1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,443 (enlightening music) 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,270 A miracle in our universe. 3 00:00:17,270 --> 00:00:19,570 All of the lifeforms known to mankind 4 00:00:19,570 --> 00:00:24,570 exist nowhere but here, our home planet, the Earth. 5 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,713 Our dream of conquering space has come true, 6 00:00:32,730 --> 00:00:35,850 the International Space Station, ISS, 7 00:00:35,850 --> 00:00:39,173 the largest technological project every undertaken. 8 00:00:48,530 --> 00:00:51,510 People have been living in this outpost of humankind 9 00:00:51,510 --> 00:00:55,240 without interruption since the year 2000. 10 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,033 So far more than 100 astronauts have lived, 11 00:00:58,033 --> 00:01:02,263 worked, and researched here under unique conditions. 12 00:01:14,832 --> 00:01:17,280 What fascinated me was 13 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,203 mostly with the beauty of the planet Earth. 14 00:01:24,490 --> 00:01:25,810 It's a beautiful planet, 15 00:01:25,810 --> 00:01:27,440 {\an8}fantastic colors, 16 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,490 {\an8}the Bahamas are beautiful, the Australian outback, 17 00:01:31,490 --> 00:01:34,503 {\an8}Tibet, really very nice places. 18 00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:38,210 But also it's fragile. 19 00:01:38,210 --> 00:01:39,737 If you look beside the planet, 20 00:01:39,737 --> 00:01:43,270 you see the blackness of space and this thin atmosphere, 21 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:46,953 you feel that it is vulnerable, fragile. 22 00:01:52,274 --> 00:01:54,390 What fascinates me about space travel 23 00:01:54,390 --> 00:01:55,520 is that it's the frontier, 24 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,060 {\an8}the final frontier, we face as human beings, 25 00:01:58,060 --> 00:01:59,560 {\an8}and it's out there waiting for us. 26 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,330 {\an8}We don't know what's beyond it. 27 00:02:01,330 --> 00:02:03,270 {\an8}I feel the way people probably used to feel 28 00:02:03,270 --> 00:02:05,730 when they stood on the beach and looked out at the ocean 29 00:02:05,730 --> 00:02:08,283 and asked themselves what's beyond the horizon. 30 00:02:30,590 --> 00:02:32,610 {\an8}(upbeat music) 31 00:02:32,610 --> 00:02:34,130 {\an8}Houston, Texas, 32 00:02:34,130 --> 00:02:36,793 {\an8}historic, even legendary location. 33 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,167 This is NASA's Johnson Space Center. 34 00:02:46,890 --> 00:02:51,400 The conquest of space began here in 1961. 35 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,190 It's now the starting point for Alexander Gerst's 36 00:02:54,190 --> 00:02:55,273 biggest adventure. 37 00:02:57,060 --> 00:02:59,110 The young German astronaut will fulfill 38 00:02:59,110 --> 00:03:02,023 his lifelong dream in 2014, 39 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:05,220 this is when he becomes the third German 40 00:03:05,220 --> 00:03:08,103 to travel to the International Space Station. 41 00:03:10,820 --> 00:03:13,100 We will follow him around the world 42 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:15,480 as he completes the world's most exclusive 43 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,220 training program, 44 00:03:17,220 --> 00:03:19,393 so his dream can come true. 45 00:03:26,692 --> 00:03:29,525 (heavy breathing) 46 00:03:36,183 --> 00:03:41,183 So I'm going to translate out the cedar rail, 47 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,873 on the starboard side of the truss. 48 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,700 Translating out to the exposed platform again. 49 00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:52,193 Copy heading out to the exposed platform. 50 00:03:56,162 --> 00:03:59,433 Yeah, I see you are at the end cone handrail. 51 00:04:00,620 --> 00:04:03,150 It looks like a computer game, 52 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:05,110 but it's really survival training 53 00:04:05,110 --> 00:04:07,353 at the NASA Virtual Reality Lab. 54 00:04:09,343 --> 00:04:11,040 There's handrails here, 55 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,290 it looks like I must come up away from the structure. 56 00:04:15,290 --> 00:04:18,772 It's like my safety tether is not connected or adrift. 57 00:04:18,772 --> 00:04:20,850 (heavy breathing) 58 00:04:20,850 --> 00:04:23,770 This is the worst nightmare, 59 00:04:23,770 --> 00:04:27,223 to be flung away from the space station out of control. 60 00:04:28,532 --> 00:04:31,365 (heavy breathing) 61 00:04:33,230 --> 00:04:35,601 Okay, I'm gonna deploy the safer 62 00:04:35,601 --> 00:04:37,850 on the right side of my handle. 63 00:04:37,850 --> 00:04:41,150 Take the module out, there it is, 64 00:04:41,150 --> 00:04:43,743 and I switch to on. 65 00:04:46,850 --> 00:04:50,370 The Columbus in view, and I will use 66 00:04:51,430 --> 00:04:56,353 positive pitch to get back. 67 00:04:57,290 --> 00:04:59,450 The point in the middle that I want to go back to, 68 00:04:59,450 --> 00:05:02,363 and I give it a positive impulse, plus X. 69 00:05:03,490 --> 00:05:06,970 I think I can see my rate slowing down 70 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:10,170 and coming back towards... 71 00:05:11,330 --> 00:05:13,003 Okay, happy I see you coming back. 72 00:05:16,510 --> 00:05:18,003 Aiming for the exposed platform. 73 00:05:18,003 --> 00:05:21,720 Copying you, plenty of GN2 at this point. 74 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:22,553 Do you want me to break? 75 00:05:22,553 --> 00:05:24,050 I do. 76 00:05:24,050 --> 00:05:25,363 Okay, slowing down. 77 00:05:27,260 --> 00:05:29,201 When you're out of GN2. 78 00:05:29,201 --> 00:05:33,330 All right, and I'm waiting for the handrails here, 79 00:05:36,962 --> 00:05:38,420 and I got it. 80 00:05:38,420 --> 00:05:40,320 Copy capture. 81 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,500 I'm glad that I reached back to the station. 82 00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:46,440 I'm glad it's just a simulation. 83 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:47,273 Great job. 84 00:05:47,273 --> 00:05:48,106 Thanks. 85 00:05:50,322 --> 00:05:53,989 (medieval orchestral music) 86 00:05:59,150 --> 00:06:02,670 Alexander Gerst is a modern-day adventurer, 87 00:06:02,670 --> 00:06:05,110 a man of scientific precision, 88 00:06:05,110 --> 00:06:06,310 and a passionate fencer. 89 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,740 (fencing swords clanking) 90 00:06:30,780 --> 00:06:35,780 Speed, discipline, and strict rules, 91 00:06:35,780 --> 00:06:38,803 characteristics that are essential to an astronaut. 92 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,890 Each competition also involves 93 00:06:53,890 --> 00:06:55,773 learning to respect the opponent. 94 00:07:01,859 --> 00:07:04,692 (speaking German) 95 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:09,933 (upbeat music) 96 00:07:09,933 --> 00:07:12,250 Building 9 at NASA in Houston 97 00:07:12,250 --> 00:07:14,740 is where Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin 98 00:07:14,740 --> 00:07:16,593 prepared for the moon landing. 99 00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:21,003 It now houses a full-scale model of the ISS. 100 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:27,150 Alexander Gerst will fly to the ISS in 2014, 101 00:07:27,150 --> 00:07:30,109 along with US Astronaut Greg Wiseman. 102 00:07:30,109 --> 00:07:32,359 (laughing) 103 00:07:33,252 --> 00:07:34,338 You have all that stuff over here, 104 00:07:34,338 --> 00:07:35,500 and then you've got partial pressures. 105 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:37,620 Because they are essential to life, 106 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:40,593 water and oxygen are precious on board. 107 00:07:41,530 --> 00:07:43,390 An ingenious system recycles 108 00:07:43,390 --> 00:07:46,210 nearly all of the oxygen on board 109 00:07:46,210 --> 00:07:49,430 and even 85% of the water in urine. 110 00:07:49,430 --> 00:07:51,060 This will just be a standard feeding connection 111 00:07:51,060 --> 00:07:52,183 on this side. 112 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,080 Alexander Gerst is using this simulator 113 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,383 to learn to control a huge robotic arm. 114 00:08:10,980 --> 00:08:13,810 On the space station he will perform this task 115 00:08:13,810 --> 00:08:17,163 in the Cupola, the station's observation tower. 116 00:08:18,890 --> 00:08:21,370 From here it's also possible to watch 117 00:08:21,370 --> 00:08:24,980 Soyuz's capsules and ATV cargo carriers 118 00:08:24,980 --> 00:08:27,133 dock onto the space station. 119 00:08:30,910 --> 00:08:34,720 Mission Control, this is the iconic center 120 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,363 in the history of American space exploration. 121 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,420 Milt Heflin is an old veteran of NASA, 122 00:08:41,420 --> 00:08:44,370 he took part in the Apollo program, 123 00:08:44,370 --> 00:08:46,840 the original control room from those days 124 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,880 is an almost sacred site for him. 125 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,430 We have entered the cathedral of 126 00:08:52,430 --> 00:08:54,203 human space flight operations. 127 00:08:56,420 --> 00:08:57,810 I hope you can feel the cathedral. 128 00:08:57,810 --> 00:08:59,210 Yeah. Yeah. 129 00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:03,060 Absolutely when I come in this room, 130 00:09:03,060 --> 00:09:04,500 I've worked in this room 131 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:07,203 as a flight controller, and the flight director. 132 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,310 You're in the room where we landed on the moon 133 00:09:11,310 --> 00:09:14,900 for the very first time, July 20th 1969. 134 00:09:14,900 --> 00:09:17,770 And all the landings that took place 135 00:09:17,770 --> 00:09:19,470 were controlled from Mission Control, 136 00:09:19,470 --> 00:09:21,716 right here in this room. 137 00:09:21,716 --> 00:09:24,633 (melancholy music) 138 00:09:28,060 --> 00:09:29,700 Let me tell you about the American flag 139 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:31,920 that hangs over here in the corner. 140 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,240 It has been to the moon and back. 141 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,280 It flew to the moon on the command service module, 142 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,980 stayed in the command service module in lunar orbit. 143 00:09:40,980 --> 00:09:42,400 Stayed there. 144 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:43,373 Apollo 17? 145 00:09:43,373 --> 00:09:45,210 In Apollo 17, and then 146 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,500 brought back here and hung in Mission Control. 147 00:09:51,403 --> 00:09:52,610 I think when you enter this room 148 00:09:52,610 --> 00:09:55,550 as a young astronaut, you immediately get goosebumps, 149 00:09:55,550 --> 00:09:57,540 {\an8}because it's really the closest place on Earth 150 00:09:57,540 --> 00:09:58,593 {\an8}to the moon landing. 151 00:10:01,290 --> 00:10:03,340 {\an8}Just imaging that all the stories I've known 152 00:10:03,340 --> 00:10:04,340 since I was little, 153 00:10:04,340 --> 00:10:06,410 took place right here in this room, 154 00:10:06,410 --> 00:10:08,620 and of course also in a spaceship. 155 00:10:08,620 --> 00:10:10,503 That's a fantastic experience. 156 00:10:13,531 --> 00:10:15,331 What's so special about this room? 157 00:10:18,165 --> 00:10:20,200 {\an8}It all has to do with the people, 158 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:21,690 {\an8}that's what this is all about, 159 00:10:21,690 --> 00:10:22,970 {\an8}it's a matter of 160 00:10:24,210 --> 00:10:28,953 the camaraderie and the family feeling, and teamwork. 161 00:10:30,550 --> 00:10:32,780 It really happens in this room. 162 00:10:32,780 --> 00:10:34,080 People in this room 163 00:10:36,052 --> 00:10:37,640 want to succeed. 164 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,840 It shows you that when you have the support, 165 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,852 and the dedication, and the commitment, 166 00:10:42,852 --> 00:10:46,070 you can do almost anything you set your mind to. 167 00:10:46,070 --> 00:10:49,643 And that's what I enjoy about being in Mission Control. 168 00:10:49,643 --> 00:10:52,476 (uplifting music) 169 00:10:57,930 --> 00:10:59,930 My grandfather was a ham radio operator 170 00:10:59,930 --> 00:11:01,630 with a little room in the basement 171 00:11:01,630 --> 00:11:03,450 where there was always equipment humming, 172 00:11:03,450 --> 00:11:07,003 all kinds of radios, and antennas, and buttons and knobs. 173 00:11:09,420 --> 00:11:12,250 When I was three, four, five, six years old 174 00:11:12,250 --> 00:11:13,833 I was fascinated by it. 175 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,020 One day, I think I was about six, 176 00:11:17,020 --> 00:11:20,130 he somehow managed to focus the antenna on the moon 177 00:11:20,130 --> 00:11:21,260 and send radio waves 178 00:11:21,260 --> 00:11:23,320 that reflected off the surface of the moon 179 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,220 and returned to his antenna all the way back to the Earth. 180 00:11:28,070 --> 00:11:29,860 He let me talk into the microphone, 181 00:11:29,860 --> 00:11:31,920 and two and a half seconds later, 182 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:32,960 that's the speed of light, 183 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,030 and also how long it takes for radio waves 184 00:11:35,030 --> 00:11:36,970 to travel there and back, 185 00:11:36,970 --> 00:11:40,090 I heard my own voice very distorted on the radio. 186 00:11:40,090 --> 00:11:42,910 For me, as a six-year-old, that was incredible. 187 00:11:42,910 --> 00:11:44,220 It was as if a little part of me 188 00:11:44,220 --> 00:11:45,823 had been to the moon and back. 189 00:11:56,550 --> 00:11:58,510 {\an8}The world's largest operational 190 00:11:58,510 --> 00:12:00,450 {\an8}space launch facility, 191 00:12:00,450 --> 00:12:02,673 the Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. 192 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,010 A huge giant, 50 meters long, 193 00:12:07,010 --> 00:12:09,300 and weighing more than 300 tons, 194 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:12,103 stands against the cold night sky. 195 00:12:13,250 --> 00:12:15,810 This is a place of legend, 196 00:12:15,810 --> 00:12:18,220 top secret during the Cold War, 197 00:12:18,220 --> 00:12:21,250 this is where the very first manmade satellite, 198 00:12:21,250 --> 00:12:24,793 the Sputnik, was shot into space in 1957. 199 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:29,360 In 1961 the first human, Yuri Gagarin, 200 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,703 traveled into space from this launch pad. 201 00:12:32,690 --> 00:12:35,850 And now an international crew is preparing 202 00:12:35,850 --> 00:12:37,832 for the 30th mission. 203 00:12:37,832 --> 00:12:41,660 One of the astronauts is Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands. 204 00:12:41,660 --> 00:12:43,080 It was very cold, 205 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,989 it was the coldest launch ever. 206 00:12:45,989 --> 00:12:50,200 {\an8}So they gave us special clothing around our necks 207 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,910 {\an8}because otherwise it would have been too cold for us. 208 00:12:52,910 --> 00:12:54,883 And then you walk forwards 209 00:12:54,883 --> 00:12:57,720 and you see your family on the side, 210 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:58,930 and they had a big banner. 211 00:12:58,930 --> 00:13:02,900 I did an effort to look where the family was, 212 00:13:02,900 --> 00:13:05,568 and to read what was on the banner. 213 00:13:05,568 --> 00:13:07,000 (cameras clicking) 214 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,940 So that's nice. (cheering) 215 00:13:09,940 --> 00:13:11,133 I was not nervous. 216 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,710 You train so much, and you want to do this. 217 00:13:15,710 --> 00:13:16,723 Astronauts are only worried 218 00:13:16,723 --> 00:13:18,840 that they might cancel the launch or something. 219 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,300 And that doesn't happen much with Soyuz. 220 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:23,193 So you feel pretty relaxed. 221 00:13:24,848 --> 00:13:26,360 (cheering) (clapping) 222 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,030 The Dutch ESA astronaut 223 00:13:28,030 --> 00:13:29,850 will be flying to the ISS, 224 00:13:29,850 --> 00:13:32,290 along with US astronaut Don Pettit, 225 00:13:32,290 --> 00:13:35,103 and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko. 226 00:13:37,050 --> 00:13:38,130 You drive to the rocket, 227 00:13:38,130 --> 00:13:40,150 you see the rocket for the first time. 228 00:13:40,150 --> 00:13:41,583 You saw it in the factory, 229 00:13:42,770 --> 00:13:44,720 but you never saw it going out 230 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,720 and being erected and fueled. 231 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,450 So it's the first time you see the rocket, 232 00:13:49,450 --> 00:13:52,080 and it's beautiful because it's alive. 233 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,613 You see all the condensation, because of the cold fluids. 234 00:13:58,010 --> 00:13:59,327 And it's very impressive to see, 235 00:13:59,327 --> 00:14:01,230 "Oh, this is my rocket". 236 00:14:01,230 --> 00:14:02,720 Then you go up with the elevator, 237 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,640 the same one, it's the same launch tower that Gagarin took, 238 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,090 so it's also very historical. 239 00:14:18,419 --> 00:14:21,836 (rocket engines roaring) 240 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,640 This is Andre Kuipers second trip to the ISS. 241 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,303 He spent nine days there in 2004. 242 00:14:33,290 --> 00:14:36,413 This time he'll be staying for five months. 243 00:14:36,413 --> 00:14:39,790 When you launch it's shaking, noise, 244 00:14:39,790 --> 00:14:40,930 we cannot look outside, 245 00:14:40,930 --> 00:14:42,593 so we just follow procedures, 246 00:14:42,593 --> 00:14:45,430 look at the screens if everything's okay. 247 00:14:45,430 --> 00:14:48,000 And before you know it, 248 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,270 within nine minutes, you are in orbit. 249 00:14:50,270 --> 00:14:52,100 It goes pretty fast actually, 250 00:14:52,100 --> 00:14:53,203 it's a great moment. 251 00:14:54,130 --> 00:14:55,560 (enlightening music) 252 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,410 It takes the crew two days to reach the ISS. 253 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,300 Andre Kuipers is making it possible for us 254 00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:15,593 to tag along on this unique journey. 255 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,070 The images he records 256 00:15:18,070 --> 00:15:21,450 will be the first ever 3D TV documentation 257 00:15:21,450 --> 00:15:23,220 of life in space. 258 00:15:23,220 --> 00:15:24,630 Coming onboard a space station, 259 00:15:24,630 --> 00:15:26,430 that was different. 260 00:15:26,430 --> 00:15:28,320 I remember from my first flight when I come in, 261 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,720 it smelled a bit oily, metal. 262 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,750 But this time I came in in a new Russian module, 263 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:38,050 the MIM-1, and it was still smelling like a new car. 264 00:15:38,050 --> 00:15:41,380 And very pristine, and the walls were clean. 265 00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:45,530 So that was interesting to come onboard that way. 266 00:15:45,530 --> 00:15:47,580 But I immediately felt at home, 267 00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:50,430 and I thought, "Hey, I know this, I've been here before". 268 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:00,960 US astronaut Don Pettit, 269 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,760 who also arrived together with Andre Kuipers, 270 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,573 is onboard the space station for the third time. 271 00:16:18,590 --> 00:16:20,230 They greet the Commander, 272 00:16:20,230 --> 00:16:22,620 NASA astronaut Dan Burbank, 273 00:16:22,620 --> 00:16:25,750 who has already been onboard for four weeks. 274 00:16:25,750 --> 00:16:27,283 He brought along his guitar. 275 00:16:32,750 --> 00:16:35,288 So I floated everywhere I could, 276 00:16:35,288 --> 00:16:37,780 and then I went to the Cupola, 277 00:16:37,780 --> 00:16:41,160 and that is our European-built watchtower, 278 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:42,123 and it's fantastic. 279 00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:45,140 You've windows all around, 280 00:16:45,140 --> 00:16:47,493 that's of course one of the first things I wanted to do, 281 00:16:47,493 --> 00:16:48,803 to see the planet. 282 00:16:57,060 --> 00:17:01,760 For me it all started with my grandmother 283 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,720 buying some science-fiction booklets. 284 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:06,973 And this was the Perry Rhodan series, 285 00:17:08,210 --> 00:17:09,220 originally German series, 286 00:17:09,220 --> 00:17:10,730 but it's also in Dutch. 287 00:17:10,730 --> 00:17:14,410 And I was hooked, I thought, "Wow, this is great". 288 00:17:14,410 --> 00:17:17,670 It was about spaceships and alien planets, 289 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,070 spacesuits, there were all these kind of things. 290 00:17:21,670 --> 00:17:24,300 And I was reading in bed when I had to sleep, 291 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:27,070 with the flashlight under the blankets, 292 00:17:27,070 --> 00:17:29,053 I was reading my Perry Rhodan books. 293 00:17:31,536 --> 00:17:33,711 But it was a boy's dream. 294 00:17:33,711 --> 00:17:35,660 (upbeat music) 295 00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:39,313 That dream has now come true for Andre Kuipers. 296 00:17:40,370 --> 00:17:42,760 Now it's time to get to work. 297 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,990 Equipment is assembled for the task outside the station. 298 00:17:46,990 --> 00:17:50,410 These space walks last six hours. 299 00:17:50,410 --> 00:17:54,033 You can't just pop back in to grab a different screwdriver. 300 00:17:56,723 --> 00:18:00,250 (equipment clanking) 301 00:18:00,250 --> 00:18:03,100 Astronauts have to be all-round talents, 302 00:18:03,100 --> 00:18:05,213 that's the only way they can survive. 303 00:18:06,090 --> 00:18:08,740 Andre Kuipers is a medical doctor, 304 00:18:08,740 --> 00:18:12,210 but onboard he's a mechanic, scientist, 305 00:18:12,210 --> 00:18:13,253 and even a plumber. 306 00:18:14,651 --> 00:18:15,670 (clanking) 307 00:18:15,670 --> 00:18:18,390 Even if it looks light and easy, 308 00:18:18,390 --> 00:18:21,533 weightlessness is a stressful condition for the body. 309 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,750 The astronauts need two to three hours 310 00:18:24,750 --> 00:18:27,520 of physical fitness training each day. 311 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:31,580 Weightlessness causes muscles and bones to atrophy, 312 00:18:31,580 --> 00:18:34,861 but how can you lift weights if there's no gravity? 313 00:18:34,861 --> 00:18:35,694 (equipment clanking) 314 00:18:35,694 --> 00:18:39,000 Engineers have created complicated sports equipment 315 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,853 involving springs and vacuum hydraulics. 316 00:18:52,820 --> 00:18:55,230 There's several ways to wash. 317 00:18:55,230 --> 00:18:59,100 You can use wet wipes, we have plenty of those on board, 318 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:01,210 I use it for everything. 319 00:19:01,210 --> 00:19:03,740 If you want some more water, 320 00:19:03,740 --> 00:19:06,160 you can indeed squeeze the water on you 321 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,120 and it just stays on you as a big bubble. 322 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:10,563 You have to be careful that it doesn't go here, 323 00:19:10,563 --> 00:19:12,693 because you drown in a bubble of water. 324 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:15,777 And in the beginning it's strange, 325 00:19:15,777 --> 00:19:19,193 but after a while you get used to it. 326 00:19:21,471 --> 00:19:24,554 (enlightening music) 327 00:19:34,190 --> 00:19:36,370 In the 1950s and '60s, 328 00:19:36,370 --> 00:19:39,480 the USA and the Soviet Union engaged 329 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,673 in an unparalleled space race. 330 00:19:42,620 --> 00:19:44,930 The Cosmonaut Museum in Moscow 331 00:19:44,930 --> 00:19:47,003 honors the heroes of those days. 332 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,630 For both superpowers, 333 00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:16,360 the battle was a politic and ideological one. 334 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:18,423 The first victory went to the Russians. 335 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,520 On April 12th 1961, Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth. 336 00:20:26,060 --> 00:20:28,863 He was stylized as a superhuman hero. 337 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:35,340 It had been four years since the Sputnik shock of 1957. 338 00:20:35,340 --> 00:20:38,710 Shortly thereafter, the dogs Belka and Strelka 339 00:20:38,710 --> 00:20:40,470 became the first living creatures 340 00:20:40,470 --> 00:20:43,023 to return alive to Earth from outer space. 341 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,600 Hidden in a forest is Zvyozdny Gorodok, Star City, 342 00:20:50,850 --> 00:20:53,990 the fondly name of the formerly top secret facility 343 00:20:53,990 --> 00:20:56,031 outside of Moscow. 344 00:20:56,031 --> 00:20:57,460 (birds chirping) 345 00:20:57,460 --> 00:21:00,850 This is the facility where thousands lived and worked 346 00:21:00,850 --> 00:21:03,160 at the training center of Soviet, 347 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:04,993 and later Russian cosmonauts. 348 00:21:10,250 --> 00:21:13,480 Alexander Gerst is training at the same facility 349 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,843 where Yuri Gagarin prepared for his historic mission. 350 00:21:18,383 --> 00:21:21,262 (bike clanking) 351 00:21:21,262 --> 00:21:23,140 This is a place where you can feel 352 00:21:23,140 --> 00:21:26,800 how long and strong the Soviet space tradition is. 353 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,350 There's a picture or statue of Yuri Gagarin on every corner, 354 00:21:30,350 --> 00:21:32,440 and there were actual guards posted at the gate 355 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,620 standing there with machine guns. 356 00:21:34,620 --> 00:21:36,330 Now it's a civilian facility. 357 00:21:36,330 --> 00:21:38,410 You can stroll around, 358 00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:41,940 and you really feel the old spirit of Soviet space travel. 359 00:21:41,940 --> 00:21:43,390 I love that about this place. 360 00:21:58,070 --> 00:22:02,213 Our ESA astronaut is turning into a cosmonaut. 361 00:22:05,770 --> 00:22:08,850 The fabric of the spacesuit is simply gathered up 362 00:22:08,850 --> 00:22:11,470 and tied with two elastic bands. 363 00:22:11,470 --> 00:22:13,800 Hard to believe, but that's all it takes 364 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,483 to withstand pressure, even in space. 365 00:22:23,140 --> 00:22:25,470 (speaking Russian) 366 00:22:25,470 --> 00:22:27,020 Regular training in Moscow 367 00:22:27,020 --> 00:22:30,493 is a very important part of Alexander Gerst's preparation. 368 00:22:31,330 --> 00:22:33,760 Since the last American space shuttle flight 369 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,040 in the autumn of 2011, 370 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:40,360 these Soyuz capsules are the only means anyone has to fly 371 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:42,650 to the International Space Station. 372 00:22:46,479 --> 00:22:50,396 (controllers speaking Russian) 373 00:23:01,210 --> 00:23:03,730 The Volkswagen Beetle of space, 374 00:23:03,730 --> 00:23:06,500 robust and reliable, 375 00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:08,253 that's what they call the Soyuz. 376 00:23:09,610 --> 00:23:13,550 It went into orbit for the first time in 1967, 377 00:23:13,550 --> 00:23:17,356 and have been launched nearly 140 times since then. 378 00:23:17,356 --> 00:23:19,606 (bleeping) 379 00:23:23,620 --> 00:23:26,060 Today we practiced on the life support systems, 380 00:23:26,060 --> 00:23:28,450 one of them is the spacesuit I'm wearing now. 381 00:23:28,450 --> 00:23:30,480 {\an8}You have to know how to use it, to test it, 382 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:31,850 {\an8}to ensure it's airtight, 383 00:23:31,850 --> 00:23:33,460 {\an8}and what to do, for example, 384 00:23:33,460 --> 00:23:34,630 {\an8}in case the pressure drops 385 00:23:34,630 --> 00:23:37,180 {\an8}in the space station unexpectedly. 386 00:23:37,180 --> 00:23:39,640 Then to protect against the danger of fire, 387 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:41,150 you have to release all oxygen 388 00:23:41,150 --> 00:23:43,070 from the space capsule immediately. 389 00:23:43,070 --> 00:23:45,020 In fact the decompression is even faster 390 00:23:45,020 --> 00:23:47,120 than what would happen in the case of a leak. 391 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:48,790 It's a complex system. 392 00:23:48,790 --> 00:23:50,210 And when you're wearing a spacesuit 393 00:23:50,210 --> 00:23:51,490 your body's under pressure, 394 00:23:51,490 --> 00:23:53,190 and you have to work under pressure, 395 00:23:53,190 --> 00:23:55,840 which isn't easy, and that's what we practiced today. 396 00:23:57,791 --> 00:24:00,041 (bleeping) 397 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:08,840 You can definitely tell the difference 398 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:10,230 between the two training systems, 399 00:24:10,230 --> 00:24:12,630 between Russia and the USA. 400 00:24:12,630 --> 00:24:15,620 My training program here in Russia is very structured, 401 00:24:15,620 --> 00:24:18,820 divided into two unvarying intervals. 402 00:24:18,820 --> 00:24:20,920 That's because it was just developed that way 403 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,310 here many years ago, 404 00:24:22,310 --> 00:24:24,930 all the training programs for the space station. 405 00:24:24,930 --> 00:24:26,770 And because they were so successful, 406 00:24:26,770 --> 00:24:27,820 they stuck with them. 407 00:24:30,060 --> 00:24:31,870 In America they like to keep everything 408 00:24:31,870 --> 00:24:33,600 a little more flexible. 409 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,290 They often add new classes 410 00:24:35,290 --> 00:24:36,860 that have been developed recently, 411 00:24:36,860 --> 00:24:39,190 and old ones are canceled. 412 00:24:39,190 --> 00:24:41,390 But ultimately I believe what's important 413 00:24:41,390 --> 00:24:43,120 is what they have in common, 414 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:45,360 and that is both countries have really shown 415 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:47,550 that they're very skilled at space travel. 416 00:24:47,550 --> 00:24:49,480 And they know how to train astronauts, 417 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,213 and do so very successfully. 418 00:24:53,088 --> 00:24:56,171 (enlightening music) 419 00:24:57,420 --> 00:25:00,503 It only takes 90 minutes to orbit the Earth. 420 00:25:01,370 --> 00:25:03,140 Every day they are on board, 421 00:25:03,140 --> 00:25:07,363 the astronauts experience 16 sunrises and sunsets. 422 00:25:08,380 --> 00:25:10,660 The International Space Station has proved 423 00:25:10,660 --> 00:25:12,130 that countries that were enemies 424 00:25:12,130 --> 00:25:14,280 for most of the previous century, 425 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,323 can cooperate successfully. 426 00:25:17,310 --> 00:25:20,268 The International Space Station is the fulfillment 427 00:25:20,268 --> 00:25:23,380 of an ancient dream of mankind, 428 00:25:23,380 --> 00:25:26,920 to leave the planet, to explore the unknown. 429 00:25:43,148 --> 00:25:45,398 (clicking) 430 00:25:46,330 --> 00:25:51,070 Here I am the subject of a neurological experiment, 431 00:25:51,070 --> 00:25:52,980 neuropsychological experiment, 432 00:25:52,980 --> 00:25:55,780 so I have a cap on with EEG electrodes, 433 00:25:55,780 --> 00:25:58,290 they register all my brainwaves. 434 00:25:58,290 --> 00:26:03,290 At the same time I am doing all kind of tasks on a screen, 435 00:26:03,730 --> 00:26:06,030 but I cannot see the rest of the world. 436 00:26:06,030 --> 00:26:09,230 They want to see how that changes when you're weightless. 437 00:26:09,230 --> 00:26:12,118 So on the ground you do a lot of these tests, 438 00:26:12,118 --> 00:26:15,750 and then onboard you do it but then free-floating, 439 00:26:15,750 --> 00:26:20,130 so you don't feel anything, your body is free. 440 00:26:20,130 --> 00:26:21,860 But you also don't see where you are, 441 00:26:21,860 --> 00:26:24,040 so it's a bit of strange feeling, 442 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,290 and they want to see how much it effects 443 00:26:26,290 --> 00:26:28,349 your performance onboard. 444 00:26:28,349 --> 00:26:30,460 (machines humming) 445 00:26:30,460 --> 00:26:33,110 Andre Kuipers is a physician, 446 00:26:33,110 --> 00:26:36,360 he is constantly performing medical experiments, 447 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:37,653 often on himself. 448 00:26:38,650 --> 00:26:40,860 One of the focuses of his research 449 00:26:40,860 --> 00:26:45,053 is the study of diseases, for example, osteoporosis. 450 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,330 Weightlessness causes atrophy of the bones, 451 00:26:49,330 --> 00:26:51,110 although bone mass does return 452 00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:54,620 once astronauts return to Earth after a short trip. 453 00:26:54,620 --> 00:26:57,390 Astronauts research experimental treatments 454 00:26:57,390 --> 00:26:59,413 for the time they spend in space. 455 00:27:05,138 --> 00:27:05,971 (clicking) 456 00:27:05,971 --> 00:27:07,690 Laboratory samples are stored 457 00:27:07,690 --> 00:27:10,310 at temperatures of minus 80 degrees 458 00:27:10,310 --> 00:27:12,443 in the deep freeze on board the station. 459 00:27:15,396 --> 00:27:17,510 {\an8}(upbeat music) 460 00:27:17,510 --> 00:27:19,940 {\an8}Our European astronauts are trained 461 00:27:19,940 --> 00:27:23,043 {\an8}at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne. 462 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,540 Alexander Gerst was selected from a pool 463 00:27:26,540 --> 00:27:30,210 of more than 8,400 candidates. 464 00:27:30,210 --> 00:27:33,130 ESA is not looking for daredevils, 465 00:27:33,130 --> 00:27:36,380 but professionals who are able to keep their cool 466 00:27:36,380 --> 00:27:39,140 even in extreme situations. 467 00:27:39,140 --> 00:27:42,653 And who are able to work in diverse scientific disciplines. 468 00:27:47,290 --> 00:27:48,810 All in all it's a big science kit 469 00:27:48,810 --> 00:27:51,270 we can use to construct all kinds of experiments 470 00:27:51,270 --> 00:27:54,940 we want to conduct in a highly sterile environment. 471 00:27:54,940 --> 00:27:57,570 What you see up here, these two optical modules, 472 00:27:57,570 --> 00:27:59,750 are a particular experiment investigating 473 00:27:59,750 --> 00:28:02,753 the diffusion of liquids under weightless conditions. 474 00:28:05,490 --> 00:28:07,170 This centrifuge can create 475 00:28:07,170 --> 00:28:09,730 artificial gravity five times as strong 476 00:28:09,730 --> 00:28:10,813 as that on Earth. 477 00:28:11,670 --> 00:28:15,483 Alexander Gerst loves challenging himself to the extreme. 478 00:28:17,020 --> 00:28:19,070 Before he became an astronaut, 479 00:28:19,070 --> 00:28:22,283 he was a geophysicist who studied volcanoes. 480 00:28:23,130 --> 00:28:25,810 He worked on volcanoes in New Zealand 481 00:28:25,810 --> 00:28:29,743 and the Antarctic. (machine humming) 482 00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:37,180 The faster it turns, 483 00:28:37,180 --> 00:28:39,640 the more Alexander Gerst has the feeling 484 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:41,123 he's standing straight. 485 00:28:42,330 --> 00:28:45,680 The researchers hope to create artificial gravity 486 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:47,470 that will allow future astronauts 487 00:28:47,470 --> 00:28:50,373 to engage in physical fitness training in space. 488 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,763 You can certainly feel the blood traveling down. 489 00:28:58,970 --> 00:29:01,520 It is hoped that some day in the future 490 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,503 it will be possible to better cope 491 00:29:03,503 --> 00:29:06,103 with the side effects of weightlessness. 492 00:29:09,310 --> 00:29:13,230 The ATV is an unmanned space transporter. 493 00:29:13,230 --> 00:29:17,173 ATV brings cargo to space, and is piloted remotely. 494 00:29:18,350 --> 00:29:21,130 In case of an emergency, the astronauts on board 495 00:29:21,130 --> 00:29:24,503 need to be able to intervene in the docking procedure. 496 00:29:28,650 --> 00:29:31,310 It's always a tricky situation, 497 00:29:31,310 --> 00:29:33,723 when spaceships dock onto the ISS. 498 00:29:35,230 --> 00:29:38,760 Maximum precautions are taken to ensure against a leak, 499 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:40,263 and prevent catastrophe. 500 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:44,190 The ATV is Europe's biggest contribution 501 00:29:44,190 --> 00:29:46,053 to the International Space Station. 502 00:29:51,370 --> 00:29:52,800 To understand the significance of 503 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:54,440 the European Space Agency, 504 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,350 you really just have to take a close look 505 00:29:56,350 --> 00:29:58,060 at the space station. 506 00:29:58,060 --> 00:30:00,290 One third of the station's habitable modules 507 00:30:00,290 --> 00:30:02,000 were built in Europe. 508 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,300 The space station relies on 509 00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:05,640 the European space transporter, ATV, 510 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,430 which prevents it from falling, 511 00:30:07,430 --> 00:30:10,220 by always pushing it into a higher orbit, 512 00:30:10,220 --> 00:30:11,513 and bring supplies. 513 00:30:13,250 --> 00:30:14,930 We have a powerful booster rocket 514 00:30:14,930 --> 00:30:17,253 that's internationally renowned, the Ariane. 515 00:30:18,130 --> 00:30:20,200 And there's a European onboard the space station 516 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:21,650 about half the time. 517 00:30:21,650 --> 00:30:24,130 You can really tell that the Russian Space Agency 518 00:30:24,130 --> 00:30:28,230 and the American NASA see ESA as an international partner, 519 00:30:28,230 --> 00:30:30,783 and they really count on the ESA. 520 00:30:31,954 --> 00:30:35,037 (enlightening music) 521 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:46,630 {\an8}At NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas, 522 00:30:46,630 --> 00:30:49,010 Alexander Gerst is training in the world's 523 00:30:49,010 --> 00:30:51,710 largest indoor swimming pool. 524 00:30:51,710 --> 00:30:55,210 It holds 23.5 million liters of water, 525 00:30:55,210 --> 00:30:57,253 and is more than 12 meters deep. 526 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,440 In the pool is a life-size replica 527 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,113 of the entire space station. 528 00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:05,090 Together with his American colleague, 529 00:31:05,090 --> 00:31:07,080 Alexander Gerst is getting ready 530 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,963 for his first mission outside the space station. 531 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,950 Later the real thing will be very similar, 532 00:31:13,950 --> 00:31:15,753 but much more dangerous. 533 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,340 Of course we know that a lot can go wrong. 534 00:31:20,340 --> 00:31:21,660 We've seen it in the past, 535 00:31:21,660 --> 00:31:24,280 and that's why our training program lasts so long. 536 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,440 We have to be able to deal with all kinds of situations. 537 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,100 We train procedures for many different emergencies, 538 00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:31,520 for anything that could happen, 539 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,580 plan A, plan B, plan C. 540 00:31:33,580 --> 00:31:35,850 And that's how we prevent ourselves from feeling 541 00:31:35,850 --> 00:31:38,820 we've lost control in case of an actual emergency. 542 00:31:38,820 --> 00:31:41,712 Because that's the feeling that causes people to be afraid, 543 00:31:41,712 --> 00:31:43,910 when we feel that we're no longer in control 544 00:31:43,910 --> 00:31:45,080 of a situation. 545 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:48,663 The long training program tries to avoid just that. 546 00:31:55,473 --> 00:31:58,390 (machines humming) 547 00:32:05,350 --> 00:32:07,650 For six hours without a break, 548 00:32:07,650 --> 00:32:09,690 Alexander Gerst practices 549 00:32:09,690 --> 00:32:11,923 under simulated weightless conditions. 550 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,500 Later in space the missions outside the station 551 00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:18,391 will take just as long. 552 00:32:18,391 --> 00:32:20,860 (water bubbling) 553 00:32:20,860 --> 00:32:23,723 Divers are on hand for the astronauts' safety. 554 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,980 The training session is observed from a control center 555 00:32:29,980 --> 00:32:32,803 that also gives the two astronauts instructions. 556 00:32:41,230 --> 00:32:43,253 It's a unique place to work. 557 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,120 Nowhere else is it possible to so perfectly 558 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,110 simulate weightless conditions, 559 00:32:49,110 --> 00:32:50,900 and practice performing tasks 560 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:53,204 on the space station's exterior. 561 00:32:53,204 --> 00:32:55,884 (water bubbling) 562 00:32:55,884 --> 00:32:58,300 From there, and that way I know 563 00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:01,672 I have a good indication when I'm working too hard. 564 00:33:01,672 --> 00:33:03,852 So if it get up into the 40s, 565 00:33:03,852 --> 00:33:05,412 for me personally that would tough, 566 00:33:05,412 --> 00:33:07,079 be working too hard. 567 00:33:09,860 --> 00:33:11,640 Part of the training involves 568 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:16,230 unexpected problems that require the astronauts to improvise 569 00:33:16,230 --> 00:33:17,987 and come up with solutions. 570 00:33:20,404 --> 00:33:23,071 (radio chatter) 571 00:33:28,750 --> 00:33:32,270 EVA, extra vehicular activity, 572 00:33:32,270 --> 00:33:35,110 is the official term for a space walk, 573 00:33:35,110 --> 00:33:37,523 a mission outside the space station. 574 00:33:38,990 --> 00:33:43,570 Later in space the success or failure of these EVAs 575 00:33:43,570 --> 00:33:46,527 will be critical for the operation of the space station, 576 00:33:46,527 --> 00:33:48,903 and the safety of the astronauts. 577 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,540 They have to repair damage on their own, 578 00:33:52,540 --> 00:33:55,153 or replace defective modules. 579 00:33:55,153 --> 00:33:57,820 (drill buzzing) 580 00:34:07,607 --> 00:34:10,274 (radio chatter) 581 00:34:15,910 --> 00:34:18,320 Today the instructors have planned 582 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,913 a dangerous challenge for Alexander Gerst. 583 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:25,710 NASA colleague Clayton Anderson receives instructions 584 00:34:25,710 --> 00:34:27,693 that Alexander Gerst cannot hear. 585 00:34:36,006 --> 00:34:38,870 (water bubbling) 586 00:34:38,870 --> 00:34:41,623 The commands are issued by the control center. 587 00:34:43,750 --> 00:34:46,197 My guess is he will see the RGMCs, 588 00:34:46,197 --> 00:34:48,043 and go a little pass that. 589 00:34:49,980 --> 00:34:52,000 The simulated emergency 590 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,033 is a sudden loss of consciousness. 591 00:34:54,980 --> 00:34:57,853 Alexander Gerst has no idea what is happening. 592 00:35:00,210 --> 00:35:02,510 Clayton Anderson isn't reacting, 593 00:35:02,510 --> 00:35:04,483 that means mortal danger. 594 00:35:07,570 --> 00:35:09,883 Alexander Gerst must act quickly. 595 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,310 The unconscious astronaut must be brought back 596 00:35:13,310 --> 00:35:16,320 into the space station as soon as possible. 597 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,100 He only has a few moments time, 598 00:35:19,100 --> 00:35:21,670 and if this were a real mission in space, 599 00:35:21,670 --> 00:35:24,393 it would mean the difference between life and death. 600 00:35:34,236 --> 00:35:36,986 (water bubbling) 601 00:35:38,290 --> 00:35:41,743 After six hours the training session is over. 602 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,420 Basically it's like running a marathon the whole time, 603 00:35:46,420 --> 00:35:48,010 and when you're doing exercises like 604 00:35:48,010 --> 00:35:49,910 {\an8}incapacitated crew member, 605 00:35:49,910 --> 00:35:51,620 {\an8}where your colleague is unconscious, 606 00:35:51,620 --> 00:35:53,330 {\an8}and you have to get him back to the airlock 607 00:35:53,330 --> 00:35:54,660 {\an8}as fast as possible, 608 00:35:54,660 --> 00:35:57,230 it really pushes your limits. 609 00:35:57,230 --> 00:35:59,630 I can tell, my hands, my muscles are exhausted, 610 00:35:59,630 --> 00:36:00,810 and basically it's like that 611 00:36:00,810 --> 00:36:02,473 every time I take off the suit. 612 00:36:04,022 --> 00:36:07,105 (enlightening music) 613 00:36:26,955 --> 00:36:29,205 (clicking) 614 00:36:30,910 --> 00:36:33,220 The Hollywood blockbuster "Star Wars" 615 00:36:33,220 --> 00:36:36,233 inspired the design of these little satellites. 616 00:36:37,090 --> 00:36:40,030 SPHERES is the name of the experiment, 617 00:36:40,030 --> 00:36:42,500 the satellites move in perfect synchronicity 618 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:45,183 thanks to little jets of carbon dioxide. 619 00:36:47,330 --> 00:36:50,240 These are independent devices that control 620 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:52,480 their own position in space. 621 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,260 And the test is started. 622 00:36:55,340 --> 00:36:57,740 They can sense where they are, 623 00:36:57,740 --> 00:37:01,366 and also move around in a certain area, 624 00:37:01,366 --> 00:37:03,570 so they have all these little trusses, 625 00:37:03,570 --> 00:37:05,440 like a little spaceship, 626 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,953 and in weightlessness they can control themselves. 627 00:37:10,198 --> 00:37:12,090 (laughing) 628 00:37:12,090 --> 00:37:15,750 In future we might very well have robot assistants 629 00:37:15,750 --> 00:37:17,768 that floats with the astronauts 630 00:37:17,768 --> 00:37:19,740 and can provide them 631 00:37:19,740 --> 00:37:21,730 {\an8}all kind of information on screens 632 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:24,880 {\an8}and maybe audio information 633 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,240 {\an8}while they have their hands free, for example. 634 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:31,300 So it could be a little companion, who knows, 635 00:37:31,300 --> 00:37:32,990 that might be the future. 636 00:37:32,990 --> 00:37:36,042 We're getting ready to do number six. 637 00:37:36,042 --> 00:37:39,875 And station onto test number five is complete. 638 00:37:42,482 --> 00:37:45,565 (enlightening music) 639 00:37:54,380 --> 00:37:57,460 {\an8}Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, Germany, 640 00:37:57,460 --> 00:38:00,873 {\an8}the control center of the European Space Agency, ESA. 641 00:38:02,150 --> 00:38:04,470 Mission Director, Claudio Sallazzo, 642 00:38:04,470 --> 00:38:07,270 is in constant contact with Andre Kuipers, 643 00:38:07,270 --> 00:38:09,880 and is preparing for his return. 644 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,220 But then he gets a call from Moscow. 645 00:38:12,220 --> 00:38:15,700 Yes, okay, thanks, I understand. 646 00:38:15,700 --> 00:38:18,082 Tom, would you like to come here, please. 647 00:38:18,082 --> 00:38:21,210 Gustav, so we have a problem, 648 00:38:21,210 --> 00:38:24,420 I was just informed that the next Soyuz 649 00:38:24,420 --> 00:38:27,690 will not launch because it failed the test. 650 00:38:27,690 --> 00:38:30,860 We have to work on a new plan, 651 00:38:30,860 --> 00:38:32,183 and on a contingency plan. 652 00:38:33,070 --> 00:38:36,570 My first reaction was that after having 653 00:38:36,570 --> 00:38:39,780 {\an8}lost a shuttle, having problems with Soyuz of course, 654 00:38:39,780 --> 00:38:43,100 {\an8}would have been a big 655 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:49,200 impact for the future of ISS. 656 00:38:49,485 --> 00:38:53,540 The Soyuz is now the only vehicle that can take 657 00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:56,320 astronauts back and forth 658 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,793 from the ground up to the station and back. 659 00:39:00,378 --> 00:39:04,210 So that certainly was a big concern 660 00:39:05,190 --> 00:39:06,143 for the future. 661 00:39:07,550 --> 00:39:10,947 What will we do if Soyuz doesn't 662 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,094 work properly anymore? 663 00:39:15,094 --> 00:39:17,670 (dramatic music) 664 00:39:17,670 --> 00:39:19,150 What happened? 665 00:39:19,150 --> 00:39:21,910 The Soyuz capsule intended to bring Andre Kuipers 666 00:39:21,910 --> 00:39:23,970 back to Earth was destroyed 667 00:39:23,970 --> 00:39:25,993 while undergoing tests in Moscow. 668 00:39:26,930 --> 00:39:29,663 At the moment there is no other spaceship. 669 00:39:30,750 --> 00:39:32,880 How will the astronauts get back to Earth 670 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,880 by their planned return date of May 16th, 2012? 671 00:39:38,220 --> 00:39:40,960 The main challenges were of course 672 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,768 related first of all with health and safety 673 00:39:43,768 --> 00:39:47,396 of our crew onboard. 674 00:39:47,396 --> 00:39:50,103 They live in a very harsh environment, 675 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:56,160 the station is in space, outside the walls of Columbus 676 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:58,400 or any of the other modules. 677 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,090 There is empty space, there is no air, 678 00:40:01,090 --> 00:40:05,240 there is no protection from any source of radiation. 679 00:40:05,240 --> 00:40:07,590 And then of course logistics, 680 00:40:07,590 --> 00:40:10,810 it's a lot of extra work that needs to be done 681 00:40:10,810 --> 00:40:14,000 to plan providing provisions for the astronaut 682 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,463 to live more time on board. 683 00:40:17,700 --> 00:40:19,600 There were numerous technical problems 684 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:22,343 in the months before Andre Kuipers' launch. 685 00:40:23,190 --> 00:40:25,890 When Progress 44P crashed, 686 00:40:25,890 --> 00:40:28,240 it was before our mission, 687 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:29,980 then there was some serious issue 688 00:40:29,980 --> 00:40:32,030 because they didn't know 689 00:40:32,030 --> 00:40:34,290 what the problem was with the launcher. 690 00:40:34,290 --> 00:40:38,720 And we used the same type of stage 691 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:40,403 as that Progress launcher. 692 00:40:41,700 --> 00:40:43,828 So there you want to be very sure 693 00:40:43,828 --> 00:40:46,470 that it is not a systematic error 694 00:40:46,470 --> 00:40:48,323 that happens in all the engines. 695 00:40:49,190 --> 00:40:51,370 Once we were onboard after a while, 696 00:40:51,370 --> 00:40:53,830 then we heard there was another problem, 697 00:40:53,830 --> 00:40:57,300 and it was a test with the next Soyuz capsule 698 00:40:57,300 --> 00:40:58,973 that got over-pressurized. 699 00:40:59,877 --> 00:41:01,388 And when I heard it I thought, 700 00:41:01,388 --> 00:41:05,430 "Hmm, this means something for us". 701 00:41:05,430 --> 00:41:08,355 Claudio Sollazzo gave me all the information, 702 00:41:08,355 --> 00:41:11,853 what was going on and what it meant for me and the mission. 703 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:17,630 {\an8}Everyone in the control center 704 00:41:17,630 --> 00:41:20,190 {\an8}of the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, 705 00:41:20,190 --> 00:41:22,450 {\an8}is working under extreme pressure 706 00:41:22,450 --> 00:41:24,660 to come up with a solution. 707 00:41:24,660 --> 00:41:27,950 Aborted launches, crashes, interruptions, 708 00:41:27,950 --> 00:41:29,810 and postponements, 709 00:41:29,810 --> 00:41:32,520 in the past few months there have been numerous 710 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:34,343 mishaps on the Russian side. 711 00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:38,130 It's a highly sensitive politic issue. 712 00:41:38,130 --> 00:41:40,980 Is the reputation of the Russian Space Agency 713 00:41:40,980 --> 00:41:43,033 for reliability in danger? 714 00:41:44,980 --> 00:41:47,150 I think the worries are more on the side 715 00:41:47,150 --> 00:41:51,700 {\an8}of the Russian system, Roscosmos, 716 00:41:51,700 --> 00:41:55,118 {\an8}because they had several events in a row, 717 00:41:55,118 --> 00:41:59,350 and of course people started to raise eyebrows 718 00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:04,017 about quality control on the side of Roscosmos. 719 00:42:05,690 --> 00:42:07,480 There are two Soyuz capsules 720 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,770 docked onto the space station, 721 00:42:09,770 --> 00:42:11,880 but if they were to use both of them, 722 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:15,190 there would no longer be any astronauts on board. 723 00:42:15,190 --> 00:42:18,450 For critics, this would be a welcome opportunity 724 00:42:18,450 --> 00:42:21,792 to demand the end of the billion dollar space station. 725 00:42:21,792 --> 00:42:23,000 (birds squawking) 726 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,090 A training facility outside of Moscow, 727 00:42:26,090 --> 00:42:28,683 practice for another kind of emergency. 728 00:42:28,683 --> 00:42:29,570 (crane humming) 729 00:42:29,570 --> 00:42:31,600 Alexander Gerst commutes constantly 730 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:34,360 between Houston, Cologne, and Moscow 731 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,573 preparing for his mission in May 2014. 732 00:42:38,720 --> 00:42:41,660 Together with his Russian and American colleagues, 733 00:42:41,660 --> 00:42:45,183 he is practicing a splashdown in a Soyuz capsule. 734 00:42:49,552 --> 00:42:51,802 (laughing) 735 00:42:54,790 --> 00:42:57,210 This training program used to be carried out 736 00:42:57,210 --> 00:43:00,460 under realistic conditions in the Black Sea, 737 00:43:00,460 --> 00:43:02,440 but in light of budget cuts, 738 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:06,233 some improvisation is now required to simulate waves. 739 00:43:07,150 --> 00:43:09,090 The astronauts spend several hours 740 00:43:09,090 --> 00:43:11,341 in the cramped hot capsule. 741 00:43:11,341 --> 00:43:14,423 (water splashing) 742 00:43:14,423 --> 00:43:16,570 Ideally of course you'd touch down on the landing pad 743 00:43:16,570 --> 00:43:18,110 in the plains of Kazakhstan, 744 00:43:18,110 --> 00:43:21,620 and that's usually what happens, a pinpoint landing there. 745 00:43:21,620 --> 00:43:24,320 But of course you have to be prepared for emergencies, 746 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:26,690 for example, there might be a leak in an oxygen tank 747 00:43:26,690 --> 00:43:28,860 or fuel tank while you're in space. 748 00:43:28,860 --> 00:43:30,810 And then you have to immediately return 749 00:43:30,810 --> 00:43:32,290 to the Earth's atmosphere. 750 00:43:32,290 --> 00:43:34,490 And that means you might end us just about anywhere 751 00:43:34,490 --> 00:43:35,323 on the planet 752 00:43:35,323 --> 00:43:38,700 {\an8}between 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south. 753 00:43:38,700 --> 00:43:40,154 {\an8}That might also be in the water. 754 00:43:40,154 --> 00:43:42,773 {\an8}And that's what we have to be prepared for. 755 00:43:44,821 --> 00:43:46,140 {\an8}(upbeat music) 756 00:43:46,140 --> 00:43:48,570 {\an8}Meanwhile in Oberpfaffenhofen, 757 00:43:48,570 --> 00:43:51,581 {\an8}they've found a way to get Andre Kuipers back to Earth, 758 00:43:51,581 --> 00:43:55,423 but he'll have to stay onboard for seven more weeks. 759 00:43:58,220 --> 00:44:01,400 I was very confident from the beginning 760 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,730 that we would find a solution. 761 00:44:03,730 --> 00:44:06,520 And we worked it out, 762 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:08,590 {\an8}so we had to consider what would happen 763 00:44:08,590 --> 00:44:10,820 {\an8}to the successive flights, 764 00:44:10,820 --> 00:44:14,800 {\an8}what would happen to the logistics onboard, 765 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:18,830 because keeping, let's say, a crew of six 766 00:44:18,830 --> 00:44:21,300 for one and a half months more, 767 00:44:21,300 --> 00:44:25,520 clearly implies we need more air to breathe, 768 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:30,520 we need more food, we need a lot more sustainability items. 769 00:44:30,950 --> 00:44:32,530 So a new Soyuz 770 00:44:32,530 --> 00:44:34,903 will bring the crew back to Earth later. 771 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,710 Failure in this case is not an option, 772 00:44:38,710 --> 00:44:43,431 as a very famous flight director from NASA said 773 00:44:43,431 --> 00:44:46,730 during the flight of Apollo 13. 774 00:44:46,730 --> 00:44:49,763 And that is history which remains with us as well. 775 00:44:50,882 --> 00:44:53,465 (upbeat music) 776 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:01,900 There is much rejoicing on board, 777 00:45:01,900 --> 00:45:06,340 the astronauts will stay in space for seven extra weeks 778 00:45:06,340 --> 00:45:07,660 before the Soyuz capsule 779 00:45:07,660 --> 00:45:10,044 that was destroyed during testing in Moscow, 780 00:45:10,044 --> 00:45:11,543 can be replaced. 781 00:45:24,050 --> 00:45:26,830 I think it was the right decision. 782 00:45:26,830 --> 00:45:29,660 I was never worried for myself, not for the crew. 783 00:45:29,660 --> 00:45:31,740 I felt sorry for the next crew, 784 00:45:31,740 --> 00:45:34,023 because their expedition will be shorter. 785 00:45:35,010 --> 00:45:39,490 So from that point of view, yeah, 786 00:45:39,490 --> 00:45:43,860 I thought for us it's good, because we can stay longer, 787 00:45:43,860 --> 00:45:47,440 at least we liked it, it could be the other way around. 788 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:50,283 But the others have bad luck. 789 00:46:00,610 --> 00:46:03,020 In addition to routine checks, 790 00:46:03,020 --> 00:46:05,840 Andre Kuipers will conduct numerous experiments 791 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:07,510 in the weeks to come, 792 00:46:07,510 --> 00:46:09,710 all of which are actually part of the 793 00:46:09,710 --> 00:46:11,463 subsequent crews' program. 794 00:46:20,848 --> 00:46:22,120 {\an8}(dramatic music) 795 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,490 {\an8}The control center for the European space transporter, ATV, 796 00:46:26,490 --> 00:46:29,588 is located in Toulouse, in southern France. 797 00:46:29,588 --> 00:46:32,671 (radio transmission) 798 00:46:35,370 --> 00:46:38,630 The unmanned space transporter took off a week ago, 799 00:46:38,630 --> 00:46:40,913 to bring supplies to the ISS. 800 00:46:42,330 --> 00:46:45,120 The docking maneuver will be controlled from here, 801 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,870 and is scheduled to take place tonight. 802 00:46:47,870 --> 00:46:49,883 Tension is high in the control center. 803 00:46:51,463 --> 00:46:54,546 (radio transmission) 804 00:46:59,380 --> 00:47:01,510 There are some very critical phases, 805 00:47:01,510 --> 00:47:03,670 the first is at 39 kilometers, 806 00:47:03,670 --> 00:47:05,140 that's a very critical moment 807 00:47:05,140 --> 00:47:07,190 because that's when the ATV first commences 808 00:47:07,190 --> 00:47:10,190 electronic communication with the station. 809 00:47:10,190 --> 00:47:12,310 {\an8}A dialogue must be established, 810 00:47:12,310 --> 00:47:13,963 {\an8}and it must take place on time. 811 00:47:15,710 --> 00:47:18,753 The satellite is moving towards the station very fast, 812 00:47:18,753 --> 00:47:20,560 and we only have 20 minutes to ensure 813 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:22,610 the communication is working. 814 00:47:22,610 --> 00:47:25,653 If that doesn't happen, the rendezvous can't take place. 815 00:47:33,470 --> 00:47:36,730 The docking maneuver is computer-controlled, 816 00:47:36,730 --> 00:47:40,160 meter by meter the 20-ton space transporter 817 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:41,683 glides toward the station. 818 00:47:42,830 --> 00:47:45,440 The team in Toulouse is in constant contact 819 00:47:45,440 --> 00:47:48,003 with the control centers in Moscow and Houston. 820 00:47:52,330 --> 00:47:54,670 In point of fact, the astronauts on board 821 00:47:54,670 --> 00:47:56,610 are intended to monitor everything 822 00:47:56,610 --> 00:47:59,973 and intervene to influence the ATV's behavior if needed. 823 00:48:01,290 --> 00:48:03,780 Although they can't reprogram the ATV, 824 00:48:03,780 --> 00:48:05,483 they do monitor its approach. 825 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:08,630 They make sure the ATV maneuvers within 826 00:48:08,630 --> 00:48:10,370 its safe approach corridor, 827 00:48:10,370 --> 00:48:13,073 which is safe for the station and astronauts. 828 00:48:14,510 --> 00:48:17,680 If the ATV departs from the safe approach corridor, 829 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:19,180 they can abort the rendezvous. 830 00:48:25,700 --> 00:48:27,210 This animation shows 831 00:48:27,210 --> 00:48:29,960 the precision with which the engineers work 832 00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:33,543 to ensure the space transporter can dock onto the station. 833 00:48:34,998 --> 00:48:38,415 [Radio controller] Flight code, 172800. 834 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:43,887 Dynamics repeat 172800. 835 00:48:43,887 --> 00:48:45,670 [Radio controller] Correct. 836 00:48:45,670 --> 00:48:47,370 Mission accomplished. 837 00:48:49,370 --> 00:48:50,323 Contact. 838 00:48:53,126 --> 00:48:54,110 (clapping) 839 00:48:54,110 --> 00:48:57,860 Relief, the unmanned space transporter 840 00:48:57,860 --> 00:49:00,603 has docked onto the International Space Station. 841 00:49:15,530 --> 00:49:19,900 Now there's hard work to do for the crew onboard. 842 00:49:19,900 --> 00:49:23,357 It takes 15 hours before they can finally open the hatch 843 00:49:23,357 --> 00:49:24,993 to the space station. 844 00:49:27,940 --> 00:49:30,050 Whenever there is a spaceship coming, 845 00:49:30,050 --> 00:49:33,000 there is a possibility of debris, 846 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:36,459 there's things floating loose, maybe sharp metal particles, 847 00:49:36,459 --> 00:49:38,270 or something like that. 848 00:49:38,270 --> 00:49:43,270 Then it's always wise to just put on goggles and masks, 849 00:49:43,506 --> 00:49:44,940 just to be sure. 850 00:49:44,940 --> 00:49:48,097 But now with ATV, we open the hatch 851 00:49:48,097 --> 00:49:51,370 and we notice atmospherically there's nothing floating, 852 00:49:51,370 --> 00:49:53,470 and the air smells good. 853 00:49:53,470 --> 00:49:57,570 And so it's a very nice spaceship, the ATV, 854 00:49:57,570 --> 00:49:58,610 so that was okay. 855 00:49:58,610 --> 00:50:00,433 It's just a safety precaution. 856 00:50:01,670 --> 00:50:02,990 The space transporter 857 00:50:02,990 --> 00:50:06,620 has delivered a cargo of more than six and a half tons, 858 00:50:06,620 --> 00:50:10,850 it will undock again in six months filled with refuse. 859 00:50:10,850 --> 00:50:13,793 It will burn-up upon reentering the Earth's atmosphere. 860 00:50:15,330 --> 00:50:19,200 ATV brings a lot of interesting items, 861 00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:22,840 it brings new equipment, it brings food, 862 00:50:22,840 --> 00:50:26,823 clothes, special care packages for the crew, 863 00:50:27,940 --> 00:50:31,866 consumables, all kind of things that the crew need, 864 00:50:31,866 --> 00:50:35,943 be it for experiments, be it for living onboard. 865 00:50:59,780 --> 00:51:01,740 The final weeks of Andre Kuipers' 866 00:51:01,740 --> 00:51:03,773 space adventure are at hand. 867 00:51:04,720 --> 00:51:07,590 Instead of five months, as originally planned, 868 00:51:07,590 --> 00:51:10,653 he has been in space for more than half a year. 869 00:51:11,930 --> 00:51:14,530 I spent the last days, a lot of time, 870 00:51:14,530 --> 00:51:17,650 at the window at night when everybody was already asleep. 871 00:51:17,650 --> 00:51:19,800 I curled up in the Cupola, 872 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:21,630 and I saw the whole Earth under me, 873 00:51:21,630 --> 00:51:24,600 and it was fantastic, complete orbits, 874 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:27,160 and beautiful thunderstorms, 875 00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:29,650 and you see all the different star systems come up, 876 00:51:29,650 --> 00:51:31,120 the constellations. 877 00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:34,028 And then the planets going up, Jupiter, Venus, 878 00:51:34,028 --> 00:51:37,440 and then I saw the moon, and then the sunrise. 879 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:41,240 We had northern lights even on those last orbits. 880 00:51:41,240 --> 00:51:44,320 And then on July 1st, 2012, 881 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:46,080 it's time to say goodbye. 882 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:47,740 The return in the Soyuz 883 00:51:47,740 --> 00:51:50,530 is the most exciting part of the flight. 884 00:51:50,530 --> 00:51:52,450 People mostly think of the launch, 885 00:51:52,450 --> 00:51:54,553 but returning is very exciting. 886 00:51:56,830 --> 00:52:00,790 Somewhere above Iraq, Turkey, we enter the atmosphere. 887 00:52:00,790 --> 00:52:04,260 You see that because it becomes pink outside, 888 00:52:04,260 --> 00:52:07,360 and then orange, and you see sparks. 889 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:10,180 And then all of a sudden you get heavier and heavier, 890 00:52:10,180 --> 00:52:12,093 one, two, three times, four times, 891 00:52:12,093 --> 00:52:15,403 4.7 times our body weight. 892 00:52:15,403 --> 00:52:16,630 So it's hard to breathe, 893 00:52:16,630 --> 00:52:20,340 so for several minutes we are in this fireball 894 00:52:20,340 --> 00:52:23,000 being squeezed in our seats, 895 00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:25,360 and then you brace for the impact. 896 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:27,341 And then you see a big flash, and then 897 00:52:27,341 --> 00:52:28,663 (fists smack) you hit the ground. 898 00:52:28,663 --> 00:52:30,173 {\an8}It's a small car accident, 899 00:52:31,972 --> 00:52:33,540 {\an8}very wild, 900 00:52:33,540 --> 00:52:37,270 {\an8}you move, my knee hit the dashboard, 901 00:52:37,270 --> 00:52:40,610 and we fell, we tipped over for a moment, 902 00:52:40,610 --> 00:52:42,433 and then we came up right again. 903 00:52:47,770 --> 00:52:50,710 If you come out the capsule after half a year, 904 00:52:50,710 --> 00:52:52,960 it feels really strange. 905 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:56,040 It feels like a magnet is pulling on you. 906 00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:58,930 You see also that we are pretty pale, 907 00:52:58,930 --> 00:53:02,460 so the blood pressure reflexes are down. 908 00:53:02,460 --> 00:53:06,530 But I felt good enough to recognize people, 909 00:53:06,530 --> 00:53:08,720 and to wave, and to make a phone call. 910 00:53:08,720 --> 00:53:12,880 So also I realized that people were of course worried, 911 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:14,650 but I could smile, 912 00:53:14,650 --> 00:53:17,253 so back on the planet. 913 00:53:19,274 --> 00:53:20,107 (birds squawking) 914 00:53:20,107 --> 00:53:20,940 It's an adventure 915 00:53:20,940 --> 00:53:24,083 that Alexander Gerst is still looking forward to. 916 00:53:25,141 --> 00:53:27,580 For me one of the primary motivations 917 00:53:27,580 --> 00:53:29,010 for wanting to fly to space 918 00:53:29,010 --> 00:53:31,210 was this curiosity I have. 919 00:53:31,210 --> 00:53:32,570 I want to find things out, 920 00:53:32,570 --> 00:53:35,820 not just new technologies, and new scientific discoveries, 921 00:53:35,820 --> 00:53:38,270 which in my view would by themselves be sufficient 922 00:53:38,270 --> 00:53:40,030 to justify space travel, 923 00:53:40,030 --> 00:53:42,920 but also this other feeling of going beyond borders 924 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,222 to see what's in our Earth's neighborhood. 925 00:53:45,222 --> 00:53:48,055 (birds squawking) 926 00:53:51,150 --> 00:53:54,400 We've been venturing into space for 50 years. 927 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:55,240 When you think about it, 928 00:53:55,240 --> 00:53:57,460 how much we've achieved in those 50 years. 929 00:53:57,460 --> 00:54:00,070 We've been to the moon and other heavenly bodies, 930 00:54:00,070 --> 00:54:02,510 we have a space station in orbit above the Earth 931 00:54:02,510 --> 00:54:04,683 where we can live, research, work. 932 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:09,430 We human beings are such a curious and inquisitive species, 933 00:54:09,430 --> 00:54:11,570 we won't ever stop looking for answers, 934 00:54:11,570 --> 00:54:12,823 of that I'm certain. 935 00:54:15,513 --> 00:54:18,430 (uplifting music)