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00:03In the year 2021, a 21-year-old man named Francis Bourgeois rose to fame by doing something
00:12remarkably simple, filming his love of trains. Francis, a train spotter by trade and a dreamer
00:22by design, did not set out to become famous. In fact, it was entirely accidental.
00:31I'm here at Dilton Marsh Station on the West Coast Mainbed at 4.30 this morning.
00:36The 69 comes through with some absolutely brilliant honks. I cannot wait.
00:39Armed with little more than a GoPro and an infectious enthusiasm for diesel locomotives,
00:45he captured the hearts of millions who, quite frankly, weren't expecting to fall in love
00:51with a trainspotter. However, Francis's life wasn't always about trains.
01:01Alongside falling for the railway, young Francis had another love.
01:09The infinite, unknowable vastness of space. Once upon a time, only government's global space
01:17agencies held the keys to the stars. Their astronauts were military men, trained for years
01:24to overcome impossible obstacles. But something extraordinary is now happening.
01:30We are at the dawn of a new space race. We are entering an era where visiting, working,
01:37and even living in space is now a realistic possibility for an entire generation.
01:43which got Francis thinking. Could he take the passion, curiosity, and engineering know-how
01:51he'd built on Earth and aim it towards the heavens? So, with humanity once again reaching for the stars,
01:59Francis found himself facing the question that had quietly followed him since childhood. A question full of hope,
02:07fear, fear, and impossibility. Can a trainspotter become an astronaut?
02:24The journey to answering that question began in London, in a flat I share with my girlfriend, Amy.
02:30What I want people to know is that I love engineering. Like, I am a mechanical engineer.
02:35I love the thought of going to space. You know, it's a childhood dream and a childhood love.
02:41And I want to, you know, prove to myself and the people around me that I have what it takes.
02:46It seems so far-fetched, but, you know, I have my degree. There are so many things going on with,
02:54like, the next space race.
02:56I don't think it's kind of out of the question for me to kind of apply my engineering knowledge,
03:02apply my passion and, you know, my childhood desire to, you know, not only become an astronaut,
03:10but to actually become an engineer in space. The reason I'm so invested is because there's never been
03:16a better time to have this dream. All over the world, more rockets are taking off than ever before,
03:22powered by private companies, all designing a future where humanity can spread its wings
03:28and head for a new life in the stars. It really is a new dawn. And as a mechanical engineer,
03:34I wondered whether I was good enough to get a little slice of this cosmic pie.
03:39He has such a joyous view of the world and finds such appreciation and things that lots of people
03:46would just overlook. He's obsessed with engineering. He loves switches. He'll stop and,
03:52like, be to-ing and throwing switches for several, several times and I'll just sort of sit there
03:58patiently waiting as he's fascinated by the mechanism. I think it just makes him really special
04:03that he can view the world through this particular way. I hate the feeling of regret, you know. I don't,
04:10every time I look at the Saturn V rocket, I don't want to suddenly feel a pang of like,
04:14oh, it could have, could have almost been. Amy, what's your thoughts on Francis's plans?
04:20It's something that I'll support him in doing and I know he has the capability of doing mentally,
04:25but it's the physical challenges I think will be the toughest. I know his mum's very worried about it.
04:35Yeah, I'm getting messages from her saying, oh, is he really, is this really, you know, a potential,
04:41a potential thing?
04:45Becoming an astronaut seemed like such a daunting task. I was an outsider trying to get in on a world
04:51I had no contacts in and I didn't want to spend my life wondering, what if? So I fell back
04:57on what I'm
04:58most familiar with and decided to make a TikTok asking for help. And this is me doing it now.
05:03Okay, let's do one here with the dish in the background. Can a train spotter become an astronaut?
05:11This isn't a joke. I genuinely want to take the steps towards becoming an astronaut.
05:17I wasn't sure how my video would go down. I'm not the traditional macho image of an old school
05:23astronaut and I didn't know if people would take me seriously. Any help or recommendations
05:29would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. But the response and support was amazing
05:35and amongst all the likes, hearts and some scepticism was one comment that caught my eye.
05:43I couldn't believe it. A comment from Major Tim Peake.
05:48Tim is the epitome of what you'd expect an astronaut to be. He started out as an Apache
05:54helicopter pilot in the army, became a test pilot and then incredibly made it all the way to the
06:00International Space Station. I knew I was going to need a mentor and some help, so I tentatively sent
06:06him a follow request and then he sent me this. Hi Francis, I heard that you're thinking of swapping
06:12out your trains for rockets and I know a thing or two about rockets, so give me a shout.
06:17I've received a DM from Tim Peake, the legendary British astronaut. I've expressed to him that I want to
06:26go through the actual training processes and yet just I'm talking with an astronaut at this stage.
06:36Being an astronaut might look like lots of floating around, but going from zero to 1,000 miles per hour
06:43in one minute puts a huge strain on the body. So Tim's plan was to test me here on Earth
06:48in something
06:49called a centrifuge. So you're being spun round like this in kind of this axis.
06:58What that can simulate is a rocket launch or flying around in a jet fighter. So Tim's invited me there
07:06just to just to get started in my training. You'll be fine and if you're not fine it'll be over
07:11before
07:11you know it. Yeah, okay. Well I'll see you for dinner. I was excited but in truth I was also
07:19quite
07:20apprehensive. I had no idea if I had what it took to survive the centrifuge but there was only one
07:26way
07:26to find out. I jumped on board 91109 Sir Bobby Robson from King's Cross to Grantham full of enthusiasm
07:35and an avocado and egg baguette. Tim had invited me to the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, home of the
07:43elite flight training school and a 39 tonne centrifuge. My stomach was in knots and I could feel my
07:51confidence draining away. I'm slightly worried about my kind of stature potentially being an issue.
07:59You're quite tall, yes. Are there tall astronauts? There are tall astronauts, yes. Sometimes taller
08:06people struggle a bit more with G tolerance, something you have to build up and that's just
08:11a physiological fact. Sometimes when I go from lying down to standing up really quickly
08:17I can lose my vision slightly. Tim accompanied me to the mission briefing room to meet Wing Commander
08:23Joe Britton for a detailed technical explanation on G-Force and how astronauts can combat the negative
08:30effects. When we talk about G-Force what we're really talking about is acceleration but relative
08:36to Earth's gravity so one G is just Earth's gravity. Sitting here it's acting from our head to our toe
08:42that's what we call GZ in the Z axis. What our centrifuge can do is go all the way up
08:46to 12 but don't
08:47worry we're not going to take you that far today. Sorry can I just check how much I should be
08:53taking
08:54off? If you're at 9G everything weighs nine times more so your blood then wants to go down to your
08:58feet where we don't want it and away from your brain where you really do want it. Like do I
09:02do trousers
09:02with suit or suits and no trousers? It can get a bit warm in there. The main risk is that
09:07you don't
09:07get enough oxygen being delivered to your brain and you can lose consciousness. That's something we call
09:11G lock or G induced loss of consciousness. Not really much for the G suit to constrict on really.
09:19I was looking fantastic and ready to go and take a look at the centrifuge. You look fantastic. Thank
09:25you. Shall you go and take a look at the centrifuge? Let's come on through to our centrifuge hall.
09:31So this is the machine you'll be spending the afternoon in. Wow. Whoa. Oh there was a weird
09:38acoustics thing there. Good luck Francis. We'll be following on in mission control.
09:46Good luck. Have a good launch. Thank you. I was trying to give off the impression I was comfortable
09:54but in reality I was anything but. It hit me just after they locked the hatch that this wasn't
10:01hypothetical anymore. This was actual astronaut stuff. Only a week ago I was watching a class 56
10:08down at Preston docks and now I was going to experience the g-forces needed to push a 10 ton
10:14space plane to the edge of the atmosphere. My journey had started and I was about to find out
10:20if an ordinary person could become an astronaut. Okay so I have the lead and we're doing suborbital
10:27profiles cars. Are you ready? Ready. Ready. Tim are you ready? Ready. Ready. Excellent.
10:34Enable drives. The centrifuge had to be brought up to speed before the real test could start.
10:41Okay Francis we're about to spin up to that baseline of 1.2 G's. Okay I'm ready. Launching in five,
10:48four, three, two, one. Now. Wow. Wow. Okay so this feels like quite a hard acceleration of past sports car.
11:12Now my smile feels like it's being maintained a bit by the g-force. I do have quite a lot
11:18of loose skin
11:18on my face. You're at baseline now. I'm just gearing myself up for this. I kind of need to burn
11:24a bit.
11:27Pardon me. Oh. Taste a bit of avocado then.
11:36Okay I'm ready. The centrifuge was going to simulate a real space plane launch.
11:42I'd spent my whole life wondering if I had what it took to reach the stars and now with one
11:48of my
11:49childhood heroes watching I was about to find out what I was really made of. I wasn't a fighter pilot.
11:55I wasn't Neil Armstrong. I was just a train spotter with a love of engineering and a dream.
12:01Launching in five, four, three, two, one. Now.
12:09Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Okay. Okay.
12:18So coming up to maximum G's. Heavy iron. Okay I can't see anything. Heavy iron.
12:23It is going. Medical stocking.
12:29Car there, we need to stop. Francis, can you hear us? Francis?
12:40Francis, can you hear us? Francis? Francis? Sorry, I think I might have dribbled on the mic a bit.
12:49Are you back with us? Yeah.
12:52Okay, well we did say we won't expect you to take you anywhere near losing consciousness today,
12:57but it looks like we might have done. Oh. I didn't expect. Sorry.
13:03Non-apromatonic.
13:04I just very quickly lost vision.
13:10I'd just been physically tested for the first time and I'd failed to make it to 4G without passing out.
13:17If this had been a real launch, I'd have quite literally fallen asleep at the wheel.
13:22Hey Francis, how are you doing? I feel rather pathetic.
13:26Yeah.
13:27Yeah.
13:28Yeah.
13:29Yeah. It's quite a fast onset, isn't it?
13:32Yeah.
13:33Yeah.
13:34Just take your deep breaths.
13:37It's made me realise that there's a lot that I'd need to do in order to get ready
13:42to experience something like that for real in a launch.
13:47So, yeah, I think, you know, like Tim said, probably a bit of experience.
13:55Yeah.
14:03Hello.
14:04Hi, darling.
14:05Hi. How did it go today?
14:08Er, not great.
14:10I just feel like I've gone into this with quite an unrealistic expectation of what I might be able
14:17to achieve.
14:18That evening, I posted the clip of me passing out to my social media.
14:22I thought people would be shocked by seeing my face so distorted by g-force,
14:28and I didn't know what the overall response would be.
14:31However, messages poured in from strangers all over the world, telling me to keep going.
14:35So, encouraged by this, I decided to continue.
14:38Over the course of the next week, I wrote to astronauts, engineers,
14:43startups, even launch pad maintenance crews.
14:46If you were vaguely space adjacent, chances are you got a message from me that week.
14:51Most didn't reply, some sent polite no's.
14:55But then, one came back from Houston.
14:59Hi, Francis. Transmission received.
15:02If you want to learn what it takes to become an astronaut,
15:06there's no better place than to come visit Axiom Space.
15:09Please come by and visit. We'd love to host you and show you around.
15:12I had received a message from Matt Ondela,
15:15the chief strategy officer at Axiom Space, founded in 2016 and already backed by NASA.
15:22They were one of the bold new players reshaping the industry from the ground up.
15:27It's a very slick video.
15:28So, Axiom, at the forefront of kind of commercial space exploration.
15:36They're creating the space station that's going to take over from the International Space Station.
15:43This is going to lead to kind of some pretty significant advances in manufacturing in space too.
15:51They are also training the next generation of astronauts.
15:55They weren't bound by the old rules.
15:57And that meant maybe, just maybe, someone like me had a way in.
16:04This is like the new era of space.
16:07Matt is one of the figureheads in this video.
16:10And he, he's reached out to me directly.
16:14Like, the power of social media is baffling.
16:17But obviously, that can only take one so far.
16:20And I feel like I need to carry my kind of engineering expertise through to this meeting.
16:29I couldn't believe I'd been invited to meet with Axiom.
16:33Over the next few days, I watched their video countless times.
16:36I booked myself on the next flight to Texas and packed the essentials.
16:41Passport, toothbrush and my Molton TSR 9 Plus bicycle in powder pink,
16:47which was actually designed by my great, great uncle.
16:50Nice use of the arm span.
16:53Going through the packing and everything, it's a bit weird knowing that I'm leaving you.
16:58But it's, it's a journey for me in my passion and kind of lifelong interest.
17:06And I will come out the other side.
17:08Probably a bit more brave and more knowledgeable.
17:11And with 21 pairs of dirty pants.
17:17I've got something to give you before you go.
17:19Oh.
17:19Yeah, it's just in the car. Is the car open?
17:21Yeah. OK.
17:25Just a little something for you to open on our anniversary.
17:29Do you like the spacey-themed wrapping?
17:33Yes.
17:34Saying goodbye to Amy and receiving a gift that I wasn't allowed to open yet,
17:39suddenly made everything feel overwhelmingly real.
17:42Love you so much.
17:43Off you go.
17:44Love you done.
17:44Love you too. Bye.
17:47I wanted to try and relax myself,
17:49so I headed to the runway observation deck for some plane spotting.
17:57I was trying to remember why more modern engines have serrated engine cowlings.
18:06I'm pretty sure it's to do with noise emissions.
18:12Do you think they'll let me ask the pilot about the serrated cowlings?
18:17I noticed on some of the more modern aircraft, they have the serrated engine cowlings around the edge.
18:23Honestly, you can use more of my aircraft than I do.
18:26I've got to go back to school.
18:28I'm in there. I'm in my elements here.
18:31Are you looking?
18:32Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
18:33Terrain awareness test start.
18:35I've got goosebumps on my arms.
18:42As I cruised across the Atlantic, I couldn't quite believe I was about to land in America.
18:47This wasn't just a new country. It was a whole new chapter.
18:51I was going to the home of mission control, where all the walls echo with voices of Apollo
18:57and the streets are lined with people who have helped shape the future of humanity.
19:02I imagined landing in Texas to blue skies.
19:10Instead, I was greeted by torrential rain, but I didn't mind.
19:14I was in Houston, about to try and prove to one of the most cutting edge space companies on Earth
19:19that I could qualify as one of their astronauts.
19:34It was the day of my meeting with Axiom. I knew making a good impression was vital if I wanted
19:40to
19:40get a place on their astronaut training program. And from the moment I arrived, I couldn't help but
19:47be blown away by the scientific and mechanical excellence on display.
19:52This is very, very cool. In the reception area, they had a scale model of the space station
19:59they are currently building. I suppose it would be going about this fast.
20:02I thought I might one day find myself docking through this very hatch.
20:09I started to imagine myself actually living in space, floating between the modules,
20:14doing vital scientific research and drifting off to sleep in zero gravity.
20:19So would I actually sleep in here? Yeah.
20:22Right. Oh, OK. You have a sleeping bag on the right and then you would strap yourself in
20:25so you don't float away. My usual style of sleeping is kind of on my side
20:30and it actually has been kind of counterproductive for my posture.
20:35So perhaps microgravity sleeping could really be quite corrective.
20:41Yeah. Thank you.
20:44I was confident I was making a good impression as I was introduced to one of Axiom's astronaut
20:49trainers and operational leaders.
20:52Hi. Hello.
20:53Lovely to meet you. Lovely to meet you as well.
20:56Wow. And welcome to our mission control center.
20:58I'm in charge of the timeline operations. So when crew goes on board, they have a schedule
21:03to follow every day. I even get to plan their like lunches and snack times.
21:08So what they're having for lunch or when they're having lunch?
21:11No, no. When they're having lunch.
21:12OK. You're having chili con carne today.
21:16We seemed to have a really strong professional rapport and the workplace banter was off the charts.
21:22So I thought it was the right time to inquire about getting myself a job.
21:26How long is the training program?
21:28If you're referring to our astronaut training program, absolutely.
21:30So it's actually, we've achieved it in under a year at this point.
21:34Really?
21:34Yes. It's quite a year, but yes.
21:37Interesting.
21:39Who is kind of eligible for the training programs?
21:44Really, anyone in the global community, anyone that's interested in space.
21:47So for example, say if I wanted to go through the training process.
21:52Yeah.
21:52How would I kind of initiate that?
21:55Reach out to our team.
21:57And if it's an interest of yours, we can definitely explore those possibilities
22:01to get you involved in some manner.
22:03Yeah. Well, it sounds amazing that there's already this potential avenue.
22:07Absolutely.
22:08Unfortunately, my subtle approach was probably a bit too subtle.
22:12So I decided to double down.
22:14I mean, I can get my CV in a good position.
22:20Genuinely, where best would I be able to give an application, for example?
22:26I would reach out to maybe our business office.
22:29Okay.
22:29I don't know the answer to that.
22:30I'm sorry.
22:32Call me.
22:33I'm kidding.
22:34Sorry.
22:37My job prospects remained uncertain.
22:40But Kristen did point me in the direction of something truly special.
22:43To see the suit that would eventually be worn by the next astronaut to walk on the moon,
22:48and hopefully one day me.
22:50It was being made by hand.
22:52Every scene, every stitch, crafted with care.
22:56And with a particular interest in materials engineering,
22:59I couldn't wait to get my hands on the aluminised Kapton film
23:02and the neoprene nylon ripstop.
23:05So this is our Axiom extravehicular mobility unit or space suit.
23:09This is the suit that astronauts will use on their next return to the moon.
23:14Wow.
23:14Can I touch it?
23:15Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
23:18It's fascinating.
23:19Even just looking at this kind of joint here and how there always seems to be so much flexibility,
23:25but then I'm thinking, how is it sealed, you know?
23:27Exactly.
23:28That is some of the magic of a space suit.
23:31It is a beautiful bit of kit, really.
23:34Yes.
23:34It's so well put together and so satisfying to look at.
23:38We partnered with Prada to help make the overall aesthetic of the suit a bit more appealing and
23:43more something we can more connect with.
23:45Test engineer Sebastian climbed into the suit and acclimatised to the pressure.
23:50And I was asked to come up with some experiments to put the suit through its paces.
23:54Hello Sebastian.
23:55Hi.
23:56Nice to meet you.
23:57Let's go ahead and do a squad.
24:00I was staggered by the extraordinary range of mobility the suit enjoyed.
24:06Keen to tap into my engineering mind, I was tasked by the team to conduct further research on the suit.
24:13Subconsciously, do you feel inclined to kind of jump? And if so, could you?
24:19Can I?
24:20Sure, you can do a small jump.
24:21At the end.
24:23Wow.
24:23Nice.
24:24That was quite impressive.
24:25It's very agile.
24:26I don't know if anyone's ever asked the one to jump in the suit.
24:28That was an original question.
24:30I was on a roll.
24:31The team seemed to like my out-of-the-box research techniques.
24:35Could I see if he could pick up my phone?
24:37Sure.
24:38Please, may you grab my phone?
24:39Absolutely.
24:40Dropped it in the regular.
24:45There you go.
24:46There you go.
24:46Thank you very much.
24:47That's very kind of you.
24:51That's very impressive.
24:52And if there were to be a scenario where someone were to drop their phone on the moon,
24:57then at least we know now that it's possible to retrieve it.
25:05I left the suit lab satisfied that in some small way I had contributed to the future of space
25:11exploration.
25:12And I was pleasantly surprised when I was called to meet with Matt Ondela himself,
25:17the man overseeing everything Axiom are striving to achieve.
25:21Thank you so much for having me.
25:23It's a great pleasure to be here.
25:25Well, it's a pleasure for us to have you.
25:27Thanks.
25:28Is that somewhere I can put my jacket?
25:29Yeah, absolutely.
25:30This was my final shot to impress them.
25:33So it was vital I didn't say or do anything that could ruin my chances.
25:36So this is a prototype of a hatch. We're building our station and our suit to accommodate a fifth
25:43percentile female all the way to a 95th percentile man.
25:47When I was born, my head was in the 99th percentile in circumference.
25:54Interesting.
25:56Could I have a go?
25:57Go, please.
26:05That's a very satisfying mechanism.
26:10I like feeling the increase of resistance when the kind of the roller's in contact.
26:17Yep, yep.
26:18And that's locked in place now.
26:19And then it comes over center, yep, and locks in place.
26:21Oh, that's really nice.
26:26Oh.
26:34Wow.
26:38Very, very cool.
26:44Matt seemed genuinely impressed by my enthusiasm for locking mechanisms and pressure seals.
26:50If ever there were a moment to make my move, this was it.
26:54I climbed into the prototype display module of a crew pod located in reception and made my pitch for the
27:00stars.
27:01What's kind of your application process like to kind of become an astronaut?
27:07Yeah, so right now we don't really have an application process. I think we do have a,
27:12you know, a place on our website that you can apply.
27:15There is a pathway for individuals to be part of human space flight, but if I'm honest,
27:20I think you might need a bit more experience and training. Okay.
27:25It seemed I might have got my hopes up too soon and my mission here had come to a stop.
27:32I suppose in the back of my head, I was thinking if I could demonstrate my, you know, excitement and
27:38engineering expertise that maybe there were, I could, there could be an open door there, but
27:45they need people well kind of in the depths of kind of engineering research, scientific research,
27:52you know, ideally experience piloting helicopters or aircraft. You know, the only thing I have
27:59experience of piloting is this in a, in my car.
28:02I'd come to America chasing a dream, but perhaps the truth was I wasn't ready yet.
28:08There's a rather satisfying storm drain underneath that flyover.
28:12In the UK, the centrifuge had hit me hard and exposed my limits. My body needed to be stronger
28:18and my mind sharper, especially to conquer the fear of something going wrong. So I dug into the science
28:25and found out that all potential astronauts need to learn to spot the signs of hypoxia, which,
28:30similar to the centrifuge, is a lack of oxygen to the brain. Okay, here we go.
28:37You see? So everyone has their oxygen masks on. So I got in touch with a facility in Florida
28:44who specialise in this aspect of astronaut training and they agreed to put me through my paces.
28:52So it's basically a metal tube where they suck out the oxygen and monitor you whilst your critical
28:58functions shut down. That sounds awful. Just think of the ice chai latte you can have once
29:04you're done. Okay. Love you. Bye. Welcome to our facility. I am the president of the American
29:11College of Hyperbaric Medicine. I am so excited that you're here to experience what it's like
29:15to experience hypoxia or what it's like to become an astronaut. What is hypoxia and kind of what does it
29:22mean for the body? So hypoxia is where the brain doesn't have enough oxygen to function and so
29:26basically to preserve itself it starts shutting down. Now you are going to be the one without
29:31an oxygen mask, which means you have usable consciousness of only three to five minutes.
29:35Right. And we're going to see if you have what it takes to not pass out.
29:39Okay. Nervous? Uh, yes. Dr. Tyler explained that a hyperbaric chamber wasn't just a cylindrical
29:48metal anxiety tube. It was designed to slowly suck out all the oxygen inside to simulate conditions
29:55astronauts might experience if there was a sudden loss of pressure in their spacecraft,
30:00denying them vital oxygen and potentially leading to disaster.
30:05But as I stepped inside, I quickly realised this wasn't just another test. It was a return to the
30:12feeling I feared the most, losing control of a situation and passing out. As the door sealed,
30:20my mind drifted back to the spin and the blackout and the silence that followed.
30:25Two, one, one. This was supposed to be a new challenge.
30:32But it opened up an old wound.
30:34Can you hear us? Can you hear us? Can you hear us? Can you hear us? Can you hear us?
30:37Can you hear us?
30:39Sorry, do you mind if I just have a moment? Um, I just need to, er...
30:43Need a moment? Yeah, if that's okay. Open the door for me.
30:48Sorry, it's just a bit overwhelming.
30:57If you don't want to do this, that is absolutely fine. We want to make sure you're totally happy.
31:03Yeah, I... Sorry. Don't be sorry.
31:07I'll be totally honest. Like, I find the capsule quite overwhelming in a way,
31:12kind of just being locked in. Absolutely.
31:14But I suppose in this scenario, I'm really seeing the usefulness of how pushing past
31:20the boundaries of my comfort zone will give me a tool.
31:25I get it. You are trusting us to take care of you. And just know that's the highest honour.
31:29Okay. Um... And... Okay.
31:36Okay, I'm gonna do it. Alright.
31:38If I was really going to become an astronaut, I knew I'd have to push through these difficult moments.
31:43As the camera crew and Dr. Tyler put on their oxygen masks, I became acutely aware that I was
31:50the only one in the chamber, raw-dogging the atmosphere.
31:54Can you hear Alyssa? Hello, Alyssa. Can you hear me?
31:56I can indeed. If at any point during the flight you start feeling any symptoms,
32:01just call them out to me, okay? Okay.
32:03The test involved removing the oxygen, which was the equivalent of being at 24,000 feet above sea level,
32:09an altitude where I'd almost certainly pass out.
32:12Oh. Okay, calm down. Focus on the numbers.
32:17And the chamber is approaching 15,000 feet.
32:20I can feel my lips are starting to get a little bit cold.
32:24Okay.
32:25I had to call out my symptoms as I felt them.
32:28So in the future, if I was to experience a lack of oxygen in a spacecraft,
32:33I'd be able to recognise what was happening and take emergency measures before disaster struck.
32:38We're going to take the chamber up just a little bit higher.
32:40I've noticed my feet are feeling slightly cold.
32:43Your feet as well?
32:44Yeah.
32:45We're going up to 22,000 feet now.
32:48Um, I'm feeling slightly woozy.
32:51Woozy? Okay.
32:53Feels like there's a bit of kind of pressure in a way in my stomach.
32:57Apologies if I'm introducing a new guest to this scenario.
33:01So I'd say my vision is going slightly speckly.
33:06Do you want to continue or would you like to go back to surface?
33:10Um, I'm happy to proceed a bit longer.
33:13Gary, go ahead and go to 24,000 feet.
33:15I'm feeling like my mouth slightly, uh, it's tricky to find its position.
33:21And there's kind of almost little, uh, like pinpricks in my chest in a way.
33:26The symptoms were subtle at first, slowed coordination, delayed speech, but Dr.
33:31Tyler had seen them all before.
33:33Hypoxia was setting in and I was minutes away from blacking out again.
33:37Give me a two minute count.
33:39Two minutes.
33:40I'm now feeling slightly woozy.
33:42Okay.
33:43Uh, and my head's feeling slightly wobbly.
33:50All right, go ahead and put your mask on.
33:52Go ahead and put your mask on.
33:53Put your mask on.
33:55Put your mask on.
33:56What?
34:17I feel very, I feel very euphoric past the point of being reoxygenated.
34:23I feel euphoric just having done it.
34:26Back on Earth.
34:27Wow.
34:29I feel like I need to go, like, into a quiet space for a moment.
34:33Because it was quite a lot.
34:35Um, I'm, I now know my symptoms of hypoxia.
34:39It's kind of like I've added a tool to my inventory.
34:42I'd faced my fear of blacking out, but now it was time to push things further.
34:47I wanted to feel physically what astronauts experience when they leave Earth's grip.
34:52So I booked a seat on a specially modified plane
34:55that simulates zero gravity through parabolic flight.
34:58It's one thing operating on solid ground,
35:01but what does it take to function mentally and physically when gravity disappears?
35:05And to see if I could do something complicated whilst floating,
35:09I contacted SpaceForge,
35:11a UK company developing re-entry heat shields for satellites.
35:15I asked if they had anything I could test mid-flight,
35:18and to my surprise, they said yes.
35:23So, SpaceForge, they've sent me a package.
35:30I wonder if this has come all the way from Wales?
35:33Socks!
35:34This looks like some kind of prototype.
35:37Hi, Francis.
35:38In this box is a small model of our origami-based heat shield.
35:44Can you try and film it opening or deploying on a parabolic flight?
35:48Good luck, SpaceForge team.
35:51We've got an hour and 20, so I'll get this down me,
35:56and then I'll focus on the origami.
35:59I could even do some egg origami.
36:08That ended up concertina-ing in my mouth in a similar way to the heat shield.
36:13I had nailed breakfast, and now it was time for me to nail my mission.
36:18As an ambassador for a bona fide space engineering company,
36:21I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as I prepared for launch,
36:26especially as I was going to be joined on the flight by astronaut Danny Olivas,
36:30which only added to the significance of what I was about to do.
36:34Well, looking forward to seeing you on board.
36:37All right.
36:38I stowed my heat shield safely in my flight suit pocket,
36:42and as the nerves slowly built, I looked to the fish in their own zero-gravity world for reassurance.
36:49Wow.
36:52I'm not feeling so nervous anymore.
36:54The feeling of excitement is more kind of at the forefront now.
36:58I'm really, really looking forward to this.
37:02As I strapped my GoPro to my head, I couldn't help but wonder if this was how astronauts felt
37:08as they were about to leave the Earth.
37:11This is very bizarre.
37:26As I lay down on the padded floor of the Boeing 727,
37:31I allowed myself to feel a small sense of achievement in how far I'd come.
37:36I'd conquered fears, overcome rejections, and now I was about to experience something wonderful,
37:43something unique that tied me to astronauts past and present.
37:47But slowly, gently, the weight of the world began to lift.
37:55Whoa!
37:58Whoa!
38:00Whoa!
38:05Whoa!
38:05Whoa!
38:06Whoa!
38:08Whee!
38:10Whee!
38:11Sorry!
38:13I knew I had work to do, but first I wanted to find out.
38:17Float and let my body truly feel my childhood dream.
38:21I was actually weightless.
38:23Nothing in my life had felt quite like this.
38:29I cannot believe what I'm experiencing.
38:33It just completely defies everything that you've ever learned about moving your body.
38:57Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick.
38:59You mean?
38:59I need a bag.
39:00Go!
39:01Go!
39:01Go!
39:01Go!
39:02Go!
39:02Go!
39:03Go!
39:04Go!
39:04Go!
39:52How was it?
39:54It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
40:00And it quickly became the most horrendous experience of my life.
40:07Around Parabola 12, I started considering what I needed to do with the prototype.
40:15And then I was overcome with nausea.
40:18My face was covered in it because it was COG.
40:22And it was coming out of the bag back on my face.
40:26I'm afraid Space Forge, you know, its mission failed.
40:31You know, I mean, at least their prototype isn't tainted with my stomach acid.
40:41Because it never made it out of the pocket?
40:43It didn't get it out of my pocket.
40:49Are we eight hours behind?
40:52Yeah.
40:56Hang on.
41:01Just realised it's mine and Amy's anniversary and I haven't spoken to her today.
41:09And it's now, what, 4, 4.30, like, quarter past midnight.
41:19I couldn't get a hold of Amy.
41:21But back at the hotel, I remembered the present she'd given me before I left.
41:28A reminder that I will always be by your side.
41:32Down on Earth or up in space.
41:34Happy anniversary.
41:35I love you to the moon and back.
41:38Amy.
41:54Hi, darling.
41:55I know you're probably asleep, but I just wanted to thank you for the model of us.
42:00I really, really love it.
42:02And, honestly, I've been thinking that I've been so focused on my dream that I've forgotten
42:08to think about us and our future.
42:11You know, they train astronauts for vacuum exposure, system failure, even re-entry burn.
42:17But no one really tells you what to do when you just miss someone.
42:21I'm not feeling my shiniest self.
42:24There's a karaoke bar down the road which I'm going to check out and I'll call you when you
42:29wake up.
42:30Love you.
42:42Can I have a Virgin Mary, please?
42:44Yeah, absolutely.
42:48Can I have a bit more Worcestershire sauce?
42:50Oh, yeah, of course.
42:54Is that good?
42:54Yeah, yeah.
42:55You can leave the bottle.
42:56Thanks.
42:56It's that bad, huh?
43:01I've been trying to see if I can become an astronaut, and it isn't quite what I thought
43:06it would be, in a way.
43:08And, like, I'm missing a home.
43:10I'm missing my girlfriend on a special day.
43:14I really think you should get up there and sing a song.
43:16I think it would make you feel better.
43:19What song do you think?
43:20I'll put it in for you.
43:21Go on up there.
43:23You sure?
43:24Yeah, absolutely.
43:25Sure.
43:27Francis's emotions were in pieces, and now a stranger behind a bar had just told him to
43:33sing.
43:34There was no helmet or mission brief, just a microphone and a room full of tipsy Americans.
43:42But here's the thing about training to become an astronaut.
43:45It's not just about surviving the tests.
43:48It's about holding your orbit when gravity pulls you sideways, and facing the light when
43:55the instinct is to shut your eyes.
43:59Francis didn't know how the crowd would react.
44:02He didn't even know what note he'd be starting on.
44:05But in a way, that's what made this the purest part of his training so far.
44:12She packed my bags last night, pre-flight
44:19Zero hour, nine a.m.
44:26And I'm gonna be high
44:31As a kite by then
44:40And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
44:44Until touchdown brings me right into mine
44:47I'm not the man that I think I ever know
44:51Oh, no, no, no
44:53I'm a rocket man
44:57Rocket man
45:08And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
45:12And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
45:13Until touchdown brings me right into mine
45:15I'm not the man that I think I am at home
45:19Oh, no, no, no, no
45:22I'm a rocket man
45:25Rocket man
45:28As he sang his heart out
45:31Francis realized
45:32That before you can escape Earth's gravity
45:35You have to learn
45:37How to carry your own
45:39He wasn't ready to give up
45:41Because Francis' path to the stars
45:44Was never meant to be a straight line
45:47A special guest from the UK
45:50Francois Bourgeois
45:51He's not talking
45:53Are you okay?
45:53He's not talking
45:53Our spirits at the moment
45:55Are just dancing together
45:56I feel like I'm making a decision
45:57That is having an impact
45:58On someone who I love
46:00I'm totally overwhelmed
46:01Oh my goodness
46:05That's one of my new favorite noises
46:07Alongside the Paxman Ruston 16RK3CTs
46:38We'll see you next time
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