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Earth.

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Over 8 billion people live here,
but not all of them are home.

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Since the turn of the century,
a few have been living here.

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In the most hazardous scientific
outpost ever built.

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The International Space Station.

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Altogether, over 280 people have
ridden a controlled

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explosion 250 miles into space,

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risking their lives to maintain
a continuous

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human presence off planet.

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One day, we may be getting ready
for a spacewalk,

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and the next day we were doing
some world class science.

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Its unique environment provides
a research laboratory like no other.

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But conducting science
in space brings its own challenges.

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Very quickly, you can have an out
of control situation

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from a very innocuous start.

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As astronauts push the boundaries

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of science and exploration,
they face daily threats.

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You are constantly at risk of dying
for a multitude of reasons.

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You've got orbital debris that can
hit your module and put a hole in it.

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In the military, we say
that problems happen at the fold of

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a map and at night.

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And that's exactly how this
was shaping up.

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How do we respond to that unknown?

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Understanding situations may
have the ultimate consequences.

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This is the story of innovation

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and scientific exploration aboard
the ISS.

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June 2024.

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The world is gripped by a drama
playing out far above Earth.

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NASA astronauts
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams

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had been scheduled
to spend just eight days aboard

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the International Space Station
while testing

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a new commercial spacecraft,
the Boeing Starliner.

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Into the spacecraft.

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Instead, when the vehicle
encounters technical issues,

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their mission stretches into months.

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Despite the difficulties, the pair
pivots

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to become routine crew members,

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drawing from their years of training

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and a deep love of the job
to embrace their extended mission.

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Because this job is like no other.

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We're still pioneers in space,

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so there's still a lot
that we have to learn.

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Space is incredibly risky.

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The safest thing to do
is to not go anywhere.

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But that's not going
to really teach you much

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about your species
or the planet you live on.

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You have to take risks
to get reward.

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Butch and Suni's extended stay
is just the latest in a long

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line of unexpected challenges faced
in orbit.

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Since the space
station's first module

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was launched in 1998,

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there have been countless moments
of risk and uncertainty.

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Requiring calm
and quick thinking to resolve.

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All to create a unique
research laboratory,

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a platform for international science
and discovery through cooperation.

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Uniting humanity in the pursuit
of knowledge beyond our planet.

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From monitoring hurricanes on Earth
to cultivating plants in space.

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From detecting X-rays released
by neutron stars

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to developing cancer therapeutics.

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We have taken technologies, people,
systems from all over the world,

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and we've put it together
into this amazing laboratory.

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The research that we've been able
to do has directly benefited

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life on planet Earth,
and we're only just getting started.

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Every minute of an astronaut's day on
the station is carefully planned,

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and life on board might even come
to feel routine.

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But it's always just
a matter of time

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before the universe finds a way

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to remind the crew
of just how vulnerable they are.

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In 2013,
plans are underway to further extend

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the International Space
Station's scientific footprint.

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A new module called Nauka,
Russian for science,

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is to be added to the station
the following year.

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Created to conduct materials science
and biotechnology research,

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Nauka includes a base for
the European robotic arm,

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and will also feature a specially
designed airlock

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to carry out experiments
in the vacuum of space.

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But to unlock this groundbreaking
science,

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astronauts must brave the most
unforgiving extremes.

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In my personal operational
experience in the military,

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in the Seal teams,
the bad guys were the enemy

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that's shooting at you.

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In a space mission,
the bad guy is the environment.

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The environment is trying
to kill you.

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Space is not really made for life.

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It's very cold
and very hot at the same time.

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It doesn't have an atmosphere.

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It really doesn't want
to keep you alive.

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A spacewalk, also known

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as an extravehicular activity
or EVA, is especially dangerous.

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Astronauts usually go through
the airlock in pairs

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so that once outside, they can assist
each other if needed.

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But still, they are isolated
and vulnerable

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to hazards like radiation,

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micrometeoroid impacts,
and equipment malfunctions.

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On July 16th, 2013,

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American astronaut Chris Cassidy
and flight engineer

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Luca Parmitano
donned their spacesuits.

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Spacewalks are not something
that you just willy nilly do.

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Hey, it's Tuesday. You want to go out
and knock out a spacewalk?

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No, it doesn't work like that.

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It takes about four hours
to go through

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the oxygen pre-breathe process
and all of the checks.

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Leading up to opening the hatch.

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All spacewalkers are tethered to
the space station with a retractable

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metal cable that pays out to 85ft.

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And just like if you walk a pair
of dogs on dog leashes,

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those leashes get all tangled up.

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On my waist.

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Safety tethers are no different.

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So oftentimes we intentionally
take separate routes

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so the safety tethers don't tangle
up on themselves.

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Luca and Chris
come together on top of

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the tranquillity
module to carry out their task.

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Connecting data and Ethernet cables
for when the new module arrives.

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38 minutes into the EVA,

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a warning alarm is triggered
in Luca Parmitano's spacesuit.

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The carbon dioxide levels
are too high.

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Ordinarily, exhaled carbon dioxide
would be controlled

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and removed by the portable
life support system

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in Luca's backpack.

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The alarm could signal a dangerous
build-up of the gas inside

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his spacesuit, which could lead to
severe headaches,

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impaired judgement, and even death.

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We have a checklist telling us to
check different parts of the suit,

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to understand
whether it is an actual alarm,

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or whether the sensor itself is
at fault.

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It said, did the reading go
from normal to ludicrous instantly?

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If that happened, then it's probably
the sensor's bad.

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Doubtful of the carbon dioxide
reading

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and satisfied
that Luca has no symptoms,

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mission control concludes

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that the sensor is faulty
and the EVA can continue as planned.

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But six minutes later,
Luca calls mission control again.

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There's another issue.

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There should never be
any water inside your spacesuit,

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especially not in the helmet area.

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And so I communicated
that to the ground and I said,

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I don't think it's a big deal.

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I just wanted to keep going with
the EVA.

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On Earth, water falls
under the force of gravity.

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In space,
it's much less predictable.

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It's surface tension
that drives the behaviour of water.

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That surface tension is a pretty
strong force.

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And the water just wants to stick
to whatever it's stuck to.

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In Luca's case, the unexplained

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ball of water is sticking to
the back of his head

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and threatening
to creep around toward his face.

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My biggest concern was the water
getting inside my ears,

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because if it did,
it's really hard to get it out.

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You cannot tap your head.
There's nothing you can do.

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I finished what I was doing
and got over close to him,

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and I remember I could see it
looked like half of a grapefruit

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just kind of jiggling on his head.

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And then little bitty pieces of water
droplets moving around inside.

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At the European Space Agency,

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astronaut instructor Herve Stevenin
watches a live feed of the mission.

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But the situation doesn't improve.

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More water collects
in Luca's helmet.

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The LCVG, or liquid cooling
and ventilation garment

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circulates cold water
in the spacesuit

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via a system of tubes

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to prevent astronauts
from overheating.

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As Chris and Luca correctly suspect,

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Luca's LCVG has malfunctioned and
is leaking water into his helmet.

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The very suit designed
to protect him from the dangers

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of space may now be putting him
in mortal danger.

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That's the moment, I think, where it
solidified in everybody's mind.

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Okay, we're done for today.

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Mission control terminates
the spacewalk.

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Luca needs to get back inside

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the space station
and remove his helmet.

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He begins retracing his route back to
the airlock

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while Chris clears away their tools.

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I remember leaving Chris

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and as I made the corner
and disappeared from sight,

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I remember thinking
that I really wished

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that Chris could come with me
because that's how we train.

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We train to be together.

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That's why we go outside as a team
so that we have each other's back.

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Before I saw Luca disappearing behind
the Z1 truss...

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..and I wanted to say outloud, Luca,
stop!

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Hold on, I'm coming with you.

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It just felt like that's
what we should do.

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But as tempting as it is to hurry,
Chris follows orders

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and forces himself
to move deliberately.

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In the military, we say
that problems happen at the fold of

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a map at the junction
of grid squares and at night.

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And that's exactly how this
was shaping up.

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As soon as he started to move,
the sun set.

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And everything turns gold.
Bright gold for one split second.

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Incredibly beautiful.
And then it's lights out.

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The ISS takes around 90 minutes
to orbit the Earth.

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For half this time, the space station
is in total darkness.

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Now, once Luca started to move.

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Well, what happened to his motion?

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It gets transferred into the water
too.

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So that stationary, jiggly ball of
jello

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starts flushing around his head.

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I felt it coming closer and closer to
my forehead and I thought,

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00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,320
okay, this might cover both
of my ears at the same time.

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Maybe more than a simple hindrance.

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It may be an actual problem.

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When I just completed a manoeuvre
where I put myself upside down.

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So all my terms of reference
had completely switched 180 degrees.

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That's when the water
really completely covered my nose.

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And I found myself isolated,
unable to see anything,

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unable to breathe through my nose.

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I didn't really know how much time
I had

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00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,720
before the water reached my mouth.

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00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,080
If too much water covers
both Luca's nose and mouth,

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00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:13,160
he'll be unable to breathe
or drink his way out of trouble.

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And to make matters worse,

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water enters Luca's comms,
causing it to malfunction.

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00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:03,320
My memories are of just trying
to feel around making sure

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00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:07,320
that I would grab the correct handles
in a pressurised glove,

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which gives you no feedback,
no tactile feedback.

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And I called Chris, telling him,
Hey Chris,

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I think I'm a bit lost,
but nothing came out

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and I didn't have any return
in my earphones,

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so I knew that he couldn't hear me.

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And at the time my thoughts were,
okay,

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um, I don't think Chris is going
to come and get me right away.

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How much time do I have?
That was my thought in my head.

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How much time do I have

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before this helmet fills
up with water?

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There was a risk that if the water
increased dramatically,

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I would drown in space.

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For the next five minutes,

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Luca will be completely silent
and alone.

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He had the amazing
presence about himself

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when everything kind of went dark
and silent to just stop.

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At that point,

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Luca remembers he is tethered to
the space station's airlock.

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That tether has a little 3 or 5Ib
pull to it,

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and he waited
to feel the direction of that pull.

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And then he just put his hand over
and grabbed the next piece of metal

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that he could find,
and inched his way back that way.

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Unbelievable awareness by Luca.

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The gentle tug of the waist tether
leads Luca back to the airlock.

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But he's not safe yet.

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Before he can take his helmet off,

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the airlock must be sealed
and repressurized.

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With no time to waste, the ISS crew
runs through their checklist.

244
00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,320
Five minutes later, Chris joins Luca,
squeezing in feet first.

245
00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,520
The only thing that mattered at
that point

246
00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:28,880
was the hatch being closed,

247
00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:30,800
because if we couldn't close
the hatch,

248
00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:32,320
we couldn't get good air pressure.

249
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,920
If we couldn't get air pressure,
we couldn't get Luca's helmet off.

250
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:36,680
And if we can't get Luca's helmet
off,

251
00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,320
pretty soon, he's not going to
have air in his helmet to breathe.

252
00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:48,560
With Luca's comms malfunctioning
and water now obscuring his vision,

253
00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,040
Chris must ready the airlock

254
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,080
before crewmate
Karen Nyberg can repressurize it.

255
00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,800
As they speed through the normally
15-minute long airlock procedure,

256
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,320
ground control attempts to check
in with Luca.

257
00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:14,960
But there's still no response.

258
00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,320
The pair are positioned
head to foot,

259
00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,320
making it difficult
for Chris to see into Luca's helmet.

260
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,320
Right about then,
I grabbed his hand.

261
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,320
And we had never pre-briefed this.
Never talked about it.

262
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,320
But I squeezed his hand.

263
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,320
Sorry to my wife, but there
had been never

264
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,320
a more comforting squeeze back of
a hand.

265
00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,120
That sensation of feeling his hand
squeeze back

266
00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:19,320
in a nice, controlled way was like,
okay, we're going to be all right.

267
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,840
As my crewmates from the inside
were opening the hatch,

268
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,320
I looked up and I could see Karen,

269
00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,320
Karen Nyberg's face, and Fyodor.

270
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,840
The whole crew had come into
the airlock to help me

271
00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:04,320
and their faces.

272
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,080
They were so worried.

273
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,480
The sense of friendship,
camaraderie.

274
00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,480
It's a form of love
that we should explore more, I think.

275
00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,320
I could feel it. I could sense it.
I could see it on their faces.

276
00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:28,520
And I was moved.

277
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,320
I was obviously relieved.

278
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,120
I knew that the ordeal was just
about to end

279
00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:45,560
when they took the helmet off.

280
00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,640
I was all smiles,
and I started cracking jokes.

281
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,320
They were certainly happy to see me,

282
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,320
and I was certainly happy
to see them.

283
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,320
A thorough investigation reveals

284
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:06,320
that a clogged filter led to
the leak in Luca's suit.

285
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,440
To ensure that astronauts can keep
breathing

286
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,320
if such a thing happens again,

287
00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,320
NASA has an absorbent pad and even

288
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,320
a makeshift snorkel installed into
each helmet.

289
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:36,280
The way water behaves in space
is just one aspect of microgravity,

290
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,400
which is one millionth
the gravitational pull

291
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,080
experienced on Earth.

292
00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,280
And it's what helps keep
the space station in orbit.

293
00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,120
It's a challenge to live and work
in microgravity,

294
00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:58,120
but it also allows
for groundbreaking studies

295
00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:00,280
to be carried out on the ISS.

296
00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:13,280
Biomedical experiments in space
reveal that in microgravity,

297
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:18,280
protein crystals form more uniformly
with fewer defects.

298
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,280
They tend to be higher quality.
They tend to be purer and larger.

299
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,680
And so this is really been a great
application

300
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,280
for the pharmaceutical industry.

301
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,280
A team of Japanese researchers
has taken advantage of

302
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,280
the ISS's Kibo laboratory to
investigate

303
00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:38,280
proteins associated
with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

304
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,480
A severe genetic disorder
causing progressive muscle weakness.

305
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,280
That series of experiments
were really successful

306
00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:53,080
in finding some of the crystals
associated with those proteins

307
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:54,720
that they weren't able to do on
the ground

308
00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,280
and develop drugs to target those.

309
00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,280
Other experiments focus on
the astronauts themselves

310
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,880
and the impact the microgravity
environment has on their bodies.

311
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,280
A vital area of research

312
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,520
if humanity is to venture farther
out into space.

313
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,000
And we give periodic samples of blood
and urine and saliva,

314
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:19,640
and in some cases, number two,

315
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,280
to test all of the different outcomes
on the body.

316
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,560
We are both the conductors
and the test subjects.

317
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:32,280
We don't like the term guinea pigs
because we're not.

318
00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,280
But we are subjects of the same,
of the same kind of experiments.

319
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,720
In the end, we are interested
in what can we glean

320
00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,520
from performing science on
the human body

321
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,560
in space
that we cannot on the ground?

322
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,800
Every part of the space
station is crucial

323
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:56,280
to conduct this science and maintain
the lives of its inhabitants.

324
00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,480
All the things we might take
for granted here on Earth -

325
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,640
air, water, food - have to be
designed,

326
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,280
calculated and engineered
to work properly in microgravity.

327
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,240
Even using the toilet.

328
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:13,480
Close the lid.

329
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,640
You got to be able to use all of
your facilities,

330
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,280
whether it's the bathroom

331
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,600
or the air conditioning
or the water processor.

332
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,640
All of those systems are there
for a reason because you need them.

333
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,280
Let's take a peek at the process.

334
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,880
With so little gravity, space
toilets use airflow to pull urine

335
00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:35,440
and faeces away from the body
and into the proper receptacles.

336
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,400
And this valve is what activates
the whole system.

337
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,560
Going number one, you feel pretty
confident with that.

338
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,800
You're effectively just turning on
a fan, opening a valve and peeing.

339
00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,640
In good Nasa fashion,
we have a checklist.

340
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,280
This is called procedure 2.301.

341
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,080
And in case things go wrong...

342
00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,640
Going number two is a little bit
more...

343
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,920
You really reread every little line.

344
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:07,800
There is a plastic liner in there
where your deposit goes.

345
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,280
If you make the mess, you got
to clean up the mess.

346
00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:10,880
So you don't want to be that one.

347
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:12,800
You take this red tab,

348
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:17,280
you pull it off the rim
and we do have a stick

349
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,280
and you push it down in there.

350
00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,560
And then it's time to put a new
bag on.

351
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:23,880
Ready to go.

352
00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,600
But the toilets are vital to
the International Space Station

353
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,080
in more ways than one.

354
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,520
Water is life.
Water is life on Earth.

355
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:38,960
Water is life on
the International Space Station.

356
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,280
Every drop of water,
whether it's your urination,

357
00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,280
whether it's your sweaty t-shirt
from exercise,

358
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,560
the moisture in our breath
as we exhale,

359
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,280
all of
that moisture gets captured by

360
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,280
the environmental control system

361
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:55,600
and put back into
the water processor.

362
00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,280
This fundamental part of the space
station's environmental control

363
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:06,080
and life support system allows
the ISS to recycle 98%

364
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,640
of the water that a crew brings along
at the start of a mission.

365
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,520
Every now and then
as you're filling your coffee bag,

366
00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:18,760
you think, wait a minute,
this was yesterday's coffee.

367
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,280
And it's also today's coffee.

368
00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,280
But the system works really well
and you get alarms long before

369
00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,280
it is anything but pure water.

370
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,000
While the systems on board
are designed

371
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,280
to keep the crew alive,
it is the responsibility of

372
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,280
the crew to maintain
the space station itself,

373
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,280
a fundamentally
symbiotic relationship.

374
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:45,280
Neither could survive for long
periods in space without the other.

375
00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:53,360
The ISS is the largest human-made
structure in orbit ever built,

376
00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,280
with a surface
area of well over 100,000 sq ft,

377
00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,280
exposed to
the hostile environment of space.

378
00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,400
One of the dangers
in space that's outside

379
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,280
the vehicle are
what we call micrometeoroids.

380
00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,280
So those can come from a number
of sources.

381
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:19,960
Bits of cosmic dust travelling at
a tremendously high speed can hit

382
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,280
the shell
of your module and put a hole in it.

383
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:31,280
Impact tests conducted on the ground
reveal the destructive

384
00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:36,280
force of high-velocity particles,
some no larger than a grain of sand.

385
00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,760
Incoming particles can reach speeds
of up to 162,000mph,

386
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,840
up to 50 times faster than
a speeding bullet.

387
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,880
The ISS
has survived several direct hits

388
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,280
to its solar panels
and to the Canadarm2.

389
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,280
The smaller pieces cause problems
because they're going very fast.

390
00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,280
So you multiply a very small number,

391
00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:10,640
which is a mass times a very big
number, which is the velocity.

392
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:12,120
That's where you get the problem.

393
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,880
The result is that even the tiniest
particles can pack a huge punch.

394
00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,640
To defend the space station,

395
00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,560
more than 100 shields protect
the critical components.

396
00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,280
A common kind is a stuffed
Whipple shield.

397
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,720
A multi-layered system of metal
and synthetic materials

398
00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:38,680
which can break up smaller
meteoroids, dispersing their energy.

399
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:49,280
Russian modules tend to have thicker
ribs and thinner skin,

400
00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:52,280
so from a probabilistic perspective,

401
00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,280
the Russian
modules are much more susceptible

402
00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,760
to small micrometeoroid
penetrations.

403
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,280
On the flip side,
the US modules have very,

404
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:06,280
very thick skin,
so smaller micrometeoroids

405
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,720
are not likely
to penetrate the US module.

406
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,280
But micrometeoroids aren't the only
threat.

407
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,720
Increasingly, it's orbital debris

408
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,280
that comes from something
human made.

409
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,680
So a screw, a paint fleck,
a rocket body.

410
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,280
I mean, it could be anything, right?

411
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,560
There are so many more objects
in space.

412
00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:33,280
There may be bits of derelict
satellites that approach your orbit.

413
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,720
With low Earth orbit
becoming more crowded by the day,

414
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,040
the probability of catastrophic
collision increases.

415
00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:46,280
The good thing about low Earth orbit
is we've seen this huge boom

416
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,080
of private companies
and commercialisation,

417
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:49,280
and it's everywhere.

418
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,040
The bad thing is there's lots
of old pieces of stuff out there,

419
00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,960
whether it's spent launch vehicles,
whether it's dead satellites.

420
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,280
Protecting the ISS now poses a unique
challenge.

421
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,640
Today, more than 15,000 pieces
of space debris

422
00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,600
are tracked in low Earth orbit
where the ISS resides.

423
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:18,280
Including fragments of used rockets
and decommissioned satellites that,

424
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,800
with no way
to regulate their temperature,

425
00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,640
repeatedly expand and contract

426
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:27,280
until they break up or sometimes even
explode.

427
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,320
And these are just the objects
we are able to track,

428
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:34,280
those larger than four inches.

429
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:37,840
Add in smaller fragments,

430
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,960
and the total number of debris
particles is estimated to be

431
00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:42,280
in the millions.

432
00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:48,280
Each fragment can go on
to hit more objects,

433
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:53,080
creating exponentially
more fragments and more collisions.

434
00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,640
A potential nightmare
for Mission Control.

435
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,280
The bigger pieces we
track pretty well

436
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,000
and we do
debris avoidance manoeuvres

437
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,760
sometimes because we know that
there's a potential collision.

438
00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:16,280
In 2021, Russia launched
an anti-satellite missile,

439
00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:20,280
deliberately destroying one of
its own defunct satellites.

440
00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:24,320
The impact created a massive
cloud of high velocity debris

441
00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,400
hurtling through low Earth orbit.

442
00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,840
Although the initial pass missed
the station,

443
00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,000
the danger was far from over.

444
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,560
Subsequent orbits of the wreckage
required mission control

445
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:44,280
to carry out avoidance manoeuvres
to keep the ISS out of harm's way.

446
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,840
But rogue impactors aren't always
the problem.

447
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:56,280
Every manoeuvre, every docking
is painstakingly planned

448
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,480
and monitored by the folks at
Mission Control.

449
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,560
And during these tightly
coordinated movements

450
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:09,280
of the space station, controllers
must be ready for the unexpected.

451
00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:30,840
After years of delays, the uncrewed
Multi-Purpose Laboratory Module,

452
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:36,280
or MLM Nauka, docks with
the International Space Station.

453
00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:39,280
It marks the first major
expansion to

454
00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:42,280
the Russian segment
in over ten years.

455
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,320
Once docking to the Zvezda
service module is complete,

456
00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:49,560
at Mission Control in Houston,

457
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:53,280
Zebulon Scoville
takes over flight director duties.

458
00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,280
I did a quick handover
and plugged in,

459
00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,520
thinking that we were just going
to be doing some minor

460
00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,280
reconfigurations and stabilisations
of opening hatches,

461
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,640
equalising the atmospheres
and so forth.

462
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,200
It didn't quite go that way.

463
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:15,640
About 1.5 minutes after plugging
in my headset,

464
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,200
a small yellow stripe lit up across
the caution warning board

465
00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:20,600
in the front of Mission Control.

466
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,440
My altitude control officer notifies
me that we have

467
00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,760
a loss of altitude control or low
altitude.

468
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:34,280
For reasons unknown, the ISS
has begun to spin out of control.

469
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:39,440
We saw on the front screens
the video cameras coming from ISS,

470
00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:43,760
almost a snowstorm of particles
around the outside of the ISS,

471
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,600
and it wasn't entirely clear
what the source of this was.

472
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:52,280
This could be a coolant fluid
that had vented.

473
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,760
It could be a fuel or propellant
that was leaking overboard,

474
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,840
or it could be thrusters firing.

475
00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,520
The fact of the matter is we didn't
know.

476
00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,560
And so this is where we had to very
quickly try to understand

477
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:03,280
what is this venting overboard?

478
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,480
What is it doing to ISS?

479
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,400
How will we first make sure this crew
is going to be safe?

480
00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:11,920
And second, get the vehicle under
control.

481
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,800
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet

482
00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:24,680
and his six crewmates
are on board at the time.

483
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,440
If a space station spins too fast,

484
00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,280
this could introduce
several potential hazards.

485
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,880
If it were to flip upside down,
now our antennas,

486
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,440
which are normally pointing towards
our communication satellites,

487
00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:51,880
are no longer pointing up,

488
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,800
so we risk losing communication with
the space station.

489
00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:14,040
We have docking mechanisms with
the crew vehicles

490
00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:15,440
that are used as lifeboats.

491
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,760
If we spin too fast, if we had to
undock in an emergency,

492
00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:20,280
those hooks might jam.

493
00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:35,160
The advantage of building a station
in the vacuum of space is

494
00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:38,440
that you don't have to fight things
like wind and gravity,

495
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,480
so the structure can be less sturdy.

496
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:43,520
The problem is,

497
00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,280
any unexpected twisting
could break it into pieces.

498
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,720
Ground control desperately needs
to understand

499
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:56,240
what is causing the ISS to turn.

500
00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:01,240
So one of my first questions
was to my life support officer.

501
00:39:01,240 --> 00:39:03,160
Are you maintaining cabin atmosphere?

502
00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:04,760
Cabin atmosphere stable, flight.

503
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:09,240
Okay, what about cooling systems?

504
00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:11,240
Thermal systems are stable, flight.
We're looking good.

505
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,400
The team ticks off a checklist
of possible causes.

506
00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,040
Until a plausible suspect emerges.

507
00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,360
One of the main
and most likely candidates was

508
00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:27,600
that the Nauka module was
firing thrusters.

509
00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:35,240
A software error on the Nauka means
that it doesn't recognise

510
00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:37,840
it has successfully connected to
the ISS.

511
00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:54,200
Nauka's thrusters start firing,

512
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,560
trying to pull away from the space
station

513
00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:58,360
it is now securely docked to.

514
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:14,240
Four huge gyroscopes on board
the ISS keep the station in position.

515
00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:20,240
As the Russian thrusters fight with
the space station's gyros,

516
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:23,240
there's concern that the joints of
the ageing ship

517
00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:24,640
can't take the strain.

518
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:31,240
So the decision is made to shut
the gyros down,

519
00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:33,680
reducing the stress on
the attachment points

520
00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,240
that connect
the station's modules together.

521
00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:41,920
The ISS is now in free drift.

522
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,240
And there's an added complication.

523
00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:48,800
Unfortunately, the Nauka module can
only communicate with the ground

524
00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:51,880
if the station was physically over
the Russian ground sites.

525
00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:55,800
As it was, we were just heading off
of the eastern coast of Russia

526
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:56,960
over the Pacific.

527
00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:00,240
And so we had no insight,
no telemetry,

528
00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:03,240
no data, and no ability
to command it or turn it off.

529
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,240
We weren't going to get that back
for about 90 minutes.

530
00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:13,760
In Houston, flight controllers listen
to real time translations of

531
00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,120
the communications
between Moscow's mission control

532
00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:19,240
and the cosmonauts on board
the station.

533
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,240
We've got 1.5 hours
to ride this thing out

534
00:41:53,240 --> 00:41:56,240
before we're going to be able
to completely stabilise the system.

535
00:41:59,240 --> 00:42:03,240
At this point, in order to assure we
had every advantage we could,

536
00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:05,240
I declared a spacecraft emergency.

537
00:42:06,240 --> 00:42:08,240
A spacecraft emergency ensures

538
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:12,240
that all attention is focussed on
the operation at hand.

539
00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:19,880
All available ground antennas across
the US

540
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,600
now attempt to make contact with the
ISS.

541
00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:33,800
But still, the connection between
the ground and space is patchy

542
00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:34,960
and unpredictable.

543
00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:41,360
And with the whole ISS structure now
turning away

544
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,480
from its communications satellites,

545
00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:48,320
US operations are
about to lose contact with the crew.

546
00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:51,800
We were tracking the space
station spin,

547
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:55,560
and we could predict we had
minutes to communicate several steps

548
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:59,400
of procedure to the crew before we
were going to run out of time.

549
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:12,960
The crew are instructed to lock
the station's radiators,

550
00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:15,400
which are at risk of shearing off,

551
00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:17,680
while the solar panels are
repositioned.

552
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:27,240
Meanwhile, at Mission Control...

553
00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:31,400
..the team formulates a plan

554
00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:34,240
to fight back against
Nauka's thrusters.

555
00:43:34,240 --> 00:43:36,000
We want you to run the procedure.

556
00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:41,240
We knew as the Nauka module's
thrusters were firing,

557
00:43:41,240 --> 00:43:43,680
that we had to bring a bigger
lever arm,

558
00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:46,920
a more powerful force
to bear against these thrusters.

559
00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:52,240
For that extra muscle,

560
00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:56,240
ground control turns to the Zvezda
service module,

561
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,720
primary source
for the ISS's propulsion systems.

562
00:44:04,240 --> 00:44:07,960
At this time, a cargo ship,
Progress 78,

563
00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,160
is also docked to the station

564
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,880
on the opposite side to the misfiring
Nauka.

565
00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:21,640
Crucially, both Progress 78
and the Zvezda have thrusters.

566
00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,240
Now, typically there will be days
of analysis.

567
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,440
In this specific case, this was
unexpected, and so there was a little

568
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:33,880
bit of engineering judgement
that had to be applied.

569
00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:35,800
Recognising that the alternative

570
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,240
and indecision would
have been worse.

571
00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:42,600
Mission control makes the decision

572
00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:47,920
to fire up the Zvezda and Progress 78
thrusters to set up an orbital

573
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:51,240
wrestling match
with the Nauka that they have to win.

574
00:45:10,240 --> 00:45:14,240
For nearly 45 minutes,
the ISS drifts out of control.

575
00:45:16,240 --> 00:45:20,240
A combined effort of the Zvezda and
Progress 78 modules

576
00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:22,720
pushes back against Nauka.

577
00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:26,240
It's putting huge strain on
the space station structure.

578
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:29,560
This is like riding
a bucking bronco,

579
00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:31,520
and we've got to make it the full
eight seconds.

580
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:34,240
Except this time it was
an orbit around the entire Earth.

581
00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,680
It will be another 45 minutes
before Russian controllers

582
00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,240
can regain command
of Nauka's thrusters.

583
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:51,640
But then all of a sudden...

584
00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:07,960
Nauka's thrusters fall silent.

585
00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:11,880
Its fuel tanks have run dry.

586
00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,240
The tug of war is over.

587
00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:21,240
As we brought the space station back
to normal altitude,

588
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:23,240
I think we all took a deep
sigh of relief.

589
00:46:25,240 --> 00:46:30,240
After rotating one and a half times
around 540 degrees,

590
00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:32,640
mission controllers
can finally bring

591
00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:35,160
the station to a halt

592
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:38,640
and begin a controlled return to its
correct attitude.

593
00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:46,000
The team that I had working
in the control centre that day

594
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:51,240
was an example of performance that to
this day I will always remember.

595
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,480
Not because we did everything
perfect,

596
00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:58,400
but because of how we came together.

597
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:08,560
Since its launch in 1998,

598
00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:12,400
the ISS has been humanity's
laboratory in the sky.

599
00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,680
Over the past 25 years,

600
00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:21,240
we have served over 5000 researchers
on the International Space Station.

601
00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:25,240
Conducted over 4000 different
experiments.

602
00:47:27,240 --> 00:47:29,840
And published right around 4000
papers.

603
00:47:33,240 --> 00:47:36,920
The fact that we've learned so much,
not just about technology,

604
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:41,240
but about ourselves
as a result of the ISS.

605
00:47:41,240 --> 00:47:44,800
That's a legacy that's not to be
denied or discounted in any way.

606
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:52,240
For many, the value of the ISS goes
far beyond the physical.

607
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:55,760
It's about perspective,

608
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:59,760
hope, and the shared pursuit
of something greater.

609
00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:05,640
The space station is not just
a place where we produce science,

610
00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:08,240
but it's a place of emotions.

611
00:48:08,240 --> 00:48:09,880
It is a place of humanity.

612
00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:15,240
A place where we brought
with us our own dreams.

613
00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:36,240
A quarter century
of peaceful cooperation,

614
00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:39,240
multiple countries,
multiple organisations,

615
00:48:39,240 --> 00:48:42,080
all working with the focus of trying
to make humanity better.

616
00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:45,240
To me, that seems like a pretty
powerful and lasting legacy.

617
00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:51,480
But with ageing technology
and the advent of new,

618
00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:56,480
more efficient space platforms,
the station's days are numbered.

619
00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:03,240
The ISS was never meant to be
a permanent structure in space.

620
00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:08,600
The International Space Station is
scheduled to begin

621
00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:10,960
its final chapter in 2030.

622
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:17,240
About a year and a half
before the space station de-orbits,

623
00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:19,720
we will launch a crew
that will stay there for a year.

624
00:49:19,720 --> 00:49:22,240
They will be in charge of getting
the last bits of science

625
00:49:22,240 --> 00:49:25,480
and engineering
we can out of this facility.

626
00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:31,240
About six months prior to
the deorbit process,

627
00:49:31,240 --> 00:49:32,640
that crew will come home,

628
00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:36,240
leaving the space station uncrewed
as its altitude starts to lower.

629
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,880
A deorbit vehicle will attach to
the ISS

630
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:48,680
and gently guide the station into
a slow, deliberate descent,

631
00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:52,600
where it will enter the thick layers
of Earth's atmosphere

632
00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:56,240
at speeds over 17,000mph.

633
00:49:59,600 --> 00:50:04,560
Experiencing temperatures close
to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit.

634
00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:10,720
We know some of it will burn up,

635
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:14,240
but large pieces of it will survive
through the atmospheric re-entry.

636
00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:18,080
That's why we want to make sure
that it's a controlled process.

637
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:19,760
So we safely hit the Pacific Ocean.

638
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:28,160
The ISS's fiery disintegration will
be the final act

639
00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:29,680
in its incredible journey.

640
00:50:36,840 --> 00:50:40,240
But the lessons we learned
from its time in space,

641
00:50:40,240 --> 00:50:45,240
the technologies developed
and the unity it represents

642
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:50,240
will echo in future space exploration
for generations to come.

643
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:56,240
The ISS is not just a international
laboratory that's orbiting in space.

644
00:50:56,240 --> 00:50:58,240
It's much, much more than that.

645
00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:03,360
No matter where we come from,

646
00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:05,720
no matter the differences
in political systems

647
00:51:05,720 --> 00:51:10,240
and the leaders that we have,
we really can work together.

648
00:51:10,240 --> 00:51:11,600
We have that ability.

649
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:19,240
It's just really fun to think about
the future of space exploration,

650
00:51:19,240 --> 00:51:22,200
and to know that I was,
in a small way,

651
00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,480
part of the International
Space Station story.

652
00:51:32,240 --> 00:51:35,240
The International Space Station is
the crowning

653
00:51:35,240 --> 00:51:38,360
achievement of human ingenuity
so far.