All language subtitles for Mission.to.Space.with.Francis.Bourgeois.S01E01.1080p.ALL4.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-RAWR_track3_[eng]

In the year 2021,

a 21-year-old man named
Francis Bourgeois

rose to fame by doing something
remarkably simple -

filming his love of trains.

Francis, a train spotter by trade

and a dreamer by design...

HE LAUGHS

..did not set out to become famous.

In fact, it was entirely accidental.

I'm here at Dilton Marsh station...

On the West Coast Main Line...
4:30 this morning.

59 come through with some
absolutely brilliant honks,

I cannot wait.

Armed with little more than a GoPro

and an infectious enthusiasm
for diesel locomotives,

he captured the hearts of millions
who, quite frankly,

weren't expecting to fall in love
with a train spotter.

However, Francis's life wasn't
always about trains.

Alongside falling for the railway,
young Francis had another love...

..the infinite,
unknowable vastness of space.

Once upon a time, only governments'

global space agencies held
the keys to the stars.

Their astronauts
were military men trained

for years to overcome
impossible obstacles.

But something extraordinary
is now happening.

We are at the dawn of a new
space race.

We are entering an era
where visiting,

working and even living
in space is now

a realistic possibility
for an entire generation,

which got Francis thinking -
could he take the passion,

curiosity and engineering
know-how he'd built on Earth

and aim it towards the heavens?

So with humanity once again reaching
for the stars,

Francis found himself facing
the question

that had quietly followed him
since childhood,

a question full of hope,
fear and impossibility...

Can a train spotter become
an astronaut?

Whoa!

The journey to answering
that question began

in London in a flat I share
with my girlfriend Amy.

What I want people to know is

that I love engineering,
like I'm a mechanical engineer.

I love the thought of
going to space.

You know, it's a childhood dream
and a childhood love.

And I want to, you know,

prove to myself
and the people around me

that I have what it takes.

It seems so far fetched,
but, you know,

I have my degree.

There are so many things going on
with, like, the next space race.

I don't think it's kind of out
of the question

for me to kind of apply
my engineering knowledge,

apply my passion and, you know, my
childhood desire to,

you know, not only become
an astronaut,

but to actually become an
engineer in space.

The reason I'm so invested is
because there's never been

a better time to have this dream.

All over the world, more rockets
are taking off than ever before,

powered by private companies,
all designing a future

where humanity can spread its wings

and head for a new life
in the stars.

It really is a new dawn.

And as a mechanical engineer,
I wondered

whether I was good enough to get
a little slice of this cosmic pie.

He has such a joyous view
of the world,

and finds such appreciation

in things that lots
of people would just overlook.

He's obsessed with engineering.

He loves switches.

He'll stop and, like, be
toing and froing switches

for several, several times.

And I'll just be sort of stood there
patiently waiting,

as he's fascinated by the mechanism.

I think it just makes
him really special

that he can view the world
through this particular way.

I hate the feeling of regret.
You know,

every time I look at
the Saturn V rocket,

I don't want to suddenly feel
a pang of like,

"Oh, it could have
almost been."

It's something that I'll support
him in doing,

and I know he has the capability
of doing mentally,

but it's the physical challenges
I think

will be the toughest.

I know his mum's very worried
about it.

Um, yeah. I'm getting messages
from her saying,

"Oh, is he really...?

"Is this really, you know,
a potential thing?"

Becoming an astronaut seemed
like such a daunting task.

I was an outsider trying to get
in on a world I had no contacts in,

and I didn't want to spend my life
wondering, "What if?"

So I fell back on what I'm
most familiar with

and decided to make a TikTok
asking for help.

And this is me doing it now.

- OK, let's do one here with the dish
in the background.
- OK.

Can a train spotter become
an astronaut?

This isn't a joke. I genuinely want

to take the steps towards becoming
an astronaut.

I wasn't sure how my video
would go down.

I'm not the traditional macho image
of an old school astronaut,

and I didn't know if people
would take me seriously.

Any help or recommendations would
be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

But the response and support was
amazing,

and amongst all the likes,

hearts and some scepticism
was one comment that caught my eye.

I couldn't believe it.

A comment from Major Tim Peake.

Tim is the epitome of

what you'd expect an
astronaut to be.

He started out as an Apache
helicopter pilot in the Army,

became a test pilot,
and then, incredibly,

made it all the way to
the International Space Station.

I knew I was going to need a mentor
and some help,

so I tentatively sent him a follow
request and then he sent me this.

Hi, Francis, I heard
that you're thinking

of swapping out your trains
for rockets,

and I know a thing or two about
rockets, so give me a shout.

I've received a DM from Tim Peake,

the legendary British astronaut.

I've expressed to him that I want
to go through

the actual training processes
and, yeah,

just I'm talking with an astronaut
at this stage.

Being an astronaut might look like
lots of floating around,

but going from 0 to 1000mph

in one minute puts a huge strain
on the body.

So Tim's plan was to test me here
on Earth

in something called a centrifuge.

So you're being spun around,
like this,

in kind of this axis.

What that can simulate is a rocket
launch or flying around

in a jet fighter.

So Tim's invited me there,

just to get started
in my training.

You'll be fine.
And if you're not fine,

- it'll be over before you know it.
- Yeah.

OK. Well, I'll see you
for dinner.

I was excited, but in truth,
I was also quite apprehensive.

I had no idea if I had what it took
to survive the centrifuge.

But there was only one way
to find out.

I jumped on board 91109
Sir Bobby Robson

from Kings Cross to Grantham,

full of enthusiasm and an avocado
and egg baguette.

Tim had invited me to the RAF
Centre of Aerospace Medicine,

home of the Elite Flight
Training School

and a 39-tonne centrifuge.

My stomach was in knots and I could
feel my confidence draining away.

I'm slightly worried about my kind
of stature

potentially being
an issue.

- You're quite tall. Yes.
- Are there tall astronauts?

- There are tall astronauts, yes.
- Oh, OK.

Sometimes taller people struggle
a bit more with G-tolerance.

It's something you have to build up.

- And that's just
a physiological fact.
- Yeah.

Sometimes when I go from lying
down to standing up really quickly,

I can lose my vision slightly.

Tim accompanied me to the
mission briefing room

to meet Wing Commander Joe Britton
for a detailed

technical explanation on G-Force

and how astronauts can combat
the negative effects.

When we talk about G-Force,
what we're really talking

about is acceleration,
but relative to Earth's gravity.

So one G is just Earth's gravity.

Sitting here, it's acting from
our head to our toe,

that's what we call Gz,
in the Z axis.

What our centrifuge can do
is go all the way up to 12.

But don't worry, we're not going
to take you that far today.

Sorry. Can I just check how much
I should be taking off?

If you're at nine G,
everything weighs nine times more.

So your blood then wants to go

down to your feet
where we don't want it,

and away from your brain
where you really do want it.

Do I do trousers with suit, or suit
and no trousers?

So it can get a bit warm in there.

The main risk is that you don't
get enough oxygen being delivered

to your brain, and you can lose
consciousness.

- Something we call G-LOC, or
G-induced loss of consciousness.
- OK.

Not really much for
the G-suit to constrict on, really.

I was looking fantastic

and ready to go
and take a look at the centrifuge.

- You look fantastic.
- Thank you.

Shall we go and take a look
at the centrifuge?

Just come on through
to our centrifuge hall.

- So this is the machine you'll be
spending the afternoon in.
- Wow!

Whoa!

- Oh, there was a weird
acoustics thing there.
- Yeah.

Ooh!

Good luck, Francis. We'll be
following on in Mission Control.

- Thank you.
- Good luck.
Have a good launch.
- Thank you.

I was trying to give off the
impression that I was comfortable,

but in reality, I was anything but.

It hit me just
after they locked the hatch,

that this wasn't hypothetical
any more.

This was actual astronaut stuff.

Only a week ago I was watching
a Class 56 down at Preston Docks,

and now I was going to experience
the G-forces

needed to push a ten-tonne
space plane

to the edge of the atmosphere.

My journey had started,
and I was about to find out

if an ordinary person could become
an astronaut.

OK, so I have the lead,
and we're doing suborbital profiles.

So, are you ready?

- Ready.
- Ready? Tim,
are you ready?
- Ready.

Ready. Excellent.

- Enable drives.
- Drives enabled.

The centrifuge had to be
brought up to speed

before the real test could start.

OK, Francis, we're about to spin
up to that baseline of 1.2 G's.

OK. I'm ready.

Launching in five, four, three,
two, one.

Now.

Wow.

Wow.

OK, so this feels like quite

a harsh acceleration
in a fast sports car.

Now my smile feels

like it's being maintained
a bit by the G-Force.

I do have quite a lot
of loose skin on my face.

You're at baseline now.

Just gearing myself up
for this.

I kind of need to burp a bit.
BELCHING

Pardon me.

Oh, I can taste a bit of
avocado there.

OK. I'm ready.

The centrifuge was going to simulate
a real space plane launch.

I'd spent my whole life wondering

if I had what it took to reach
the stars.

And now, with one of
my childhood heroes watching,

I was about to find out
what I was really made of.

I wasn't a fighter pilot.
I wasn't Neil Armstrong.

I was just a train spotter with
a love of engineering and a dream.

Launching in five, four, three,
two, one.

Now.

Wow! Whoa!

Whoa!

OK. OK.

- Oh.
- That's it coming up to
maximum G's there.

OK. I can't see anything.

Francis, can you hear us?

Francis?

Francis, can you hear us?

Francis? Francis?

Sorry.
I think I might have

- dribbled on the mic a bit.
- Are you back with us?

- Yeah.
- OK. Well, we did say

we won't expect to take you anywhere
near losing consciousness today.

- But it looks like we
might have done.
- Oh!

- I didn't expect... Sorry.
- Not a problem at all.

I just very quickly lost vision.

Oh!

Oh.

I'd just been physically tested
for the first time,

and I'd failed to make it
to four G without passing out.

If this had been a real launch,
I'd have quite literally

fallen asleep at the wheel.

- Hey, Francis. How are you doing?
- I feel rather pathetic.

Yeah. Oh!

Yeah. It's quite a fast onset,
isn't it?

- Yeah. Yeah.
- Yeah.
Just take deep breaths.

It's made me realise
that there's a lot

that I'd need to do in order

to get ready to experience
something like that

for real in a launch.
So, yeah,

I think, you know, like Tim said,
probably a bit of experience.

You know, maybe more clenching.

Um, yeah.

PHONE RINGS

- Hello.
- Hi, darling.
- Hi. How did it
go today?

- Uh, not great.
- Oh, no.

I just feel like I've gone into this
with quite

an unrealistic expectation of
what I might be able to achieve.

That evening, I posted the clip

of me passing out
to my social media.

OK. I can't see anything.

I thought people would be shocked

by seeing my face
so distorted by G-force,

and I didn't know what the overall
response would be.

However, messages poured
in from strangers

all over the world telling me
to keep going.

So encouraged by this,
I decided to continue.

Over the course of the next week,
I wrote to astronauts,

engineers, start-ups,
even launchpad maintenance crews.

If you are vaguely space adjacent,

chances are you got
a message from me that week.

Most didn't reply.

Some sent polite no's,

but then one came back from Houston.

Hi, Francis. Transmission received.

If you want to learn what it takes
to become an astronaut,

there's no better place than
to come visit Axiom Space.

Please come by and visit.

We'd love to host you
and show you around.

I had received a message from
Matt Ondler,

the chief strategy officer at
Axiom Space.

Founded in 2016
and already backed by NASA,

they were one of the bold new
players reshaping the industry

from the ground up.

It's a very slick video.

So Axiom are at the forefront

of kind of commercial space
exploration.

They're creating the space
station that's going

to take over from
the International Space Station.

This is going to lead to kind of
some pretty significant advances

in manufacturing in space, too.

They are also training the next
generation of astronauts.

They weren't bound by the old rules.
And that meant maybe -

just maybe -
someone like me had a way in.

This is like the new era of space.

Matt is one of the figureheads
in this video,

and he's reached out to me directly.

Like...
HE CHUCKLES

The power of social media
is baffling,

but obviously that can only take
one so far,

and I feel like I need to carry
my kind of engineering expertise

through to this meeting.

I couldn't believe I'd been invited
to meet with Axiom.

Over the next few days, I watched
their video countless times.

I booked myself on the next
flight to Texas

and packed the essentials -
passport, toothbrush,

and my Moulton TSR 9+ bicycle
in powder pink,

which was actually designed
by my great, great uncle.

Nice use of the arm span.

Going through the packing
and everything,

it feels a bit weird knowing
that I'm leaving you,

but it's...

It's a journey for me

in my passion
and kind of lifelong interest.

And I will come out the other
side probably

a bit more brave
and more knowledgeable and...

And with 21 pairs of dirty pants.

I've got something to give you
before you go.

- Aw.
- It's just in the car.
Is the car open?

- Yeah.
- OK.

- Aw.
- Just a little something
for you

- to open on our anniversary.
- Aw, darling.

- Aw.
- Do you like the spacey-themed
wrapping?

Yeah.

Saying goodbye to Amy
and receiving a gift

that I wasn't allowed to open yet

suddenly made everything
feel overwhelmingly real.

- I love you so much.
- Off you go!
- Love you, darling.

Love you, too. Bye!

I wanted to try and relax myself,
so I headed to the runway

observation deck
for some plane spotting.

I was trying to remember
why more modern air engines

have serrated engine cowlings.

I'm pretty sure it's to do
with noise emissions.

Um...

Do you think they'll let me ask

the pilot about the serrated
cowlings?

I noticed on some of the more
modern aircraft,

they have the serrated engine
cowlings around the edge?

- I'm in my element here.
- Look here.

Whoa!

Terrain awareness test start.

I've got goose bumps on my arms.

As I cruised across the Atlantic,

I couldn't quite believe
I was about to land in America.

This wasn't just a new country.
It was a whole new chapter.

I was going to the home of
Mission Control,

where all the walls echo with
voices of Apollo,

and the streets are
lined with people

who have helped shape the future
of humanity.

I imagined landing
in Texas to blue skies.

THUNDER CRACKS

Instead, I was greeted
by torrential rain.

But I didn't mind. I was in Houston,
about to try and prove to one of

the most cutting-edge space
companies

on Earth that I could qualify
as one of their astronauts.

It was the day of my meeting
with Axiom.

I knew making a good
impression was vital

if I wanted to get a place on their
astronaut training programme.

And from the moment I arrived,

I couldn't help but be blown away
by the scientific

and mechanical excellence
on display.

This is very, very cool.

In the reception area, they had

a scale model of the space station
they are currently building.

I suppose it would be going
about this fast.

I thought I might one day
find myself

docking through this very hatch.

I started to imagine myself actually
living in space,

floating between the modules,

doing vital scientific research

and drifting off to sleep
in zero gravity.

So would I actually
sleep in here?

- Yeah.
- Right. OK.
- You have
a sleeping bag on the right,

and then you would strap yourself
in so you don't float away.

My usual style of sleeping
is kind of on my side,

and it actually has been kind of
counterproductive for my posture.

So perhaps microgravity sleeping
could really be quite corrective.

Yeah.

Thank you.

I was confident I was making a good
impression, as I was introduced to

one of Axiom's astronaut trainers
and operational leaders.

- Hey.
- Hello.
- Lovely to meet you.
- Lovely to meet you as well.
- Wow.

And welcome to our mission
control centre.

I'm in charge of the
timeline operations.

So when crew goes on board,

they have a schedule
to follow every day.

I even get to plan their, like,
lunches and snack times. So...

What they're having for lunch
or when they're having lunch?

- Oh, no. WHEN they're having
lunch.
- OK.

"You're having chilli
con carne today."

SHE LAUGHS

We seemed to have a really
strong professional rapport

and the workplace banter was off
the charts,

so I thought it was the right time
to inquire

about getting myself a job.

How long is the training programme?

- If you're referring to our astronaut
training programme...
- Yes.

Absolutely. So actually we've
achieved it in under a year

- at this point.
- Really?
- Yes,
it's quite a year, but, yes.

Interesting.

Who is kind of eligible for
the training programmes?

Um, really, anyone in the global
community,

- anyone that's interested in
space.
- So, for example,

say if I wanted to go through
the training process...

- Yeah.
- ..how would I kind of
initiate that?

Reach out to our team, and,
you know,

if it's an interest of yours, we can
definitely explore those

possibilities to get you involved
in some manner.

Yeah, well, it sounds amazing

that there's already
this potential avenue.

- Absolutely.
- Unfortunately,
my subtle approach

was probably a bit too subtle,

so I decided to double down.

I mean, I can... I've got my...
I can get my CV in a good position.

Um, genuinely,
where best would I be able

to give, like, an application,
for example?

Um, I would reach out
to maybe our business office.

- OK.
- I don't know the answer to that.
Sorry!

- Call me! I'm kidding.
- Sorry.

LAUGHTER

My job prospects remained uncertain.

But Kristen did point me in
the direction of something

truly special -

to see the suit
that would eventually be worn by

the next astronaut to walk on
the moon,

and, hopefully, one day me.

It was being made by hand.

Every seam, every stitch,
crafted with care.

And with a particular interest
in materials engineering,

I couldn't wait to get my hands on

the aluminised Kapton film
and the neoprene nylon ripstop.

So this is our Axiom
Extravehicular Mobility Unit,

or spacesuit. This is the suit
that astronauts will

use on their next return to
the moon.

- Wow. Can I touch it?
- Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.

It's fascinating, even just looking
at this kind of joint here

and how there almost seems to be
so much flexibility.

But then I'm thinking,
"How is it sealed?" You know?

Exactly. That is...

That is some of the magic of
a spacesuit.

It is a beautiful bit of kit,
really.

- Yes.
- It's so well put together
and so satisfying to look at.

We partnered with Prada to help make
the overall aesthetic of the suit

a bit more appealing,

and something we can
more connect with.

Test engineer Sebastian climbed into

the suit and acclimatised to
the pressure,

and I was asked to come up

with some experiments to put
the suit through its paces.

- Hello, Sebastian.
- How are you?
- Nice to meet you.

Let's go ahead and do a squat.

I was staggered by the extraordinary
range of mobility

the suit enjoyed.

Keen to tap into my
engineering mind,

I was tasked by the team

to conduct further research on
the suit.

Subconsciously, do you feel inclined
to kind of jump?

- And if so, could you?
- Can I?
- Sure.

You can do a small jump.

- Wow! Nice.
- That was quite
impressive.
- That's very agile.

I don't know if anyone's ever asked
someone to jump in the suit.

That was an original question.

I was on a roll.

The team seemed to like my
out-of-the-box research techniques.

Could I see if he could pick
up my phone?

- Sure.
- Please may you grab my phone?
- Absolutely.

Dropped it in the regolith.

- There you go.
- There you go.
- Thank you very much.

That's very kind of you.

SMATTERING OF APPLAUSE

That's very impressive.

And if there were to be a scenario
where someone

were to drop their phone on
the moon,

then at least we know now
that it's possible to retrieve it.

I left the suit lab satisfied
that in some small way

I had contributed to
the future of space exploration,

and I was pleasantly surprised

when I was called to meet with
Matt Ondler himself,

the man overseeing everything Axiom
is striving to achieve.

Thank you so much for having me.

It's a great pleasure to be here.

Well, it's a pleasure
for us to have you.

Thanks. Is there somewhere I can
put my jacket?

Yeah, absolutely.

This was my final shot
to impress them, so it was vital

I didn't say or do anything
that could ruin my chances.

So this is a prototype of a hatch.

We're building our station
and our suit

to accommodate a 5th percentile
female,

all the way to a 95th
percentile man.

When I was born, my head was

in the 99th percentile
in circumference.

- Interesting.
- Could I have a go?
- Oh, please.

Oh!

That's a very satisfying mechanism.

MATT CHUCKLES

I love... I like feeling
the increase of resistance

- when kind of the rollers are
in contact.
- Yep, yep.

- And that's locked in place.
- And then it comes over centre.

- Yep. And locks in place.
- Oh!
That's really nice.

Oh!

Wow.

Very, very cool.

Matt seemed genuinely impressed
by my enthusiasm

for locking mechanisms
and pressure seals.

If ever there were a moment
to make my move, this was it.

I climbed into the prototype
display module of

a crew pod located in reception,

and made my pitch for the stars.

What's kind of your
application process

like to kind of become an astronaut?

Yeah. So right now we don't really
have an application process.

I think we do have, you know,

a place on our website
that you can apply.

There is a pathway for individuals
to be part of human space flight.

But if I'm honest,

- I think you might need a bit more
experience and training.
- OK.

It seemed I might have got my hopes
up too soon

and my mission here had come to
a stop.

I suppose in the back of my head
I was thinking

if I could demonstrate my excitement

and engineering expertise
that maybe I could...

There could be an open door there.
But...

They need people well kind of
in the depths of kind of

engineering research,

scientific research,
ideally experience piloting

helicopters or aircraft.

The only thing I have experience
of piloting is this and my car.

I'd come to America chasing a dream.

But perhaps the truth was I wasn't
ready yet.

There's a rather
satisfying storm drain underneath

that flyover.

In the UK, the centrifuge had hit
me hard and exposed my limits.

My body needed to be stronger
and my mind sharper,

especially to conquer the fear
of something going wrong.

So I dug into the science
and found out

that all potential astronauts need

to learn to spot
the signs of hypoxia,

which, similar to the centrifuge,
is a lack of oxygen to the brain.

OK, here we go.

Can you see?

So everyone
has their oxygen masks on.

So I got in touch with a facility

in Florida who specialise

in this aspect

of astronaut training,

and they agreed to put me through
my paces.

So it's basically a metal tube
where they suck out the oxygen

and monitor you whilst
your critical functions shut down.

That sounds awful.

Just think of the iced chai latte
you can have once you're done.

OK. Love you. Bye.

Welcome to our facility.

I am the president of the American
College of Hyperbaric Medicine.

I am so excited that you're here
to experience

what it's like to experience
hypoxia,

or what it's like to become
an astronaut.

What is hypoxia
and what does it mean for the body?

So hypoxia is where the brain

doesn't have enough oxygen
to function. And so basically

to preserve itself, it starts
shutting down.

Now, you are going to be the one
without an oxygen mask, which means

you have usable consciousness
of only three to five minutes.

- Right.
- Now we're going to see
if you have what it takes

to not pass out.

- OK.
- Nervous?

Uh, yes.

Dr Tyler explained
that a hyperbaric chamber

wasn't just
a cylindrical metal anxiety tube.

It was designed to slowly suck
out all the oxygen

inside to simulate conditions
astronauts might experience

if there was a sudden loss of
pressure in their spacecraft,

denying them vital oxygen
and potentially leading to disaster.

But as I stepped inside,

I quickly realised this
wasn't just another test.

It was a return to the feeling
I feared the most -

losing control of a situation
and passing out.

As the door sealed,

my mind drifted back to the spin

and the blackout and the silence
that followed.

Three, two, one.

This was supposed to be a new
challenge...

Whoa! OK, I can't see anything.

..but it opened up an old wound.

Francis, can you hear us?

Sorry. Do you mind
if I just have a moment?

- Um, I just need to...
- You need a moment?

- Yeah, if that's OK?
- Open the door for him.

Sorry. It's just a bit overwhelming.

Yeah. I... Sorry.

- Don't be sorry.
- I'll be totally honest,

like, I find the capsule quite

overwhelming in a way.
Kind of just being locked in.

- Absolutely.
- But I suppose
in this scenario,

I'm really seeing
the usefulness

of how pushing past the boundaries

of my comfort zone will give
me a tool.

I get it, you are trusting us
to take care of you,

- and just know that's the highest
honour.
- OK.

Um... And...

OK, fine.

- OK, I'm going to do it.
- All right?

If I was really going to become
an astronaut,

I knew I'd have
to push through these

difficult moments. As the camera
crew

and Dr Tyler
put on their oxygen masks,

I became acutely aware
that I was the only one

in the chamber raw-dogging
the atmosphere.

- Can you hear Alyssa?
- Hello,
Alyssa?
- Can you hear me?

- I can indeed.
- If at any point during
the flight

- you start feeling any symptoms,
just call them out to me, OK?
- OK.

The test involved removing
the oxygen,

which was the equivalent of being
at 24,000ft above sea level,

an altitude
where I'd almost certainly pass out.

Oh. OK. Calm down.
Focus on the numbers.

The chamber is approaching 15,000ft.

I can feel my lips are starting
to get a little bit cold.

OK.

I had to call-out my symptoms
as I felt them,

so in the future, if I was
to experience

a lack of oxygen in a spacecraft,

I'd be able to recognise
what was happening

and take emergency measures
before disaster struck.

We're going to take the chamber
up just a little bit higher.

I've noticed my feet
are feeling slightly cold.

- Your feet as well?
- Yeah.

Um, I'm feeling slightly woozy.

- Woozy. OK.
- Feels like there's

a bit of kind of pressure, in a way,
in my stomach.

Apologies if I'm introducing a new
gas to this scenario.

So I'd say my vision
is going slightly speckly.

Do you want to continue? Or would
you like to go back to surface?

Um, I'm happy to proceed
a bit longer.

I'm feeling like my mouth is
slightly...

Uh, it's tricky to find its
position,

and there's kind of almost little,
like, pin pricks

in my chest, in a way.

The symptoms were subtle
at first.

Slowed coordination, delayed speech.

But Dr Tyler had seen them
all before.

Hypoxia was setting in, and I was

minutes away from blacking
out again.

Two minutes.

- I'm now feeling slightly woozy.
- OK.

Uh, and my head's feeling
slightly wobbly.

Go ahead and put your mask on.

- Put your mask on.
- What?
- Put your mask on.
- OK.

- Ooh.
- Yeah. I can tell you're
starting to feel it.

Yep. Put your mask on.

Hey.

Woo!

I feel very... I feel very euphoric.

Past the point of being
reoxygenated,

I feel euphoric just having done it.

- Back on Earth.
- Wow.

I feel like I need to go, like,

into a quiet space for a moment,
because it was quite a lot.

Um, I'm...
I now know my symptoms of hypoxia.

It's kind of like I've added a tool
to my inventory.

I'd faced my fear of blacking out,

but now it was
time to push things further.

I wanted to feel physically

what astronauts experience
when they leave Earth's grip.

So I booked a seat on a specially
modified plane

that simulates zero
gravity through parabolic flight.

It's one thing operating
on solid ground,

but what does it take
to function mentally

and physically
when gravity disappears?

And to see if I could

do something complicated
whilst floating,

I contacted Space Forge, a UK
company developing re-entry

heat shields for satellites.

I asked if they had anything I could

test mid-flight
and to my surprise they said yes.

So Space Forge,
they've sent me a package.

I wonder if this
has come all the way from Wales.

Socks!

This looks like some kind
of prototype.

"Hi, Francis. In this box is
a small model

"of our origami-based heat shield.

"Can you try and film it

"opening or deploying on a parabolic
flight?

"Good luck. Space Forge team."

We've got an hour and 20,

so I'll get this down me,

and then I'll focus on the origami.

I can even, um, do some egg origami.

That ended up concertina-ing

in my mouth, in a similar way to
the heat shield.

I had nailed breakfast,

and now it was time
for me to nail my mission

as an ambassador for a bona fide
space engineering company.

I couldn't help
but feel a sense of pride

as I prepared for launch,

especially as I was
going to be joined on

the flight by astronaut
Danny Olivas,

which only added to the significance
of what I was about to do.

We're looking forward
to seeing you on board.

- Thank you.
- All right.

I stowed my heat shield safely
in my flight suit pocket,

and as the nerves slowly built,
I looked to the fish

in their own zero gravity
world for reassurance.

Wow.

I'm not feeling so nervous any more.

The feeling of excitement is more
kind of at the forefront now.

I'm really, really looking forward
to this.

As I strapped my GoPro to my head,

I couldn't help but wonder
if this was how astronauts felt

as they were about to leave
the Earth.

This is very bizarre.

As I lay down on the padded floor of
the Boeing 727,

I allowed myself to feel a small

sense of achievement
in how far I'd come.

I'd conquered fears,
overcome rejections,

and now I was about to experience
something wonderful,

something unique that tied me
to astronauts, past and present.

Slowly, gently, the weight
of the world began to lift.

GASPING
Whoa!

Woohoo!

LAUGHTER

Whoa!

Whee! Whee!

Oh!

Sorry!

I knew I had work to do.
But first I wanted to float

and let my body truly
feel my childhood dream.

I was actually weightless.

Nothing in my life had felt quite
like this.

Whoa! Woohoo!

I cannot believe
what I'm experiencing.

It just completely defies everything

that you've ever learned
about moving your body.

Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick.
Yeah, I need a bag.

How was it?!

It was one of the most
amazing experiences of my life,

and it quickly became the most
horrendous experience

of my life.

Around parabola 12,

I started considering what I needed
to do with the prototype.

And then I was overcome with nausea.

My face was covered in it
because it was

Zero-G and it was coming out
of the bag back on my face.

I'm afraid Space Forge, you know,

it's mission failed.

Yeah...

I mean, at least their prototype
isn't tainted with my stomach acid.

Because it never made it out of
the pocket?

I didn't get it out of my pocket.

- Are we eight...? Are we eight hours
behind?
- Yeah.

Hang on.

Just realised it's mine and Amy's
anniversary.

And I haven't spoken to her today.

And it's now about 4, 4:30,

like a quarter past midnight.

I couldn't get a hold of Amy,
but back at the hotel,

I remembered the present
she'd given me before I left.

A reminder that I will always be by
your side,

down on earth or up in space.

Happy anniversary.

I love you to the moon
and back. Amy.

PHONE RINGING

Hi, darling.
I know you're probably asleep,

but I just wanted to thank you
for the model of us.

I really, really love it.

And honestly, I've been thinking,

I've been so focused on my dream

that I've forgotten
to think about us and our future.

You know, they train astronauts
for vacuum exposure,

system failure, even re-entry burn.

But no-one really tells you
what to do

when you just miss someone.

I'm not feeling my shiniest self.

There's a karaoke bar down the road

which I'm going to check out.

And I'll call you
when you wake up. Love you.

SINGING

Can I have a Virgin Mary, please?

Yeah, absolutely.

Can I have a bit more
Worcestershire sauce?

Oh, yeah. Of course.

- Is that good?
- Yeah, yeah.
You can leave the bottle.

- Thanks.
- That bad, huh?

I've been trying to see
if I can become an astronaut,

and it isn't quite
what I thought it would be

in a way. And, like,
I'm missing home.

I'm missing my girlfriend on
a special day.

I really think you should get
up there and sing a song.

I think it would
make you feel better.

- What song do you think?
- I'll put it in for you.

Go on up there.

- Are you sure?
- Yeah. Absolutely.
- Sure.

Francis's emotions were
in pieces,

and now a stranger behind
a bar had just told him to sing.

There was no helmet
or mission brief,

just a microphone and a room full
of tipsy Americans.

But here's the thing about training
to become an astronaut,

it's not just about surviving
the tests.

It's about holding your orbit
when gravity pulls you sideways

and facing the light when
the instinct is to shut your eyes.

Woo!

Francis didn't know how the crowd
would react.

He didn't even know
what note he'd be starting on.

But in a way, that's what made this

the purest part of his
training so far.

# She packed my bags last night
pre-flight

# Zero hour, 9am

# And I'm gonna be high

# As a kite by then... #

Yeah!

# And I think it's going to be
a long, long time

# Till touchdown brings me
round again to find

# I'm not the man
they think I am at home

# Oh, no, no, no

# I'm a rocket man

# Rocket man... #

Woo!

- Yeah!
- Yeah!
- Woo!

# And I think it's going to be
a long, long time

# Till touchdown brings me round
again to find

# I'm not the man
they think I am at home

# Oh, no, no, no

# I'm a rocket man

# Rocket man! #

As he sang his heart out,

Francis realised that before you
can escape Earth's gravity,

you have to learn how
to carry your own.

He wasn't ready to give up, because
Francis's path to the stars

was never meant to be
a straight line.

A special guest from the UK,
Francois Bourgeois.

- Are you OK?
- He's not talking.
He's not talking.

Our spirits at the moment
are just dancing together.

I feel like I'm making a decision

that is having an impact on someone
who I love.

I'm totally overwhelmed.

- Whoa!
- Oh, my goodness.

That's one of my new
favourite noises,

alongside the Paxman-Ruston
16RK3CTs.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media