day. Nor were people aware that China builds better rockets than NASA and is technologically close to SpaceX rockets, which shine primarily for their reusability. It almost seems as if China has secretly and quietly molted to this place to now show all the world what the nation is made of and above all what it intends to do with space. The country's ambitions go far beyond national prestige. China's researchers know what treasures the moon holds, and it almost seems as if the country's scientists had the right intuition when they put their full faith in the moon instead of pouring billions into Mars exploration.

[00:43:08]China has made discoveries on the moon that will change your view of space forever. And Michioaku only recently leaked the full extent of these shocking discoveries. The latest discoveries are just the beginning. And as early as 2028, China plans to establish its first manned lunar base. This would put the country on the moon well ahead of NASA and SpaceX and could give it a decisive advantage. To fully develop the moon, Chinese engineers and scientists are building on optimizing nuclear energy for reliable propulsion and continuing to develop space capsules, vehicles, and robots. Landers, orbiters, and rovers, as well as the first 3D printer, are expected to land on the moon soon. As part of the Changi 6, 7, and 8 missions, which will be launched in the coming years, Chinese astronauts will most likely be the first humans ever to build infrastructure on the moon. Changi 6 is expected to return up to 2 kg of lunar material in 2026 and address the question of other available resources on the moon. At the same time, a new lunar relay satellite will launch to provide seamless communications with missions to the moon's south pole. Immediately following Changi 6 will be the Changi 7 mission, which will be present with an orbiter, a lander, a rover, and a mini flight detector. The goals are to explore the lunar topography, take more rock samples, and explore the lunar environment. In 2028, Changi 8 will bring resource utilization technology to the field and create the first 3D printed components for the future lunar base. Then everything will be ready for astronauts to permanently reside on the moon starting in 2030. China is allocating billions of dollars to space travel. And this mega investment could more than pay off in the future because things have been found on the moon that no one thought were possible.

[00:45:06]Water on the moon.

[00:45:09]You probably still have the idea in your head that the moon is a rather dry, gray, and boring place. But what if we told you that there are millions of tons of water on the moon? The moon's abundance of water was truly not apparent at first glance. It wasn't until the Changi 5 rover discovered how much water is really found on the Earth's satellite. Changi 5 took some samples in the lunar region called oceanist precellarum or ocean of storms and sent them back to earth. Once back in China, scientists from the Beijing astronomical faculty analyzed the samples and found something incredible.

[00:45:44]There were a great many tiny glass beads in about a handful of lunar dust. And each one of these beads had a tiny amount of water trapped in the glass.

[00:45:54]These beads were probably formed in the course of large impact events such as the impacts of meteorites and asteroids.

[00:46:01]The tremendous temperatures turned the lunar dust into glass, a phenomenon we also know from impact craters on Earth.

[00:46:08]Since the moon has been exposed to many impacts, scientists suspect that these glass beads are found everywhere on the moon from the equator to the poles. The water in the glass is probably a direct result of solar radiation. Scientists believe that positively charged hydrogen atoms from solar winds enter the glass beads and combine with oxygen. When the sun heats these beads, they give up some of their hydrogen. Strictly speaking, there could be about 2,000 kg of water in each ton of lunar dust. And even more amazing is that this water can be extracted from the beads simply by heating them. In total, the glass beads are said to hold a water reservoir totaling 270 billion tons. In 2010, NASA estimated that the craters at the moon's north pole contain about 600 million tons of ice. So, the water resources on the moon are vast, although they can never occur as free flowing water as they do here on Earth because of the temperatures and the lack of atmosphere.

[00:47:12]Artificial lunar lakes and rivers are unthinkable, but the vast reservoir of water could provide a source of life for astronauts and future lunar settlers.

[00:47:22]Water not only serves astronauts as drinking water or to irrigate lunar green houses, water can also be used to produce fuel. But that's not all. The lunar samples brought back from Changi 5 have revealed another secret.

[00:47:37]with helium 3 into the new energy age.

[00:47:41]In addition to water, Changi 5 also has a completely new mineral that so far has only been found on the moon. The crystal, which was formed about 1.2 billion years ago during a period of volcanic activity on the moon, contains an extraordinary ingredient, helium 3.

[00:48:00]Helium 3 is a substance that could solve our energy problem immediately and even stop climate catastrophe. The isotope is extremely fusion friendly and could finally bring mankind the possibility of generating energy from atomic fusion.

[00:48:15]Atomic fusion produces far more energy than splitting atoms and leaves no radiating waste. So fusion reactors would be far more effective and environmentally friendly at the same time. So far, however, we do not use this energy source because helium 3 is so rare on Earth that it would not be worthwhile to start up a fusion reactor just to consume this minimal deposit with the likely gigantic deposit of helium 3 on the moon. That could change in the near future.

[00:48:45]So far, there is still a major challenge in harnessing these resources.

[00:48:50]Transporting the rock from the moon to the Earth is an effort whose costs are difficult to calculate at the moment.

[00:48:55]However, it is already certain that the loading capacity of a space shuttle alone could supply the US with energy for a year. But no man has been on the moon for almost 50 years. And even the Apollo astronauts visited the moon for only a few hours. We need to develop the moon now if we don't want to take away this change to a clean energy age. The prospect of being able to mine helium 3 on the moon continues to drive NASA and Chinese space efforts in a positive sense. Major energy companies on Earth have already indicated interest and could provide financial support for future missions. As early as 2024, the Changi mission will collect samples from the dark side of the moon for the first time.

[00:49:40]Is there danger on the moon?

[00:49:42]Before humans can dream of developing the moon economically, we need to learn more about this celestial body. We do not yet know what we might trigger there with our activities or what hitherto underestimated dangers lurk on the moon.

[00:49:56]Changi4, China's first lunar rover, landed on the moon on January 3rd, 2019 and made another startling discovery at its landing site on the far side of the moon from Earth. An unusual gel-like substance. This discovery happened more by accident as the rover was preparing to take its daily rest break to avoid the heat of the midday sun. As the camera is lowered, a scientist noticed something odd in one of the images. A gel-like substance with a strange color.

[00:50:27]Closer examination with the rover's infrared spectrometers failed to yield any known data about the substance's composition, which in plain English means it is completely unknown. Experts have since puzzled over whether it is a remnant of a violent collision with a meteorite or a previously unknown form of matter. Unfortunately, China has not yet released any images of this substance. With the rest of the scientific world, the Chinese space travelers shared only the basic information about the unusual find.

[00:50:57]This, of course, has also fueled rumors surrounding a possible hint of extraterrestrial life on the far side of the moon. For a long time, there have been suspicions that there are aliens on the side of the moon that we can never see from Earth. Mahasha Nand, a planetary scientist at the Open University in the United Kingdom, on the other hand, believes that the mysterious find is some kind of liquid glass. An atomic bomb test in New Mexico produced a glassy mineral called trinitite, which resembles the descriptions given by Chinese scientists. Anand added to his report, however, that given the sparse information about the substance, it's difficult to definitively confirm what it is made of. Still, we don't know for sure what it is, and we know very little overall about what else is hiding on the moon. Changi4's find is not the first discovery of a strangely colored substance on the moon. The majority of the lunar surface is covered with fine gray dust known as lunar regalith. But back in 1972, astronauts Harrison Schmidt and Jean Cernin stumbled upon strange orange dust right next to their landing site during the Apollo 17 mission. At the time, scientists concluded that the colorful dust was most likely created in the wake of a volcanic explosion about 3.64 billion years ago. Probes have now scanned and repeatedly measured the entire moon. And thanks to the latest technologies, even we can zoom in on almost every corner of the moon. But the surface may still hold surprises that no one expects now. It was a secret. Miokaku as whistleblower.

[00:52:36]Actually, no one was supposed to know about it yet. But then top secret information leaked out. The renowned US physicist Miokaku of all people had blabbed in an interview and talked about a new promising raw material on the moon. This raw material was found by a Chinese space probe that is currently exploring the moon. The find was still top secret. Only a few and very respected scientists knew about it.

[00:53:00]After the news became public, the China National Space Administration took a stand and announced, "Yes, we have discovered a raw material on the moon that will change the whole world." It was back in 2020 when a rover discovered a rare crystal deep in the bassalt particles of the moon. This type of crystal was completely unknown before.

[00:53:20]The mysterious crystal formed during a period of intense volcanic activity about 1.2 billion years ago, appeared to have the potential to change Earth's energy future. The Changi 5 robotic mission was the first Chinese spaceflight mission to return lunar rocks to Earth. In the process, it noticed a mineral that no one had ever seen before. Nothing even remotely comparable appears to exist on Earth.

[00:53:46]The new mineral was named Changi 5. It was named after the rover who found it and Changi, the moon goddess of Chinese mythology. But what made this crystal so special? That's actually quite simple.

[00:54:00]Hidden inside the crystal was an extraordinary element, helium 3. This rare element, rarely found on Earth, could have the potential to fundamentally change the way we generate energy. While the world was still marveling at the significance of this discovery, it became clear that the moon would soon likely no longer be a silent satellite in the night sky. This celestial body has what it takes to show Earth the way to a bright future.

[00:54:27]Chinese space flight conquers the moon.

[00:54:30]In Space Matters, somehow no one had the Chinese really on the screen. Yet space travel in this country has even deeper historical roots than anywhere else on Earth. As early as the 9th century, innovators in the country developed the first rudimentary rockets. Everything we know about fireworks today and even the idea of rocket engines originated in China. Although China did not participate in the space race of the midentth century, the country began exploring space as early as the late 1950s.

[00:55:02]The beginnings of China's space program were still closely tied to the programs of the Allied Soviet Union. After the nation's demise, China went into space technology on its own and developed its own rocket program. On April 24th, 1970, China launched its first satellite. Over time, the Chinese space program experienced a gradual buildup in technology, infrastructure, and capabilities. Another notable advance was the launch of China's first lunar orbiter, Changi Wan, in 2007, which reached lunar orbit 12 days after launch. In 2008, China's third man space flight, Shenzhu 7, was launched into space. At first, no one really noticed the Chinese lunar missions. It was only after the Changi missions, shown with brand new discoveries, that international scientists as well as ordinary people became aware of the nation in space. The Chinese also maintain their own space station similar to the ISS.

[00:56:00]It's planned to expand the station in the coming years. For this purpose, the station can be expanded with modules as desired. China had no lesser desire than to be at the forefront of space exploration.

[00:56:15]The gel-like substance shocks the world.

[00:56:19]The Chinese lunar program first really made news when Changi 2 found a strange substance on the dark side of the moon.

[00:56:26]Images shared by the Chinese space agency showed an orange yellowish gel-like substance. The shock was great because the appearance of the gel suggested an organic substance. But how could that be on the moon where there is supposedly no life? For a long time, Western scientists puzzled over the matter, finally concluding that it could be some kind of glass or rock formed by the impact of meteorites or asteroids.

[00:56:51]Unfortunately, Chinese science never shared all the information about this find. So, many questions about this substance remain unanswered to this day.

[00:57:00]Changi 2 suddenly received a lot of attention, especially after it became known how difficult it is to place a rover on the dark side of the moon. The side we can never see directly from Earth is considered mysterious. One very practical problem that NASA and other space agencies have had with exploring the dark side of the moon has been communication with the rovers. On the far side of the moon, an entire celestial body stands between ground control and the vehicle. The Chinese National Space Administration apparently solved this problem brilliantly. Changi 2 was a resounding success, as were all subsequent missions.

[00:57:40]The future of power generation.

[00:57:43]Looking at the moon's new potential, one might almost think the Chinese had a sense of the moon's riches. For a long time, no one at NASA and ESA was interested in the moon. Only when SpaceX boss Elon Musk announced that he wanted to develop the moon economically did NASA dig up old lunar projects. At that time, no one had any idea that the moon would be used for economic and industrial purposes. Musk mainly wanted to fly space tourists to the moon, and NASA was thinking about a manned lunar base. Now, everything could change, and the new mineral could soon be mined on the moon. The discovery of the rare lunar crystal containing helium 3 could revolutionize the landscape of global energy production. Helium 3 is a light non-raactive isotope that is suitable as a fuel source for nuclear fusion reactors. Nuclear fusion is the same process that powers the sun and stars.

[00:58:38]Unlike conventional nuclear fishision, which splits heavy atomic nuclei and produces radioactive waste, fusion of helium 3 could produce clean and efficient energy, and we would have minimal radioactive byproducts. Imagine a world where energy is not only abundant and cheap, but also clean and sustainable. Using helium 3 for nuclear fusion could meet global energy needs for thousands of years without producing the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that have been associated with fossil fuels. In a time when climate change is becoming an urgent global crisis, this discovery could provide a muchneeded turning point and save our homeland.

[00:59:19]China, which has already established itself as a global superpower, was the first to recognize the immense potential of helium 3 and the strategic importance of the moon as a new resource source. By securing a lead in the exploration and extraction of helium 3 from the moon, China could not only ensure its own energy independence, but also take a dominant position in the global energy market. It is entirely possible that countries that control access to this valuable resource will have significant influence in the future geopolitical landscape. However, it's important to emphasize that the technological challenges of using helium 3 for nuclear fusion have not yet been fully overcome.

[01:00:00]One question is how cost effective it would be to transport helium 3 to Earth.

[01:00:05]What is clear at present is that a cargo hold full of helium 3 can power the entire United States for a year. To use the new raw material would require supply chains as well as mining operations on the moon. In addition, space shuttles would have to be operated at low cost and the cost benefit calculations of rocket launches would have to remain economical.

[01:00:29]Quantum leap in space travel thanks to helium 3.

[01:00:34]The problem surrounding the mining of the new raw material could at the same time be the solution because helium 3 as a fuel would also open the door to a new era of space travel. Nuclear fusion offers the potential for an almost limitless source of energy that is far more efficient and sustainable than current spacecraft propulsion systems.

[01:00:54]With the ability to generate enormous amounts of power from a relatively small amount of fuel, spacecraft with fusion propulsion could carry out much longer missions at low cost and carry larger payloads. The new propulsion systems would not only allow us to access the moon, but would probably make it faster and easier to travel to more distant planets or even to other star systems.

[01:01:19]lunar houses and oxygen from Regalith.

[01:01:23]The rock and dust we see when we look at the gray moon is Regalith. This rock, long thought to be unremarkable and boring, also suddenly turns out to be a valuable resource. Thus, lunar dust has the potential to lay the foundation for a permanent human presence on the moon.

[01:01:40]Regalith is considered a crucial resource for future lunar settlements.

[01:01:44]Through chemical processes and transformations, water and even oxygen can be extracted from regalith. The European Space Agency or ESA has already developed techniques to extract oxygen and metals from regalith. This extracted oxygen could not only serve as a life sustaining element, but also as a component for rocket propellants. The ability to produce oxygen directly on the moon would greatly reduce dependence on supplies from Earth and increase the sustainability of lunar bases. Plans are already underway for a long oxygen pipeline to supply oxygen to future lunar settlers. Produced near the North Pole, the oxygen will be brought to NASA's Aremis lunar settlement via kilometer long pipelines. We can be sure that the Chinese also already have plans for their own lunar station, even if these are not yet public. Aside from these vital resources, Regalith also has practical applications as a building material. It can be used to build protective walls and habitats.

[01:02:46]Some companies have developed 3D printers that can turn lunar dust into components for lunar habitats and scientific facilities in an instant.

[01:02:57]Changi 5 water in glass.

[01:03:00]The achievements of the Changi 5 mission and news about the moon are far from over. Chinese scientists have discovered something else in the lunar rock samples that no one expected. Water enclosed in tiny glass beads. The tiny glass beads are present in almost inexhaustible quantities in the moon rock and moon dust. Each of these glass beads contains a tiny amount of water. But taken together, this water could fill an ocean. The water in the glass was probably formed during volcanic activity on the moon billions of years ago. This discovery not only gives us a better understanding of the geological history of the moon, it also provides humans with a reliable source of water on the moon. For future settlements and industrial facilities, this water could be crucial. While there is also evidence of water ice and permanently shadowed craters at the moon's poles, the water in the globules is probably much easier to obtain by simply heating them. In addition to the millions of L of water simply bound up in dust and glass, the icy craters probably offer up to 600 billion km of water. By comparison, that's more than 10 times the amount of water in Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes in North America. Gone are the days when the moon was considered an arid and hostile place.

[01:04:20]And this seemingly inanimate world could be the salvation for our home planet.

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