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00:00In 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.
00:3569 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 train spotter. However, Francis' 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
01:18agencies held the keys to the stars. Their astronauts were military men, trained for years
01:25to 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 he'd built
01:51on 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, and impossibility. Can a train spotter 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'm a mechanical engineer. I love the thought of going to space.
02:38You know, it's a childhood dream, and a childhood love. And I want to, you know, prove to myself and the people around me that I have what it takes.
02:46It seems so far-fetched, but, you know, I have my degree. There are so many things going on with, like, the next space race.
02:57I don't think it's kind of out of the question for me to kind of apply my engineering knowledge, apply my passion and, you know, my childhood desire to,
03:07you know, not only become an astronaut, but to actually become an engineer in space.
03:13The reason I'm so invested is because there's never been a better time to have this dream.
03:19All over the world, more rockets are taking off than ever before, powered by private companies,
03:24all designing a future where humanity can spread its wings and head for a new life in the stars.
03:31It 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 in things that lots of people would just overlook.
03:47He's obsessed with engineering. He loves switches. He'll stop and, like, be doing and throwing switches
03:54for several, several times, and I'll just sort of sit there patiently waiting as he's fascinated by the mechanism.
04:01I think it just makes him really special that he can view the world through this particular way.
04:07I hate the feeling of regret. You know, I don't, every time I look at the Saturn V rocket,
04:12I don't want to suddenly feel a pang of, like, oh, it could have, could have almost been.
04:17Amy, what are 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.
04:31I know his mum's very worried about it.
04:35Um, you know, I'm getting messages from her saying,
04:38oh, is he really, is this really, you know, a potential, a potential thing?
04:45Becoming an astronaut seemed like such a daunting task.
04:49I was an outsider trying to get in on a world I had no contacts in, and I didn't want to spend my
04:54life wondering, what if? So I fell back on what I'm most familiar with, and decided to make a TikTok
05:01asking for help, and this is me doing it now. Okay, let's do one here, with the dish in the background.
05:07Can a Trainspotter 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.
05:27Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
05:32But the response and support was amazing, and amongst all the likes, hearts, and some scepticism,
05:39was one comment that caught my eye.
05:41I couldn't believe it. A comment from Major Tim Peake.
05:47Tim 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.
06:18I 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 in something
06:49called a centrifuge. So you're being spun round like this, in kind of this axis. What that can
06:59simulate is a rocket launch or flying around in a jet fighter. So Tim's invited me there just to get
07:07started in my training. You'll be fine. And if you're not fine, it'll be over before you know it.
07:12Yeah, okay. Well, I'll see you for dinner. I was excited, but in truth, I was also quite apprehensive.
07:21I had no idea if I had what it took to survive the centrifuge, but there was only one way to find out.
07:27I jumped on board 91109 Sir Bobby Robson from King's Cross to Grantham, full of enthusiasm and an
07:36avocado and egg baguette. Tim had invited me to the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, home of the elite
07:44flight training school and a 39-tonne centrifuge. My stomach was in knots and I could feel my confidence
07:52draining away. I'm slightly worried about my kind of stature potentially being an issue. You're quite
08:00tall, yes. Are there tall astronauts? There are tall astronauts, yes. Oh, okay. Sometimes taller
08:07people struggle a bit more with G-tolerance, something you have to build up, and that's just
08:11a physiological fact. Yeah. 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
08:24Joe Britton for a detailed technical explanation on G-force and how astronauts can
08:30combat the negative effects. When we talk about G-force, what we're really talking about is
08:34acceleration, but relative to Earth's gravity. So 1G is just Earth's gravity. Sitting here,
08:40it's acting from our head to our toe. That's what we call GZ in the Z axis. What our centrifuge can do
08:45is go all the way up to 12, but don't worry, we're not going to take you that far today.
08:51Sorry, can I just check how much I should be taking off? If you're at 9G, everything weighs nine times
08:56more. So your blood then wants to go down to your feet, where we don't want it, and away from
08:59your brain, where you really do want it. Like, do I do trousers with suit, or suits and no trousers?
09:04It can get a bit warm in there. The main risk is that you don't get enough oxygen being delivered
09:08to your brain, and you can lose consciousness. That's something we call G-lock, or G-induced loss
09:12of 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.
09:23Look fantastic. Thank you. Shall you go and take a look at the centrifuge?
09:28Let's come on through to our centrifuge hall. So this is the machine you'll be spending the afternoon in.
09:33Wow. Whoa. Oh, there was a weird acoustics thing there.
09:39Yeah.
09:40Ooh.
09:42Good luck, Francis. We'll be following on in mission control.
09:46Thank you. Good luck. Thank you. Have a good launch. Thank you.
09:51I was trying to give off the impression that I was comfortable, but in reality, I was anything but.
09:57It hit me just after they locked the hatch that this wasn't hypothetical anymore.
10:02This was actual astronaut stuff. Only a week ago, I was watching a Class 56 down at Preston Docks,
10:10and now I was going to experience the G-forces needed to push a 10-ton space plane to the edge of the atmosphere.
10:17My journey had started, and I was about to find out if an ordinary person could become an astronaut.
10:24OK, so I have the lead, and we're doing suborbital profiles class. Are you ready?
10:29I'm ready.
10:30Ready? Tim, are you ready?
10:31I'm ready.
10:32I'm ready.
10:33Excellent.
10:34Enable drives.
10:35Starts enabled.
10:36The centrifuge had to be brought up to speed before the real test could start.
10:41OK, Francis, we're about to spin up to that baseline of 1.2 Gs.
10:45OK, I'm ready.
10:46Launching in five, four, three, two, one, now.
10:58Wow.
11:01Wow.
11:02OK, so this feels like quite a harsh acceleration in a fast sports car.
11:12Now, my smile feels like it's being maintained a bit by the G-force.
11:17I do have quite a lot of loose skin on my face.
11:19You're at baseline now.
11:20I'm just gearing myself up for this.
11:23I kind of need to burp a bit.
11:27Pardon me.
11:27Oh, that would taste a bit of avocado, then.
11:36OK, I'm ready.
11:37The 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.
11:47And now, with one of my childhood heroes watching,
11:50I was about to find out what I was really made of.
11:54I wasn't a fighter pilot.
11:56I wasn't Neil Armstrong.
11:57I was just a Trainspotter with a love of engineering and a dream.
12:01Launching in five, four, three, two, one, now.
12:09Wow.
12:12Whoa.
12:14OK.
12:16OK.
12:18Coming up to 10 maximum G-iron.
12:21OK, I can't see anything.
12:22Heavy ionic.
12:23It is going.
12:25Medical stockage.
12:29Cut there, we need to stop.
12:32Francis, can you hear us?
12:34Francis.
12:40Francis, can you hear us?
12:43Francis.
12:45Francis.
12:46Sorry, I think I might have dribbled on the mic a bit.
12:49Are you back with us?
12:50Yeah.
12:52OK, well, we did say we weren't expecting you to take you anywhere near losing consciousness today,
12:57but it looks like we might have done.
13:01I didn't expect...
13:02Sorry.
13:03Non-apromatonic.
13:04It just very quickly lost vision.
13:10I'd just been physically tested for the first time,
13:13and 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?
13:24I feel rather pathetic.
13:26Yeah.
13:26Yeah.
13:27Yeah.
13:27Oh.
13:29Yeah.
13:30It's quite a fast onset, isn't it?
13:32Yeah.
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.
13:48I think, you know, like Tim said, probably a bit of experience.
13:53You know, maybe more clenching.
13:55Yeah.
14:03Hello.
14:04Hi, darling.
14:04Hi.
14:05How did it go today?
14:08Er, not great.
14:10No.
14:11I just feel like I've gone into this with quite an unrealistic expectation of what I might be able to achieve.
14:18That evening, I posted the clip of me passing out to my social media.
14:22OK, I can't tell you.
14:23I 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.
14:30However, messages poured in from strangers all over the world, telling me to keep going.
14:35So, encouraged by this, I decided to continue.
14:39Over the course of the next week, I wrote to astronauts, engineers, startups, even launch pad
14:45maintenance crews.
14:46If you were vaguely space adjacent, chances are you got a message from me that week.
14:52Most didn't reply.
14:53Some sent polite no's.
14:55But then, one came back from Houston.
14:59Hi, Francis.
15:01Transmission received.
15:02If you want to learn what it takes to become an astronaut, there's no better place than to come
15:07visit Axiom Space.
15:09Please come by and visit.
15:10We'd love to host you and show you around.
15:12I had received a message from Matt Ondela, the Chief Strategy Officer at Axiom Space.
15:18Founded in 2016 and already backed by NASA, they were one of the bold new players reshaping the
15:25industry from the ground up.
15:26It's a very slick video.
15:28So, Axiom, at the forefront of kind of commercial space exploration, they're creating the space
15:38station that's going to take over from the International Space Station.
15:42This 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.
16:05This is like the new era of space.
16:07Matt is one of the figureheads in this video.
16:09And he, he's reached out to me directly.
16:13Like, the power of social media is baffling, but 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.
16:27I couldn't believe I'd been invited to meet with Axiom.
16:33Over the next few days, I watched their video countless times.
16:37I booked myself on the next flight to Texas and packed the essentials.
16:41Passport, toothbrush and my molten TSR 9 Plus bicycle in powder pink,
16:47which was actually designed by my great great uncle.
16:50Nice use of the armspan.
16:53Going through the packing and everything, it's, it feels a bit weird,
16:56knowing that I'm leaving you.
16:57But 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.
17:19Aww.
17:19Yeah, it's just in the car. Is the car open?
17:21Yeah.
17:22OK.
17:25Just a little something for you to open on our anniversary.
17:29Aww.
17:30Do 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.
17:42Thank you so much.
17:43Off you go.
17:44Love you done.
17:44Love you too.
17:45Bye.
17:47I wanted to try and relax myself, so I headed to the runway observation deck for some plane spotting.
17:58I was trying to remember why more modern, uh, engines have serrated engine cowlings.
18:06I'm pretty sure it's to do with noise emissions.
18:10Um, do you think they'll let me ask the pilot about the serrated cowlings?
18:17I noticed on some of the more modern aircraft,
18:19they 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.
18:29I'm in, uh, I'm in my element here.
18:30What do you look at?
18:31I'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.
18:48This wasn't just a new country. It was a whole new chapter.
18:52I was going to the home of mission control, where all the walls echo with voices of Apollo
18:57and the streets aligned 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.
19:13But 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
19:20that I could qualify as one of their astronauts.
19:22It was the day of my meeting with Axiom.
19:37I knew making a good impression was vital if I wanted to get a place on their astronaut training program.
19:43And from the moment I arrived,
19:45I couldn't help but be blown away by the scientific and mechanical excellence on display.
19:52This is very, very cool.
19:55In the reception area, they had a scale model of the space station they are currently building.
20:00I 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?
20:21Yeah.
20:22Right.
20:22Oh, OK.
20:23You'd have a sleeping bag on the right and then you would strap yourself in so you don't float away.
20:27My usual style of sleeping is kind of on my side
20:31and it actually has been kind of counterproductive for my posture.
20:36So perhaps microgravity sleeping could really be quite corrective.
20:41Yeah.
20:44I was confident I was making a good impression
20:46as I was introduced to one of Axiom's astronaut trainers and operational leaders.
20:51Hi.
20:53Hello.
20:53Lovely to meet you.
20:54Lovely to meet you as well.
20:55Wow.
20:56And welcome to our Mission Control Center.
20:58I'm in charge of the timeline operations.
21:00So when crew goes on board, they have a schedule to follow every day.
21:04I even get to plan their like lunches and snack times, so.
21:08What they're having for lunch or when they're having lunch?
21:11Oh, no.
21:11When they're having lunch.
21:12OK.
21:13You're having chili con carne today.
21:16We seemed to have a really strong professional rapport
21:19and 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?
21:27If 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.
21:46Anyone that's interested in space.
21:47So for example, say if I wanted to go through the training process.
21:51Yeah.
21:52How would I kind of initiate that?
21:56Reach out to our team.
21:57And, you know, if it's an interest of yours,
21:59we can definitely explore those possibilities to get you involved in some manner.
22:03Yeah.
22:03Well, 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.
22:13I mean, I can, I've got my, I can get my CV in a good position.
22:20Genuinely, where best would I be able to give like an application, for example?
22:25Um, I would reach out to maybe our business office.
22:29Okay.
22:29I don't know the answer to that.
22:30I'm sorry.
22:31I don't know the answer to that.
22:32Call me.
22:33I'm kidding.
22:33Sorry.
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.
22:51It was being made by hand.
22:52Every seam, 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 aluminized Kapton film and 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.
23:16It's fascinating. Even just looking at this kind of joint here.
23:22And how there always seems to be so much flexibility.
23:25But then I'm thinking, how is it sealed, you know?
23:27Exactly. That 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
23:42a bit more appealing and something we can more connect with.
23:45Test engineer Sebastian climbed into the suit and acclimatized 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.
23:55Nice to meet you.
23:56Let'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.
24:11Subconsciously, do you feel inclined to kind of jump? And if so, could you?
24:18Can I?
24:19Sure, you can do a small jump.
24:21At the end.
24:22Wow.
24:23Nice.
24:24That was quite a question.
24:25It's very agile.
24:26I don't know if I was ever asked to want to jump in the suit.
24:27That was an original question.
24:30I was on a roll. The 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,
24:56then at least we know now that it's possible to retrieve it.
25:00I left the suit lab satisfied that in some small way I had contributed to the future of space
25:11exploration. And I was pleasantly surprised when I was called to meet with Matt Ondela himself,
25:17the man overseeing everything Axiom is striving to achieve.
25:21Thank you so much for having me. It's a great pleasure to be here.
25:25It's a pleasure for us to have you.
25:27Thanks. Is there 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.
25:37So this is a prototype of a hatch.
25:39We're building our station and our suit to accommodate a 5th percentile female
25:45all 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?
25:57Oh, please.
25:59That'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.
26:27Oh.
26:35Wow.
26:35Very, very cool.
26:44Matt seemed genuinely impressed by my enthusiasm for locking mechanisms and pressure seals.
26:49If ever there were a moment to make my move, this was it.
26:52I climbed into the prototype display module of a crew pod located in reception and made my pitch for the stars.
27:00What's kind of your application process like to kind of become an astronaut?
27:06Yeah, so right now we don't really have an application process.
27:10I think we do have a place on our website that you can apply.
27:15There is a pathway for individuals to be part of human space flight.
27:18But if I'm honest, I 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.
27:30I suppose in the back of my head I was thinking, if I could demonstrate my excitement and engineering expertise,
27:39that maybe there could be an open door there, but they need people well in the depths of engineering research,
27:50scientific research, ideally experience piloting helicopters or aircraft.
27:57You know, the only thing I have experience of piloting is this in my car.
28:03I'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.
28:17My body needed to be stronger and my mind sharper, especially to conquer the fear of something going wrong.
28:23So I dug into the science and found out that all potential astronauts need to learn to spot the signs of hypoxia,
28:30which, similar to the centrifuge, is a lack of oxygen to the brain.
28:34Okay, here we go.
28:37You see?
28:39So everyone has their oxygen masks on.
28:41So I got in touch with a facility in Florida, who specialise in this aspect of astronaut training,
28:48and they agreed to put me through my paces.
28:53So it's basically a metal tube where they suck out the oxygen and monitor you whilst your critical functions shut down.
29:00That sounds awful. Just think of the ice chai latte you can have once you're done.
29:05Okay. Love you. Bye.
29:08Welcome to our facility.
29:09I am the president of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine.
29:13I am so excited that you're here to experience what it's like to experience hypoxia,
29:17or what it's like to become an astronaut.
29:20What is hypoxia, and kind of what does it mean for the body?
29:22So hypoxia is where the brain doesn't have enough oxygen to function,
29:26and so basically to preserve itself, it starts shutting down.
29:29Now you are going to be the one without an oxygen mask,
29:32which means you have usable consciousness of only three to five minutes.
29:35Right.
29:36And we're going to see if you have what it takes to not pass out.
29:39Okay.
29:41Nervous?
29:41Uh, yes.
29:43Dr Tyler explained that a hyperbaric chamber wasn't just a cylindrical metal anxiety tube.
29:50It 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.
30:01Denying them vital oxygen and potentially leading to disaster.
30:06But as I stepped inside, I quickly realised this wasn't just another test.
30:11It was a return to the feeling I feared the most, losing control of a situation and passing out.
30:18As the door sealed, my mind drifted back to the spin, and the blackout, and the silence that followed.
30:25Two, one, one.
30:27This was supposed to be a new challenge.
30:32But it opened up an old wound.
30:34Can you hear us?
30:35Can you hear us?
30:36Can you hear us?
30:37Can you hear us?
30:38Can you hear us?
30:39Can you hear us?
30:39Sorry, do you mind if I just have a moment?
30:41Um, do I just need to, uh...
30:43Need a moment?
30:44Yeah, if that's okay.
30:45Open the door for me.
30:48Sorry, it's just a bit overwhelming.
30:55If you don't want to do this, that is absolutely fine.
31:00We want to make sure you're totally happy.
31:03Yeah, I'm sorry.
31:05Don't be sorry.
31:07I'll be totally honest.
31:08Like, I find the capsule quite overwhelming in a way, kind of just being locked in.
31:13Absolutely.
31:14But I suppose in this scenario, I'm really seeing the usefulness of how pushing past the boundaries
31:21of my comfort zone will give me a tool.
31:25I get it.
31:25You are trusting us to take care of you.
31:28And just know that's the highest honor.
31:29Okay.
31:30Um, and, okay.
31:36Okay, I'm gonna do it.
31:37All right.
31:38If I was really going to become an astronaut, I knew I'd have to push through these difficult moments.
31:44As 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.
31:53Can you hear Alyssa?
31:55Hello, Alyssa.
31:56Can you hear me?
31:56I can indeed.
31:58If at any point during the flight you start feeling any symptoms, just call them out to me, okay?
32:02Okay.
32:02The 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.
32:13Okay, calm down.
32:15Focus on the numbers.
32:17The 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, I'd be able to recognize
32:34what 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.
32:47Um, I'm feeling slightly woozy.
32:51Woozy, okay.
32:52Feels like there's a bit of kind of pressure in a way in my stomach.
32:57Apologies if I'm introducing a new gas to the 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?
33:08Um, I'm happy to proceed a bit longer.
33:12Gary, go ahead and go to 24,000 feet.
33:15I'm feeling like my mouth slightly, uh, it's tricky to find its position and
33:21there's kind of almost little, uh, like pinpricks in my chest in a way.
33:26The symptoms were subtle at first.
33:28Slowed coordination, delayed speech, but Dr. Tyler 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.
33:39For minutes.
33:40I'm now feeling slightly woozy.
33:42Okay.
33:42Uh, and my head's feeling slightly wobbly.
33:50All right, go ahead and put your mask on.
33:51Go ahead and put your mask on.
33:53Put your mask on.
33:55Put your mask on.
33:56Okay.
33:59Ooh.
34:00Yeah, I can tell you're starting to feel it.
34:03Yep, put your mask on.
34:04I 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.
34:36I'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 that simulates zero gravity through parabolic flight.
34:58It's one thing operating on solid ground, but what does it take to function mentally and physically
35:04when gravity disappears?
35:05And to see if I could do something complicated whilst floating, I 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, and to my surprise, they said yes.
35:22So, SpaceForge, they've sent me a package.
35:28I wonder if this has come all the way from Wales?
35:33Socks!
35:35This looks like some kind of prototype.
35:37Hi, Francis. In 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, uh, an hour and 20, so I'll get this down me,
35:56and then I'll focus on the origami.
35:59I could even, um, do some egg origami.
36:08That ended up concertina-ing in my mouth in a similar way to the heat shield.
36:12I 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, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride
36:24as I prepared for launch, especially as I was going to be joined on the flight by astronaut Danny Olivas,
36:31which only added to the significance of what I was about to do.
36:34Well, looking forward to seeing you on board.
36:36All right.
36:38I stowed my heat shield safely in my flight suit pocket, and as the nerves slowly built,
36:44I looked to the fish in their own zero-gravity world for reassurance.
36:49Wow.
36:52I'm not feeling so nervous anymore. The 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. This is very bizarre.
37:27As 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.
37:35I'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.
37:48Slowly, gently, the weight of the world began to lift.
37:55Whoa!
37:56Whoa!
37:56Whoa!
38:00Whoa!
38:03Whoa!
38:03Whoa!
38:05Whoa!
38:06Whoa!
38:06Whee!
38:06Whee!
38:08Whee!
38:11Sorry.
38:13I knew I had work to do, but first I wanted to float, and let my body truly feel my childhood dream.
38:21I was actually weightless. Nothing in my life had felt quite like this.
38:30I cannot believe what I'm experiencing.
38:32It just completely defies everything that you've ever learned about moving your body.
38:48I need to get my body too.
38:57Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick.
38:57Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick.
38:58Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick.
38:58You've been?
38:59I need a bag.
39:33How was it?
39:54It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
39:59And 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.
40:13And then I was overcome with nausea.
40:19My face was covered in it because it was COG.
40:23And it was coming out of the bag back on my face.
40:26I'm afraid Space Forge, you know, its mission failed.
40:30I 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.
40:44Are we eight hours behind?
40:52Yeah.
40:56Hang on.
40:57Just 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.
41:15I couldn't get a hold of Amy, but back at the hotel, I remembered the present she'd given me before I left.
41:29A reminder that I will always be by your side, down on earth or up in space.
41:35Happy anniversary.
41:35I love you to the moon and back, Amy.
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.
42:01And, honestly, I've been thinking that I've been so focused on my dream
42:07that I've forgotten to 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,
42:27and I'll call you when you wake up.
42:30Love you.
42:31Can 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, thanks.
42:56It's that bad, huh?
42:57I've been trying to see if I can become an astronaut, and it isn't quite what I thought it would be, in a way.
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.
43:18What 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.
43:26Oh.
43:26Francis's emotions were in pieces, and now a stranger behind a bar had just told him to sing.
43:34There was no helmet or mission brief, just a microphone and a room full of tipsy Americans.
43:40But 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 the 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
44:16Zero hour, nine a.m.
44:26And I'm gonna be high
44:29As a kite by then
44:33And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
44:44Till touchdown brings me rather than to fight
44:47I'm not the man living I ever know
44:51Oh, no, no, no
44:53I'm a rocket man
44:55Rocket man
44:59And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
45:10And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
45:12Till touchdown brings me rather than to fight
45:15I'm not the man that I think I am at home
45:19Oh, no, no, no
45:21I think it's gonna be a long, long time
45:24As he sang his heart out, Francis realized that before you can escape
45:34Earth's gravity, you have to learn how to carry your own
45:40He wasn't ready to give up because Francis' path to the stars was never meant
45:45To be a straight line
45:47A special guest from the UK, Francois Bourgeois
45:51He's not talking
45:52Are you okay?
45:53He's not talking
45:54Our spirits at the moment are just dancing together
45:56I feel like I'm making a decision
45:57That is having an impact on someone who I love
45:59I'm totally overwhelmed
46:01Oh my goodness
46:03That's one of my new favorite noises
46:06Alongside the Paxman Ruston 16RK3CTs
46:36I feel like I'm making a This Woman I Squели
46:39Love is a little, long time
46:40I feel like there's anything else
46:41That is a little, long time
46:42That was a little and a littlewno
46:43Go ahead and go ahead and hold it
46:45Make sure it's hell
46:46You'll wish you later
46:46I have but you could simply
46:48Be lucky for that
46:49Come ahead and take a short one
46:50That is having blast
46:53If you like me all pet
46:55I'm all and think
46:57That looks like
46:57From tranquility
46:58Patton 16RK3ENT
47:00I have but you would like
47:01Just guess
47:02So why
47:03Do you love that
47:04All and have support
47:05But you are
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