Suicide Space Robots

Tweet at us! @pbsspacetime
Email us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] com

Help translate our videos!

Previous Episode:
Zero-Point Energy Demystified | Space Time

It takes a lot of tech to send humans into space and to keep people alive up there, and get them safely home. But we have few qualms about sending robots on one-way suicide missions to the stars. And in some cases, the very destruction of these probes is part of the scientific experiment. Or in the case of the recent destruction of Cassini, to protect the solar system for future experiments. Today we’re going to memorialize the robots that have given their lives for in the name of space exploration.

Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Drew Rosen and Matt O'Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Graphics by Kurt Ross
Assistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike Petrow

Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters:

Big Bang
BITISM
CoolAsCats
David Nicklas

Quasar
Tambe Barsbay
Mayank M. Mehrota
Mars Yentur
Mark Rosenthal
Dean Fuqua
Y2
Justin Lloyd

Hypernova
Edmund Fokschaner
Max Levine
Matthew O’Connor
Eugene Lawson
Barry Hatfield
Martha Hunt
Joseph Salomone
Chuck Zegar
Craig Peterson
Jordan Young
Ratfeast
John Hofmann

Thanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters:
Mechanically Cryptic
Denys Ivanov
Nick Virtue
Alexey Eromenko
Nicholas Rose
Scott Gossett
Mark Dykstra
Chris Hicks
Mark Vasile
Patrick Murray
Sultan Alkhulaifi
Alex Seto
Michal-Peanut Karmi
Erik Stein
Daniel Lyons
Kevin Warne
JJ Bagnell
J Rejc
Amy Jie
Avi Goldfinger
John Pettit
Shannan Catalano
Florian Stiglmayr
Yubo Du
Benoit Pagé-Guitard
Nathan Leniz
Jessica Fraley
Loro Lukic
Brandon Labonte
David Crane
Greg Weiss

[BuyBBStonk]

we're pretty fortunate we can watch a video like this to learn way more knowledge than anyone 15 years ago ever could

[FectacularSpail]

Don't anthropomorphize the robots. Robots hate being anthropomorphized!

[HurricaneSA]

I miss Opportunity. "It's dark outside and my battery is low". RIP.

[connor]

Serious comment though: pretty sure the end of the video got messed up in editing because Matt repeats himself verbatim in the last 47 seconds of the video.

[vacuumdiagrams]

Hi Matt. Thank you for your kind words to me, and if I may, I will try to return the kindness. I really love this series, and your work here is fantastic. It's certainly the best science popularization work on youtube, and even in general at this level. Very few dare do what you do, to lead people to the nitty gritty and get them to learn some of the "real stuff" rather than teach everything by way of analogy. It takes both talent, knowledge, and hard work, and you show all three in spades.

It's very easy to fall in the trap of only commenting when you have some complaint, so I wanted to make sure to say this. I only have one correction this time: it's not Dr. Diagrams quite yet, but check back in May :)

[edsmith]

I would have re-repeated that last bit as well. as well. Nice Point Matt.

[Kridyedu]

About fringe ideas and Scientific process: we (scientists) fail in explaining the very base of science, based by Galileo and always used in all Sciences: 1- we have a model that 2- makes predictions. If 3- a new model has better general predictions, then 4- it is considered better. This deserve a video since this is used in physics, medicine, … from Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Hawking, … This must be taught to avoid misconception and counter people who tell the earth is flat and other conspiracy-friendly theories!

[goodkisser]

“Most noble deaths in science have been robots”

Laika, dog: am I a joke to you?

[gizatsby]

thanks for that last bit. proper skepticism is the core of science, and it must be exercised on all sides to work properly, whether it's challenging old ideas or carefully approaching new ones.

[Sylvianisme]

These replies some to viewers' comments are a great illustration of the scientific method, including when you admit your shortcomings. Great job displaying that to others.

[sharicamonet]

I’d give a toe to have watched clear footage of the Venusian atmosphere crushing and or burning the probes.

[TheK.E.]

"one way suicidal mission to the stars" is my new band name

[MadScienceWorkshoppe]

One thing that always bugged me, and I say this as an American, is who the hell does science in anything but metric? There should never have been a unit conversion error becuase nobody should have been designing anything that required it.

[Jinopls]

This video felt very humble and warm. Thx robots and their numerous creators.

[satanic_rosa]

To unlock the mysteries of the universe, you have to pay $5, 99 for the lootbox.

[mad_fresc]

Opportunity and Spirit, when the time is right we will come and get you back. You deserve a nice place in a museum. These little guys have archieved so much more then they were designed for.

[donaldmoe]

In mentioning Spirit and Opportunity, you neglected to also mention Pathfinder, which was the predecessor to those other two rovers and was successful in its own limited way. Too often Pathfinder seems to be the forgotten Mars rover.

[sergeigmyria]

Matt, thank you so much for taking the time to reply to comments here. As a curious layman, I appreciate the answers you give to people's questions here very much. Keep up the amazing job!

[richarddeese]

Thanks! I believe that we *_should_* honor these interplanetary mechanical troopers, both because of the hard work & scientific curiosity of their creators, *_and_* because we realize that they are extensions of ourselves, going where we cannot yet go, and telling us more about what's out there. They prepare the way for us, and in turn, we root for them. Thanks again. tavi.

[michaeldaugustine]

I think it's amazing that Voyager will drift forever in interstellar space. Maybe one day in the future it will be found by future human explorers and give an insight into early space exploration.