VAST 3DA cosmic journey through time and space - Journey Script and Version Notes

Aug 28, 2026

VAST 3DA cosmic journey through time and space presents a data-driven visualization of humanity’s exploration of outer space. It explains the International Space Station’s orbit, duration, and permanent crew presence, then expands to satellite networks visible in measured real orbits. The narration connects GPS atomic-clock timing to precise Earth positioning, describes geostationary satellites for communication and TV, and follows missions toward the Moon and Mars. It highlights Mars’ environment, ice evidence, and landmark formations, before introducing the scale of Valles Marineris and the asteroid belt risk context.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

VAST 3DA cosmic journey through time and space

Space is vast: data-based exploration

International Space Station (ISS) and human research

Earth-orbiting satellites and GPS navigation

Geostationary orbit: communication and TV

Lunar landing history and next destinations

Mars: environment, probes, and key landscapes

Valles Marineris and human-scale detail

Asteroid belt: objects and collision risk

1 19-11-2021 (edited for eng VO) Version 5.1 (17-03-2021 narrated by Eva Röse, edited and translated 15-10-2021) VAST 3DA cosmic journey through time and space Script: Anders Ynnerman Additional material: Christian Södergren, Kim Brax, Matilda Stafstedt, Niklas Rönnberg, Alexander Bock [An image of Earth in slow rotation] Space is unimaginably vast. Thanks to our curiosity and desire for knowledge, humans are driven to explore space and learn more about the universe. Yet there is still so much more to discover. We are going on a journey further out into space than any other human being has ever been before. Everything we are going to see on our journey is based on real data collected thanks to mankind’s technological progress and many years of research. [Zooms in towards the ISS] Many satellites and spacecraft orbit our planet Earth. The International Space Station, or ISS, is one of them. It orbits approximately 400 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, at a tremendous speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour. It takes 90 minutes for the ISS to travel one lap around our planet. The space station is a fantastic project of international collaboration. It has been permanently inhabited for more than 20 years, and this is the only place outside Earth’s atmosphere with a permanent human presence. Two of the astronauts who have been here are the Swedes Christer Fuglesang and Jessica Meir. They and the other astronauts on the ISS conduct research that, among other things, helps us to understand how people are affected by living in space. [Zooms out from Earth and satellites become visible] We have sent up thousands of satellites that travel around the Earth. Here we can see satellites in their actual orbits as everything we see is based on real measured data. Some of these satellites can be seen with the naked eye, as they travel across the sky before sunrise or after sunset. 2 [Turns on another layer of satellites (GPS) and zooms further out] A little further out are the GPS navigation satellites. They send out synchronized time signals using atomic clocks on board. When we receive these signals on the ground, we can, by measuring the time differences between them, instantly calculate where on Earth’s surface we are with just a few metres accuracy. [Turns on the geostationary orbit] The geostationary orbit is almost 36,000 kilometres from Earth. These satellites travel around our planet in 24 hours, which means that they are stationary in the sky above us. We use them for satellite communication and television because we can point a fixed antenna towards one specific satellite. [We leave Earth behind us and see our moon] In 1969, after many years of research and technological development, the first humans landed on the moon. This is one of humanity's greatest achievements. Between 1969 and 1972 a total of 12 astronauts landed on the lunar surface, but since then no one has been here. [The journey continues towards Mars and focuses for a while on its two moons] However, humans will visit other places in the universe. It is just a matter of time. Here we have our neighbor Mars and its two moons-Phobos and Deimos. Mars is mankind’s next destination. Travelling there will take at least six months, depending on how Earth and Mars line up with each other. We already know a lot about Mars thanks to the rovers that have landed on its surface and space probes that are in orbit around the planet. One of the space probes that has given us access to high resolution images of the surface of Mars is called MRO, which stands for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It allows us to experience Mars in this unique way. [We approach the surface of Mars and one ofits poles] Mars is a very inhospitable planet. The atmosphere is very thin and consists of 96 percent carbon dioxide. The average temperature on the surface is about minus 60 degrees Celsius, but can vary between minus 100 and plus 30 degrees. There is frozen

FAQs

What makes the journey in VAST 3DA different from a fictional space documentary?

The narration states that what is shown is based on real data collected through technological progress and years of research, including measured satellite data and high-resolution planetary imagery.

How do GPS satellites help determine location on Earth?

GPS satellites broadcast synchronized time signals using atomic clocks; by measuring time differences on the ground, location can be calculated with meter-level accuracy.

Why is the geostationary orbit useful for communication and television?

Satellites in geostationary orbit travel around Earth in 24 hours, appearing stationary in the sky, so a fixed antenna can point to a specific satellite.

Aug 28, 2026

Upload by Sophia Brooks