<p>Any gas or particles you see in the video are not matter of outer space, but part of the propulsion system or the spacecraft. The high velocity of the gas is a consequence of the propulsion. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_engine" rel="nofollow">exhausted gas</a> (water vapor, aluminium, carbon dioxide, soot, many other compounds, depending on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_fuel" rel="nofollow">propellant</a>) continues to move roughly with constant velocity relative to the rocket as soon as it has left the thrusters (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_laws_of_motion" rel="nofollow">Newton's first law</a>); the rocket accelerates as long as the thrusters are active (Newton's third law), but that's not noticible in the video relative to the exhaust fumes. While the rocket is moving through Earth's atmosphere there may be some interaction of the exhaust fumes with Earth's atmosphere.</p>

<p>There is no interaction of gas or fragments with matter of outer space visible  in the video.</p>

<p>Although <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_medium" rel="nofollow">outer space</a> isn't quite empty. It contains e.g.</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust" rel="nofollow">interplanetary and interstellar dust</a>, mainly consisting of silicates, but also of other compounds like oxides, water ice, traces of organic compounds,</li>
<li>hot plasma, mainly consisting of protons and electrons emitted by the sun (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere" rel="nofollow">solar wind</a>),</li>
<li>galactic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray" rel="nofollow">cosmic rays</a>, mainly consisting of fast-moving atomic nuclei,</li>
<li>electromagnetic radiation across the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum" rel="nofollow">electromagnetic spectrum</a>, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_galaxy" rel="nofollow">radio waves</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_burst" rel="nofollow">gamma rays</a>,</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere" rel="nofollow">magnetic fields</a>.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-17T17:08:12.153Z
2014-03-17T17:08:12.153Z
Gerald
<p>Does outer space contain any gases? Recently i watched a video on youtube,in which NASA installs a camera on a spacecraft.The footage shows some dust particles or some matter floating over the space craft's surface and as well from the thrust.What exactly is that? If there is nothing in vacuum,how come newton third law works out to make it move in turn? Here is the link</p>

<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSnOTaCeSuk" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSnOTaCeSuk</a></p>

<space>
What exactly does outer space contain?
Praveen Kadambari
# What exactly does outer space contain?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-16)

Does outer space contain any gases? Recently i watched a video on youtube,in which NASA installs a camera on a spacecraft.The footage shows some dust particles or some matter floating over the space craft's surface and as well from the thrust.What exactly is that? If there is nothing in vacuum,how come newton third law works out to make it move in turn? Here is the link

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSnOTaCeSuk>

**Tags:** space


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-03-17. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Any gas or particles you see in the video are not matter of outer space, but part of the propulsion system or the spacecraft. The high velocity of the gas is a consequence of the propulsion. The [exhausted gas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_engine) (water vapor, aluminium, carbon dioxide, soot, many other compounds, depending on the [propellant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_fuel)) continues to move roughly with constant velocity relative to the rocket as soon as it has left the thrusters ([Newton's first law](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_laws_of_motion)); the rocket accelerates as long as the thrusters are active (Newton's third law), but that's not noticible in the video relative to the exhaust fumes. While the rocket is moving through Earth's atmosphere there may be some interaction of the exhaust fumes with Earth's atmosphere.

There is no interaction of gas or fragments with matter of outer space visible in the video.

Although [outer space](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_medium) isn't quite empty. It contains e.g.

* [interplanetary and interstellar dust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust), mainly consisting of silicates, but also of other compounds like oxides, water ice, traces of organic compounds,
* hot plasma, mainly consisting of protons and electrons emitted by the sun ([solar wind](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere)),
* galactic [cosmic rays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray), mainly consisting of fast-moving atomic nuclei,
* electromagnetic radiation across the [electromagnetic spectrum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum), from [radio waves](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_galaxy) to [gamma rays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_burst),
* [magnetic fields](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetosphere).


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