1 00:00:00,734 --> 00:00:02,302 You see that up there, 2 00:00:02,302 --> 00:00:04,004 just to the left of the Southern Cross? 3 00:00:04,004 --> 00:00:06,139 That’s Alpha Centauri. 4 00:00:06,139 --> 00:00:07,640 That's what we're after. 5 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,809 Tonight, we're headed for the stars! 6 00:00:09,809 --> 00:00:13,813 Our destination is the Alpha Centauri system, our closest stellar neighbors. 7 00:00:14,347 --> 00:00:15,348 The goal? 8 00:00:15,348 --> 00:00:19,185 Capture a special range of UV light that could tell us whether stars like them 9 00:00:19,185 --> 00:00:22,188 throughout our galaxy could be home to a habitable planet. 10 00:00:22,455 --> 00:00:25,458 We're here in Australia and we're going to launch some rockets. 11 00:00:28,094 --> 00:00:31,297 We're following two NASA rocket missions as they try to understand 12 00:00:31,297 --> 00:00:34,300 how stars make the planets around them suitable for life. 13 00:00:35,735 --> 00:00:36,903 I'm Miles Hatfield, 14 00:00:36,903 --> 00:00:40,006 and in this episode, we're headed to space – and back. 15 00:00:45,745 --> 00:00:49,416 After years of planning and preparation, it's launch night. 16 00:00:49,516 --> 00:00:51,317 The payloads are tested and ready. 17 00:00:51,317 --> 00:00:53,853 The rocket motors are poised for ignition. 18 00:00:53,853 --> 00:00:57,290 The entire staff has rehearsed every step of the launch procedure. 19 00:00:58,958 --> 00:01:01,027 But one thing wasn't cooperating: 20 00:01:01,027 --> 00:01:02,462 the wind. 21 00:01:02,462 --> 00:01:05,465 For the last few days, it's been unusually strong. 22 00:01:05,865 --> 00:01:08,868 Maybe we should’ve brought a kite instead of a rocket. 23 00:01:08,968 --> 00:01:10,804 Hello? 24 00:01:10,804 --> 00:01:12,405 Oh, there you are! 25 00:01:13,206 --> 00:01:15,275 What's up? 26 00:01:15,275 --> 00:01:19,012 So, I was just down chat with the weather folks. 27 00:01:19,446 --> 00:01:23,716 And, uh, heading in the right direction, better than last night. 28 00:01:23,716 --> 00:01:26,619 Not quite in the acceptable range. 29 00:01:26,820 --> 00:01:31,257 Even the locals are saying this is very out of character for this time of year in this area. 30 00:01:32,358 --> 00:01:33,493 That's Brittany – 31 00:01:33,493 --> 00:01:36,796 we met her in the last episode. As the range safety officer, 32 00:01:36,796 --> 00:01:39,799 it's her job to make sure the rocket won't be blown off course. 33 00:01:40,300 --> 00:01:43,203 But at a brand-new launch range, nobody really knows for sure 34 00:01:43,203 --> 00:01:46,172 what's going to happen. Even historical data wasn't of much help. 35 00:01:46,873 --> 00:01:49,275 Mike, our flight safety analyst, 36 00:01:49,275 --> 00:01:53,012 looked at ten years’ worth of wind data. Every single scenario he ran 37 00:01:53,012 --> 00:01:54,881 we were in for our limits. 38 00:01:54,881 --> 00:01:57,884 Still, the countdown clock ticks on. 39 00:01:58,051 --> 00:02:00,954 There's lots to be done that doesn't depend on the weather in the meantime. 40 00:02:01,888 --> 00:02:04,991 But as the countdown clock gets to the final few minutes, 41 00:02:05,325 --> 00:02:09,596 these windy conditions mean it has a funny habit of ... stopping. 42 00:02:09,596 --> 00:02:11,464 T-minus 3 minutes and holding. 43 00:02:11,464 --> 00:02:14,968 Not to be too dramatic, but this really could ruin everything. 44 00:02:15,368 --> 00:02:17,904 The launch window only lasts a few days. 45 00:02:17,904 --> 00:02:21,541 If the weather doesn't cooperate in time, the whole team may have to head home 46 00:02:21,541 --> 00:02:22,675 without launching. 47 00:02:22,675 --> 00:02:26,513 3 hours go by with more starts and stops than I can count. 48 00:02:27,113 --> 00:02:29,949 Everyone's nerves are getting a little fried. 49 00:02:29,949 --> 00:02:33,019 But then, finally, things started looking good. 50 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,756 This is C.M. polling for go status. Experiment G.S.E.? 51 00:02:36,756 --> 00:02:37,457 Go. 52 00:02:37,457 --> 00:02:38,258 P.I.? 53 00:02:38,258 --> 00:02:38,858 Go. 54 00:02:39,025 --> 00:02:40,894 Everyone's watching the wind measurements – 55 00:02:40,894 --> 00:02:41,628 this could be it. 56 00:02:43,897 --> 00:02:54,541 Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero. 57 00:03:08,054 --> 00:03:09,222 Within 6 seconds, 58 00:03:09,222 --> 00:03:12,225 the rocket is already over a mile up. 59 00:03:12,258 --> 00:03:14,861 A minute in, the rocket de-spins 60 00:03:14,861 --> 00:03:17,864 and the shutter door opens for its first view of space. 61 00:03:18,331 --> 00:03:21,634 The onboard Star Tracker guides the telescope towards the target. 62 00:03:22,101 --> 00:03:23,636 The scientists manually fine-tune 63 00:03:23,636 --> 00:03:26,339 its pointing to center it into their telescope’s view. 64 00:03:27,006 --> 00:03:30,009 It looks like a single star on the computer monitor. 65 00:03:30,443 --> 00:03:34,380 But their powerful instruments should detect two sources of light. 66 00:03:34,514 --> 00:03:37,617 That's if everything is still working after launch. 67 00:03:37,717 --> 00:03:41,888 After all, we did just blast it into space with almost two tons of rocket fuel. 68 00:03:43,022 --> 00:03:44,424 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! 69 00:03:44,424 --> 00:03:46,192 That's the hotter star. That's a hotter star. 70 00:03:46,192 --> 00:03:47,727 That's the cooler star. 71 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:50,697 Yes! 72 00:03:50,697 --> 00:03:53,333 They've done it. 73 00:03:53,333 --> 00:03:55,435 As the telescope descends back to Earth, 74 00:03:55,435 --> 00:03:56,803 it's time to celebrate. 75 00:03:58,137 --> 00:03:59,772 Wooo! 76 00:04:04,377 --> 00:04:06,179 SISTINE is a success. 77 00:04:06,179 --> 00:04:08,881 But the mission is only half complete. 78 00:04:08,881 --> 00:04:11,351 A few days later, DEUCE is on the rail. 79 00:04:11,351 --> 00:04:13,886 Luckily, the rough weather has passed, 80 00:04:13,886 --> 00:04:16,990 It looks like DEUCE might even launch on their very first try. 81 00:04:17,223 --> 00:04:19,292 We're down to the final few seconds! 82 00:04:19,292 --> 00:04:22,195 Three, two, one ... 83 00:04:22,695 --> 00:04:23,863 Oh, by the way, 84 00:04:23,863 --> 00:04:26,633 there's some important history I totally forgot to mention! 85 00:04:27,066 --> 00:04:29,902 The last time NASA launched sounding rockets from Australia 86 00:04:29,902 --> 00:04:33,706 was in 1995 – and DEUCE’s telescope was on that flight! 87 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,343 In fact, this is the telescope's 16th time in space. 88 00:04:37,844 --> 00:04:40,446 DEUCE is a great example of how much bang for your buck 89 00:04:40,446 --> 00:04:42,682 you can get from sounding rocket missions. 90 00:04:42,682 --> 00:04:44,317 OK, back to the launch. 91 00:04:44,317 --> 00:04:46,853 One, zero. 92 00:04:55,828 --> 00:04:59,732 As Emily guides the telescope to the target, its detectors capture 93 00:04:59,766 --> 00:05:02,602 Alpha Centauri’s is extreme ultraviolet light. 94 00:05:02,602 --> 00:05:06,406 As the shutter door closes, the team dives right into analyzing the data. 95 00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:08,675 I mean, the rocket isn't even on the ground yet! 96 00:05:09,409 --> 00:05:12,145 Two launches, two successful missions. 97 00:05:12,545 --> 00:05:13,813 But it's not over yet. 98 00:05:14,380 --> 00:05:17,684 Next time: All that stuff we just shot into space? 99 00:05:17,684 --> 00:05:19,752 It landed somewhere in the Australian Outback – 100 00:05:20,086 --> 00:05:22,055 and now we have to go find it. 101 00:05:26,125 --> 00:05:27,293 Snake!