Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In the first of the three annual CHRISTMAS LECTURES space doctor, Kevin Fong, explores and probes second by second what it takes to ‘Lift off’ into space. With Tim Peake, Britain's first astronaut on the International Space Station, only days into his 6 month mission, he helps Kevin answer what keeps astronauts safe and on track as they're propelled into orbit.
How do you control the energy of 300 tonnes of liquid fuel? What happens to your body if you don’t wear a spacesuit? And how do you catch up with a space station travelling at 17,500 mph to finally get inside?
With explosive live experiments, guest astronauts in the Theatre and planetary scientist, Monica Grady, direct from the launch pad in Kazakhstan, learn this and more as we recreate those thrilling minutes of ‘Lift off’.
About the 2015 CHRISTMAS LECTURES
In December 2015, Tim Peake became the first Briton in space for more than 20 years and a new member of the European Astronaut Corps. As Tim adjusts to life onboard the International Space Station (ISS), Kevin Fong's CHRISTMAS LECTURES take us on a journey from planet Earth into Low Earth Orbit and beyond.
This is the story of human survival against all the odds; the story of how science, medicine and engineering come together to help answer our biggest questions about Life, the Earth, the Universe and our place in it.
From artificial gravity and greenhouses in space to plasma drives and zero-G surgical suits, these lectures reveal how what once was the stuff of science fiction is fast becoming today’s science fact.
Throughout the three-part series, Kevin is be accompanied by special guest appearances from ISS astronauts who will reveal what daily life is like 400 kilometres above the Earth. We will explore the technology and techniques that help them stay safe and healthy, and discover scientific experiments taking place on the ISS which are helping to stretch the limits of our understanding of human physiology and survival in a way that no experiment back on Earth could.
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Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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Chapters:
00:00 How to Survive in Space: The Grand Challenge 🚀
05:45 The Soyuz Rocket: Launching from Baikonur 🇰🇿
08:15 Newton’s Cannon: The Physics of Orbit 🌍
12:50 Principia: Inside Newton's 1713 Manuscript 📖
17:55 Rocket Chemistry: Liquid Oxygen & Explosive Fuel 🧪
25:50 Countdown: Surviving the Final 60 Minutes ⏱️
31:40 Earth’s Rotation: Why We Launch to the East 🔄
45:10 Biology at the Edge: Lessons from Mt. Everest 🏔️
50:15 The Armstrong Line: Where Blood Boils 🌡️💨
58:20 Suit Engineering: Helen Sharman & the Sokol Suit 🧥
01:10:45 Rocket Staging: Managing Propellant Mass 🚀📦
01:15:30 Orbital Mechanics: The Docking Challenge 🎯
---
The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
#PhysicsOfLiftOff, #KevinFongLectures, #FireballRide, #ChristmasLectures2015, #SpaceScienceExplained
In the first of the three annual CHRISTMAS LECTURES space doctor, Kevin Fong, explores and probes second by second what it takes to ‘Lift off’ into space. With Tim Peake, Britain's first astronaut on the International Space Station, only days into his 6 month mission, he helps Kevin answer what keeps astronauts safe and on track as they're propelled into orbit.
How do you control the energy of 300 tonnes of liquid fuel? What happens to your body if you don’t wear a spacesuit? And how do you catch up with a space station travelling at 17,500 mph to finally get inside?
With explosive live experiments, guest astronauts in the Theatre and planetary scientist, Monica Grady, direct from the launch pad in Kazakhstan, learn this and more as we recreate those thrilling minutes of ‘Lift off’.
About the 2015 CHRISTMAS LECTURES
In December 2015, Tim Peake became the first Briton in space for more than 20 years and a new member of the European Astronaut Corps. As Tim adjusts to life onboard the International Space Station (ISS), Kevin Fong's CHRISTMAS LECTURES take us on a journey from planet Earth into Low Earth Orbit and beyond.
This is the story of human survival against all the odds; the story of how science, medicine and engineering come together to help answer our biggest questions about Life, the Earth, the Universe and our place in it.
From artificial gravity and greenhouses in space to plasma drives and zero-G surgical suits, these lectures reveal how what once was the stuff of science fiction is fast becoming today’s science fact.
Throughout the three-part series, Kevin is be accompanied by special guest appearances from ISS astronauts who will reveal what daily life is like 400 kilometres above the Earth. We will explore the technology and techniques that help them stay safe and healthy, and discover scientific experiments taking place on the ISS which are helping to stretch the limits of our understanding of human physiology and survival in a way that no experiment back on Earth could.
---
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
---
Chapters:
00:00 How to Survive in Space: The Grand Challenge 🚀
05:45 The Soyuz Rocket: Launching from Baikonur 🇰🇿
08:15 Newton’s Cannon: The Physics of Orbit 🌍
12:50 Principia: Inside Newton's 1713 Manuscript 📖
17:55 Rocket Chemistry: Liquid Oxygen & Explosive Fuel 🧪
25:50 Countdown: Surviving the Final 60 Minutes ⏱️
31:40 Earth’s Rotation: Why We Launch to the East 🔄
45:10 Biology at the Edge: Lessons from Mt. Everest 🏔️
50:15 The Armstrong Line: Where Blood Boils 🌡️💨
58:20 Suit Engineering: Helen Sharman & the Sokol Suit 🧥
01:10:45 Rocket Staging: Managing Propellant Mass 🚀📦
01:15:30 Orbital Mechanics: The Docking Challenge 🎯
---
The Ri is on Twitter: twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
#PhysicsOfLiftOff, #KevinFongLectures, #FireballRide, #ChristmasLectures2015, #SpaceScienceExplained
