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Wednesday, November 15, 8 PM
If you aren't going to be home on Wednesday night, November 15, set your DVR for these exciting programs on space travel! The first two explore what it is like to spend a year in space.
Astronaut Scott Kelly spent one year on the International Space Station – the longest space mission in American history. These two specials chronicle his journey, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to live in space and how it affects one’s body.
A Year In Space airing November 15, at 8 p.m., tracks Kelly’s mission from training and launch, through his 12 months in space, right up through his descent and landing. Viewers will witness his rigorous pre-flight training regimen and will get to know his family and their dreams, stresses, fears and loves. Interwoven into the series’ compelling personal story, the documentaryalso delves into the broader historical context of the mission, including the history of space exploration and the science/engineering conundrums posed by interplanetary space travel.
Beyond A Year In Space airs the same night at 9 p.m. and picks up with Kelly’s last day in space and his return to Earth. Viewers will journey with him for his homecoming and long-awaited reunion with his family in Texas. The program also tracks the extensive medical testing undergone by Kelly and his brother and fellow astronaut, Mark. As identical twins, the brothers presented NASA with the extraordinary opportunity of conducting experiments on two individuals who have the same genetic makeup but spent the year in vastly different environments. The data from the twins study will help NASA determine what it will take for humans to endure long-duration space travel in preparation for a mission to Mars, an unprecedented three-year journey.
Although Scott maintained a rigorous exercise program in space, the physical toll of the voyage is evident upon his return as he suffers from sore muscles, stiff joints, flu-like symptoms, skin sensitivity and inflammation. “Gravity definitely gives you a beat down when you get back,” he said. “My feet still bother me some — I didn’t walk on them for a year!”
Beyond A Year In Space also introduces two new astronauts, biologist Jessica Meir and former Navy pilot Victor Glover, who are preparing to venture farther than humankind has ever gone. The film follows Meir and Glover at NASA and at home, exploring their lives as astronauts and as individuals as each expresses what it means to carry on the legacy of the astronauts who came before them.
Following these two programs, NOVA will take viewers behind the scenes in the life of Neil Armstrong, the first person to land on the moon. NOVA: First Man on the Moon (10 p.m.) is an intimate portrait of Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon. Told through interviews with Armstrong’s family and friends, the film reveals his achievements as a Navy combat veteran and pioneer of high-speed flight. NOVA revisits the final moments of the Apollo 11 landing, when Armstrong brought the Eagle down safely with seconds to spare. But he regretted that he got so much credit for the team effort that the lunar landing represented. In its exploration of this quietly effective man, NOVA explores his achievements following Apollo. This is an inspiring story of heroic risk-taking and humble dedication to advancing humanity’s adventure in space.
Don't miss these exciting shows about space travel.
8 p.m. - A Year In Space
9 p.m. - Beyond A Year In Space
10 p.m. - NOVA: First Man on the Moon
