Episode 1 - A Year in Space

Despite the technological “comforts” of the International Space Station, a year in space – the longest space mission in American history – has been described as the epitome of extreme, with extraordinarily high physical stakes. Viewers will witness the mental and physical rigors of Scott’s life in space and will get to know his family and their dreams, stresses, fears and loves back here on Earth. A Year in Space will also delve into the broader historical context of the mission, the political background of the Russian-US relationship – Scott’s compatriot at the start of the mission is Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Korniyenk – and the science/engineering conundrums of living in space. Kelly’s expedition is a dress rehearsal, a test, for a mission to Mars. What NASA learns about Kelly – how he holds up during an isolating year – will help them plan the first interplanetary trip by a human. The immediate future of human space exploration rests on how Kelly functions in his year in space. For NASA, for Scott Kelly and his family, for the tantalizing prospect of human trip to Mars in our lifetime, the stakes of this expedition for couldn’t be higher. A Year in Space is the rare story that will appeal to the science geek, the space nerd, the engineering junky as well as to those who don’t know, or care, about alpha gimbals or gravity-gradient effects. It is a human drama. It’s the story of families separated by a year and 249 miles of space, of the potential tragedies or triumphs of exploration.