Original subtitles

Astronaut: 10, 9, 8...

Narrator: OUR FIRST STEPS INTO SPACE

WERE LEAPS INTO THE UNKNOWN.

WE KNEW LITTLE OF WHAT LAY BEYOND THE BLUE.

Man: ROGER, THE CLOCK IS OPERATING.

WE'RE UNDERWAY.

Narrator: DESPITE SOME BREATHTAKING SUCCESS,

OUTER SPACE IS STILL THE MOST HOSTILE PLACE EVER KNOWN.

Astronaut: HOUSTON, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM.

Narrator: BUT WE MAY HAVE TO TAME SPACE

IN ORDER TO SAVE OURSELVES.

Man: THERE IS 100% CERTAINTY THAT AT SOME FUTURE TIME,

THIS PLANET WILL BE UNINHABITABLE.

Narrator: ANOTHER PLANET MAY BE OUR ONLY OPTION.

Man: THE HUMAN RACE HAS A CHOICE.

IT CAN EITHER SIT HERE

TILL IT BECOMES THE NEXT GREAT EXTINCTION,

OR WE PRESERVE THE RACE ELSEWHERE.

Narrator: THIS MAY SEEM LIKE THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION,

BUT NASA TEAMS ARE BUSY WORKING TO MAKE IT A REALITY.

JUST ONE BIG HURDLE REMAINS.

Man: THE FRAGILENESS OF THE HUMAN BODY

IS SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE WITH US

WHEN WE GO INTO DEEP SPACE.

Narrator: THE QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER HUMAN INGENUITY

CAN OVERCOME THE HUMAN BODY'S LIMITATIONS.

NASA HAS AN EPIC NEW CHALLENGE.

President Obama: BY THE MID-2030s,

I BELIEVE WE CAN SEND HUMANS TO ORBIT MARS

AND RETURN THEM SAFELY TO EARTH.

AND A LANDING ON MARS WILL FOLLOW.

AND I EXPECT TO BE AROUND TO SEE IT.

Narrator: A TRIP TO MARS IS NO EASY FEAT.

IT'S A 34-MILLION-MILE ODYSSEY

THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD KILL A HUMAN

IN LESS THAN A MINUTE.

Roger Launius: THE REALITY IS

WE CAN BUILD THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE NEED TO GO OTHER PLACES,

BUT THE HUMAN BODY ITSELF

IS THE MOST FRAGILE OF ANY OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES.

Narrator: SPACE IS AN INFINITE VACUUM

WITH FATALLY LOW ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE...

AND LETHAL RADIATION LEVELS.

IT SUPPORTS NO FORMS OF LIFE...

THAT WE KNOW OF.

A TRIP TO MARS

WILL BE THE RISKIEST JOURNEY WE'VE EVER ATTEMPTED.

Gene Kranz: WHEN PRESIDENT KENNEDY

ISSUED HIS CHALLENGE TO GO TO THE MOON,

WE'D NEVER BEEN TO ORBIT,

AND NINE YEARS LATER, WE WERE ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

RISK IS THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

Narrator: REACHING THE MOON,

250,000 MILES AWAY,

WAS AN EPIC ACHIEVEMENT.

BUT MARS IS MORE THAN 100 TIMES FARTHER.

WE'LL NEED SOME HUGE TECHNOLOGICAL LEAPS

TO GET THERE.

THE CREW MUST ENDURE THREE YEARS OF MICROGRAVITY

AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BODY:

RADIATION SICKNESS,

MUSCLE AND BONE LOSS.

THEY WILL FACE A PUNISHING ENTRY THROUGH THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE

TO THEN LAND ON A DUSTY, STORMY PLANET.

HERE, THEY MUST EKE OUT AN EXISTENCE,

AND THAT WILL REQUIRE THE ABILITY TO FUNCTION WELL

IN A TOPSY-TURVY WORLD OF MICROGRAVITY.

CONQUERING WEIGHTLESSNESS IS A PRIMARY SURVIVAL SKILL.

Mike Fincke: YOU HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO MOVE YOUR BODY

TO GET IT IN THE RIGHT SPOT.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE WANT TO PUT A BOLT INTO A NUT.

WELL, IF YOU TURN THIS DRILL, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN GRAVITY

AND YOUR FEET AREN'T ON THE GROUND,

YOU'D SPIN AROUND MORE THAN THE BOLT WOULD.

Narrator: OUR FIRST ATTEMPTS TO DO EVEN SIMPLE THINGS IN SPACE

POSED UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES.

Announcer: LIFT-OFF.

WE HAVE A ROLL PROGRAM INITIATED.

Narrator: IN 1965,

NASA CHOSE ED WHITE TO MAKE HISTORY.

AS GEMINI 4 ORBITED EARTH,

HE WAITED FOR THE COMMAND TO LET GO.

Jim McDivitt: WELL, THE OBJECT WAS TO GO OUTSIDE AND COME BACK IN

AND NOT KILL ANYBODY WHILE WE'RE DOING IT.

HE FLOATED OUT AND FLOATED AROUND

ON THE END OF HIS TETHER.

Narrator: AMERICA'S FIRST SPACEWALK WAS AN UTTER LEAP OF FAITH

THAT THE TETHER WOULD HOLD...

THAT THE OXYGEN SUPPLY WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY...

AND THAT EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT OF HIS SPACESUIT...

EVERY LAYER, EVERY SEAL...

WOULD KEEP WHITE ALIVE.

IF IT FAILED, HE'D LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS IN 15 SECONDS.

WITHIN A MINUTE, THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WOULD BOIL HIS BLOOD.

Cathleen Lewis: GEMINI SUITS WERE REALLY THAT FIRST FORAY

IN DESIGNING A SUIT

THAT PURPOSELY FUNCTIONED OUTSIDE A SPACECRAFT.

THEY WERE DESIGNED TO PROTECT AGAINST RADIATION

AND ALSO GREAT FLUCTUATIONS IN TEMPERATURE.

Narrator: ALL OF THAT ESSENTIAL PROTECTION

ADDED UP TO SOME 34 POUNDS OF BULKY AND RESTRICTIVE LAYERS.

McDivitt: THE GEMINI SPACESUIT,

WHEN IT WAS INFLATED, IT WAS IN ONE POSITION.

TO MOVE YOUR ARMS OR ANYTHING,

YOU HAD TO BEND THIS KNIT TUBE THAT YOUR ARM OR LEG WAS IN.

Narrator: FOR TWENTY EXHILARATING MINUTES IN 1965,

ED WHITE'S SUIT DID ITS JOB.

Narrator: NASA THOUGHT THEY'D CRACKED THE ART OF SPACEWALKING.

Kranz: WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION

THAT SPACEWALKING WAS A VERY NATURAL PROCESS.

THE CREW ADAPTED VERY EASILY AND VERY WELL.

Narrator: BUT ASTRONAUTS NEEDED TO WORK IN SPACE,

NOT JUST FLOAT IN IT.

SO NASA GAVE THE NEXT GEMINI SPACEWALKERS

SIMPLE JOBS TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE.

AND SPACE, QUITE LITERALLY, PUSHED BACK.

Launius: DURING GENE CERNAN'S SPACEWALK,

HE WAS OVERCOMPENSATING FOR HIS MOVEMENTS,

HE THRASHED AROUND IN THE WEIGHTLESS ENVIRONMENT,

COULDN'T GET TO WHERE HE NEEDED TO GET,

AND CAME CLOSE TO PASSING OUT.

Narrator: OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS,

TWO MORE ASTRONAUTS STRUGGLED AND FAILED.

Lovell: EVERY TIME SOMEONE GOT OUT, THEY SEEMED TO FIGHT THE OUTSIDE

AND EVERY TIME THEY WENT TO THE SPACECRAFT,

IT SEEMED TO REPEL THEM.

AND FINALLY WE ALL FORGOT NEWTON'S THIRD LAW OF MOTION:

TO EVERY ACTION

THERE IS AN OPPOSITE AND EQUAL REACTION.

Narrator: WHAT NASA FAILED TO REALIZE

WAS THAT IF AN ASTRONAUT TOUCHES ANYTHING IN SPACE,

IT WILL PUSH HIM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

THE SOLUTION WAS TO TRAIN UNDERWATER,

AND ROOKIE ASTRONAUT BUZZ ALDRIN TOOK THE PLUNGE.

Lovell: WE HAD BUZZ ALDRIN PUT ON A SPACESUIT,

AND WE PUT WEIGHTS AROUND HIS WAIST

TO MAKE HIM NEUTRALLY BUOYANT,

AND THEN WE BUILT A SERIES OF FOOTHOLDS AND HANDHOLDS

ON THE MOCK UP,

AND HE THEN TRIED TO SEE

HOW HE COULD WORK COMFORTABLY OUTSIDE THE SPACECRAFT.

Narrator: NOVEMBER 11, 1966.

ALDRIN MAKES A LAST-DITCH EFFORT ON GEMINI 12.

IT'S THE FINAL GEMINI MISSION, AND THE PRESSURE IS ON.

NO SUCCESSFUL SPACEWALK,

NO MOONWALK BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

BUT WITH HOURS OF NEUTRAL BUOYANCY TRAINING BEHIND HIM,

ALDRIN MAKES IT LOOK EASY.

Buzz Aldrin: IT WAS A KIND OF SIMPLE-MINDED

"MONKEY, DO THIS AND SCREW THIS."

SPACEWALKING IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE SLOW, GRADUAL,

WITH JUST THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENTS AND PRESSURES.

IT WAS A BUNCH OF LITTLE TASKS.

BUT THEY WERE ALL SO SIMPLE THAT EVERYTHING GOT DONE.

Narrator: BUZZ TRIUMPHED.

THE SPACEWALKING HURDLE WAS JUMPED.

EVERY ASTRONAUT SINCE TRAINS MANEUVERS IN SPACE

IN NASA'S GIANT SWIMMING POOL:

THE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB.

Fincke: WE'VE HAD AN EXCELLENT RUN HERE.

WE SIMULATED A SPACEWALK THAT WE HADN'T DONE BEFORE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO SEND UP WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY

TO THE CREW WHO'S IN ORBIT

SO THEY CAN GO OUTSIDE IN JUST A WEEK OR TWO

TO FIX THE SPACE STATION.

Narrator: MIKE FINCKE IS ONE OF 200 MEN AND WOMEN

WHO HAVE SINCE STEPPED OUT INTO THE INKY VOID.

Fincke: YOU CAN PREPARE TO A CERTAIN DEGREE,

BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT FIRST FEELING THAT YOU HAVE

WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE WEIGHTLESS,

YOUR BODY STARTS SHIFTING,

ALL THE FLUIDS INSIDE THAT ARE NORMALLY DOWN IN YOUR LEGS

WANT TO GO UP HIGHER,

YOUR FACE FEELS PUFFY,

AND YET YOU'RE EXHILARATED IN YOUR HEART

BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT IN SPACE AND YOU LOOK DOWN AT PLANET EARTH,

AND IT'S ALL SO EXCITING.

Narrator: OVER FIVE DECADES,

ASTRONAUTS WORKING IN SPACE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AMAZING MISSIONS:

EVERYTHING FROM THE AWE-INSPIRING REPAIR

OF THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE

TO BUILDING THE COLOSSAL INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

BUT THESE MISSIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED

OVER MULTIPLE TRIPS,

WITH PEOPLE WORKING IN SPACE

FOR RELATIVELY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.

A NINE-MONTH JOURNEY TO MARS IS A REAL LEAP INTO THE UNKNOWN.

OUR BODIES JUST AREN'T BUILT TO LIVE,

MUCH LESS WORK

IN THIS INCREDIBLY UNFORGIVING ENVIRONMENT.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PEOPLE UP THERE THAT LONG.

IN 1973, NASA SET OUT TO DISCOVER

THE IMPACT OF LONG-TERM SPACE MISSIONS

ON THE HUMAN BODY.

Gerald Carr: THEY WERE AFRAID IF SOMEONE STAYED IN SPACE TOO LONG,

THEY MIGHT NOT COME BACK IN GOOD ENOUGH SHAPE TO SURVIVE.

Narrator: FIRST, NASA NEEDED TO GIVE THE ASTRONAUTS

MORE SPACE TO LIVE IN.

SO THEY BUILT SKYLAB, THE FIRST SPACE STATION,

USING THE SHELL OF AN OLD SATURN V ROCKET.

Paul Ceruzzi: AN UPPER STAGE OF SATURN V

WAS CONVERTED INTO VERY, VERY SPACIOUS LIVING QUARTERS,

AT LEAST BY SPACE STANDARDS.

Narrator: THE FIRST CREW, NAMED SKYLAB 2,

LAUNCHED ON MAY 25, 1973.

THE ASTRONAUTS SPEND 28 DAYS IN SPACE,

DOUBLING NASA'S PREVIOUS RECORD.

SKYLAB 3 ORBITED FOR 59 DAYS.

AND ON NOVEMBER 16, 1973,

SKYLAB 4 FINALLY APPROACHED THE SPACE STATION.

THEIR MISSION: TO LAST OVER 80 DAYS INSIDE.

Ed Gibson: IT WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A 3-BEDROOM HOME,

BUT WE WERE WORKING IN THREE DIMENSIONS AS OPPOSED TO TWO.

IF WE WERE TO TURN THIS WHOLE ROOM INTO ZERO GRAVITY,

WE'D FIND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD BECOME MUCH MORE SPACIOUS,

MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY TO YOU.

AND THAT'S THE WAY SKYLAB WAS.

IT WAS HUGE.

Narrator: AT THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM,

SKYLAB 4 COMMANDER GERALD CARR VISITS THE DUPLICATE

OF THE SPACECRAFT HE ONCE CALLED HOME.

Carr: I'M REMEMBERING ALL OF THE MEALS

WE HAD AROUND THIS TABLE IN THE WARD ROOM.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS DID ON MY MISSION

WAS WE ALWAYS ATE TOGETHER.

Narrator: WITH A FREEZER ON BOARD,

SKYLAB'S MENU WAS AS GOURMET AND LUXURIOUS

AS SPACE FOOD EVER GOT.

Carr: WE HAD THREE TYPES OF FOOD.

WE HAD FROZEN FOOD,

AND THAT WAS THINGS LIKE ICE CREAM, FILET MIGNON,

LOBSTER NEWBERG, ROAST PORK AND DRESSING.

THE SECOND TYPE OF FOOD WAS FREEZE DRIED,

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU GET

IN A SPORTING GOODS STORE, CAMPING FOOD.

THE THIRD TYPE OF FOOD WE HAD WAS CANNED FOOD.

NASA HAD A FANCY TERM.

THEY CALLED IT THERMAL STABILIZED.

BUT IT WAS JUST PLAIN OLD CANNED FOOD,

AND MOST OF THAT WAS OUR FRUITS.

THE BATHROOM WAS OVER THERE.

YOU COULD SEE THAT THE TOILET,

THE ENGINEER WHO DESIGNED THAT WAS A MASOCHIST,

BECAUSE TO SIT ON THE TOILET

YOU HAVE TO HANG ON THE WALL LIKE A BAT.

THEY EVEN PROVIDED US, AS YOU CAN SEE,

WITH SEATBELTS TO HOLD US ON.

Narrator: AS WELL AS BEING AT THE MERCY

OF MASOCHISTIC SPACECRAFT ENGINEERS,

THE SKYLAB CREWS WERE ALSO MEDICAL PIONEERS

AND GUINEA PIGS.

DOCTORS ON THE GROUND KEPT A CLOSE EYE

ON HOW WEIGHTLESSNESS AFFECTED THEIR HEALTH.

BODY FLUIDS WERE THE FIRST TO CHANGE.

Carr: WHEN A HUMAN GOES INTO A WEIGHTLESS ENVIRONMENT,

THE MOST COMMON THING IS WHAT WE CALL A FLUID SHIFT.

Gibson: YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AND THIS PUMPKIN LOOKS BACK,

THIS ROUND RED HEAD WITH BRIGHT RED EYEBALLS,

BECAUSE NO LONGER CHECKED BY GRAVITY,

YOUR ARTERIES AND YOUR VEINS AND YOUR HEART

CONTINUE TO FORCE THE BLOOD UP TOWARDS YOUR HEAD.

Narrator: LUCKILY, BODILY FLUIDS RESETTLE AFTER A FEW DAYS.

BUT WITH IDLE LIMBS, MUSCLE TONE RAPIDLY DETERIORATES.

Gibson: YOU DON'T REALLY WORK LIKE YOU DO DOWN HERE.

YOU TEND TO LOSE MUSCLE MASS,

ESPECIALLY IN YOUR LEGS.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,

BECAUSE YOUR HEART DOESN'T WORK AS HARD,

Narrator: RUDIMENTARY EXERCISE EQUIPMENT HELPED MAINTAIN SOME MUSCLE.

BUT THE FIRST SKYLAB CREWS

STILL LOST 20% OF THEIR MUSCLE MASS

IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS.

SO NASA ORDERED THE CREW TO HIT THE GYM

FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF EVERY DAY.

Carr: THIS IS THE EXERCISE BICYCLE HERE.

WE TOOK THE SEAT OFF OF IT BECAUSE THE SEAT WAS A BOTHER.

WE PUT A FEW TOWELS UP HERE,

AND YOU COULD STAND UP AND BICYCLE

WITH YOUR HEAD ON THE PAD

AND THAT WAY YOU COULD STRESS YOUR WHOLE SKELETON

RATHER THAN JUST THE LOWER PART OF YOUR BODY.

Gibson: I PERSONALLY REALLY ENJOYED IT BECAUSE I MISSED EXERCISE,

BUT ALSO, IT TENDED TO PULL THE FLUIDS

FROM THE UPPER PART OF YOUR BODY DOWN INTO YOUR LEGS,

AND YOUR HEAD FELT CLEAR AGAIN.

Narrator: IN ADDITION TO EXERCISE,

MISSION CONTROL SCHEDULES EVERY MOMENT

OF ASTRONAUTS' LIVES IN SPACE,

WHICH HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON CREW MORALE...

SOMETHING MADE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON SKYLAB 4.

Gibson: ONE OF THE MAJOR FEATURES

THAT YOU WANT FOR A LONG-DURATION SPACE FLIGHT

IS, NUMBER ONE, SOME WORK TO DO

WHICH IS INTERESTING AND INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING.

AND THE SECOND THING YOU WANT

IS NOT TO HAVE TO MARCH BY THE NUMBERS.

Narrator: SKYLAB'S AGENDA WAS SCHEDULED

AS RIGIDLY AND RELENTLESSLY

AS IF THEY WERE ON A ONE-DAY MERCURY TRIP,

NOT A THREE-MONTH-LONG MISSION.

THE CREW HAD A DIZZYING ARRAY

OF MEDICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL EXPERIMENTS,

PLUS SEVERAL SPACEWALKS TO ACCOMPLISH.

Carr: WE WERE OVER-SCHEDULED.

WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TO RUSH FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER,

YOU START MAKING MISTAKES,

AND WE STARTED MAKING MISTAKES

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MISSION.

Gibson: IF YOU EVER TRIED TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT YOU WERE GONNA DO TOMORROW

AND PUT IT ON A LIST DOWN TO EVERY FIVE MINUTES,

AND THEN TRY TO WORK THAT WAY TOMORROW,

YOU'D FIND IT WOULD BE AWFUL HARD.

Carr: WE WERE JUST BEING PUSHED TOO FAST TO DO THINGS.

THAT CAUSED A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM FOR US.

WE DIDN'T LIKE FAILING.

Vance Brand: I THINK THE CREW FELT

THEY PROBABLY DID HAVE A VERY HEAVY WORKLOAD.

WE WERE SITTING IN CHAIRS IN MISSION CONTROL,

SO IT WAS HARD TO FEEL WHAT THEY WERE FEELING UP THERE.

THE MEDIA WAS GETTING WIND OF THE FACT

THAT THE CREW WAS LESS THAN HAPPY.

Journalist: THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OFF AND ON

ABOUT THIS CREW BEING SOMEWHAT LESS ENTHUSIASTIC

THAN PREVIOUS SKYLAB CREWS.

COULD YOU COMMENT ON THIS, PLEASE, SIR?

Man: YEAH, THEY'RE YOUR REPORTS, NOT OURS.

THIS CREW IS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC.

WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THEM.

Narrator: BUT THAT ENTHUSIASM SOON WANED,

AND EVENTUALLY THE ISSUE OF WORKLOAD CAME TO A HEAD

IN WHAT HAS FAMOUSLY BEEN REFERRED TO

AS THE FIRST MUTINY IN SPACE.

Carr: I TOLD THE PEOPLE, "WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUR SUNDAY OFF,"

AND WE REALLY TOOK IT OFF.

IN FACT, ON ONE OCCASION, AS WE WERE GOING OVER A STATION,

WE HAD FORGOTTEN TO RECONFIGURE OUR RADIOS.

THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND CALLED US.

Mission control: SKYLAB, THIS IS HOUSTON,

THROUGH CORPUS CHRISTI, MERRITT ISLAND AND BERMUDA

FOR 14.5 MINUTES, OVER.

[SILENCE]

Carr: AND WE DIDN'T ANSWER,

SO THEY HAD TO SEND UP AN EMERGENCY PULSE SIGNAL

TO HIT AN ALARM

AND GET US TO PAY ATTENTION AND GET WITH THEM AGAIN.

Mission control: OK, THANK YOU, SKYLAB 4.

Skylab astronaut: OK... SO LONG.

Gibson: THEY CALLED IT A STRIKE IN SPACE,

I MEAN, STRIKE? WHERE WERE WE GONNA GO?

Narrator: SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE.

Carr: FINALLY, ON ABOUT DAY 40 OR SO,

AS WE CAME ACROSS A U.S. PASS FOR ABOUT 14 MINUTES,

WE TOLD THE GROUND WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE.

Carr, recording: I THINK THAT A CREW,

OR ANY MAN WHO IS WORKING LONG HOURS

NEEDS SOME PERIOD OF TIME AT THE END OF THE DAY

WHERE HE CAN BE QUIET AND WIND DOWN AND RELAX

AND GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS

IN ORDER TO KIND OF GET YOURSELF READY

FOR THE NEXT DAY'S ACTIVITY.

Carr: SO ON THE NEXT PASS, THEY HAD THEIR TURN TO TELL US

WHAT WE WERE DOING TO MAKE THEIR LIFE MISERABLE.

Gibson: WE WORKED WITH THE GROUND

AND CAME UP WITH A BETTER WAY TO GO AT IT,

AND I THINK WE ALL WERE MUCH BETTER FOR IT...

NOT JUST OURSELVES ON THAT FLIGHT,

BUT SUBSEQUENT FLIGHTS, THE SPACE STATION, AND SO FORTH.

Narrator: WORK SCHEDULING ON SPACE STATIONS

IS NOW MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE...

A CHANGE THAT HAS HAD A HUGELY POSITIVE IMPACT

ON BOTH CREW MORALE AND PRODUCTIVITY.

Carr: IT REALLY LOOSENED UP THE DAY,

AND WE WERE FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT GOT PICKED UP

IN A LOT OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS.

HARVARD MANAGEMENT REVIEWS AND PEOPLE USED THIS EVENT

AS AN EXAMPLE

OF WHY YOU SHOULD NOT OVERSCHEDULE YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Narrator: ON FEBRUARY 8, 1974,

CARR, GIBSON, AND POGUE RETURNED HOME

AFTER 84 DAYS, 1 HOUR, AND 16 MINUTES

IN SPACE ORBIT.

Carr: IT WAS SAID BY SOME

THAT WE WERE PROBABLY IN BETTER SHAPE WHEN WE GOT BACK

THAN WHEN WE LEFT.

Mike Barratt: SKYLAB WAS AN AMAZING PROGRAM

IN A LOT OF WAYS.

FROM THERE WE LEARNED HOW TO EXERCISE IN SPACE,

HOW TO FEED PEOPLE IN SPACE...

JUST THE BASICS OF LIVING IN SPACE

FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

SKYLAB WAS REALLY A LANDMARK PROGRAM FOR US.

Narrator: SKYLAB WAS A MAJOR STEP

TOWARDS HUMAN HABITATION OF SPACE.

IT ALSO LED TO SOME SURPRISING INNOVATIONS ON EARTH.

FOR EXAMPLE, INFANT FORMULA NOW USED AROUND THE WORLD

CONTAINS A SPECIFIC NUTRIENT IDENTIFIED BY NASA

FOR LONG DURATION SPACEFLIGHT.

IN ADDITION TO ADVANCING NUTRITION,

SKYLAB 4 HIGHLIGHTED HOW MUCH THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN CREW AND MISSION CONTROL CAN ENHANCE OR DERAIL A MISSION.

Gary Beven: THERE ARE UPS AND DOWNS

DURING LONG DURATION MISSIONS.

THERE MIGHT BE A DAY IN WHICH

THE ASTRONAUTS AND THE GROUND TEAM

DON'T SEE EYE-TO-EYE.

BUT IF EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS

THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS PROFESSIONALS,

THEY MOVE ON.

Narrator: WORKING TOGETHER FROM THAT DISTANCE

ALWAYS POSES CHALLENGES.

BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO A FULL-BLOWN CRISIS

WHEN THAT DYNAMIC BECOMES VITAL IN THE FLIP OF A SWITCH.

APRIL 14, 1970.

ROOKIE ASTRONAUTS FRED HAISE AND JACK SWIGERT

AND COMMANDER JIM LOVELL,

A VETERAN OF THREE NASA MISSIONS,

ARE TWO DAYS INTO THE THIRD MOON LANDING ATTEMPT

ON APOLLO 13.

200,000 MILES FROM EARTH,

AS THE CREW PREPARES FOR A NIGHT OF SLEEP,

HOUSTON HAS ONE FINAL ROUTINE REQUEST FOR THE ASTRONAUTS.

Kranz: WE HAVE A FIVE-PAGE PRE-SLEEP CHECKLIST.

WE GOT DOWN TO THE FINAL ITEM: "DO WE REQUIRE A CRYO-STIR?"

Narrator: A CRYO-STIR TURNS ON FANS

TO MAKE THE OXYGEN TANKS UNIFORM

SO MISSION CONTROL CAN MEASURE THEM.

Kranz: JACK SWIGERT INITIATED THIS CRYO-STIR.

Fred Haise: THIS LOUD BANG OCCURRED.

I COULD HEAR AND SAW

SOME WARPING OF THE METAL IN THE TUNNEL.

Lovell: THESE LIGHTS STARTED TO FLASH AND JETS STARTED TO FIRE,

AND I LOOKED UP AT FRED

TO SEE IF HE KNEW WHAT WAS CAUSING ALL THIS COMMOTION,

AND I COULD TELL HE DIDN'T KNOW.

Narrator: WARNING LIGHTS INDICATE

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

THEN MORE LIGHTS.

TWO OUT OF THE THREE FUEL CELLS HAVE JUST DIED.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL GET BUSY

TRYING TO RESOLVE WHAT THEY THINK

IS A MINOR COMPUTER PROBLEM...

UNTIL JIM LOVELL CALLS DOWN AGAIN.

Haise: THERE WAS A SEA OF DEBRIS AROUND US.

SOME WAS JUST SHINY THINGS

OUT A LITTLE WAYS FROM THE SPACECRAFT;

CLOSE IN SOME THINGS LOOKED LIKE LITTLE KERNELS OF POPCORN.

Narrator: WHAT THE ASTRONAUTS SAW

WAS FROZEN OXYGEN SPILLING OUT OF THEIR OWN AIR SUPPLY.

Kranz: AT THAT MOMENT,

EVERYBODY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WAS SURVIVAL,

AND WE STARTED MOVING IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FASHION.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL HAS BEEN HANDED THE JOB OF THEIR LIVES.

WITHOUT INVENTIVE SOLUTIONS, THE CREW WILL PERISH.

Narrator: THEIR CRISIS IS IMMEDIATE.

IN THE COMMAND MODULE,

BOTH OXYGEN AND POWER ARE DWINDLING FAST.

Narrator: THE ASTRONAUTS' ONLY HOPE

IS TO MOVE INTO THE LUNAR LANDING MODULE,

WHICH HAS AIR AND POWER OF ITS OWN,

AND USE IT AS A LIFEBOAT TO FERRY THEM BACK TO EARTH.

Lovell: THE LUNAR MODULE WAS NEVER DESIGNED FOR THAT.

IT WAS ONLY DESIGNED TO LAST 45 HOURS,

AND WE WERE AT LEAST 90 HOURS FROM HOME.

Narrator: NOW MISSION CONTROL MUST DECIDE HOW TO GET THEM HOME.

Glynn Lunney: THE IMMEDIATE REACTION IN THE CONTROL CENTER

WAS TO TURN AROUND AND COME BACK HOME.

AND THAT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE,

BUT IN THE END IT BECAME CLEAR

THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY

TO TURN THE VEHICLE AROUND.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL PICKS THE ALTERNATIVE:

FLY AROUND THE MOON AND USE ITS GRAVITY

TO SLINGSHOT THE CREW BACK TO EARTH.

77 HOURS INTO THE MISSION,

APOLLO 13 CIRCLES AROUND THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON...

AND VANISHES...

OUT OF CONTACT WITH EARTH FOR 45 MINUTES.

THE WORLD IS RIVETED.

Ceruzzi: AROUND THE WORLD PEOPLE SUDDENLY BECAME

VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THIS STORY.

EVEN THE SOVIET UNION,

THEY OFFERED THEIR HELP IN ANY WAY THEY COULD.

Narrator: ON THE STRICKEN SPACECRAFT,

ENERGY IS IN SHORT SUPPLY.

SO ALL SUPERFLUOUS LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS

ARE SHUT OFF.

BUT EVEN WITH EVERYTHING POWERED DOWN,

THE AIR SUPPLY WILL NOT HOLD OUT LONG ENOUGH.

THE THREE ASTRONAUTS ARE EXHALING DEADLY CO2

INTO THE TINY LUNAR MODULE.

Lunney: THE LUNAR MODULE CANISTERS WERE LIMITED

BECAUSE THEY WERE BUILT TO SCRUB THE OXYGEN

FOR TWO PEOPLE FOR TWO DAYS.

SO NOW WE HAD THREE PEOPLE FOR FIVE DAYS.

Lovell: THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE

WAS BUILDING UP IN THE LUNAR MODULE.

Narrator: SPARE CANISTERS IN THE COMMAND MODULE

COULD SAVE THE CREW,

BUT THESE SPARES ARE SQUARE,

AND THE LUNAR MODULE CARBON SCRUBBER IS ROUND.

MISSION CONTROL NEEDS TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.

Kranz: SO ENGINEERING COMES UP WITH THE IDEA

TO FABRICATE AN ADAPTER

TO FIT THE SQUARE SCRUBBER INTO THE ROUND HOLE,

TEST IT IN THE LABORATORIES,

AND VOICE THE INSTRUCTIONS UP TO THE CREW.

Lovell: AND THEY USED DUCT TAPE,

A PIECE OF CARDBOARD,

AND A PIECE OF PLASTIC,

AND AN OLD SOCK.

Kranz: IT LITERALLY WAS IN MINUTES

THE CREW COULD SEE THE CARBON DIOXIDE PRESSURE

STARTING TO DROP.

Narrator: QUICK THINKING AT MISSION CONTROL

HAS FORESTALLED DISASTER.

BUT ANOTHER LIFE-THREATENING ORDEAL LIES AHEAD...

THE PUNISHING HEAT OF RE-ENTRY.

Lovell: WELL, OUR ONLY CONCERN WAS

DID THAT EXPLOSION CRACK THE HEAT SHIELD

OF THE COMMAND MODULE SOMEPLACE IN THE BACK?

Narrator: DURING RE-ENTRY

THE COMMAND MODULE WOULD BE EXPOSED TO TEMPERATURES

AS HOT AS THE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

Lovell: IF THERE WAS A CRACK,

THE HEAT WOULD GO RIGHT THROUGH THERE

AND OF COURSE TOAST EVERYTHING INSIDE.

NO WAY WE COULD SURVIVE.

Narrator: RE-ENTRY IONIZES THE GAS AROUND ANY SPACECRAFT,

MAKING ALL RADIO CONTACT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THREE MINUTES.

Kranz: MY SPACECRAFT COMMUNICATOR

CALLS, "ODYSSEY, HOUSTON STANDING BY."

AND THERE'S NO RESPONSE.

AND WE CALL AGAIN, AND WE CALL AGAIN.

Narrator: IT'S BEEN FOUR MINUTES WITH NO REPLY.

Lunney: THAT WAS A SINKING FEELING TIME.

Kranz: ALL THE CONTROLLERS ARE STANDING,

STARING AT THOSE CLOCKS,

AND THEY'RE WONDERING WHAT WENT WRONG.

Kranz: THE EMOTIONAL RELEASE AT THAT TIME IS SO INTENSE

THAT LITERALLY EVERY CONTROLLER IS STANDING CRYING,

AND YOU'RE FRANKLY EMBARRASSED BY YOUR LOSS OF COMPOSURE.

Lovell: WE HIT THE WATER,

AND THE WATER SPLASHED OVER THE WINDOWS,

AND WE DIDN'T CONTINUE TO SINK INTO THE OCEAN.

THEN I KNEW WE WERE SAFELY ON BOARD.

Charlie Duke: WHEN THEY SPLASHED DOWN, WE JUST ERUPTED WITH CHEERS,

AND THE CIGARS CAME OUT,

AND WE STARTED WAVING OUR FLAGS,

AND PEOPLE WERE VERY, VERY THANKFUL.

Narrator: THE HARROWING ORDEAL OF APOLLO 13

WAS A STARK REMINDER THAT WE HAD NOT TAMED SPACE.

Ceruzzi: APOLLO 13 SHOWED

THAT JUST THE FAILURE OF ONE LITTLE WIRE

COULD CAUSE SUCH A POTENTIAL TRAGEDY.

Narrator: ULTIMATELY IT WAS THE HIGHLY SKILLED TEAMWORK

OF MISSION CONTROL THAT SAVED THE DAY.

Ceruzzi: YOU REALLY DO NEED PEOPLE ON THE GROUND

TO MANAGE HUMAN BEINGS IN SPACE.

THE ASTRONAUTS, AS WELL-TRAINED AS THEY WERE

AND AS EXPERT THEY WERE IN FLYING,

REALLY COULD NOT GET THEIR HANDS AROUND THE PROBLEM.

Duke: THE ADVANTAGE OF APOLLO WAS IT'S CLOSE...

YOU KNOW, "HELLO, HOUSTON."

YOU'VE GOT A SECOND AND A HALF DELAY,

AND THEN HOUSTON RESPONDS IMMEDIATELY.

IF YOU WERE OUT AT MARS AND YOU HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM,

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.

Narrator: A 34-MILLION-MILE VOID

LIES BETWEEN MARS AND EARTH.

NO LIFELINE IS THAT LONG.

SO THE CRAFT AND CREW WOULD HAVE TO BE ROBUST

AND READY FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

IN A JOURNEY LASTING YEARS,

A CRISIS COULD UNFOLD IN MERE SECONDS.

ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION,

CREWS ARE TESTING HOW BOTH MAN AND MACHINE

COULD SURVIVE THE TRIP.

Barratt: WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THE INTERNATIONAL STATION

AS A LOW EARTH ORBIT WIND TUNNEL, IF YOU WILL,

TO REALLY TEST THINGS IN SPACE

THAT WILL ALLOW US TO FLY FURTHER.

Ken Bowersox: THERE'S A LOT OF WORK

WITH THE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS.

MACHINES THAT SCRUB THE CARBON DIOXIDE OUT OF THE AIR,

THAT CIRCULATE THE AIR,

THAT SWITCH THE ELECTRICAL POWER...

ALL THOSE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS NEED TO BE EXTREMELY RELIABLE

WHEN YOU'RE GONNA GO AWAY FROM EARTH, WITHOUT A WAY BACK,

FOR YEARS AT A TIME.

Barratt: USING AS LITTLE RESOURCES AS YOU CAN

AND MAKING A TRULY CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM,

WE HAVE TO HAVE A TEST BED FOR THAT.

IT HAS TO BE IN SPACE,

AND THE ISS GIVES US THAT.

Narrator: THE ISS LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM

TURNS WASTEWATER FROM RESPIRATION, SWEAT, AND URINE

INTO DRINKABLE WATER

AND HAS DIRECTLY INSPIRED A WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

THAT PROVIDES SAFE DRINKING WATER

AROUND THE WORLD.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Narrator: SOMEONE WHO CAN VOUCH FOR THE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM

IS MIKE LOPEZ-ALEGRIA.

HE SPENT 215 DAYS ON BOARD THE ISS...

THE LONGEST SPACEFLIGHT OF ANY AMERICAN.

Mike L

"WOW. SEVEN MONTHS. YOU KNOW, WEREN'T YOU GOING STIR-CRAZY?"

AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT STATION MISSION

IS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.

THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO,

AND THE SEVEN MONTHS WENT BY VERY QUICKLY.

Narrator: THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST STAY IN SPACE

GOES TO COSMONAUT DR. VALERI POLYAKOV,

WHO FROM 1994 TO 1995

STAYED ABOARD THE RUSSIAN MIR STATION

FOR A COLOSSAL 14 MONTHS,

WITH NO DISCERNIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON HIS HEALTH.

Barratt: I ACTUALLY SAW DR. POLYAKOV THE DAY HE LANDED.

I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED, HAD I NOT KNOWN,

THAT THIS MAN HAD BEEN IN SPACE FOR THAT LONG,

BECAUSE WHEN I SAW HIM,

Narrator: BUT THESE CURRENT RECORD HOLDERS

WERE PARKED IN LOW EARTH ORBIT THE WHOLE TIME.

ON A TRIP TO MARS,

ASTRONAUTS WOULD FACE AN INVISIBLE BUT FATAL THREAT...

DEEP SPACE RADIATION.

SOLAR FLARES AND RADIATION BELTS

FLING HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS THROUGH SPACE.

TO HUMANS, IT'S A DEADLY COCKTAIL.

Gibson: A SHORT BURST OF RADIATION CAN GIVE YOU RADIATION SICKNESS,

PRETTY MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN THE BOMB BLAST OVER IN JAPAN.

ON THE LONG TERM,

EVEN A GRADUAL AMOUNT OF RADIATION CAN CAUSE CANCER.

SO WE GOT TO FIND RADIATION PROTECTION.

Narrator: RADIATION IS NOT A BIG THREAT TO ASTRONAUTS CIRCLING IN ORBIT.

Al Drew: EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD SHIELDS US FROM A LOT OF THAT

BECAUSE IT'S VERY THICK AND IT'S FAIRLY POWERFUL

AND IT BENDS IT AWAY FROM US.

AND ONCE YOU GET OUT OF THAT MAGNETIC FIELD,

YOU'RE EXPOSED TO THAT SHOOTING GALLERY,

SO YOU'RE GETTING IRRADIATED.

Narrator: DURING A JOURNEY TO MARS AND BACK,

ASTRONAUTS COULD BE HIT

WITH SIX TIMES A PERSON'S NORMAL LIFETIME RADIATION EXPOSURE.

BUT THERE ARE SOME SOLUTIONS,

SUCH AS TIMING A MISSION

TO COINCIDE WITH LOW SOLAR ACTIVITY.

Frank Cucinotta: COSMIC RAYS ARE A STEADY BACKGROUND RADIATION

SINCE THEY'RE PRODUCED BY ALL THE STARS IN OUR GALAXY.

BUT THERE IS A MODULATION BY OUR SUN THAT OCCURS,

SO IF WE CAN PLAN MISSIONS AT SOLAR MINIMUM,

WE CAN REDUCE THE EXPOSURES MAYBE AS MUCH AS TWO TIMES.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS COULD TAKE DRUGS TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT.

Cucinotta: THE SECOND THING WE CAN DO

IS TO LOOK AT BIOLOGICAL COUNTERMEASURES

THAT IMPROVE A PERSON'S ABILITY TO REPAIR DNA DAMAGE.

Narrator: THE SPACECRAFT COULD EVEN BE ENCASED

IN A PROTECTIVE SHIELD OF WATER OR LIQUID HYDROGEN.

Launius: WE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT,

BUT THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS IT'S VERY HEAVY,

AND FLIGHT IS ALL ABOUT REDUCING THE WEIGHT.

SO HOW DO WE DO IT IN A LIGHTWEIGHT MANNER

THAT'S SUSTAINABLE OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME?

IT'S A CHALLENGE.

Narrator: IF WE CAN OVERCOME THE CHALLENGE

AND GET TO MARS,

IT OFFERS A MEASURE OF RELIEF.

THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE PROVIDES SOME RADIATION PROTECTION

FOR ANY VISITOR THAT ROAMS THE SURFACE.

BUT THIS ATMOSPHERIC BLANKET IS ALSO A DANGEROUS BARRIER

TO INCOMING SPACECRAFT.

IT'S RAZOR-THIN

AND LADEN WITH DUST STORMS.

TWO-THIRDS OF ALL UNMANNED PROBE LANDINGS

HAVE ENDED AS DISINTEGRATING FIREBALLS.

THE FIRST HUMAN CREW WOULD HAVE TO BEAT THE ODDS.

IF THEY SUCCEED,

THEIR SURVIVAL SKILLS WILL BE PUT TO THE ULTIMATE TEST.

STEP ONE: SET UP CAMP FOR UP TO 18 MONTHS.

Drew: THIS IS THE DEEP SPACE HABITAT.

THIS IS MEANT TO MOCK UP SIMULATED MISSIONS

OUT INTO DEEP SPACE BEYOND LUNAR ORBIT,

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO A NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID,

IF WE'RE GOING TO MARS...

ANYTHING WHERE MISSIONS GO BEYOND SIX MONTHS.

Narrator: THE DEEP SPACE HABITAT SHOULD PROTECT THE CREW

FROM 250-DEGREE TEMPERATURE SWINGS,

NOT TO MENTION A NOXIOUS ATMOSPHERE

OF DEADLY CARBON DIOXIDE.

IT HAS TO.

THE NEAREST HELP IS 34 MILLION MILES AWAY.

Drew: ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH

IS TIME DELAY.

IF WE'RE AT MARS,

WE MAY BE 20 LIGHT MINUTES AWAY FROM EARTH,

SO IF YOU JUST HIT "SEND" ON YOUR TEXT MESSAGE,

AND THEY DON'T ANSWER YOU FOR ANOTHER 40 MINUTES.

WE'RE USED TO HAVING REAL-TIME CONTROL

ON BOARD THINGS LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

WHERE THEY HAVE REAL-TIME VIDEO, THEY HAVE REAL-TIME AUDIO.

HOW DO THOSE THINGS WORK WHEN YOU'RE IN DEEP SPACE?

THIS IS WHERE WE WORK THAT OUT

IS RIGHT HERE AT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER.

Narrator: THE SEVEN LANDERS AND ROVERS ALREADY ON MARS

ARE MARVELS OF EXPLORATION.

THEIR IMAGES AND DATA

HAVE INSPIRED BREAKTHROUGH SCIENCE AND WIDE-EYED WONDER.

BUT THE STORY OF MARS IS STILL LOCKED IN THE ROCKS.

ITS HISTORY, ITS POTENTIAL FOR LIFE...

WE ARE LITERALLY DIGGING FOR ANSWERS.

AND DIGGING WITH ROBOTIC PROXIES ISN'T EASY.

A HUMAN PICKING UP A ROCK

AND ANALYZING IT WITH A GEOLOGIST'S EYE

WOULD BE FAR MORE EFFICIENT.

Drew: OF COURSE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO EXPLORING,

A BIG PART OF THAT IS THE SCIENCE.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE IS HERE,

WHAT WE CALL THE GEO LAB WORK STATION.

Narrator: THE WORK STATION HAS THREE VACUUM-SEALED PORTS

WHERE COLLECTED ROCKS CAN PASS THROUGH.

Drew: WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

IS WHICH ROCKS ARE WORTH BRINGING BACK TO EARTH.

THINGS COST ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT $100,000 A KILOGRAM

TO TRANSPORT TO AND FROM SPACE,

AND SO WE CAN'T, OF COURSE, BRING BACK A TON OF ROCKS.

WE CAN BRING THEM HERE AND LOOK AT THEM AND DO TRIAGE.

WE HAVE CAMERAS OVERHEAD

WHERE OUR GEOLOGISTS BACK ON EARTH

CAN LOOK OVER OUR SHOULDER

AND GO, "OH, THAT ROCK LOOKS VERY INTERESTING.

CAN YOU TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT IT?"

HERE WE'VE GOT AN OPERATING TABLE THAT WE CAN PULL OUT.

WE'VE GOT ULTRASOUND,

WHICH SEEMS TO BE ONE OF OUR BEST DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS ON ORBIT.

WE CAN LOOK INSIDE A PERSON'S BODY

WITHOUT HAVING TO CUT THEM OPEN, WE CAN FIND TUMORS.

AND AGAIN THAT INFORMATION GOES BACK TO THE EARTH

WHERE WE HAVE SURGEONS WHO WOULD LOOK AT THIS INFORMATION

AND USE THAT TO MAKE DIAGNOSES.

Narrator: EVERYTHING THE ASTRONAUTS MAY NEED

MUST FIT INTO THE 10-FOOT-TALL HABITAT.

THEY PLAN FOR EVERY CONTINGENCY.

Drew: IF SOMETHING BREAKS IN SPACE,

YOU CAN'T GO TO YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND REPLACE IT.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TAKE ALONG A HUNDRED SPARES OF EVERYTHING?

BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE DOWN ONE MORE OUNCE OF MATERIAL

THAN YOU NEED.

BY THE SAME TOKEN,

YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ONE OUNCE LESS THAN YOU NEED

BECAUSE THAT MIGHT CAUSE YOUR MISSION TO FAIL,

SO YOU'VE GOT A VERY NARROW SWEET SPOT.

Announcer: LIFT-OFF!

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF AT 9:34 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME.

Narrator: IT'S BEEN 40 YEARS

SINCE NASA SIZED UP WHAT TO PACK FOR AN EXTENDED TRIP.

TO THIS DAY, APOLLO MISSIONS 15, 16 AND 17...

THE SO-CALLED J MISSIONS...

PROVIDE US WITH THE LAST AND ONLY EXAMPLE

OF WHAT LIVING ON ANOTHER CELESTIAL BODY IS LIKE.

THE CREWS STAYED ON THE MOON'S SURFACE

FOR TWO TO THREE DAYS AT A TIME

IN ORDER TO COLLECT GEOLOGICAL DATA.

Kranz: THE J SERIES OF MISSIONS

WAS ABSOLUTELY A BLAST TO WORK ON.

THERE WASN'T A SECOND

DURING THE TIME WE GOT IN THE VICINITY OF THE MOON

THAT WE WEREN'T ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING USEFUL.

Narrator: YEARS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING

ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE FORMER TEST PILOTS

INTO HIGHLY COMPETENT GEOLOGISTS.

Duke: WHEN I GOT TO NASA,

I SAID, WELL, THAT'S A PIECE OF DIRT AND THAT'S A ROCK"

BUT BY THE TIME WE FLEW ON APOLLO 16,

WE HAD SIX YEARS OF GEOLOGY TRAINING,

AND WE'D GOTTEN PRETTY GOOD AT WHAT I CALL FIELD GEOLOGY.

Narrator: THE CREWS HAD A PACKED AGENDA OF SAMPLES TO GATHER.

Duke: WE HAD DIVIDED OUR 72 HOURS UP INTO THREE 24-HOUR PERIODS,

SO IT WAS LIKE GOING TO WORK AT HOME.

YOU GOT HUNGRY OUTSIDE BECAUSE YOU WERE OUTSIDE EIGHT HOURS,

SO WE HAD A LITTLE CANDY BAR THAT CAME UP INSIDE THE HELMET

THAT WE COULD NIBBLE ON.

THEN WE GOT BACK INSIDE,

TOOK OFF THE SPACESUIT, ATE A MEAL,

AND PUT OUR HAMMOCKS BACK UP AND WENT TO SLEEP.

Narrator: THE J MISSION ASTRONAUTS

WERE EXPLORING ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN.

SO THEIR SPACESUITS HAD TO BE ROBUST

TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE HAZARDS

OF THIS ALIEN LANDSCAPE,

BUT FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THEM TO GET ON WITH THEIR JOB.

Lewis: THIS IS DAVID SCOTT'S SPACESUIT

THAT HE WORE ON HIS APOLLO 15 MISSION.

THIS SUIT IS VERY, VERY DIRTY,

AND IT'S GOOD DIRT, IT'S LUNAR DIRT.

THAT IS REALLY WHAT THIS SUIT WAS MEANT TO WORK FOR...

TO ALLOW THE ASTRONAUT TO REALLY GET DOWN INTO THE LUNAR DIRT

AND ALSO TO MOVE AROUND WITH GREATER EASE

AND MORE FLEXIBILITY.

Narrator: APOLLO SPACESUITS

WEIGHED A HEFTY 180 POUNDS,

BUT THE MOON'S ONE-SIXTH GRAVITY

HELPED THEM FEEL MORE LIKE 30 POUNDS.

Lewis: WHEN YOU LOOK AT FILMS OF THE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS

WALKING ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON,

THEY'RE DOING THAT SORT OF BUNNY HOP,

AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY'RE TAKING TINY LITTLE STEPS,

BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY HAD TO DO

TO CONTROL THAT MASS FROM MOVING FORWARD.

YOU DON'T WANT TO GET THAT SUIT OUT OF YOUR CONTROL.

Duke: IT WAS EASY TO LOSE YOUR BALANCE ON THE MOON

BECAUSE THE BACKPACK LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM

WEIGHED MORE THAN I DID.

BUT I FOUND THE SUITS VERY COMFORTABLE

ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

Narrator: UNLIKE THE MOON,

WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE ROCK IN SPACE,

MARS HAS ITS OWN ATMOSPHERE AND SEASONS.

Lewis: MARS HAS DUST STORMS ON A PERIODIC BASIS.

IT HAS A CHANGE OF SEASONS.

SO A MARTIAN SUIT WILL HAVE TO BE VERY RIGOROUS.

Narrator: A SMALL STEP ON MARTIAN SOIL

WILL REQUIRE A GIANT LEAP IN SPACESUIT DESIGN.

BACK AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,

THE SPACESUIT LAB IS CREATING A SUIT

FIT FOR 21st CENTURY ASTRONAUTS.

Amy Ross: WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE THESE SUITS

AS USABLE FOR THE CREW MEMBERS AS WE CAN POSSIBLY DO,

'CAUSE WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO A VERY DIFFICULT JOB

IN A VERY DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator: IN 2012,

NASA ANNOUNCED THE FIRST NEW SPACESUIT DESIGN IN 20 YEARS.

EVERY INCH IS GEARED TO MAKE SURFACE EXPLORATION EASIER.

Ross: THIS IS A PLANETARY SPACESUIT PROTOTYPE.

WE CALL IT THE Z1 SUIT.

IT HAS A LOT OF MOBILITY BUILT INTO THE LOWER TORSO,

SO IT HAS A BEARING HERE AT THE HIP.

IT HAS ANOTHER BEARING HERE AT THE THIGH.

AND THEN IT ALSO HAS A BEARING DOWN HERE AT THE ANKLE.

YOU CAN SEE THE BOOTS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKE WORKING BOOTS OR HIKING BOOTS,

SO IT ALLOWS YOU TO GET IN THE BOOT,

YOU HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT

TO GET YOUR FOOT FITTED TO THE BOOT BETTER,

FOR WALKING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN.

Narrator: AND A NEW HELMET WILL ENHANCE THE VIEW.

Ross: THIS HOPEFULLY,

WITH THE ANGLE AND THEN THE BUBBLE,

THE HEMISPHERICAL BUBBLE,

ALLOWS YOU BETTER DOWNWARD VISIBILITY.

YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS VELCRO IS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

WHERE WE WANT TO PUT CONTROLS ON THIS SUIT,

BUT WE'RE TRYING TO STILL KEEP THIS

AS CLEAN AS WE CAN KEEP IT

SO YOU CAN SEE DOWN.

Narrator: THE RIGHT SUIT IS ESSENTIAL

TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME ON ANOTHER PLANET.

SO IS HAVING THE RIGHT SET OF WHEELS.

Duke: WE WERE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE

WHEN SOMEBODY HAD THE IDEA FOR THE LUNAR ROVER

BECAUSE IT REALLY REVOLUTIONIZED LUNAR EXPLORATION.

Narrator: THE LUNAR ROVER WAS A TWO-SEAT ROADSTER

WITH A TOP SPEED OF 11 MILES PER HOUR...

CLEVERLY STOWED AWAY AND FERRIED TO THE MOON ON THE LUNAR LANDER.

Carr: TO WATCH THE WAY THEY FOLD THAT THING UP

AND TUCK IT AWAY IN ONE OF THE BAYS IN THE LUNAR MODULE

WOULD WARM THE COCKLES OF THE HEARTS

OF MANY, MANY MECHANICAL ENGINEERS.

Duke: IT WAS A GREAT VEHICLE.

EACH WHEEL HAD ITS OWN ELECTRIC MOTOR,

SO IT WAS 4-WHEEL DRIVE.

THE TIRES WERE SORT OF WEIRD BECAUSE THEY WERE WIRE,

AND I FIRST SAW THAT, AND I SAID, "GOD, WIRE TIRES...

THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT,"

BUT THEY JUST FILLED UP WITH DUST,

AND IT GAVE IT TREMENDOUS TRACTION

SO IT WOULD GO UP A 25-DEGREE SLOPE.

Carr, recording: MAN, WE ARE REALLY GOING UP A HILL, I'LL TELL YA.

Narrator: CHARLIE DUKE AND HIS CREWMATE JOHN YOUNG

SPENT THREE DAYS DRIVING AROUND THE MOON ON APOLLO 16.

John Young, recording: THIS IS GONNA BE A GOOD DAY, CHARLIE.

Duke: FIRST OFF, JOHN WOULDN'T LET ME DRIVE.

I WAS THE NAVIGATOR,

SO I'VE GOT THE MAPS,

AND I'VE GOT TO GET US FROM POINT A TO POINT B

WHICH MIGHT BE 2 MILES AWAY.

BUT WE HAD SOME GOOD TIMES,

FILMING WHAT WE CALL THE GRAND PRIX.

I GOT OFF WITH A MOVIE CAMERA, AND I SAID,

"COME ON, JOHN, GIVE ME A SHARP TURN."

HE SAID, "I DON'T WANNA DO A SHARPY."

I SAID, "COME ON, JOHN, GIVE ME A SHARPY."

HE SAID, "OK, HERE'S A SHARPY."

Duke, recording: MAN, YOU ARE REALLY BOUNCING!

Narrator: DUKE AND YOUNG DROVE THE ROVER 17 MILES,

COLLECTING 213 POUNDS OF LUNAR HIGHLAND ROCKS.

Kranz: THE LUNAR ROVER

ALLOWED THE CREW TO EXTEND THE RANGE

BEYOND THAT WHICH THEY COULD WALK IN THEIR SPACESUITS.

I WOULD SAY IT'S SORT OF LIKE

THE EXPLORERS IN THE UNITED STATES

WHEN THEY MOVE FROM WALKING ON LAND

TO ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY FIND A RIVER,

AND THEY NOW GOT A CANOE.

SO BASICALLY, YOU EXPAND THE ABILITY

TO SURVEY WHAT'S GOING ON.

Narrator: WITH A YEAR AND HALF TO EXPLORE MARS,

ASTRONAUTS WILL NEED A NEW ROVER TO TRAVEL FARTHER

AND KEEP THEM ALIVE FOR LONGER.

AT JOHNSON SPACE CENTER,

BILL BLUETHMANN SHOWS OFF THE ROVER OF THE FUTURE.

Bill Bluethmann: ALRIGHT.

SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE SPACE EXPLORATION VEHICLE.

Narrator: THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS THAT THE CREW WILL TREK

IN THE SAFETY OF A PRESSURIZED COCOON.

Bluethmann: INSIDE THIS CABIN

YOU'D EXPLORE IN YOUR SHIRTSLEEVES.

WE THOUGHT IF WE TOOK THE CREW

AND PUT THEM INSIDE A PRESSURIZED AREA

WHERE THEY COULD EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY AT A TIME,

3 DAYS, 14 DAYS,

WE COULD REALLY SEE THE SURFACE BETTER.

Narrator: THE SECOND NEW DESIGN FEATURE

IS ITS ABILITY TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION.

Bluethmann: IT HAS INFINITE STEERING

WE SOMETIMES CALL IT OMNI DRIVE OR CRAB DRIVE.

Narrator: THE ABILITY TO DRIVE SIDEWAYS

ALLOWS THE ROVER TO DOCK

WITH THE HABITATION POD AND OTHER ROVERS.

BUT THE MOST DISTINCTIVE ELEMENT OF THE NEW ROVER

IS FOUND AT ITS REAR.

Bluethmann: SO ON THE BACKSIDE HERE

WE HAVE REALLY A NEW CONCEPT,

WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL A SUIT PORT.

Narrator: THE SUIT PORT MEANS

THE SUITS NEVER COME IN TO THE ROVER.

INSTEAD, ASTRONAUTS WILL CLIMB INTO THEM FROM INSIDE,

SEAL THE BACKPACK ON,

AND THEN DETACH FROM THE ROVER...

A DESIGN FEATURE DIRECTLY INSPIRED BY THE APOLLO MISSIONS,

WHERE CONTAMINATION FROM THE SURFACE WAS A REAL ISSUE.

Duke: THE DUST OF THE MOON IS SO FINE,

IT GETS INTO YOUR SUIT, IT GOT IN YOUR BOOTS,

GETS ON YOUR HANDS

AND YOU CAN'T BRUSH IT OFF,

SO ALL OF THAT TRACKS BACK INSIDE WITH YOU,

AND IT WAS JUST EVERYWHERE.

Narrator: DUST CAN GET INTO THE LUNGS

AND CORRUPT INSTRUMENTS.

BUT WITH SUIT PORTS, THIS WILL NO LONGER BE A PROBLEM.

NOT ONLY THAT,

BUT THESE NEW SUITS WILL REMAIN PRESSURIZED,

SAVING HOURS OF PREP TIME WITH THE TRADITIONAL SUITS.

Bluethmann: IF YOU'RE EXPLORING ON THE SURFACE

AND YOU SAW SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE EXPECTED,

IF IT TOOK YOU 4-6 HOURS TO GET OUT

AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON IT AND DO A SAMPLE OF IT,

IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST APPROACH.

WHEREAS IF YOU GET IN AND OUT IN 15 MINUTES,

REALLY YOU CAN GET BACK ON YOUR EXPLORATION PATH.

Narrator: ALL OF THAT EXPLORATION IS BOUND TO WORK UP AN APPETITE.

FEEDING ASTRONAUTS ON MARS

IS AN ENTIRELY NEW CHALLENGE FOR NASA'S FOOD LAB.

Vicki Kloeris: WHEN THE MISSIONS WERE SHORT,

THE CREW MEMBERS...

REALLY, THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD WAS WAY AT THE...

WAY DOWN THE LIST, AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED.

YOU KNOW, THEY CONSIDERED IT A CAMPING TRIP.

IT WAS, "I CAN FIND SOMETHING I LIKE, NO BIG DEAL."

BUT THEN, EARLY IN STATION,

WE RAN INTO SOME SITUATIONS WHERE FOOD SUPPLIES RAN LOW

OR COFFEE SUPPLIES RAN LOW ON ORBIT,

AND IT BECAME VERY OBVIOUS

THAT THIS WAS A BIG DEAL FOR THE CREW MEMBERS.

Barratt: WE ALL ENJOY OUR TIME AROUND THE GALLEY TABLE.

I BELIEVE I HOLD THE RECORD FOR DAILY CALORIE INTAKE.

I WAS OVER 5,000 CALORIES A DAY

FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL WEEKS I WAS UP THERE.

WHEN YOU'RE EXERCISING HARD, YOU SORT OF WANT MORE FOOD.

Narrator: BUT IT COSTS $50,000 IN FUEL

TO LIFT THE WEIGHT OF A SMALL BOTTLE OF WATER INTO SPACE.

AND EACH ASTRONAUT WOULD REQUIRE MORE THAN 4,000 POUNDS OF FOOD

OVER A 3-YEAR TRIP TO MARS.

THAT'S A $320 MILLION RESTAURANT TAB PER PERSON.

SO IT WON'T BE PRACTICAL

TO CARRY ALL THEIR NUTRITION WITH THEM.

INSTEAD, THEY'LL HAVE A HIGH-TECH

INTERIOR "KITCHEN GARDEN"

FOR GROWING THEIR OWN FOOD.

Michele Perchenok: ONCE WE'RE ON THE SURFACE OF MARS,

WE'RE GOING TO BE USING WHAT WE CALL

A BIO-REGENERATIVE FOOD SYSTEM,

SO THIS FOOD SYSTEM WOULD INCLUDE

GROWING VEGETABLES, FRUITS,

AND MAYBE OTHER BASELINE CROPS.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS ON THE ISS

HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH SPACE GARDENING FOR YEARS.

Perchenok: PLANTS GIVE OFF OXYGEN AND USE CARBON DIOXIDE,

Narrator: SO THE MARS CREW WILL HAVE A BOUNTIFUL GARDEN,

A COMFORTABLE HABITATION POD,

AND WHEELS TO EXPLORE.

WHAT SEEMED LIKE THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION

JUST 50 YEARS AGO

SLOWLY SEEMS MORE POSSIBLE.

AND WHILE ENGINEERS REFINE THEIR PROTOTYPES,

ROCKET SCIENTISTS ARE FOCUSING ON THE SINGLE THING

THAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE EVERYTHING IN ONE FELL SWOOP:

NEW PROPULSION METHODS.

Barratt: ADVANCED PROPULSION... GETTING TO MARS

WITHIN A FEW WEEKS INSTEAD OF A FEW MONTHS...

MAY BE THE ANSWER.

WE'LL LOSE LESS BONE, LESS MUSCLE,

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, LESS RADIATION EFFECTS.

SO NOBODY GOES ON A SEA VOYAGE FOR THREE YEARS ANYMORE.

OUR SHIPS ARE FASTER, WE HAVE OTHER WAYS TO DO IT,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.

THAT'S THE QUANTUM LEAP WE NEED IN SPACE EXPLORATION.

Narrator: NO MATTER HOW LONG THE TRIP TO MARS TAKES

AND ALL THE CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME,

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF CURRENT ASTRONAUTS

EAGER TO BE SELECTED.

Fincke: IT WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE.

WE WILL LEARN SO MANY THINGS ALONG THE WAY.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TRIP, IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME,

I'D MISS MY FAMILY, I'D BE FRIED BY RADIATION,

BUT I'D STILL TAKE THAT TRIP.

Barratt: GOING TO MARS IS A HUGE LEAP OF DISCOVERY,

AND I DON'T KNOW VERY MANY PEOPLE

WHO WOULDN'T SIGN UP TO GO.

Narrator: THE NEXT GENERATION

MIGHT BE THE FIRST TO SEND HUMANS MILLIONS OF MILES AWAY.

JUST 60 YEARS AGO,

WE WERE BARELY GETTING OFF THE GROUND.

Kraft: WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND ROCKETRY.

I'D SAY 50% OF THE ROCKETS THAT WERE FLYING AT THAT TIME FAILED.

Narrator: BUT WE PERSEVERED... ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE HONED OUR SKILLS

IN COUNTLESS ORBITS AROUND THE EARTH,

IN EVER MORE ADVANCED SPACECRAFT.

AND OUR PROBES, ROVERS, AND TELESCOPES

ARE GLIMPSING FARTHER AND FARTHER,

OFFERING TANTALIZING TARGETS OF EXPLORATION.

Adam Steltzner: MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT CURIOSITY

IS ALL OF THE FANTASTIC CAMERAS.

THOSE SUPER ZOOMED-IN IMAGES

PAINT A PICTURE OF MARS THAT MAKES ME WANT TO GO THERE.

Narrator: HUMANS HAVE BEEN EXPLORING THE EARTH

FOR A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS,

AND EXPLORING SPACE FOR ONLY 60.

WE'RE BARELY OUT OF THE GATE.

BUT WE ARE GAINING SPEED.

Gibson: IT TAKES LIGHT 4 YEARS JUST TO REACH OUR NEAREST STAR,

SO WHEN IT COMES TO REAL SPACE TRAVEL

WE HAVE BARELY NUDGED THE TIP OF OUR TOE OUT THE FRONT DOOR.

BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND WE'RE ON THE FRONT END

OF SOMETHING MUCH LARGER THAN ANY OF US CAN IMAGINE.