WEBVTT FILE 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!