Dark Side of the Earth

Key takeaways

The podcast emphasizes the ability of storytelling to transcend ordinary experiences and connect listeners to abstract concepts.
Astronaut Dave Wolf's anecdotes illustrate the awe-inspiring yet frightening realities of space travel, including the extremes of light and darkness.
The crisis faced by Wolf and Solovyev serves as a reminder of the inherent risks in space exploration and the critical importance of teamwork and problem-solving in dire situations.
The episode underscores the beauty of stillness and connection with others amid the vastness of the universe.

Summary

Exploring the Limits of Perception

The episode begins with the host, Latif Nasser, reflecting on Radio Lab's mission to uncover profound truths about the universe, whether they be unimaginably large or microscopically small. The narrative showcases Radio Lab's unique approach to storytelling, allowing listeners to experience concepts that are far beyond their everyday lives, all the way from the minute details of an atom to the exquisite depths of space. Nasser highlights the power of storytelling and the hope that listeners draw knowledge, laughter, and a sense of connection from these explorations.

Journey to the Dark Side of Space

The main segment features NASA astronaut Dave Wolf recounting his first spacewalk in 1997. He describes the unique darkness found in space, emphasizing the stark contrast between light and dark as he orbited Earth at high speeds. Dave shares a hair-raising story about feeling suspended in the overwhelming blackness, with moments of both beauty and terror as they experienced rapid changes from darkness to blazing sunlight. This section captures the essence of space exploration's unpredictability and the profound beauty of the cosmos.

A Dire Crisis in Space

The narrative shifts as Dave and his Russian cosmonaut partner, Anatoly Solovyev, face a significant crisis—being locked out of the Mir Space Station due to a malfunctioning airlock. With their life-support systems dwindling, they engage in a desperate attempt to reconnect and find a way back in. Dave describes the urgency of their situation, including a fogged visor and disconnecting their umbilicals, with detailed imagery of his reflective moment with a photo of his family which serves to heighten the episode’s emotional stakes. Their struggle to survive in the harsh environment of space underscores the challenges faced by astronauts.

Connection through the Cosmos

As the episode winds down, Wolf shares another poignant memory of floating in space with Solovyev, reveling in the peace and beauty of the universe. In an intimate moment, the two astronauts bond in the vastness of space, which is beautifully mirrored in the live performance that concludes the show. This section underlines the connection humans can forge under extreme circumstances, highlighting the overwhelming vastness yet deep intimacy one can feel in the cosmos.

Show notes

Back in 2012, when we were putting together our live show In the Dark, Jad and Robert called up Dave Wolf to ask him if he had any stories about darkness. And boy, did he. Dave told us two stories that became the finale of our show.

Back in late 1997, Dave Wolf was on his first spacewalk, to perform work on the Mir (the photo to the right was taken during that mission, courtesy of NASA.). Dave wasn't alone -- with him was veteran Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev. (That's a picture of Dave giving Anatoly a hug on board the Mir, also courtesy of NASA).

Out in blackness of space, the contrast between light and dark is almost unimaginably extreme -- every 45 minutes, you plunge between absolute darkness on the night-side of Earth, and blazing light as the sun screams into view. Dave and Anatoly were tethered to the spacecraft, traveling 5 miles per second. That's 16 times faster than we travel on Earth's surface as it rotates -- so as they orbited, they experienced 16 nights and 16 days for every Earth day.

Dave's description of his first spacewalk was all we could've asked for, and more. But what happened next ... well, it's just one of those stories that you always hope an astronaut will tell. Dave and Anatoly were ready to call it a job and head back into the Mir when something went wrong with the airlock. They couldn't get it to re-pressurize. In other words, they were locked out. After hours of trying to fix the airlock, they were running out of the resources that kept them alive in their space suits and facing a grisly death. So, they unhooked their tethers, and tried one last desperate move.

In the end, they made it through, and Dave went on to perform dozens more spacewalks in the years to come, but he never again experienced anything like those harrowing minutes trying to improvise his way back into the Mir.

After that terrifying tale, Dave told us about another moment he and Anatoly shared, floating high above Earth, staring out into the universe ... a moment so beautiful, and peaceful, we decided to use the audience recreate it, as best we could, for the final act of our live show.

We have some exciting news! In the “Zoozve” episode, Radiolab named its first-ever quasi-moon, and now it's your turn! Radiolab has teamed up with The International Astronomical Union to launch a global naming contest for one of Earth’s quasi-moons. This is your chance to make your mark on the heavens. Vote on your favorites, here: https://radiolab.org/moon

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