1 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: As y'all already know, going from Orlando, Florida to Star 2 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: City in Russia in the early two thousands was a 3 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: bit of a shock. The gray buildings, the summer mosquitoes, 4 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: no air conditioning, the endless bowls of soup. Sometimes it 5 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: all became too much. I longed for just a few 6 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: hours with my family, my friends, my dogs. And then 7 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: one day I arrived at this house in the middle 8 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: of Star City. I walked down some steps and opened 9 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: the door, and I cannot believe my eyes. Right there 10 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: in the middle of Russia is an old time American 11 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: dive bar. There's a jukebox, whiskey, Chris Hadfield on the guitar, 12 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: the whole shebaine. I am in heaven. I'm doing shots, 13 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: shooting the shit, and I begin wondering, how on earth 14 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: did I end up in an American bar with NASA 15 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: astronauts and a walled off Russian military town in the 16 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: middle of a forest. May it just start and lived 17 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: on the launch of a rocket's carrying the first stage 18 00:01:54,280 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: of the International Space Station. In this final episode, we 19 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: tell the story of how the Americans and Russians overcame 20 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: seventy years of Cold War within six years. The station 21 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: will be a virtual village in the sky with people 22 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: living and working in space to build humanity's most expensive 23 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: and ambitious piece of real estate. All these nations are 24 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: coming together the utilized technology not to blow up humanity. 25 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: And how I nearly got to go. And this twenty 26 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: three year old Southern boy wants to be more than 27 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: a pop star. He wants to be among the stars. 28 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: And it's one step closer to achieving that drive. I'm 29 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: Lance bass And from Kaleidoscope and iHeart and Exile Media. 30 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: This is the last Soviet The collapse of the USSR 31 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety one changed the world. One political scientist called 32 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: it the end of history. Is Francis Fukuyala argue that 33 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: the end of communism might presage what he called the 34 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: end of history, the end of history. The great ideological 35 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: battles between East and West, between communism and capitalism, were over, 36 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: or so the story goes in space. The end of 37 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: the Cold War was a massive opportunity for America to 38 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: finally catch up with their old enemy and to create 39 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: a symbol for a new era of peace and cooperation. 40 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety three, Russia joined the United States and 41 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: its international partners in the largest cooperative space exploration effort 42 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: in history. In September nineteen ninety three, American Russia announced 43 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: to the world that they were going to build a 44 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: space station together, an international space station. By joining our efforts, 45 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: we are able to create a whole that is greater 46 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: than the sum of its parts. I was in the room. 47 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: I think we all recognize we were seeing something of 48 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: history racle significance in the idea that the former Cold 49 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: War advert series were going to pledge to try to 50 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: work together. That's John Lockston, Professor of Space policy at 51 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: George Washington University. Wasn't a done deal yet. There are 52 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: a lot of obstacles that had to be negotiated out 53 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 1: of the way, and we got the brand trust of 54 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: everybody that had ever worked with the Russians to help 55 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: promote us. Ken Wrtler again, the guy from the last 56 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: episode who helped Sarage choose his breakfast cereal. Ken knew 57 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: that if this mad idea was going to work, he 58 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: need one thing, and the first request that I made 59 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: was to have Sergey work for me. Sarage had returned 60 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: from his flight with NASA and was now back home 61 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: in Russia. Welcome home Discovery, Prekrasnage. You've paved the way 62 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: for a new era of cooperation in human space flight 63 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: leading to our International space station. Great job. He had 64 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: a lot of sway on the Russian program. He understood 65 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: how to build space stations, which we didn't. He knew 66 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: more about space stations than maybe all of NASA put together. 67 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: He'd spent almost an entire year on one. He was 68 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: the guy you wanted for this job. We would work 69 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: together on every aspect. Ken in Houston and Sarageate and Moscow. 70 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: What kind of language where we were going to speak? 71 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: What kind of clock were we going to work on 72 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: Moscow time or we're going to work on Houston time? 73 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: Or what kind of food would we eat? Chicken with 74 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: prunes or burgers? But it wasn't just the dinner menu 75 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: that needed to be hashed out. They needed to talk 76 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: about how they were going to build the damn thing, 77 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: because this is not just another better space station. What 78 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: they had in mind would be four times the size 79 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: of mirror the Soviet space station. It would be the 80 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 1: size of an entire football pitch, and it would be 81 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,559 Speaker 1: a group project made of thousands and thousands of parts, 82 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: some made by Russia, some by America, and they would 83 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: all have to fit perfectly and be assembled in space. 84 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: When the whistle blew orbiting hard hats, Jerry Ross and 85 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: Jim Newman got right to work, becoming the first car 86 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: carrying members of the Union of International Space Station Workers, 87 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: and over the next two years it grew peace by 88 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: peace into a six bedroom house weighing about three and 89 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: twenty cars. They passed over a brilliant lightning storm over Africa, 90 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: didn't even see it because they were so engrossed in 91 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: their work. With more than fifty computers and eight miles 92 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: of cable to make the thing run. A triumph of 93 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: diplomacy and engineering, the International Space Station is the largest 94 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: ever peaceful technological cooperation, and in two thousand, at the 95 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: turn of the New century, the International Space was ready 96 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: to receive its first ever crew. The first crew of 97 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: the International Space Station arrived at their new home for 98 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: the next four months. From the American side, Bill Shepherd, 99 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: and from the Russian side Urigzenko and Seragei Krecolatation Commander 100 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: NASA's Bill Shephard announced he would allow his Russian crewmatee 101 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: Ury Genzenko to float over the threshold. First, their task 102 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: was to bring the station to life. They have trained 103 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 1: for a long list of chores, activating computers, life support 104 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: systems and the toilet, and repairing some failed Russian batteries. 105 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: Now that they have arrived, the hard work of making 106 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: their place in space ship shape begins. Since then, it 107 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: has been constantly occupied by astronauts the world over. The 108 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: first Japanese astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station, 109 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: German astronaut will be responsible for conducting about forty experiments. 110 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: Fifty three year old Swedish physicist has already visited the 111 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: iss as for real and tim floated aboard the first 112 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: British astra on the space station. It is a remarkable 113 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: technical and political achievement to create this facility as a 114 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: partnership now among fifteen countries and have it operate now 115 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: for twenty three years, in the face of changing political relationships, 116 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: particularly between the United States and Russia. This magical place 117 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: is where I was training to go to learning Russian, 118 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: spending hours in flight simulators, until one day it all 119 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: went wrong. The insynct pop Star's dreams of going to 120 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: space have been crushed today as funding for his trip 121 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: has been thrown into question. When I went to Moscow 122 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: in two thousand and two, it was two years after 123 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: Sarage Cricleff had kick started the International Space Station into gears, 124 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: two years after Putin took power in Russia. Today, the 125 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: clear winner of the Russian presidential election of Vladimir Putin 126 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: began to establish the Putin Era, the street shootings, law 127 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: and disorder in the USSA, professors hawking pies in the metro. 128 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: I don't even know what I can do. I'm going 129 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: to have to go back to the train station and 130 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: spend the night there. The wild nineties they were over. 131 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: The Moscow I arrived in was shiny with optimism, riding 132 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,599 Speaker 1: high on the oil price boom and its promise of 133 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: prosperity and stability. IKEA had opened its first store. Putin 134 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: was hugging Tony Blair and Bono and Davos. We have 135 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: co operation today that would have been really unthinkable just 136 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: a short time. Again, First, I'd like to congratulate President 137 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: Putin for being the only person that caught a fish. 138 00:09:49,400 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: Today there were in sync CDs in the shops, fancy 139 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: cocktail bars, Broadway type musicals of a sudden great wealth 140 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: was in reach of a happy few. Wealth became fashionable 141 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 1: bees with the new Russians, Russians with money, and just 142 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: a reminder about why I was there in the first place. 143 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: CBS wanted to do a reality TV show where contestants 144 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: train as cosmonauts in Star City and the winner gets 145 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: to actually go to space. Well, they wanted the host 146 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: of the show that was going to be me to 147 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: have gone to space as well. This is the pioneering stage, 148 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: you know, we don't know where it's going to go, 149 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: but eventually everyone should and we'll have the opportunity to 150 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: travel into space. So in two thousand and two, I 151 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: put my life on pause and started the six month training, 152 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,719 Speaker 1: and I took it really seriously. I knew a lot 153 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: of the people there thought I was just some dumb 154 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: pop star, and I get that, but I was determined 155 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: to prove them wrong. So after training for the day, 156 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: I spend most evenings watching the Russian version of Sesame 157 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: Street to pick up some Russian words, pouring over space manuals, 158 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: doing pushups. Slowly, I was getting there, and then one 159 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: day I get called in for a meeting with a 160 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: Russian big dog from the Space Agency and he says, look, Lance, 161 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: you have to leave Star City. I'm like, what, what 162 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,439 Speaker 1: the hell are you talking about? He told me to 163 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: pack up my gear and leave. That very day. I 164 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: left from Moscow confused, trying to find out what the 165 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: fuck happened. Lance believes very much that he will fly 166 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: and we hope to have discussions in the next couple 167 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: of days. It turned out the TV networks in Hollywood 168 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: hadn't reached a deal with the Russian Space Agency. There 169 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: were problems with a contract. This was a very strong 170 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: message from our Russian colleagues saying, hey, time is running out. 171 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: Bottom line is everyone had bailed on me, and I 172 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 1: was learning this only now there was going to be 173 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: no reality TV show, no going to space, nothing. It 174 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: was a dark moment in my life. I worked so 175 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: hard and suddenly it was all pulled away from me. 176 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: I was crushed, but I was also pissed at my 177 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: agents at the TV networks. I was here in good 178 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: faith training to be a cosmonaut, putting my ass on 179 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: the line every single day, doing my part, and they 180 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: didn't seem to care. So yeah, I was feeling pretty 181 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: desperate alone in a Moscow hotel room But then the 182 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: Russians reached out to me. They said, there is another 183 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,559 Speaker 1: way for you to complete your training, but it'll cost 184 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: you one million dollars out of your own pocket. That's right, 185 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: one million. I know it sounds crazy, but I coughed 186 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: it up. Okay, I wasn't going to space, but I 187 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: would have that certificate. I would finish what I'd come 188 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: here to do. So I went back to Star City 189 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: for a few weeks and I finished the training on 190 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: my dime for my own satisfaction. So today I can 191 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: proudly say I am a certified cosmonaut, and I still 192 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: hope to go back to Russia one day and finally 193 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: fly to space, even though now that dream seems further 194 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: and further away. All Right, our top story today, Russia 195 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: has launched its invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has just 196 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: addressed the Russian people a moment ago, announcing what Putin 197 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: called the start of a military special operation. Vladimia Putin 198 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: is calling this a quote special military operation to protect 199 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: on Bass. This morning, the International Space Station in political 200 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: crosshairs as Russia retaliates against American sanctions. The head of 201 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: the Russian Space Agency Dmitry Vergosen posting this video on 202 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: social media threatening to abandon American astronaut Mark van de 203 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: High at the station. He's supposed to return home on 204 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: a Russian ship in just three weeks. In February twenty 205 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: twenty two, Putin upended the world order and space became 206 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: a battleground once again. When Russian invaded Ukraine in twenty 207 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: twenty two, it felt like the three decades of relative 208 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: cooperation between American Russia had been a blip, and the 209 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: International Space Station they operate together became a target. Russia's 210 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: war is putting years of collaboration at risk and the 211 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: astronauts in the situation they did not ask for. Soon 212 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: after the invasion and a series of wild tweets, the 213 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: then head of the Russian Space Agency, a man called Regosan, 214 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: actually threatened to crash the International Space Station into Earth. 215 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: Regosan also making an ominous threat that without Russian help 216 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: to move the ISS away from space junk, the ISS 217 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: would crash into America or other countries. Then he said 218 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: Russia would no longer sell rocket engines to the US. 219 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: On TV, he said, in a situation like this, we 220 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: can't supply the United States with our world's best rocket engine. 221 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: Let them fly on something else. They're broomsticks. I don't 222 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: know what he traded insults with NASA astronauts Scott Kelly 223 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: sparred with Elon Musk overnight SpaceX firing back as it 224 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: launched its Falcon rocket carrying satellites to orbit. Time to 225 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: let the American broomsticks fly. It was all a bit unhinged. 226 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: In autumn last year, an American and Russian crew arrived 227 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: at the International Space Station, and one day, as they 228 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: were preparing to go for a spacewalk, they discovered a 229 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: leak in their capsule. Russian flight controllers and the flight 230 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: controllers here Admission control in Houston had been noticing a 231 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: stream of particles coming out of the sous MS twenty 232 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: two vehicle. A small meteorite had probably hid it a 233 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: micro meteoroid, a tiny space rock, just one millimeter across, 234 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: but flying fifteen thousand miles per hour, And now there 235 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: was a big problem. Temperatures inside the cabin could climb 236 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: above one hundred degrees during a return flight, potentially overheating 237 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: flight computers, and meant that they couldn't get back to 238 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: Earth as planned. Russian space officials determined the damage craft 239 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: is unsafe to fly, essentially stranding its crew. They were stuck, 240 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: and as I record this, they're still up there doing repairs, 241 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: gazing down at the chaos below, wondering when they're going 242 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: to finally come home. Sounds familiar, right for the astronauts 243 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: stuck in space right now. Things might be hard. They're 244 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: losing muscles, their bones are getting weaker. They're probably sick 245 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: of peeing into a funnel, and of course they miss 246 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: their families and the comforts of home. But more than that, 247 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: the political situation is worrying. The station their own is 248 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: manned by Russia and America, who are not being friendly 249 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: with each other right now. There are growing tensions between 250 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: the US and Russia following the downing of an American 251 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: drone earlier. Russian President Vladimir Putin says this country will 252 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: now station tactical nuclear weapons right on NATO's doorstep. This 253 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: trip to Moscow also sends a strong message to Washington, 254 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: as tensions between both countries and the US remain high. 255 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: But these astronauts, they have a secret weapon, someone on 256 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 1: the ground who knows exactly what they're going through. Sarage 257 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: Cricklif is the guy planning their rescue, always there, always dependable, 258 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: totally dedicated to the dream of space. This man who 259 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: watched as his country collapsed two hundred and fifty miles 260 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: below him. I bade the chaos of street clashes. It 261 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: was obvious to reinforce that position, the hardliners would have 262 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: to resort to violence, And today is trying to keep 263 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: above the fray, above the chaos and the politics, to 264 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: bring both American and Russian astronauts back home. Good evening, everyone, 265 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: Welcome here to the launch pad and our live launch coverage. 266 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: Soyus MS twenty three launching from the Biken Or Cosmodrome 267 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: in Kazakhstan, launching up to the International Space Station for 268 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 1: a ross Cosmos rescue mission, replacing the leaky soy Use 269 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: spacecraft up at the International Space Station. When I think 270 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: about Saragei's story, it gives me hope, because I believe 271 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: that space can be a utopia, a place where the 272 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: impossible happens, where a chemist from the Mars bar factory 273 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,639 Speaker 1: ends up going to Russia to be a cosmonaut for 274 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: the Russians. It was another small step, but from Miss 275 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: Shaman and her British backup team. It had been a 276 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: giant plea where a woman from suburban Australia becomes friends 277 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,199 Speaker 1: with Soviets floating in space. So I am such a 278 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: happy person. I have been waiting two years to talk 279 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: to you where a Vietnam war vet flies with his 280 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: former communist enemy. We were both the same way. We 281 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: wanted a peaceful world. We wanted a world in which 282 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: people work together collaboratively for the good of humankind. A 283 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 1: place that brings people together, where you see things as 284 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: never before. Oh my God, look at that picture over 285 00:19:52,240 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: there on a truly cosmic mind expanding scale. A good night, 286 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 1: and God Boy, follow you, all of you on the garth. 287 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: This dream of space is something Serage experienced in his bones. 288 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: As he wrote to his friend Maggie from space, the 289 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: Earth is like a map, but in contrast to a map, 290 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: there are no borders seen. It is pleasant when there 291 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: are fewer borders. People can rub shoulders, be friends, travel 292 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: freely among each other, and get to know one another more. 293 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: If rigid borders between neighboring people appear, then that will 294 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: be bad. This is what space can do. It allows 295 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 1: us to see our planet for what it is and 296 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: all its complexity to see the Earth the human race 297 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: as one whole. But for all that, in order to 298 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: understand everything and get used to it, it is necessary 299 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: to return and plunge into this life, and then to 300 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: come back and build something new out of the ashes 301 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: of the old world and the colors unbelievably useful and 302 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: electric blue. Thanks Crunch Cards, Lord for the last time 303 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: comes to an end to our International Space Station. Great job. 304 00:21:43,240 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: Reality The Last Soviet is a Kaleidoscope production in partnership 305 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 1: with iHeart Podcast and Exile Media, produced by Sama's Dad 306 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: Audio and hosted by me Lance Bass Executive produced by 307 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: Kate Osbourne and Mangesh Hadakador with Oz Wallashan and Kostas 308 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: Linos from iHeart Executive Produced by Katrina Norvelle and Nikki 309 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: E Torre from Sama's Dad Audio. Our executive producers are 310 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisiticina. Produced by Assia Fuchs, Dasha 311 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: Litzitzina and Joe Sykes. Writing by Lydia Marchant, Research by 312 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: Mika gola Boski and Molly Schwartz, Music by Will Epstein, 313 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: Themed by Martin Orstrich, Mixing and sound design by Richard Ward, 314 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 1: and special thanks to Nando Villa Well, Lissa Pollock, will Pearson, 315 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: Connel Byrne, Bob Pittman, and Isaac Lee. If you want 316 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: to hear more shows like this, nothing is more important 317 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: to the creators here at Kaleidoscope than subscribers, ratings, and reviews, 318 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: so please spread the love wherever you listen.