0:00:05 > 0:00:08Wow! That's a beautiful thing.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Look at that.
0:00:14 > 0:00:20250 miles above us, six people are living in space.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21All right.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Millions dream of going into orbit,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28but few ever make it a reality.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Now, a hand-picked group of exceptional applicants...
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Go!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42..are about to be put through astronaut selection...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..by former commander of the International Space Station,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Chris Hadfield.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Ten seconds, hands on your head, go.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Over six weeks, with access to
0:00:55 > 0:00:59remarkable training facilities across the globe,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02the candidates will face a series of gruelling tests...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I can't quit. I've got the determination
0:01:05 > 0:01:07to see it through to the end.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10..using standards set by the world's space agencies.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Being sat in a chair where astronauts have actually sat
0:01:14 > 0:01:16and trained is such a privilege.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17Going to 4.5.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26We keep raising the bar and see who can keep getting over it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29That's what astronaut selection is all about.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37Those who fail to make the grade can be asked to leave at any time.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The reality is your scores have not been high.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43But for the person who impresses the most...
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I feel like I absolutely smashed that.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49..the ultimate reference.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50Oh, whoa!
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Chris's backing for their
0:01:52 > 0:01:56application when the space agencies next take on recruits.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Everything I've done has been so I could be ready.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05I want to know that I've got what it takes to be an astronaut.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09We really want to put the best people...
0:02:11 > 0:02:12..on to the rocket ship.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Hello.- Hi.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35- How are you doing?- Good, how are you?
0:02:35 > 0:02:38- I'm good.- From thousands of applicants,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Chris has chosen 12 astronaut
0:02:40 > 0:02:43candidates using the demanding criteria of
0:02:43 > 0:02:45space agency selection.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46How you doing?
0:02:46 > 0:02:50In order to be an astronaut, there are three main things.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Number one, you need a healthy body.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Number two, have a proven ability to learn complicated things.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And then the third, you want people that have a proven ability to make
0:03:01 > 0:03:05good decisions when the consequences really matter.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I'm in the air force.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I fly, um...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11massive aircraft. How about you, what do you do?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- I'm a surgeon.- Oh, OK.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16You choose doctors because they make life or death decisions,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19or pilots because they're always in that boat.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22So I did theoretical physics. I've just finished my PhD
0:03:22 > 0:03:23- last year.- I study cosmochemistry.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25What can that possibly mean?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I'm a geologist that looks at space rocks.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Then you're looking for more subtle things.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- I'm Merritt.- Vijay.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- Pleasure.- Is this a person I want to fly in space with?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Hello. Hi.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Looking good, looking good.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The first stage of selection will
0:03:41 > 0:03:44see the astronaut candidates tested for these fundamental qualities.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The tests we're putting the candidates through are as close as
0:03:49 > 0:03:51possible to what all of the space agencies do. In fact,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53sometimes, they're identical.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The European Space Agency rarely hires new recruits,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04and with over 8,000 applying at the last selection almost ten years ago,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06a reference from someone with
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Chris's credentials could make all the difference.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14To have a chance to go through a full selection process,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I can't think of any better way to
0:04:16 > 0:04:20prepare yourself for the next astronaut selection.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Working alongside Chris to assess the candidates,
0:04:23 > 0:04:28trauma specialist and former Nasa medical researcher, Dr Kevin Fong.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31There is no tougher selection process than astronaut selection.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36There's no more applied-for job with a higher bar set.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Kevin applied to the European Space Agency himself in 2008.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I've done it. I didn't get through it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I have deep sympathy for these candidates.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It's going to be tough.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Third panel member is director of the Centre for Space Medicine,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52psychologist Dr Iya Whiteley.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56She's developed training for the European astronaut corps.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Observing the candidates is the prime objective.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03People can filter their words, but they can't filter their behaviour.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06In line with space agency selection,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10those who don't deliver can be asked to leave at any point.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Good morning.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Thousands of people wanted to be where you are right now.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20And you are the final 12.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24So immense congratulations to you, but at the same time...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28..you are now nothing. You're starting over.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31You are rookies.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34We're going to start the astronaut
0:05:34 > 0:05:36selection process with a flying task.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45The thing that we'll be
0:05:45 > 0:05:48testing you on is your ability to hover the helicopter,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53and what you need to do is hold it as perfectly motionless as you can.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Wow.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Be proud, be humble, and good luck.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09I know nothing about the
0:06:09 > 0:06:13technicalities of flying anything other than a paper aeroplane.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17The strengths which I have as a surgeon is what I like to tell to my
0:06:17 > 0:06:19patients, very stable hands.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I feel I'm going to be a like James Bond -
0:06:22 > 0:06:25he always messes up the first two times and then on the third time he
0:06:25 > 0:06:27nails it. I'm hoping that whatever happens,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29it's going to look quite stylish.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The panel will be watching the hover and monitoring the cockpit from
0:06:34 > 0:06:36inside the hangar.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Derreck walks like a big, strong guy,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42like he's got sort of a swagger to the way he walks.
0:06:43 > 0:06:4827-year-old Derreck will be put to the test by Tamzin Evans,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50who's been an instructor for ten years.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Well, you should sit and relax for the minute, yes, yes.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Admire the view.- Yes, precisely!
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I'm starting with this test for two reasons.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02One, because of the skill set of the astronauts that Nasa are choosing
0:07:02 > 0:07:04right now includes helicopter flying,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07same as we're putting our candidates through here.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And two, because it's hard.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14This is going to be a complex test of mental capacity,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16technical ability, and of nerve.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Derreck is in charge of safety at nuclear power stations.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27He's fluent in three languages and has a black belt in judo.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29But like the rest of the candidates,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31he's never flown a helicopter before.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Oh, look, he's got his game face on now.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40- Yeah.- I'm competitive when I take part in a challenge.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I'd like to win and I want to make sure I get the best out of myself.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45To hover the helicopter,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49they've each been given 15 minutes to master three controls.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Right, what I'd like you to do is pop your feet on the pedals for me.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- You're going to start off on the pedals.- Sure.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57First, the pedals, which work as a rudder.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00They tilt the rotor blades and the tail of the chopper,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02which moves the nose left or right.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- You have control of the pedals. - I have control.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10He's got it, yeah, he's pointing in the right direction.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13These are people that are not used to failing.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Some of them will never get it and
0:08:15 > 0:08:18so it will be revealing how they deal
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- with it.- The next control, called the collective,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24is a lever operated with the left hand.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I'd like you to put your left hand down onto the collective for me.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- Sure.- The collective controls the height.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Yeah.- It tilts the blades on the main rotor,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34which changes the amount of lift,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36making the helicopter move up or down.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- So if I wanted to go up...- Yeah.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I just need to raise it up and we start to climb.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Yeah.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46You have control of the collective only.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48OK.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Shall I move up?- No, I just want you to stay at this height, please.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52OK.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55He seems to have it steady.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58OK.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00I have control of the collective.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The next thing we're going to do is have a go on the cyclic.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- Sure.- Right hand on the cyclic for me, please.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Get yourself nice and comfortable.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Ah, onto the cyclic.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10The hardest of the three.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14With the first two controls, the helicopter has remained on the spot.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But the final control, the cyclic, makes the chopper move around.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23It controls the angle of the entire rotor disc.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Tilting it in any direction makes the helicopter move the same way.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Cyclic controls our position over the ground.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Only if Derreck can master the cyclic will he be allowed to attempt
0:09:33 > 0:09:35all controls at once.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So I'd like you to keep us in this position.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Yeah.- You have control of the cyclic only.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41I have control.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51The cyclic is the most sensitive of the three controls.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54The slightest touch makes all the difference.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57OK. Delay.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Yes.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Got you.- Sensitive.- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02You have control of the cyclic.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I have control.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Come on.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10So there's no real progress.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- No.- I think as soon as he starts thinking about it too much,
0:10:13 > 0:10:14he seems to be losing it.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And so I have control.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Not getting much progress on my behalf here.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Right. What we'll do is we'll head back.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Time's up.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30He never calibrated on that cyclic, did he?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Having failed to get as far as trying all three controls together,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Derreck didn't hold a full hover.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38You could sense the frustration within him at the end.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Yeah, you really could.- I could have done a lot better.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Although you kind of know what you're doing wrong,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45for some reason it doesn't click
0:10:45 > 0:10:47what you should be doing in order to make that better.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Not all the candidates are new to the art of flying.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Kerry is a pilot in the RAF.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00The original astronauts that were chosen by Nasa were all pilots,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so hopefully my military and aviation background
0:11:03 > 0:11:05might stand me in good stead.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07So keep looking out ahead.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- Yes.- See if you can keep us in this position.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11You have control of the collective.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13I have control of the collective.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Kerry quickly masters each of the controls individually.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21So that's rock-steady.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22She's quite relaxed.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27She's totally got this.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- Look at that.- Brilliant.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Just to see how you get on, I'm
0:11:35 > 0:11:37going to give you all three controls now.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Yeah, let's do it.- You have all the controls.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I have all the controls.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43She's got all of them now.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Let's start the clock. Let's see how she goes.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Kevin is timing how long each
0:11:48 > 0:11:52candidate can hold a hover before Tamzin has to intervene.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54This is pretty good.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00The comfort of her experience in the cockpit is helping her, I think.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02A lot of the stuff is familiar.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Crazy, isn't it? It's brilliant.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Oh, yeah.- Kerry managed a full hover for 24 seconds.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Next, it's Merritt.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I've only failed my driving test three times and, like,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21crashed every car I've gotten into,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23but I think helicopters are different.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26So first control the rudder,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28try to keep it from a pitching from side to side.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31So you have control of the pedals.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Have you got control of the pedals?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I have control of the pedals.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Well done.- When Tamzin said you have control,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44she didn't say, "I have control," so she's overloaded.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Astronauts must be able to communicate effectively
0:12:47 > 0:12:49whilst performing complex tasks,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53something the candidates need to demonstrate during selection.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54She's losing a bit now.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Merritt is actually not using a reference point.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00That's right, she's looking at her feet.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Merritt's nearly used up her 15
0:13:04 > 0:13:06minutes trying to master the controls individually.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And then pull back a little bit and then push forward now.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Push forward now.- Push forward a little bit more
0:13:12 > 0:13:13and then pull back now.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- OK.- And I have control.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Oh, my God!
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Right, time to head home.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28She's shaking her head.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30She's very disappointed, isn't she?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Look at this.- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I'm just a bit frustrated, I think, with myself.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42It would suck, it would really,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44really suck to leave the process at this point.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Ohh!
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Merritt is not the only person to struggle with the test.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52So I'd like you to keep us in this position.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54You have control of the cyclic.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57There she goes, just took off.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Five seconds to improve upon there.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Try and keep us in this position.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05You have control of the cyclic.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06I have control.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- And I have control. - You have control.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Gave it up, ten seconds.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17You have control of the cyclic only.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I have control.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25You have control.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- I have control.- He gave up control
0:14:27 > 0:14:29as soon as he felt he was getting away
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- from her.- I think once he loses, he doesn't know how to come back.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34You have control of the cyclic.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- I have control.- Taken off backwards this time.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And I have control.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43After six seconds.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50You have control.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52I have control.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53- You have control.- I have control.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- You have control.- I have control.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59So, he has a low threshold of where he wants to keep fighting it.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Apparently plays a lot of video games, Tim,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08so let's see if a misspent childhood pays dividends here.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- You have control of the cyclic. - I have control.
0:15:10 > 0:15:1523-year-old Tim is the youngest candidate.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- Whoa!- And I have control. - You have control.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I'm thinking the video games didn't help!
0:15:21 > 0:15:23No, you're right!
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Right, I'd like you to follow me
0:15:24 > 0:15:26through on all three controls, please.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27- OK.- You have all the controls.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- I have control.- She's giving him all three.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31She's trusting him with all three.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34But he's less tense just now and he's controlling it so far.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Just keep it from...
0:15:38 > 0:15:40The pendulum's getting bigger and bigger.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45She's letting him.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46- He got it back.- Wow.- Wow.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- Well done from her.- Really good.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Good for him.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54OK, I take that back, he is a good video gamer, all right!
0:15:54 > 0:15:55He's got it. 25 seconds.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- He's hovering.- Best so far.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- This is awesome.- You have control.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- Right, we'll head home. - That was amazing.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08That was so cool.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09I just flew a helicopter!
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Out of the 12, only Kerry and Tim held a full hover.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18At 30 seconds, PhD student Tim
0:16:18 > 0:16:21managed the longest time of the two.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24That's one of the most surreal things I've ever done.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I actually flew it. You move the lever and it goes to the right and
0:16:27 > 0:16:29you move it back and it goes to the left,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33you can go up and down and side to side and forwards and backwards.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34That was really cool!
0:16:34 > 0:16:37To have control of a bird which is just flying,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39very, very sensitive.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42That thing is miles difficult than doing an operation.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49The panel has asked instructor Tamzin for her feedback.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56So who would be your top two or three and your bottom two or three?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Teachability as a helicopter pilot,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00you're going to have to go for Kerry and Tim.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Kerry, if I'd given her a little bit longer,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04she would have mastered the art of the hover.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Tim, for somebody who's never been up in a helicopter before,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09did very well. Didn't ask for any
0:17:09 > 0:17:10help but in actual fact he didn't need
0:17:10 > 0:17:12my help. He worked it out for himself.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14How often do you see that?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- Rarely.- OK.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19In ten years, I've seen six people master it on their first go.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- Wow.- So he did very well.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- And the bottom?- Bottom two would have to the Prash and Derreck.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Prash, the weakest candidate we had today.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34If it went wrong, he just handed back to me to sort it out,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36whereas I wanted him to try and correct it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39The fact he did hand it back is good, that's a positive,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41because it means you know your weakness.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43But he actually handed it back to me too much.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Derreck tensed up.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You tense, it doesn't go well.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51If you were flying a helicopter
0:17:51 > 0:17:53that required two crew,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57who would you least like to have as your crew member?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Probably Merritt. The thing I noticed
0:17:59 > 0:18:01is she was saying, "You have control,"
0:18:01 > 0:18:04but she wasn't actually releasing the controls on a few occasions.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07So was an indication of the level of stress we had her under,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10that she lost track of what she was actually doing.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Exactly, yes.- OK.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Prash being the lowest of all 12,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16did that surprise you at all?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I think he could have tried a bit
0:18:18 > 0:18:20longer because on every mission that you do,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24you have to learn new skills, so their ability to absorb new material
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and implement it straightaway, that's vital.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38If I'm given a task, I take it very, very seriously.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Let it be small or large.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45My biggest fear is failure.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48The famous words of Gene Kranz, Apollo 13 flight director.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50"Failure is not an option."
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The candidates have been thrown in at the deep end,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06but that's exactly what life as an astronaut entails.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11As well as being highly trained in a broad range of disciplines,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13they need fundamental attributes
0:19:13 > 0:19:15like fitness, both mental and physical.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23We want people that, when they leave Earth
0:19:23 > 0:19:25and are on board a spaceship,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27have a very low probability of developing a medical
0:19:27 > 0:19:30problem that will make them come home.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32You're a long way from a hospital or a doctor up there.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37The next test the candidates face
0:19:37 > 0:19:40will help find out who is in the best physical shape.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Being an astronaut places extreme
0:19:44 > 0:19:47demands on the human body and you need
0:19:47 > 0:19:49to be in the peak of your physical fitness.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52This test today is called the beep test.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It's disarmingly simple, but it
0:19:54 > 0:19:57gives us an excellent overview of your state of health.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Used by the police and the Armed Forces,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03as well as the Canadian space agency,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06the beep test helps assess the fitness levels of new recruits.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08This is genuinely a test to exhaustion.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10You will all at the end be in bits.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Are you ready? Here we go.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18When they hear a beep,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21the candidates must run between two
0:20:21 > 0:20:24lines 20 metres apart before they hear the next beep.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29As the test goes on, the interval between beeps gets shorter,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31forcing them to run faster.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37You can see the people who done this before. Look at Kerry.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39She knows that this is the easy bit.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43She's not burning herself out, whereas Merritt is thrashing it away
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and I don't think she's done this test before.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52This is a test that they'll all fail at.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It goes from one to level 22 and none of them is going to get all the
0:20:56 > 0:20:58way through and to give you an idea,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Sebastian Coe,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02during his Olympic career, got to level 17.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Derreck is looking not happy.- Yeah.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21You're out, Prash.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25The first to stop is 47-year-old urological surgeon Prash.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26I was awful.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29That was a hard test. If I have to drop, I have to drop.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I know what my limits are. It's better to be honest.
0:21:34 > 0:21:3929-year-old Merritt only manages one more length.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41That was really tough for me.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I mean, the last time I ran was to try to catch the bus or the plane.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Like, sprinting isn't part of my regime.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Merritt has combined studying physics at both Harvard and Oxford
0:21:54 > 0:21:58universities with performing as a professional ballerina.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00There are months where I'm focused on physics,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03so it'll be 20 hours a day in the lab.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Like, I literally have my electric
0:22:05 > 0:22:07blanket there and my face wash and my toothbrush.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13And then the next month I'll dancing with, say,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16English National Ballet,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19you know, just be focused on the dance.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Second youngest candidate Derreck stops at level seven.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Derreck, that's it for you.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Kerry makes it to level eight.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Guys, level nine.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46And GB athlete James H
0:22:46 > 0:22:49and school teacher James A go one further.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52By level ten,
0:22:52 > 0:22:5552-year-old Hannah is up against space scientist Suzie
0:22:55 > 0:22:57and aerospace engineer Vijay...
0:22:58 > 0:23:00..both more than 17 years her junior.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06I'm realistic that I may not be a spring chicken out there, but I have
0:23:06 > 0:23:09worked hard and I have achieved some extraordinary things.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Last three, guys. Keep going.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Good effort, James.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14In 2007,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Hannah became the first
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Northern Irish woman to successfully summit Mount Everest.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21But it wasn't her first attempt.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24In 2003, I was climbing knowing that
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I had frostbitten feet and frostbitten
0:23:26 > 0:23:29hands and I went, "If I lose toes, fine.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32"If I lose my hands," I thought, "I'll not do dentistry,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34"I'll retrain to be a pharmacist."
0:23:34 > 0:23:38And then I realised that it wasn't just my life that I was putting at
0:23:38 > 0:23:41stake, it was my climbing buddies'.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Unfortunately, I had to turn around about 100 metres from the summit.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- OK, come on.- Come on, Vijay.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Use the arms. Use your arms.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I won't give up easily.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- That's it, Vijay.- Go on, Vijay.- Damn.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Hannah and Suzie both finally stop at level ten.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- That's it, Vijay.- Go on.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Sprint this last one!
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- Come on.- Go on, pump those arms, Vijay.- Well done!
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Vijay, also a mountaineer, is the last man standing.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Both Hannah and Suzie were really worrying me.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I'm really surprised I was first,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- but it feels great.- You need a way of separating out the candidates and
0:24:22 > 0:24:24looking at their strengths and weaknesses,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26and although you don't need to
0:24:26 > 0:24:28be an Olympic athlete to get into the astronaut corps,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31you do need a good baseline level of fitness,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34so we're going to have to keep our eye on the people
0:24:34 > 0:24:35who finished at the bottom.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The candidates have been put through an exhausting physical test.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43But there is no time to recover.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Next under the microscope, their mental acuity.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Space flight is demanding.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Spaceships are complex and the environment outside
0:24:55 > 0:24:57the spaceship is deadly.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00You need someone who is physically ready,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04but also who has a really active mind,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07who can understand complicated things,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09remember key pieces of information.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- Hello, Jackie.- Hello. - How are you?- I'm good, thank you.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17This test is a measure of your ability
0:25:17 > 0:25:21to think and remember complex things under pressure.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25This test is to push people right to the limit of that.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It's based on a test used by the European Space Agency
0:25:29 > 0:25:35and becomes progressively harder, until every candidate fails.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39You will hear a series of number sequences.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43You must exactly repeat them, but in reverse order.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47So if you hear five, two, three, you'll say
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- three, two, five.- OK.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55You must do this while stepping on and off the platform.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- OK.- When you answer incorrectly, a buzzer will sound.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Then, the test is over.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- You ready?- Yes.- Here we go.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Four, nine, one, zero.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Zero, one, nine, four.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Three, one, eight, two.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- WHISPERS:- Three, one, eight, two. Three, one, eight, two.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Two, eight, one, three.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39Six, nine,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42seven, eight.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Eight, seven, nine, six.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52All the candidates managed four numbers.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55You ready for the next one?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Five, seven, eight,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01zero, six.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08The average adult can remember up to five numbers backwards...
0:27:12 > 0:27:17Six, zero, eight, seven, five.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21..but everyone in this group has at least a Masters degree.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Four, two, three, one, nine.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Nine, one, three, two, four.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36Five, seven, eight, zero, six.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Six, zero,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42eight, seven,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44five.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49To make the test harder, Chris has added the step as a distraction.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Five, seven,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54eight, zero, six.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- WHISPERS: - Five, seven, eight, zero, six.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02You're never doing nothing in space! There's always something going on.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04You're always working on something or flying the ship
0:28:04 > 0:28:06or dealing with something.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09During this test, we're not just seeing how well they can think,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11but how well can they think
0:28:11 > 0:28:13while they're moving and doing something else?
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Six, zero, five...
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Oh!
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Sorry. No. Lost it.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21BUZZER
0:28:21 > 0:28:23The test is over.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Six, zero, seven,
0:28:29 > 0:28:30eight, five.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32BUZZER
0:28:32 > 0:28:33The test is over.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Nine of the candidates are now through to the six-number stage.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Five, one, three,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46seven, two, eight.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Eight, two,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54seven, three,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56one, five.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Five, one,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03three, seven,
0:29:03 > 0:29:04two, eight.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Eight...two...
0:29:12 > 0:29:13..three...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19..one...
0:29:20 > 0:29:21..seven...
0:29:22 > 0:29:23..five.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28BUZZER
0:29:28 > 0:29:29The test is over.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Only half of the candidates manage to recall six numbers.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36That's the end of the test.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40It was at this stage of his astronaut selection
0:29:40 > 0:29:43that Dr Kevin Fong was asked to leave the process.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45The thing that
0:29:45 > 0:29:48sticks out in my mind is the voice of the person
0:29:48 > 0:29:51who was reading those numbers in a very heavy German accent.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55You will now hear a series of number sequences.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58And that, kind of, just somehow added to the terror
0:29:58 > 0:30:00and the panic of the whole thing, as these numbers, sort of,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03came out of thin air at you. It was a really awful test.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I obviously didn't do well enough
0:30:05 > 0:30:07to get further through the selection.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09The remaining six candidates
0:30:09 > 0:30:12now have to recall seven numbers backwards.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Five, seven, four, nine,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20six, eight, one.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26I'm an enormous geek. I used to take it as an insult
0:30:26 > 0:30:27being called a geek in high school,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30but now, I think you should wear it with pride.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32It just means you are super-interested in something.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35One, eight,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38six, four, seven, five.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39BUZZER
0:30:39 > 0:30:41The test is over.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Four, six, zero,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49nine, three, seven, five.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55I've always been tough and I've always been a gifted mathematician.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57I haven't failed at anything.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59I've been quite lucky
0:30:59 > 0:31:02in the past that I've stood out
0:31:02 > 0:31:05and I'm nervous, but in this process,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I'm not going to be
0:31:07 > 0:31:08the person who stands out.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Five, seven...
0:31:13 > 0:31:15..six, nine,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18zero, three, four.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21BUZZER
0:31:24 > 0:31:26- That completes the test.- OK.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31Thank you.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Four, six,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36zero, nine,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40three, seven, five.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Five, seven, three...
0:31:48 > 0:31:50..eight, zero...
0:31:51 > 0:31:52..five, eight.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54BUZZER
0:31:54 > 0:31:55That's the end of the test.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00Four, six,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03zero, nine,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06three, seven, five.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Five...seven, three
0:32:12 > 0:32:13nine, zero...
0:32:16 > 0:32:18..six, four.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Kerry is one of only three female pilots
0:32:21 > 0:32:23in her squadron of 60.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26The more challenges we have,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28the more you realise I'm always up there.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Even if I'm not at the top, somewhere near middle to top,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34which is exactly where I want to be.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Four, six,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40zero, nine,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42three, seven, five.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Five, seven...
0:32:49 > 0:32:50..three...
0:32:53 > 0:32:54..nine, zero, six, four.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59This is Derreck's first strong performance.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04He's one of just four candidates to reach seven numbers.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Two, zero, eight, one,
0:33:07 > 0:33:08three, eight, nine.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09But no-one...
0:33:09 > 0:33:10BUZZER
0:33:11 > 0:33:13..makes it as far as eight.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14BUZZER
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Oh!
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- The test is over.- Thank you.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Getting through astronaut selection is incredibly tough.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Are you OK?
0:33:27 > 0:33:29You are thrown into a room with dozens of people
0:33:29 > 0:33:32who have got CVs that are at least as good,
0:33:32 > 0:33:33if not much, much better, than yours.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39You are competing with people who want the same thing that you want
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and they want it as badly as you want it.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43It's an intimidating process.
0:33:43 > 0:33:44SHE SIGHS
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Jackie, can I get you some tissues or something?
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I should have definitely done better.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57It's bad.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05I know I can do it.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07A lot longer number sequences than that.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09I know I can do that.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12That's what's frustrating.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28With their mental agility assessed,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30the next fundamental attribute to be analysed
0:34:30 > 0:34:32is psychological resilience.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Every astronaut on the International Space Station today
0:34:40 > 0:34:43has undergone extensive personality testing.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- But this wasn't always the case. - In the early days,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51we could afford to hire astronauts that were real hard asses.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Uncompromising, miserable people to deal with,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59because we needed a spaceship flown properly.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And there was some real serious conflicts.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05There were crew members having fistfights in orbit.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16But we realised that if we are truly going to live in space
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and not just quickly visit there,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20the psychological and interpersonal part
0:35:20 > 0:35:22becomes much more important.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Dr Iya Whiteley has developed
0:35:27 > 0:35:29psychological tools for the European Space Agency's
0:35:29 > 0:35:32long duration space flight missions.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- Hi.- Have a seat. Hi.- Hi.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Please sit up just a little bit closer.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40OK, there we go.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45She will evaluate each candidate's suitability for life in space.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I want to understand
0:35:48 > 0:35:51what goes through their mind, what kind of information they process,
0:35:51 > 0:35:56to see whether their skills are transferable into the
0:35:56 > 0:35:59extreme environments that they will be working in.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01So, tell me what you're good at.
0:36:01 > 0:36:08I'm good at being incredibly persistent and I don't give up.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- I'll audition 23 times in a year...- OK, yeah.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15..again and again for a ballet company and get rejected,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19you know, and I never give up. I will just do it again.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23I think I'm good at talking about things that I'm interested in...
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- OK.- ..in an enthusiastic way
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- and getting other people interested in them, too.- OK.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34People who are very open and enjoy what they are doing,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36they are just natural at it.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38That is what I am trying to look for.
0:36:38 > 0:36:44I am a good friend and I am somebody who is proud to mentor people,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47to help people and to encourage people.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Tell me what you're good at.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52What I'm good at.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Making people laugh, I think.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Or just having fun with people.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00It is one of my best traits, I hope.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03Um...
0:37:05 > 0:37:11When people hear a question, they have to pause before they respond
0:37:11 > 0:37:14and, in that instant, you see a lot from
0:37:14 > 0:37:17micro-expressions, that are telling.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Every little detail gives me a clue
0:37:19 > 0:37:22into who they are and what they are likely
0:37:22 > 0:37:24to be as an astronaut.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Can you tell me about the biggest mistake
0:37:26 > 0:37:28that you have made in your life?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31CHUCKLING
0:37:31 > 0:37:33The biggest mistake I have made.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39I've made lots of mistakes.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41My biggest mistake.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Gosh, I have made a lot of mistakes in training,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- but that is, kind of, what the training is there for.- Mm-hm.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50VOICEOVER: There is no such thing as a perfect pilot.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52If there is something that I cannot do very well
0:37:52 > 0:37:53or if it, kind of, completely stumps me,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57it is all just learning, to make me a better person,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00give me more knowledge about myself.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02Mistake.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Sorry, I can't go there.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- I was just going to say, like, thank my mom more..- Mm-hm.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17..would have been my thing,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19- before she passed away.- Mm.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24Yeah. Or just asked her a couple more...life questions.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- Sorry.- It's OK.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31The best candidates are true to themselves.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35People who understand themselves will succeed,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37and those who try to tell me
0:38:37 > 0:38:41what they think I want to hear will probably not succeed.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45I learn from my mistakes.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I do not allow them to go on so big
0:38:48 > 0:38:53that it will be the most drastic thing which will ever happen to me
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- and will be game changing.- OK.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Now, give me an example of an event where you felt most anger.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Anything that we do to harm the Earth,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I think I get quite upset about that.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13- And especially as a geologist, it doesn't sit right with me.- OK.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18One area where...I do feel angry
0:39:18 > 0:39:21about things, it is about people,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24when they expect everything to be spoon-fed.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27If you repeatedly do those kind of things,
0:39:27 > 0:39:28they will know what Prash wants.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They will work out how I do my business.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38I am a cancer urological surgeon, and if I am in charge
0:39:38 > 0:39:40and if my name is at the end of the bed,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42then it is my way or the highway,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44because my interests lie
0:39:44 > 0:39:48in the best outcome for the task which I am doing.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52It doesn't matter what a candidate tells me.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54I actually see beyond the words.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Their self-awareness, or lack of it,
0:39:58 > 0:40:02gives me an insight into how well they will do in the future.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13The candidates have undergone two days of rigorous testing.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17They are being judged against Space Agency standards
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and have no idea how they've performed so far.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22In life, you are used to being told how you have done
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and moving on to the next thing armed with that knowledge.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29But in astronaut selection, no-one is patting you on the back
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- and encouraging you on. - We have done four tests already.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34I think they're watching us even when we don't know
0:40:34 > 0:40:36they're watching us. So, it is always a test.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42It is very difficult to judge, because if you are doing a race,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45if you are doing something else, it is finite, you're over the line,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47you know where you stand with the people behind you.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49But there are so many uncertainties in this.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54The panel now has an insight into who lacks the fundamental qualities
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- they have been testing. - I think, just on our raw rankings,
0:40:57 > 0:41:02the lowest of the 12 so far has been Prash and, then, just above him,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04- is Merritt. - Yeah, I think that's about right.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Is there anyone else in the group
0:41:06 > 0:41:09who gives us cause for concern at this time?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11I don't know if I'm going to be sent home or not.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13The reason is that we don't know what to expect
0:41:13 > 0:41:14or what to prepare for.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20Do we think, at this point, of the 12 people,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23has he shown himself to be
0:41:23 > 0:41:26not having the right stuff?
0:41:27 > 0:41:31When I start asking, sort of, questions and getting into detail,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35I felt like some of the answers were contradicting the one before.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38The fundamental question is,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41are these people that you would want to fly in space with?
0:41:42 > 0:41:44I think I still have the right stuff.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Very much, I have some more reserves. It just needs be explored.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50That is not a terrible performance, but I expected more of her.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54I just don't know how many people they are going to be letting go
0:41:54 > 0:41:59and I hope that I have shown that there is something in me, you know,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02that I haven't given everything that I have got.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- Hello, Prash.- Good evening, Chris. - How are you? Hello, again.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17So this stage, we have completed four tests.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Quite broad testing in the helicopter, psychological,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25memory and cardiovascular beep test.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29And the bottom line is, in those four tests,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32your scores were at the bottom of those 12 on three of the four.
0:42:32 > 0:42:39- Mm-hm.- So, your astronaut selection process ends here.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45If I can paraphrase Gene Kranz, it has been a successful failure.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Thank you very much.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00I don't think I could have done anything differently.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I have performed, behaved...
0:43:05 > 0:43:08..said everything what I am.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I am amongst people who have PhDs
0:43:11 > 0:43:13and have run marathons and have climbed Everest.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15These are terrific achievements.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Here I am - I have made it into that elite group.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23To have made it to this level has been a great experience.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Someone with the skill set of Prash is already going home.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31For the other candidates, I think this is a sudden,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34stark reminder that this is a selection process
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and the bar is really high.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38We will meet again.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- Yes.- On the ISS. I will be waiting for you.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
0:43:44 > 0:43:46See you, guys. Take care.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51It's sad that one of us
0:43:51 > 0:43:54has gone and, like, it is really sad.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57And reality has hit now.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01It was unexpected for Prash. I feel bad.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I'm pleased not to be the first to go,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06but it could be any of us any day.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24The biggest day in an astronaut's life is the day you leave Earth.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33Now, you are actually qualified to be called an astronaut.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36You float to the window...
0:44:36 > 0:44:39the whole world is going by and the speed
0:44:39 > 0:44:42is so high it is like nothing you've ever experienced in your life.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47You go around the world in 92 minutes.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50You get a sunrise or a sunset every 46.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54It's like a present that is unwrapping itself at the window
0:44:54 > 0:44:55the whole time.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04But astronauts have an enormous workload in space,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08performing hundreds of experiments, many on themselves.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Got my butterfly needle, then two blood tubes.
0:45:13 > 0:45:14So, not too much this morning.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Followed by some gauze and a Band-Aid.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21So today, the panel will test whether the candidates
0:45:21 > 0:45:25have the skills, coupled with the right mental attitude,
0:45:25 > 0:45:27to do the same.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31If we're going to explore space with people,
0:45:31 > 0:45:33we need to also explore the human condition in space.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36And part of that involves taking blood.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40Instructors Alison Purkiss and Emily Watson will teach them.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45Take the needle off, place it into the holder, take your first bottle.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Push on.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52First, using synthetic pads fitted with artificial veins and blood.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53Take your index finger,
0:45:53 > 0:45:57place it underneath the holder and gently ease it off.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01They will then take blood from their own arms.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Actually, today, to be honest,
0:46:03 > 0:46:05I actually have a little bit of a fear of needles.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08I've never really had much contact with blood.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11It wouldn't be something I'd rush to. I'm a bit like...
0:46:11 > 0:46:12I would say I'm a bit squeamish.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17Kevin is also assessing their attitude towards the risks involved
0:46:17 > 0:46:21in experimenting on themselves, and whether they can keep focused.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Like everything else they do, it's a multi-step.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26It is a pretty complicated task
0:46:26 > 0:46:28and they have to get everything in order for it to go right.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31And there is safety at risk here.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Sounds like a packet of crisps.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35There is a set of instructions on that packet.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39- There are.- Let's follow the instructions, shall we?
0:46:39 > 0:46:40LAUGHTER
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Whether it is in the workplace or anything else,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46I just know that I enjoy having fun.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48Cos if you can't have a good time, can't have fun, what's the point?
0:46:48 > 0:46:52So, Doctor Vijay, wedding preparations going OK?
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- Yes, really well, thank you.- Fantastic.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57OK, seems like you are running out of blood.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59- That's fine.- Hope you are still alive in there.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02So Derreck and Vijay have got a bit of a comedy double act
0:47:02 > 0:47:03going on there,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06but actually, if life as an astronaut is anything,
0:47:06 > 0:47:07it is a series of procedural tasks.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10You have to get the right things done in the right order,
0:47:10 > 0:47:14otherwise it all goes wrong. So, you know, that's not great.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Sorry.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20You can feel it when it's right.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Oh, yeah, yeah, I felt that.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Stop there.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Practice is over.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30It's time for the candidates to draw blood for real.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39- Sorry, Tim, can I stop you there? - Yeah.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Can you see how it's coming up?
0:47:41 > 0:47:43- Yeah.- It's coming up in a big bruise.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Did I go too far into the vein?
0:47:45 > 0:47:47You have either touched the top of the vein
0:47:47 > 0:47:50- or you actually went through, one of the two.- OK.
0:47:50 > 0:47:51So what will have happened,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54it would have pooled out underneath or on the top.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58If we had stayed in there, you'd have just made it bigger.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Next, it's Merritt's turn.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05After poor performances in two of the tests, the pressure's on.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Can you feel that in there?
0:48:08 > 0:48:11- Oh, that's great. Yeah, I can feel it.- Can you feel it?- Yeah.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- Your veins are really small.- Yeah.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16If they have found the correct vein,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19it should feel springy when they tap it.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21- You feel it?- Yeah.- You sure?
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Can't see it, but I can feel it, yeah.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Having located a vein,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Merritt needs to insert a butterfly needle
0:48:28 > 0:48:30designed for small blood vessels.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Because of my experiments in quantum optics, and then before that,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39I was in condensed matter, which dealt with, like,
0:48:39 > 0:48:40nanometre precision,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43I think the skillsets I learned with experiments
0:48:43 > 0:48:45does play to my strengths.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Great work.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Nice one, Merritt.
0:48:52 > 0:48:53Good job.
0:48:54 > 0:48:59This was a task that she understood in a bunch of sequential steps
0:48:59 > 0:49:00and performed them very well.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04You mentioned Derreck and Vijay as having a good time
0:49:04 > 0:49:05but being unmethodical.
0:49:05 > 0:49:10I think they don't appreciate that if, in a complex setting,
0:49:10 > 0:49:13you fail to follow the steps as given one after another
0:49:13 > 0:49:17exactly as demonstrated, it is going to trip you up down the line,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19and that's what I saw with them today.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23When I look at the numbers for Derreck, for the memory test,
0:49:23 > 0:49:25he did well, he was high,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29but for the helicopter test, low, for the bleep test, low.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33I feel that Derreck just needs that... a little bit of growing up.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Right.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Derreck.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Chris.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46When we look at what you have done so far,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49it really comes down to relative ranking
0:49:49 > 0:49:52with how your performance is versus the others.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56And the reality is that your scores have not been high.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Unfortunately, your astronaut selection ends today.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02OK. Well, thank you very much, Chris, for the opportunity.
0:50:02 > 0:50:03Thanks.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12In his interaction with other people...
0:50:12 > 0:50:16..we see an inexperience.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19I think he has tremendous potential,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21but I just haven't seen it to this point.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30Yeah, I didn't make the cut, fellas.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32- No!- No.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34What?
0:50:34 > 0:50:36It happens.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37Anyway...
0:50:39 > 0:50:42I'm feeling gutted,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45gutted I was unable to perform as well as I would have hoped I would.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48I still think I've got the right stuff to become an astronaut.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51I just need more time to get myself ready for it.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54Clearly my helicopter skills didn't go unnoticed.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04The astronaut candidates have been through
0:51:04 > 0:51:07three days of continual assessments,
0:51:07 > 0:51:09but they can't rest.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10There is one more test today.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Normally, six astronauts
0:51:20 > 0:51:24live in the confined conditions of the International Space Station
0:51:24 > 0:51:25for months at a time.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Even when outside,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32they're enclosed in the airtight shell of their spacesuits.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Come on in. Just head over here to the left.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41So being able to cope with small spaces is essential.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48When I went through astronaut selection with Nasa,
0:51:48 > 0:51:51I walked into a small room, it was kind of dark,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54there was this big beach ball on the floor,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58and there was a technician there who said, "Get into the beach ball.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01"We are going to zip it up, and after a while,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04"we are going to let you out again. And don't fall asleep."
0:52:04 > 0:52:09And I didn't know what I was really being tested on.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Today's final assessment is designed to reveal
0:52:11 > 0:52:16something that would disqualify any astronaut -
0:52:16 > 0:52:18claustrophobia.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22We are going to put each of you inside your own sphere.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30For one candidate, this will be particularly tough.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34I got caught in an avalanche years ago,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37- so I have to get caught in that... - You got caught in an avalanche?
0:52:37 > 0:52:41- Yeah.- Wow.- So I just have a bit of...- How long?
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Felt like an eternity.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Whenever I start thinking about it, the memory's still very vivid.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54I flash back very quickly.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59I heard a crack, a slab just came down, hit me in the chest...
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Just was spiralling and then the snow just covered me.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08I honestly don't know how long I was under the snow.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14I remember getting my hands over my face...
0:53:14 > 0:53:17and trying to push the snow off.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I was completely encased in this...
0:53:30 > 0:53:34I remember shouting and I went, "Oh, I can't shout,"
0:53:34 > 0:53:37cos there was nothing... I just remember going...
0:53:39 > 0:53:41"Don't want to die."
0:53:49 > 0:53:52The candidates are all wearing heart-rate monitors
0:53:52 > 0:53:55so the panel can assess their stress levels.
0:53:55 > 0:54:00OK, candidates. The time starts when the lights go out.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03At the start of the test,
0:54:03 > 0:54:07Hannah's heart rate is almost double its normal resting rate.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14You must not speak.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Be silent throughout the rest of the test.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21As well as proving they can cope with confined conditions,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Chris has told the candidates to stay inside their spheres
0:54:24 > 0:54:26for exactly 20 minutes.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Without watches, they need to estimate
0:54:28 > 0:54:30how quickly time is passing.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37And that's not all.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40While the candidates are locked in these spheres,
0:54:40 > 0:54:44we have asked them to completely lace up their boots in the darkness,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47give them a sort of a manual distracting task.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51When you're outside on a spacewalk, or really engrossed in a task,
0:54:51 > 0:54:54it is sometimes sort of easy to lose track of time.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58But if you are breathing on a confined oxygen system,
0:54:58 > 0:55:02you have to have that natural sense of how time is passing.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Chris and Iya are also using infrared cameras
0:55:08 > 0:55:12to see if the candidates show any visible signs of distress.
0:55:14 > 0:55:1615 minutes in,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Hannah's managed to bring her heart rate down
0:55:18 > 0:55:20closer to her resting rate.
0:55:27 > 0:55:3120 minutes is nearly up, and they are still all in their spheres.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39Jackie is the first out at 18 minutes.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45When I came out and realised I was the only person,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48I was like, "Hmm, OK, I think I've counted a bit fast."
0:55:49 > 0:55:52She is followed by Merritt at just over 19 minutes,
0:55:52 > 0:55:56making her the closest to estimating 20 minutes passing.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00I understand now that whatever task is thrown at me
0:56:00 > 0:56:04is completely something that I could never have imagined.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06I feel mentally like I am just
0:56:06 > 0:56:10getting stronger and stronger with each one.
0:56:10 > 0:56:1120 minutes has passed.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17James H comes out one minute over.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21Followed by Kerry two minutes later.
0:56:24 > 0:56:29Hannah remains in her sphere for 23.5 minutes,
0:56:29 > 0:56:31the same as Tim.
0:56:31 > 0:56:36But James A and Vijay have lost all track of time.
0:56:39 > 0:56:40Welcome back to the world.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49Space flight is a strangely separated experience.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Maybe you sensed a little bit of that today
0:56:51 > 0:56:54with the isolation of the spheres.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Thank you, everybody.
0:56:56 > 0:56:57- ALL:- Thank you.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04Hannah did fine, controlled herself well,
0:57:04 > 0:57:09but revealed just how close a personal experience it was to her.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13Her heart rate was up, but then she, through her own discipline,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15controlled it and had it down to the level
0:57:15 > 0:57:18that most people would just try and get their heart
0:57:18 > 0:57:19under any circumstances.
0:57:19 > 0:57:24I think it really showed a measure of experience and self-discipline
0:57:24 > 0:57:27that is admirable and rare.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31Before I came here, I was getting back into tight sleeping bags
0:57:31 > 0:57:35and putting myself into situations where I would be uncomfortable
0:57:35 > 0:57:38because I knew I would have to deal with it.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42I never expected it to be easy.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45It is one of the toughest jobs in the world.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47But that's what we're here for.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50Ten candidates have shown they have the physical,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53mental and psychological capabilities
0:57:53 > 0:57:55to get through the fundamental tests
0:57:55 > 0:57:57of astronaut selection.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59But they have only just begun.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05The candidates' world is turned upside down...
0:58:05 > 0:58:07My idea of hell.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10..as the process moves up a level.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14You are going to be operating a robot on Mars.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16It only gets tougher from here, doesn't it?