0:00:05 > 0:00:08Wow! That's a beautiful thing. Look at that.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19250 miles above us, six people are living in space.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Hello.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Millions dream of going into orbit.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28But few ever make it a reality.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Now, a hand-picked group of exceptional applicants...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Go.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42..are about to be put through astronaut selection...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Commander.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..by former commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Ten seconds. Hands on your head. Go.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Along with trauma specialist Doctor Kevin Fong...
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Being an astronaut places extreme demands on the human body.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And psychologist, Doctor Iya Whiteley.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03So she's focused, determined.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Over six weeks,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10with access to remarkable training facilities across the globe...
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Stop spinning.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..the candidates will face a series of gruelling tests.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19I can't quit. I've got the determination to see it through to the end.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Using standards set by the world's space agencies.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Being sat in a chair where astronauts have actually sat and
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- trained is such a privilege. - Going to 4.5.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Brace for impact.
0:01:37 > 0:01:44Those who fail to make the grade can be asked to leave at any time.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46The reality is your scores have not been high.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50For the person who impresses the most...
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I feel like I absolutely smashed that.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55..the ultimate reference.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Chris' backing for their application
0:02:00 > 0:02:03when the space agencies next take on recruits.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10We really want to put the best people onto the rocket ship.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Oxygen failure. Oxygen failure. Oxygen failure.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Last time, the candidates were thrown in at the deep end...
0:02:25 > 0:02:27I have control.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29..as flying ability...
0:02:29 > 0:02:32That was so cool. I just flew a helicopter.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Six, nine...
0:02:34 > 0:02:36..mental agility...
0:02:36 > 0:02:37HE GASPS FOR BREATH
0:02:37 > 0:02:41..and physical fitness were put to the test.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Derreck, that's it for you.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Mountaineer, Hannah, faced her past.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I got caught in an avalanche years ago, so I just have a bit of a...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Nerves got to particle physicist Jackie...
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I should have definitely done better.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59..but it was nuclear engineer, Derreck...
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Yeah, I didn't make the cut, fellas.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04And surgeon, Prash, who were the first to leave.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06We will meet again on the ISS.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I'll be waiting for you.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10LAUGHTER
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I trained specifically four and a half years for my first spacewalk.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27That's a lot of work.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32From thousands of applicants,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36just ten have made it through to the second stage of selection.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42If you're trying to choose astronauts, you want to hire people
0:03:42 > 0:03:45that have a proven ability to learn complicated things.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Then you are looking for,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49what other interesting things have they done in their life?
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Have they got all the core qualifications and they've sailed
0:03:53 > 0:03:55across the Atlantic or they've climbed Everest?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59If you have the choice, why wouldn't you take the best people on earth?
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Of the remaining candidates, one fits the classic astronaut profile,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06with a background in the military.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10I've served in the air force for 12 years and from day one of that,
0:04:10 > 0:04:11it has been competitive.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Some of the guys, they're used to doing their PhDs,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17they're used to working in a lab, they haven't been exposed to this
0:04:17 > 0:04:18type of competition.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Probably it's given me a slight advantage in that I've seen
0:04:20 > 0:04:22similar things before.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Others are scientists at the cutting edge of space research.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31I'm not surprised that I have got onto the second stage of this process.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36I am obviously physically fit and I think I've shown a
0:04:36 > 0:04:38wide range of skill sets.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Double.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43All are highly qualified,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48but if they fail to keep pace, they can be asked to leave at any time.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Genuinely, I have no idea where I'm sitting in the group because I don't
0:04:51 > 0:04:54know what the standards are that they're expecting from us.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58What it really comes down to, I think,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01the simplest question you could ask,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04would I trust them with my life?
0:05:04 > 0:05:08But also, do they have the right stuff?
0:05:15 > 0:05:19The candidates have come to one of the world's leading maritime
0:05:19 > 0:05:20training facilities.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26The test they'll face here is a matter of life and death.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36They will have to escape from an underwater capsule in a simulated
0:05:36 > 0:05:37emergency splashdown.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46With water covering two thirds of the world's surface,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49every astronaut must learn to escape from a space capsule
0:05:49 > 0:05:52which has crash landed at sea.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56If you're floating in any sort of turbulent seas,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00you run the risk of sinking. You run the risk of drowning.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And if you're landing in the water,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05eventually your ship's going to sink.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10And everybody has to have the skills to deal with a sinking ship.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The astronaut candidates will be tested in pairs.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23First, aerospace engineer, Vijay, and RAF pilot, Kerry.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I've done similar types of training, survival training,
0:06:26 > 0:06:27life raft training.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31So hopefully all those skills will be quite useful to me.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Overseeing the test is marine safety instructor, Jim Cunningham.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Good morning, candidates.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- BOTH:- Morning.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41This is our capsule that we're going to use
0:06:41 > 0:06:43for the simulation this morning.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45So what I require of you guys is to take a seat,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48so will you get yourself buckled in, please?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Trauma specialists, Doctor Kevin Fong,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and psychologist Doctor Iya Whiteley, watch poolside
0:07:00 > 0:07:01whilst Chris is underwater
0:07:01 > 0:07:05to observe the candidates at close quarters.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Standby one, one.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10This is an interesting test because you have to, in many ways,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14suppress what is your normal response to a very threatening situation.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Increasing your heart rate,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19increasing the blood flow to your muscles.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Now, in this situation that has a downside and that is that you
0:07:24 > 0:07:26deplete your oxygen reserves faster than you normally would.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31So staying calm here actually helps you survive the situation.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Jim has given the pair clear instructions.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Kerry must remove the window, Vijay open the door.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Only then can they release their harness and escape.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Capsule drop. Brace for impact.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Brace positions.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Capsule capsizing.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33The pair escape, following the procedure perfectly.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37That was strong from both of them. But strong from her.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40This test is designed to see how people deal
0:08:40 > 0:08:46with unexpected situations, and Kerry was very calm and collected.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50She certainly deals very well with high-pressured situations.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I've flown in Afghanistan, in and out of Camp Bastion,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Kandahar, Kabul. Quite a lot of flights around the Middle East.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04We do have to think about what we would do if we were fired upon.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07We do have to have survival training, so, if we were shot down
0:09:07 > 0:09:09in enemy territory, what would we do?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It's a lot of responsibility, being in command,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16but when something goes wrong, my reaction needs to be good enough
0:09:16 > 0:09:18to make sure that everybody survives.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25We'll go straight into the next one.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Kerry and Vijay's final test will see the vehicle rapidly submerged and
0:09:29 > 0:09:31rolled underwater...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Brace for impact.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36..simulating a more violent capsize.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Forceful splashdown causes turbulence, reducing visibility.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54So they've been told to wait for the bubbles to clear
0:09:54 > 0:09:56before making their escape.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06They complete a near flawless escape.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09I thought we did well.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11You were calm. Everything was good.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13You always beat me, though.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I knew you'd hate that, that's why I did it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Has anyone got any diving experience or anything?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- No.- Don't panic. That's Mr Mannering. Captain Mannering.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Captain Mannering. Don't panic, don't panic!
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- Yeah.- I can swim but that's about the extent of it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Yeah, that would be bad if you were inside it and you couldn't swim down
0:10:36 > 0:10:37to get to the door.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Normally I'm quite composed and I think logically,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45but bring water into it and I do kind of panic.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49I'm definitely trying to overcome this fear.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51A lot of it is in my head.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55When I was younger, I nearly drowned on a school trip.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I did kind of have to be rescued.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Yeah, I try and avoid water at all costs.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Jackie has been paired with energy consultant
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and the GB bobsledder, James H.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I'll keep you right, Jackie.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- She's worried. - She's very stressed.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26She's absolutely terrified.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28But she is trying to put on a brave face.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Ready? Stand by.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Capsule approach to the water surface, and brace for impact.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07With her eyes shut, Jackie can't find the handle.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13For safety, Jim opens the door for her.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16SHE GASPS FOR BREATH
0:12:35 > 0:12:37There you go. There you go.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41No problem, no problem.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Nobody wants a panicked astronaut.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48The only way that you can be ready to think like an astronaut
0:12:48 > 0:12:51is to have changed who you are.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55When something happens that has a great impact,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59you've turned yourself into somebody who has a different fundamental response.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05The real question for an astronaut is, what do you do next?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07It's not what happens, it's how you react to it.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The capsule is going to be upside down this time, so it's much worse.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19I will be fascinated to see how Jackie is with this task.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Absolutely. And I'm surprised, truly, that she is actually going a second time.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25Brace for impact.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Much better.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12She didn't panic as much when she came out of the water this time.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Jackie clearly was distressed but, despite being afraid,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19she had the capability to take on the task,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and carrying on with the mission.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23You did it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I'm really pleased for her that she pushed through it because I know she
0:14:28 > 0:14:31would have been beating herself up if she hadn't.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35And if it was normal circumstances I would never have got in that capsule
0:14:35 > 0:14:37and I'd have never have done it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I genuinely thought that I might drown.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42She definitely had a problem with that.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I wasn't sure she was going to do it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Obviously we all have respect for her guts and her fortitude.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52The real question is, do you want that person sitting next to
0:14:52 > 0:14:54you in a space shuttle?
0:15:03 > 0:15:08The next two pairs stay calm and escape without difficulty.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Ballerina Merritt and teacher James A...
0:15:16 > 0:15:19..are followed by commercial airline pilot Tessa
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and cosmochemistry researcher Tim.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Good.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The final pair
0:15:31 > 0:15:35is associate professor Suzie and dentist and mountaineer Hannah,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39who is facing some old fears.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I have to admit, that one of my big Achilles is confinement.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I was caught in an avalanche years ago,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51but that's where it's a challenge for me.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57The training vessel is ready.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But Hannah is still in the changing room.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Some people would probably enjoy this. This is my idea of hell.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17SHE EXHALES DEEPLY
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Failure to complete the test would mean leaving the process.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Hannah absolutely does not look comfortable
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and if Jim doesn't think she is up to it, he will stop it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58But she's genuinely finding this tough.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- You can see the distress clearly. - Mmm.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09She's trying to compose herself now.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Now bracing for impact.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:17:26 > 0:17:27OK?
0:17:27 > 0:17:28OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Here we go!
0:17:47 > 0:17:49One run down.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52But the more extreme capsize is still to come.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54During an emergency,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58there is no-one that can keep you calm except yourself.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03But that ability to focus, to keep your instinctive fear at bay,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05to control your breathing
0:18:05 > 0:18:11and to safely exit the ship - it's vital, as an astronaut.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12So she's done this once.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Yes, but this time it's turning over completely.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- You can see the distress. - This isn't just nervousness, is it?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- This is proper distress and panic. - This is distress and panic.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I mean, I don't know what she's feeling right now,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32but she looks very, very close to a panic reaction.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Brace for impact.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Hannah has been told to position one hand on the window
0:18:39 > 0:18:41and the other on her harness.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59She makes her escape but is so focused on controlling her anxiety
0:18:59 > 0:19:01that she fails to follow the procedure.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I needed to do that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Just for me, for my own mental...
0:19:16 > 0:19:18This is another step in...
0:19:19 > 0:19:21..working through this...
0:19:22 > 0:19:25..issue that I have with enclosed spaces.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27In order to be successful as an astronaut,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30those things somehow need to get properly put behind you.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Any tendency towards drama is almost the opposite of what we need for
0:19:34 > 0:19:35success in the astronaut business.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I got a feeling yesterday I will probably be sent home today.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58As of the last test,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I thought I'm probably going to go
0:20:00 > 0:20:04because I'm definitely thought I was probably the weakest person.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Watching all the candidates
0:20:10 > 0:20:14in the spacecraft underwater emergency test,
0:20:14 > 0:20:15there was quite a spectrum of responses.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I learned a lot about most of the people here,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and a huge amount about a couple of them.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Kerry, very strong performance again.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27She appeared to be calm and comfortable.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Suzie's strong here, as she has been for much of our process.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33She did a great job.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Jackie, this was not a good task for her.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Terrified, I think, is not an inappropriate word.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Right from the very beginning you could just see it on her face.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47She was hesitant and concerned.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51And that manifested itself right through.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55I could see her gasping for air just before the water was filling up the
0:20:55 > 0:20:58cabin, and she just couldn't take a breath in.
0:20:58 > 0:21:04But she managed to put herself back and do it over again
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and you've got to respect that.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Hannah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13She found this really hard and watching her,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17she was eyes closed, head back.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20At times I wondered whether she would go through with it.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22She was clearly struggling with something.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25After Hannah's levels of stress subsided
0:21:25 > 0:21:30she was actually not able to follow completely the procedure.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And she was not able to maintain the position of hands
0:21:33 > 0:21:35like the instructor did say.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41So this is not something she is getting over and having a perfect performance.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I think she was clearly dealing with something in her past.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And I think once she's dealt with it, she'll be fine.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It was obviously weighing very heavily on her mind.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56When you saw her in the early tasks you thought, wow,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58here's a real proper contender.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Although both of them did not perform well.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Spacecraft underwater emergency
0:22:18 > 0:22:20was not your best test.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26That condition of being upside down,
0:22:26 > 0:22:27constrained,
0:22:27 > 0:22:32had a visible emotional impact that was sort of all-consuming.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39How it appeared was it sort of reduced you right to the basic level
0:22:39 > 0:22:42of just functioning. Just barely making it through.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47At any given moment on a spaceship you may have one breath...
0:22:49 > 0:22:52..before you have to be on the emergency breathing equipment
0:22:52 > 0:22:53or you're done.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56To be able to hold your fears at bay...
0:22:58 > 0:23:02..it's an absolutely fundamental part of success as an astronaut.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09You are an extremely impressive human being,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12but you ran into serious problems.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Repeated serious problems.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24The hard truth is that your astronaut selection ends today.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Appreciate for your feedback.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Some very strong, amazing young ladies and gentlemen in there
0:23:31 > 0:23:34that you will guide for them to get their dream.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I am disappointed, but I did struggle with it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I struggled a lot.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And it was all-consuming.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48And that's not what you need.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52The behaviour we saw in this test
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- was not anything acceptable for an astronaut.- Yeah.
0:23:59 > 0:24:06But you demonstrated a level of courage that was staggering.
0:24:06 > 0:24:12Finding within yourself the ability to face up to something that reduced
0:24:12 > 0:24:16you right to your very limit was extremely impressive.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24As a result, we are not sending you home today.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30- Thank you.- But that great resolve and strength of character that you
0:24:30 > 0:24:34demonstrated, try and find your courage earlier.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Understood.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- Good luck on the remaining tests. - Thank you.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42I did think I was going home.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I did show a lot of panic and a lot of selfishness
0:24:45 > 0:24:49by trying to survive and not look after my crewmates.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52So, yeah, I need to work on that, definitely.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Space flight is dangerous.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59But that doesn't mean you need to be scared.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It comes through recognising that
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I could put the task ahead of my own emotions.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13And I'm hoping to see Jackie change how she approaches danger
0:25:13 > 0:25:18and recognise that she has a choice in how she faces up to risk.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Having seen how the candidates react in an emergency,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Chris's next test will examine their ability
0:25:27 > 0:25:30to adapt to day-to-day life in space.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37One of the things I love best about flying in space is being weightless.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41But initially, though, you're clumsy.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45It's like having to learn to walk again, and you bump into stuff.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You're not adapted for this. It's fundamentally different.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52If you're writing and you realise I can just let go of my pen
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and it'll just stay there floating in space while I read.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02And so when you start looking around your spaceship for your pen
0:26:02 > 0:26:05your eyes naturally look to the surfaces around you,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and even though your pen is floating there right next to you,
0:26:08 > 0:26:09you can't see it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14You have to change how you look, how you think.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22After the rocket has safely delivered you to orbit,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24the moment the engines shut off,
0:26:24 > 0:26:25instantaneously,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29for the first time in your life, you're weightless.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30And it's like...that.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35And so today, the way that we're going to simulate that transition
0:26:35 > 0:26:39from your life on Earth to weightlessness is...
0:26:40 > 0:26:42..upside down goggles.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And it's going to be harder than you might think.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Using glass prisms, the goggles flip their vision...
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Hello. Your eyes look huge.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57And upside down. Ooh, that's so weird.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02..simulating the sort of novel sensory experience
0:27:02 > 0:27:04that astronauts have to cope with.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Wargh!
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I just can't see the table.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10In time, our brains can adapt to an upside-down world,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12but the candidates don't have that long.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16When you first get to orbit you have to perform right away.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19But some people can be really overwhelmed
0:27:19 > 0:27:21by a difference or a change...
0:27:21 > 0:27:22I can't actually see the whiteboard.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25..and that's what the upside-down goggles are simulating.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28If you radically change one of the five senses,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31how well can the candidate still function
0:27:31 > 0:27:34in what should be a pretty straightforward task?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- Tell me if I'm about to write on you.. - THEY LAUGH
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Chris wants to see how they perform a series of basic tasks,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43starting by writing their name and date of birth.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Wow!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- That's OK.- That's very good.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Some, like Jackie and Suzie...
0:27:50 > 0:27:52That was really good.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56..show an ability to adapt to this sensory disorientation.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58To be fair, I was born in May, so...
0:27:58 > 0:28:00But for others...
0:28:00 > 0:28:02My handwriting is terrible at the best of times.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06..such as Vijay and James H, it isn't as straightforward.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- How are you find it, James? - Yeah, easy.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I wish I wasn't born in September now, though. That's for sure.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16I've been competitive for as long as I can remember.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20I started playing sports when I was a kid.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Playing tennis when I was about four, quite competitively
0:28:23 > 0:28:26and have many memories of bursting into tears of rage
0:28:26 > 0:28:29when things wouldn't be going my way on the court.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33At the moment my main sport is bobsleigh.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37I've been doing that for Great Britain for the last 2.5 seasons.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43The competitive drive has always been there. I guess I live to compete.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Come on, James. You've got this.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Although it looks fun, this test provides Chris with a valuable
0:28:50 > 0:28:54insight into who could adapt best to life in orbit.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57If your astronaut selection can identify a candidate
0:28:57 > 0:29:02with the right level of mental flexibility and fluid intelligence,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05that gives them a real advantage over a candidate who doesn't.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Send it home.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- OTHERS:- Whoa!
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Oh, God.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20It's not be enough just to be able to cope with the sensory challenges
0:29:20 > 0:29:21of living in space.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26While they're up there, astronauts also need to be able to operate some
0:29:26 > 0:29:28of the most hi-tech machines in existence...
0:29:30 > 0:29:35..like those used to survey our nearest planetary neighbour, Mars.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39The surface of Mars is a harsh and unforgiving and dangerous place.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44And so we send our non-human envoys first.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45We send robots.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Our first explorers, paving the way for us to follow.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Britain's biggest space tech firm
0:29:55 > 0:29:58is also the leading manufacturer of spacecraft in Europe.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05They're currently building the next Mars rover,
0:30:05 > 0:30:09which will leave Earth in 2020 in a £1 billion programme.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17Today, the candidates will operate this ground-breaking robot.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23It's amazing here. I've been walking around like, "wow"
0:30:23 > 0:30:24at everything I've seen.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29So, yeah, to operate the Mars rover is insane.
0:30:29 > 0:30:30It's awesome.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32We get to control Rover.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34This is as good as it gets.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37I probably should know more than I do about the Mars rover because,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40they're building one of the instruments, the Raman spectrometer, at my university.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43I really wish that I had asked them about how to operate a Mars rover.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49The candidates will be recreating a test that Tim Peake did on board the
0:30:49 > 0:30:53International Space Station in 2016
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- driving the rover through a simulated Martian landscape.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02The robot you're going to be operating is called Bridget.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06So the first of us that are going to live on Mars
0:31:06 > 0:31:07may well live in a cave.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12And your purpose today is to use the Bridget rover robot
0:31:12 > 0:31:14to explore a cave on Mars
0:31:14 > 0:31:18so that we can decide whether it's a good habitat or not.
0:31:18 > 0:31:24The key thing to remember is, Bridget is a battery-powered robot.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And it gets its power from the sun.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29It's a solar-powered recharger.
0:31:29 > 0:31:36So it's critical that you get back out into the sun before the time runs out.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Otherwise you've lost the entire mission.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46With any deployment of a high-value asset, planning is key.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49To be given some sort of map of a cave, so in my mind,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53if you leave that rover in that cave you may as well pack your bags now.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Controlling the rover requires complex calculations of speed,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59distance and trajectory.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01If it was six wheels, if we turn these,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03we're going to go that way, yeah?
0:32:03 > 0:32:06You can do the same backwards, to reverse.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08So we're facing forwards, yeah?
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Hello.- Come on in. Have a seat. - Thank you.
0:32:12 > 0:32:13Just as on a real mission,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17the astronaut candidates will have to control the rover remotely.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19So, welcome to your spaceship.
0:32:19 > 0:32:20Thank you.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22At the controls, space scientist Suzie.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24These are your three screens.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28That one is the camera view looking through the eyes of Bridget.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32This is a computer-generated bird's-eye view.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34The task today seems simple.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36It's going to be complicated.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Operating a robot on a television screen, it can be confusing.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46It takes the lot of mental agility and visualisation.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49It's a real skill that astronauts need.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Scattered around the mock-up Martian landscape are dozens of rocks.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Hidden on five of them are symbols,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02which will only be revealed by the rover's onboard UV lights.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06This is your scoring map.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09The candidates need to find these rocks,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12noting both the symbol and location on their map.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Each symbol is worth points,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19with those furthest from the exit worth the most.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22They have 20 minutes to find as many symbols as they can
0:33:22 > 0:33:24and get the rover back out of the cave.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26OK, here we go.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29Begin.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33The rover's built for safety, not for speed,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36travelling at a maximum of four centimetres per second.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Zipping into the building.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42And she's at max speed.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43She's at max speed.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52It takes Suzie seven minutes to get within striking distance of
0:33:52 > 0:33:55her first target and turn on her UV lights.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59I think she might have spotted it.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Look, there is a target.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06She's got it, she's got it.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08So now she's got to start driving.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13As well as being a test of the candidates' visualisation skills
0:34:13 > 0:34:17and mental agility, it will also give the panel an insight
0:34:17 > 0:34:20into their attitude to risk.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21- She's looking for the 20.- She is.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23She's going for gold.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26- (Oh, she's marking it.) - OK.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29She found the target.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30That's two targets.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Now she needs to decide, how greedy am I?
0:34:40 > 0:34:42She may have found the third target.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Yeah.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46But she is so deep into the cave.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Suzie has used up more than half of her time.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Not leaving herself much contingency if something goes wrong.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- She needs to begin the turn now to be comfortable, I think. - Oh, yeah.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03To get back out of the cave...
0:35:04 > 0:35:08..she decides to attempt a three-point turn...
0:35:10 > 0:35:12..a slow and difficult process.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16She's finally on a successful trajectory now,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18but it took that long to dig out of the hole.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Because it's so far in.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25- I feel for her. - I really feel for her.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28With the rover still three metres from the exit...
0:35:28 > 0:35:30CLOCK BLEEPS
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Time's up.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37That was a disaster. I just murdered their robot.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38Yeah, that was a disaster.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Bridget never made it out of the cave.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42She destroyed the asset.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Yeah, a huge, huge miscalculation there.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Hey. How was it?
0:35:50 > 0:35:52I don't think I'm ever going to live that down.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Turns out that driving Mars rovers is not my forte.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57I didn't know how long it would take to turn it around.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00That's a massive fail in this challenge, I think.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04It's awful not doing as well as you want to do on a test.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Yeah. It's disappointing.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- Yeah.- Not a good one to mess up on.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's one of these that seems so easy on paper.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Doesn't it, though? I had in my mind, just get it back out,
0:36:15 > 0:36:16get it back out, and what did I do?
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Get it stuck in there.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20What was I thinking?
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Next, theoretical physicist Jackie.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Begin.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29And after a poor performance in the underwater escape test
0:36:29 > 0:36:30the pressure's on.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Oh. She's spotted something.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Scanning from just inside the cave's entrance,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Jackie finds her first target in under two minutes.
0:36:43 > 0:36:44That's pretty slick.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46She's picked up the ten points on the left.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49So she knows she could see quite far.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52So if she plans correctly she doesn't need to go very far in.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58She's methodically searching.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Look at that.
0:37:02 > 0:37:0320 points.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Unable to see any more targets from the front of the cave,
0:37:12 > 0:37:13Jackie ventures further in.
0:37:15 > 0:37:16This is the mental process.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19It's like her fangs are out and there's a bloodlust.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20Can she hold it together?
0:37:23 > 0:37:24She makes steady progress...
0:37:26 > 0:37:27..picking off one target...
0:37:32 > 0:37:33..after another.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40She's got them all. She's got them all.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45Jackie's secured full points, but she's used up almost half her time.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Now it's a race against the clock.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51She can still do it. She can still get out.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54But she's got to start turning now.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Instead of a three-point turn,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Jackie decides to try a U-turn.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04She's got to turn now.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05Can she make it to the exit?
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Will the vehicle turn hard enough for her?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12She's worked it out. She's at full turn.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16She's at full speed and she's using the camera to look ahead of the turn
0:38:16 > 0:38:18to see how far out she has to go.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- Exactly. - But it's agonisingly slow now.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Yeah. Look at her face.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28She's focused. She's completely focused.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30The turn takes seven minutes.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36She's got one minute.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37This is super tight.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55With seconds to spare...
0:38:55 > 0:38:56She's done it, she's done it.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02..Jackie makes it out of the cave with a perfect score.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Yes!
0:39:09 > 0:39:10I'm so relieved.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Like, ugh! I was so stressed today, knowing that we had that test.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18And that I did so badly on the last one.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19I was so stressed.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21But now I feel amazing.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22I feel like I've smashed it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26It's going to be hard for me now to go in and not be too happy.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Because I don't want to make anyone feel bad
0:39:28 > 0:39:31and I don't want to stress anyone out.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Hey.- Hello, Jackie. Beaming!
0:39:34 > 0:39:35Well, it went really well.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39- MERRITT GASPS - Fantastic.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42So hopefully I've redeemed myself from nearly drowning four times.
0:39:45 > 0:39:50Not everyone executes their plans as well as Jackie.
0:39:50 > 0:39:51Come on.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Some are so focused on finding the targets...
0:39:57 > 0:40:00There's no way she'll make it back to the finish line.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01No, no, no.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03..that they fail to make it out of the cave.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06I think I may be stuck.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Others, like Tim, can't spot a single rock.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16He's already burned seven minutes. He's got no targets.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18He just hasn't had an effective search pattern.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And he's our geologist on the team.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22Yeah.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25But he does at least make it out in time.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27It wasn't a huge win, but it wasn't a loss either.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33RAF pilot Kerry plans precisely.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37This is Kerry's concentration face.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40So she's focused, determined
0:40:40 > 0:40:42and executing the plan.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46She finds three targets and heads for the exit with time to spare.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53What I think they're looking for is somebody that's balanced, flexible, that can work around problems.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56So if I was choosing astronauts then I would choose me.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03James A has a PhD in molecular biology
0:41:03 > 0:41:07but it's another specialism which he thinks gives him an advantage.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10I used to play a lot of first-person shooters.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13And in that you're looking through the eyes of the person you're playing,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15and in this test today you're looking through its camera.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17So, fingers crossed,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20I'm hoping that'll play to my strengths today with this.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23After struggling with the upside-down goggles,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25James H isn't as confident.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I think this test is more of a suck it and see test for me,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31rather than an active strength of mine.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Hopefully, it'll just go well.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40Seconds in, James A is on the move, scanning for targets.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43So he had a plan, which was turn on the lights,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45tip the camera down and start driving.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49He is at four centimetres per second, straight line.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- Head for the back. - He's very time-aware.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Two minutes in, James H is searching blindly.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Possibly trying to identify the first target.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03He hasn't turned the light on, though.
0:42:06 > 0:42:07He's only just started moving.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10He's got quite a long way to go into that cave to hit his targets
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and I don't think he's seen any of them yet.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- Right.- So that's a 5-point target in the middle of the screen.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18He hasn't turned his light on yet.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24OK, so lights on.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25- So that's 15 minutes.- 15, 15.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30He hasn't seen the first target yet.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35At the moment, it looks to me like he's sort of hunting around fairly
0:42:35 > 0:42:38blindly and I think he's a bit confused by this task.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42After nine minutes...
0:42:42 > 0:42:44He's getting very deep into the cave.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49..James A spots two targets in quick succession.
0:42:54 > 0:42:55He's sitting on 35 points.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57- This is very impressive. - This is VERY impressive.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Look at him. He's like, "Hey, I've got this nailed."
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Having driven to the back of the cave in a perfect straight line,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08he can attempt something no-one else has.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13- So he's backing up. - Look at that, he is.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14He's backing up. Ah!
0:43:16 > 0:43:17And if he looks forward
0:43:17 > 0:43:20he might be able to pick off one of the other targets.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Yeah, he's looking, isn't he?
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Look at that track. Look at that track.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29That's a beautiful control.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33Can he drive this vehicle backwards all the way to the exit?
0:43:33 > 0:43:34Nobody's done it yet.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41James H is making slow progress.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44He's now ten minutes in.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47And he hasn't locked any single target on the map.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Yeah. So this isn't great.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52If he does not think about turning around soon
0:43:52 > 0:43:54he is going to get stuck in that cave.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04Just half a metre from the exit, and with seven minutes still remaining,
0:44:04 > 0:44:06James A stops dead.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08I think he's doing a final survey around,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10trying to get so many points.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14He's got three targets left to find.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17This is a good strategy, isn't it?
0:44:19 > 0:44:20He's seen a target, he thinks.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27Two down, one to go.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Oh, he can actually see the 20-pointer.
0:44:32 > 0:44:37Is he going to get the 20-pointer for a full score?
0:44:40 > 0:44:42He has.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44- He's got it.- He's got it.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46- Wow.- Six minutes.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48He's got all the targets.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Wow! That is phenomenal.
0:44:51 > 0:44:52That's phenomenal.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55With six minutes left on his clock,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58James H has stopped looking for targets
0:44:58 > 0:45:02and is trying to find his way out of the cave.
0:45:03 > 0:45:04This is a blind manoeuvre.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10This is classic loss of awareness of your situation.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12Even if he'd started reversing hard now
0:45:12 > 0:45:14he's not going to get out of the cave. So this is game over.
0:45:17 > 0:45:18But for James A...
0:45:19 > 0:45:22..it's mission accomplished.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24You can't argue with that. He's out of the cave.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27He's out of the cave with more than five minutes to spare.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Wow. That is today's best performance.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34That is a study in executing a plan.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47My strategy was probably the worst strategy I could have gone for.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Just got every single bit of it wrong today.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Yes!
0:45:55 > 0:45:59I feel like I absolutely smashed that.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00Yo! Hey.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02I loved that.
0:46:02 > 0:46:03THEY LAUGH
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- That was brilliant.- How did it go?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Um, I got 'em all. And I had five minutes left at the end.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14All that time playing first-person shooters is finally paying off.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16LAUGHTER
0:46:16 > 0:46:18We saw the entire spectrum,
0:46:18 > 0:46:23from perfection, where you finished everything with 100% score with five minutes to spare,
0:46:23 > 0:46:28right through to the other complete ends of unacceptability
0:46:28 > 0:46:31that resulted in, really, the worst case.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Bridget never made it out of the cave, a pretty serious mistake.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40Suzie, who has lots of natural skill and ability,
0:46:40 > 0:46:42today revealed a flaw in her decision-making
0:46:42 > 0:46:44through the way that she prioritised.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49She was very aggressive in shooting for the highest scoring
0:46:49 > 0:46:52points and I'm just wondering whether or not
0:46:52 > 0:46:57this is an indicator of her overall approach to risk.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59James H, pretty shocking performance.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02There was no evaluation of risks or benefits,
0:47:02 > 0:47:06there was no weighing on decision-making, on what would work,
0:47:06 > 0:47:07what wouldn't,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09and that's just not acceptable.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12It was much more of just a fingers-crossed way
0:47:12 > 0:47:14of dealing with it.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19And as a result, he had the worst of all outcomes, which was no targets,
0:47:19 > 0:47:20didn't make it to the exit.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22No rover.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24I don't think anyone is going to get eliminated today.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26Well, if you're going to be an astronaut
0:47:26 > 0:47:29you want to be consistently good at most things.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31So if that's what Chris is looking at...
0:47:38 > 0:47:39- Hello, James.- Hey.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41- How are you doing?- Not too bad.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Probably the most nervous I've been all week.
0:47:45 > 0:47:46You did not have a good day today.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48No, not at all.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51You not only didn't get any targets
0:47:51 > 0:47:53but the rover never even got close
0:47:53 > 0:47:56back to the mouth of the cave.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59You didn't get to where you needed to be
0:47:59 > 0:48:02for the requirements of a task that is
0:48:02 > 0:48:04very astronaut-representative.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07And to not perform on this task
0:48:07 > 0:48:11- means that the selection process ends here.- Right.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13- Take care.- Cheers.
0:48:13 > 0:48:14Bye.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23Right now I'm just gutted, devastated.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26But obviously the outcome was terrible.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29So I feel devastated about it.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32I'm not surprised after how it went today.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36- Hi.- All right?
0:48:36 > 0:48:37What's happening?
0:48:37 > 0:48:39HE EXHALES
0:48:39 > 0:48:43There's only ever going to be one reason why you're going to meet with
0:48:43 > 0:48:45Chris in a hallway at this time of night.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50Probably the best task to mess up if you want to get out of the process.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54And, yeah, that's pretty much what happened.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59Just being here has been an achievement in itself
0:48:59 > 0:49:03and just really pleased he chose me to come on here in the first place.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08A lot of weight is put on some challenges,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11and if you don't do well on those then you might be sent home.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14So, yeah, I think I was lucky.
0:49:14 > 0:49:15In the astronaut world
0:49:15 > 0:49:19there is a thing we call operational decision-making.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22You HAVE to decide on something that has
0:49:22 > 0:49:24big consequences - maybe life or death.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27Today it was pretty clear.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31The mission was, get the rover back out of the cave.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33It's almost as if he had no plan at all,
0:49:33 > 0:49:38as if he was just kind of hoping that things would go right.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42His operational decision-making today was unacceptable
0:49:42 > 0:49:44and it is absolute bread and butter
0:49:44 > 0:49:46to a successful life as an astronaut.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51There are eight of us left now.
0:49:51 > 0:49:52Four have left.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57It only gets tougher from here, doesn't it?
0:50:07 > 0:50:09After a week of constant assessment...
0:50:10 > 0:50:14..for the astronaut candidates, a chance to socialise.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Tonight the panel has invited them to a drinks reception...
0:50:24 > 0:50:26..and asked them to bring their loved ones.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35You look beautiful.
0:50:35 > 0:50:36My little soldier.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38But this is more than just a social event,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41it's a chance for the panel to see them off-duty
0:50:41 > 0:50:43and find out what they're really like.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46I'm looking to see how people behave
0:50:46 > 0:50:50when they don't sense that they're being observed.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Astronaut selection is competitive.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55And that applies in social situations as well.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Some of the people this age are going to go live on the moon.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04And maybe even, if we can develop the technology fast enough,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06go as far away as Mars.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10And you are going to need, not just a skilled group of people,
0:51:10 > 0:51:11but people who can get along
0:51:11 > 0:51:14like no group of people have ever gotten along in history,
0:51:14 > 0:51:16or the whole mission will be threatened.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- Hello.- Hi.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23Hello, hi!
0:51:25 > 0:51:27Good evening, astronaut candidates.
0:51:27 > 0:51:28- ALL:- Good evening.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31But much more importantly, good evening to the guests.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34This is my wife, Helena.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36We met in high school.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39- We've been together for 40... - Too many.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40..42 years!
0:51:40 > 0:51:42LAUGHTER
0:51:42 > 0:51:45We really thought it would be nice, since everyone else had a chance
0:51:45 > 0:51:47to bring friends and family, that I would do the same.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54When Chris was selected as an astronaut,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56it was such a moment of joy,
0:51:56 > 0:52:01and I was doing cartwheels across the kitchen.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05- And liftoff...- Even though you know it's dangerous you're like, OK,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07let's just go to space, so that's exciting.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11And I have insurance!
0:52:12 > 0:52:17I thought what might be nice, to ask each of the candidates to come here
0:52:17 > 0:52:20and formally introduce the guest that they've brought with them.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24It is no exaggeration to say that
0:52:24 > 0:52:27I would not be stood here today if it wasn't for this woman.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Although she has no science qualifications herself,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35she's always encouraged my passion and interest and curiosity
0:52:35 > 0:52:37in science and the natural world
0:52:37 > 0:52:40and encouraged us in anything that we want to do.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47Academically, I'm most proud of achieving a first class in my
0:52:47 > 0:52:49undergraduate masters degree.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54I think one of the best things was seeing how proud my mum was when I got my undergraduate degree
0:52:54 > 0:52:56because she was a single parent -
0:52:56 > 0:52:58she raised me and my sister on her own.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00And I remember the first thing I said to her when I came out of graduation,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03"Mum, half of this certificate is yours. We can share it,"
0:53:03 > 0:53:06because I wouldn't have been able to do that with my mum.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10- I wouldn't be here without you, Mum. So thank you. Thank you. - Pleasure's all mine.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12APPLAUSE
0:53:14 > 0:53:17The person I've invited this evening is my amazing wife, Jenny.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Jenny does a much harder job than me. She's a nurse.
0:53:19 > 0:53:20And, um...
0:53:22 > 0:53:24HE LAUGHS HALTINGLY
0:53:24 > 0:53:26The things she does for people are absolutely amazing.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29I'll leave it at that. Hopefully she'll explain much better
0:53:29 > 0:53:32than I can all the amazing things she does for everyone else.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Part of the reason I set it up the way I did tonight was, it put them
0:53:35 > 0:53:37suddenly, for the first time,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39up in front of all of the other candidates
0:53:39 > 0:53:41with the necessity to say something unplanned.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43This is my twin brother, James.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46He's a neutrino physicist.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Erm, I don't know what to say, really.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Yeah, we did everything together, basically,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54as we were growing up so I'm really glad that he made it.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02I have a PhD in space plasma physics.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05I don't think I ever thought I was that smart. I had a very smart brother.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07My twin brother is extremely smart.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09I think that kind of put me in my place.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13We both worked pretty hard at school.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16But my brother did better than I did, academically.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Being an astronaut might enable me to trump my twin brother, that's true.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Don't film that!
0:54:23 > 0:54:25- Very nice to meet you, James. And you're a physicist?- I am, yeah.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29I work on neutrino oscillation physics.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31So what do you think of your sister?
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Of all the people I know,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36the kind of person to do this kind of thing, it's probably Suz.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37Wow.
0:54:37 > 0:54:38SUZIE LAUGHS
0:54:39 > 0:54:42There was sort of a separateness and an aloofness
0:54:42 > 0:54:45of Merritt and her sister, that kept them from
0:54:45 > 0:54:49a genuine conversation with the groups that I was in.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54I wish I could have enjoyed it a little bit more but at this point
0:54:54 > 0:54:56I've been under a ton of pressure,
0:54:56 > 0:54:58and just all the challenges have been...
0:55:00 > 0:55:03..erm, like, just hitting me a little bit hard.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07I found it awkward because you feel somewhat staged,
0:55:07 > 0:55:10but at the same time, you want to have, like, a normal conversation.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I've heard so much about you.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Oh, have you? That's lovely. Where do you live?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17West Yorkshire. Near Leeds.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21- Oh, really?- Yeah.- My family's from Sheffield and Wakefield,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24is where my great grandfather is from, actually.
0:55:24 > 0:55:30- I didn't know that!- Some of the candidates really recognised that
0:55:30 > 0:55:31they're being evaluated.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Very nice to meet you. I want to make sure I meet everyone.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Very nice to meet you, too. Thanks.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37Some seemed sort of oblivious to it.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39I'm not sure if...
0:55:39 > 0:55:41if Tim realised that this was an evaluation.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45There was no pressure to perform tonight.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47When it's test after test after test
0:55:47 > 0:55:50you've always got to be on your toes, and it's really tiring.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53So it was nice to just unwind for the evening and just enjoy it.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57If you're going through astronaut selection,
0:55:57 > 0:55:58you should sort of have the assumption
0:55:58 > 0:56:00that you're always being observed.
0:56:00 > 0:56:05It's a competition. It's a tug of war against 11 other people
0:56:05 > 0:56:08and you should always be your best.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12Even though it's been a social evening and it's supposed to be kind of relaxing
0:56:12 > 0:56:14it hasn't really felt like you're having a night off.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Because you know people are always watching and if you do or say
0:56:17 > 0:56:19something stupid they'll definitely judge you on it.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24The person who recognised the strongest that this was an evaluation was Kerry.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27So they were hoping that I'd be a good ambassador for the Air Force.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Ha-ha! So we'll see how that goes!
0:56:30 > 0:56:32An astronaut's life, no matter what else happens,
0:56:32 > 0:56:36you are the face of the world space programme.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41And so an ability to be elegant and calm and natural
0:56:41 > 0:56:43it's a good skill to have.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I hope you get a little time to enjoy the rest of the evening.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49It's been a delight to meet all the guests. Thanks, everybody, for coming.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56The party's over,
0:56:56 > 0:56:58but the evaluation isn't.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02OK, on this particular event, who did not do well?
0:57:02 > 0:57:05The two that I guess we should talk about a little, I think,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Suzie and Merritt.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Suzie did not speak in that initial introduction of her brother
0:57:10 > 0:57:12as well as I thought she was going to.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16- I think she ran out of things to say.- She just seemed nervous.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17And people do get nervous.
0:57:17 > 0:57:18And Merritt.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22She has this unique ability, in comparison to all other candidates,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25where she never stops trying.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27That's why she is where she is.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30But I still have a gut feeling that we haven't seen
0:57:30 > 0:57:33everything that she has to give.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37Let's all keep an eye on her and see how she fares in the next few tests.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43The remaining eight astronaut candidates
0:57:43 > 0:57:45have made it through the basic stage of selection.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50But as they enter the advanced phase,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52the process will move up a gear.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Things are about to get harder.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Hands on your head. Go.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03The candidates travel to Germany...
0:58:03 > 0:58:04Start spinning now.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08..to find out who has what it takes to fly in space.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11Welcome to your Soyuz simulator.
0:58:11 > 0:58:12Wow.
0:58:12 > 0:58:13Make a hash of this...
0:58:13 > 0:58:14Wrong way, wrong way, James.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15..you're going home.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17Ten seconds.
0:58:17 > 0:58:18Oh, God.