The Way into Space: Rockets, Orbits & Next-Gen Propulsion | SPACETIME Full Documentary

Rockets are still our only doorway to space—so how do they work, and what will replace them?
In this SPACETIME special, astronaut Prof. Ulrich Walter explains the physics of launch vehicles, how we reach orbit and beyond, and the future of propulsion—from high-thrust chemical engines to electric (ion/Hall), nuclear thermal/electric, solar sails, and more.

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What You’ll See

Rocket basics: thrust, staging, the Tsiolkovsky (rocket) equation, and delta-v

Orbital mechanics 101: LEO, GTO, escape velocity & transfer burns

Launch profiles, guidance, re-entry and why mass to orbit is so hard

How rockets power everyday life: satellites, ISS supply, and deep-space probes

Reusability concepts and why lowering cost matters for exploration

In-space propulsion: bipropellant vs cryogenic stages, ion/Hall thrusters

What’s next: nuclear thermal/electric, solar sails, beamed propulsion & far-future ideas

Chapters
0:00 Rockets: Our Only Way Up
3:00 Orbits & Delta-v Explained
7:30 From Launchpad to Low Earth Orbit
12:00 Beyond Earth: Transfers to Moon & Planets
16:20 Satellites & Services that Run Our World
21:00 Reusability & Cost: Why It Changes Everything
25:00 Electric Propulsion in Deep Space
29:10 Nuclear & Advanced Concepts
33:00 The Long Road to the Stars

Details & Keywords
SPACETIME Science Show, Ulrich Walter, rockets, launch vehicles, orbital mechanics, delta-v, staging, reusability, satellites, ISS, upper stages, ion thruster, Hall-effect thruster, nuclear thermal propulsion, nuclear electric propulsion, solar sail, interplanetary transfer, space exploration documentary, how rockets work, chemical propulsion, escape velocity, space technology

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