The First 10,000 Days on Proxima Centauri B (Sci-Fi Documentary)

[Music] this is Proxima centu B after a 100-year journey across 4.24 light years of space the helan the spacecraft has finally arrived Seven Generations have lived and died on board the ship now the passengers prepare for their first glimpse of their new world where will the passengers set up their New Colony will it be on the side of Proxima centory B that is always in darkness or the side that is always in daylight with high radiation how will the colony de velop new technology and did Earth send a faster than light ship that reached Proxima

centory B before the helianthus 4,752 colonists have arrived and the settlement begins [Music] now the helianthus has settled into a stable orbit around the planet Proxima centu B looks smaller than Earth and the new Sun a red dwarf star much cooler and smaller than Earth's sun casts a reddish glow across the planet The Colony will be living under a sun that never shines quite like the one on earth 45 days have passed and the first shuttle prepares for descent shuttle crafts have been stored away in the zg central inner core of the helianthus ship the

outer core continues to rotate to generate gravity for the passengers on board the shuttlecraft is a team of scientists engineers geologists and life support Specialists the shuttle detaches from the helianthus [Music] The Landing is rough gravity pulls a little harder here the shuttle lands on a flat Rocky plane near the planet's equator chosen for its temperature stability and access to water ice just below the surface the air is thin the atmosphere on Proxima centor B is toxic containing Gases such as carbon dioxide methane and sulfur and lacks sufficient pressure for human survival the space suits

designed to filter the alien atmosphere allow the crew to breathe safely and protects them from solar flare radiation as they begin their work the landing crew deploy pre-fabricated habitats from the shuttle two Engineers oversee the deployment of the Camp's compact nuclear fusion reactor secondhand life support machines brought down from the helianthus spaceship power up the settlers set up electrolysis units which split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen the water has been brought down from the helianthus it is the same water that has been recycled for the last 100 Years Day 50 the colonists have quickly

discovered that life on Proxima centu B follows a different Rhythm than on board the helianthus where day and night followed Earth Cycles life on the new planet is governed by an unchanging cycle with no true day or night Proxima centu B is tidally locked to its star meaning one side experiences constant daylight high temperatures and heavy radiation while the other side remains in constant Darkness with low temperatures the new colony is located in the Twilight Zone A Thin band between the two extrems it is the most habitable region a Zone with moderate temperatures and the

sun hovers low on the horizon casting a dim glow over the settlers that never fully sets the colonists have set up an artificial cycle of work and rest mimicking a 24-hour day through controlled lighting and schedules inside their habitats while outside the environment remains changing the medical team develop a regimen of light therapy and melatonin supplements to help colonists adjust and the stronger gravity continues to be a challenge colonists Tire more quickly and injuries are common day 60 the great descent outside colonists explore the area around the base they scan for resources metallic deposits geothermal

energy around volcanic regions and valleys where water might flow during brief thaws early data suggests the planet has a complex climate system driven more by geological activity than by its faint Sun soil samples reveal a complex ecosystem of unseen microbial life these alien microorganisms could be a key to one day terraforming the planet or a Potential Threat to human survival shuttles FY groups of colonists from the orbiting helianthus to the surface each arrival brings new skills and new challenges by day 100 4,720 colonists have made planetf while a small team remains on board the helianthus

with the base Colony established the focus shifts to long-term survival the agriculture team begins experimenting with cultivating the first Earth plants in the new Proxima centu B soil but still enclosed in the protection of the biodome the team uses a selected mix of genetically engineered seeds modified to thrive in the low light conditions and high radiation soil the scientists monitor how the earth-based plants react to the soil chemistry and mineral content adjusting nutrient Solutions as needed the colony's first scientific Milestone is reached water extracted from the planet's underground ice can be safely purified and used

for both drinking and crop irrigation but questions remain about the non-toxic Trace elements found in the local water and how they might affect human health over time the helianthus still in orbit is acting as a space St where a small crew performs studies on the planet's atmosphere and studies the neighboring Planet Proxima centor sea when more researchers are deployed to the space station in the future they will be able to expand their studies to include the triple star system Proxima centu B is part of the Proxima centor system which includes two planets Proxima centu b

and c and a star Proxima centu this star system is part of the alpha centu star system which has a total of three stars proximately centu and Alpha centu A and B the local three stars orbit each [Music] other the colony approaches its first anniversary Proxima centu B is no longer an alien world it is becoming home the colonists celebrate landfall day marking the anniversary of their arrival they travel to the dark side of the planet and stargaze at the unfamiliar constellations another major Colony Milestone is reached after a temporary pause on reproduction as the

population settles and adapts on the new planet the birth of the first human takes place on Proxima centu B Ava comes into the world under the light of an alien Sun a symbol of Hope for the future of the colony the settlers encounter their first major crisis a large solar flare hits the colony causing temporary blackouts some crops in the domes are lost due to the radiation Spike work begins on using more native plant-based resources to improve habitat radiation shielding as the colony grows so do its problems fungus-like organism outbreaks have attacked vertical Farm crops

the scientists continue to develop resistant strains advances in biological research discover an algae like species in the planet's water sources this organism is rich in nutrients and allows crops to be grown outside without needing the protection of being inside a biodome new strains of modified wheat rice and legumes have been developed that can Thrive under the red light and radiation of the local Sun the first indoor fish farms are established using genetically modified frozen tilapia embryos brought from Earth the first years of the colony have been defined by adaptation learning to live with the planet

rather than bending it to human needs but a plan is drawn up to transform a nearby small crater into an artificial Lake filled with ice waterer harvested from the Dark Side which will naturally melt and fill the Basin the tilapia fish genes are being genetically modified to survive in the planet's water chemistry and low light outposts now reach several kilometers from the main settlement these outposts serve as research stations monitoring the planet's weather patterns seismic activity and are potential locations for future mining operations data reveals that the planet is geologically active with frequent minor Quakes

and potential volcanic hotspots living in between the intense temperature difference of the hot day side and the cold night side drives powerful winds as the colony grows older it begins to face long-term climate challenges it only takes 11 days for Proxima centor B to orbit its star and Proxima centory B orbits in a more oval shape so it goes through different seasons being further or closer to the Sun all in 11 days over long time scales small repeated fluctu ation in the elliptical orbit lead to Greater environmental challenges over years and decades that wouldn't be

noticeable in a single short cycle altering the wind patterns and the storms that the colonists face 8 years after landing the first generation of Proxima centory beborn humans is coming of age they are the true Children of the planet perfectly adapted growing shorter due to the higher gravity with increased bone density and muscle mass and and they have enhanced lowlight Vision they excel in physical tasks that leave their spaceship born parents winded medical studies find that along with the physical adaptations there are subtle cognitive differences the planet born show enhanced spatial reasoning from living on

an open Planet but not all changes are positive a new respiratory illness dubbed Proxima lung has emerged triggered by microscopic Trace elements from the planet's atmosphere that have entered the colony's life support systems the long range communications array finally receives a dispatch from Earth the 8 and 1/2 year roundtrip Communications delay means it took 4.24 years for Earth to receive the message that the helianthus spaceship had arrived to the new planet and another 4.24 years for Earth's reply to reach the New Colony when the colonists arrived at Proxima centu B there was a joke that

they would not be the first ones here that Earth would have developed faster than light travel and at Warp 3 the ship would reach the planet in 40 days but nobody was here when they arrived faster than light technology was never developed 30 years after the helianthus set off from Earth another ship was sent to follow behind with more resources to expand the future Colony but 40 years into the journey all contact was lost and the second ship had not been heard from since and the entire Proxima program was shut down as well as any

hopes of pushing space technology into FTL development great civilizations don't always move forward the fusion of Earth Technology and Proxima centu bees resources has led to new forms of ultra strong lightweight material using the planet's minerals allowing for larger structures as the colony celebrates its 10th anniversary the population has grown to a city of 6,000 people nearly half of the population now consists of Proxima centu B born individuals the culture of the colony values resourcefulness community and the preservation of Life Above All Else the vertical farming towers are now massive structures they are monuments that

symbolize the life growing on the planet these towering domes house carefully engineered ecosystems each level mimics a different biome growing different species of crops and Wildlife from tropical to Arctic Native Pharmaceuticals are being developed by combining Proxima centory bees compounds these new medicines are more effective in the planet's environment given the 11-day orbit the colonists establish a new calendar system based on Proxima centory B years or Cycles the Centennial Celebration occurs every 100 Cycles about three Earth years an important event is the Twilight vigil held every 33 Cycles about one Earth year this occasion honors

the unique position of the colony in the Twilight Zone between the day and night sides bioluminescent displays created by genetically modified plants symbolize the life the colonists have brought to the Twilight Zone population growth is still carefully managed the genetic diversity policies that were in place during the 100-year space journey to the planet are still in place in the colony with limited genetic variance among the initial settlers strict guidelines are enforced to maintain genetic diversity genetic counseling is mandatory and the use of cryogenically stored genetic material from Earth is still used to introduce new traits

and advanced Gene editing Tech techniques eliminate hereditary diseases and enhance resilience to the planet's conditions within the colony a heated debate has emerged over the future of the planet one group pushes to terraform and make the planet more earthlike the opposing group argues against they believe humans should continue to adapt to the planet rather than changing the planet to suit the settlers deep drilling operations reveal a network of Rich veins of super Alloys deep within the planet's tectonic plates these materials are discovered to be highly resistant to radiation and extreme temperatures making them ideal for

construction and expanding the energy grid with new power sources The Colony continues to expand new habitats are constructed pushing the boundaries of the settlement onward The Colony begins to feel like a true City mining outposts continue extracting resources from volcanic regions harvesting critical resources such as heavy metals and rare elements needed for advanced technology native microorganisms are showing signs of adaptation to human influence some species have developed symbiotic relationships with Earth origin plants that were introduced to the native soil The Colony begins its transition to a more self-reliant Society the original systems and Technologies brought

from Earth are slowly being phased out after long-term studies scientists within the colony now have a better understanding of the massive solar flare patterns leading to the development of enhanced radiation shielding for all structures and future spaceships the TriStar Alpha centory system continues to be a subject of in-depth study astronomers on board the helianthus detect fluctuations in the gravitational interactions between the three stars leading to the discovery of previously unknown asteroid belts a combined belt orbits the outer regions shared by Alpha centor A and B and is more scattered because of the complex gravitation interactions

while each star has their own more stable individual asteroid belt a small probe is launched towards Proxima centor sea the outermost planet in the system the journey will take several years but the data it sends back will give a better understanding of the Proxima centory system and if life exists nearby future plans are developed for a number of large-scale projects a team of Engineers have designed small longrange spacecraft they dream of journeying to Proxima centory sea and venturing even further into the cosmos the helianthus the spaceship that brought the first settlers to Proxima centur B

still orbits above some of the settlers believe that this great ship that traveled across Interstellar space to bring them to their new home will one day set off again taking a group of pioneering individuals to a new planet expanding Humanity's reach even further into the cosmos the first and second volumes of the Encyclopedia of the future are available on patreon