Starman (2020) - full transcript

This is me,

Luca Parmitano, as a child.

Flying has always been my passion.

SICILY, ITALY

I think we all desire what we see.

I grew up with cartoons,

American ones,

but especially Japanese

about space, robots and great

explorations in this accessible universe.

While in the real world,

the first Space Shuttle missions

were being broadcast on TV.

Time!

One of

my earliest memories

is being asked

what I wanted to be when I grew up,

and, as a child, I said: an astronaut.

I said it with the same spirit a child

today says: Superman or Batman.

It was the same idea.

But that idea

of a job that is unique, wonderful,

fun, adventuresome,

has stayed with me all my life.

As years passed,

I became more humble, modest,

but at present I am the only Italian

who has walked in space,

the first to command

the International Space Station.

A child growing up in Sicily,

somewhat the outskirts

of Italy and Europe,

grows up far from

the reality of space technology.

In Sicily there are no structures

that connect you to the aerospace world.

So, I drew away from the idea.

I was brought close to the idea of flying

when I was an adolescent.

That's when the path began taking shape

which, 30 years later, led me to wear

a spacesuit for the first time.

I went to Russia in 2010

for the first time.

I have a special tie to this country.

Russia started training

military personnel in 1960

and has sent 120 cosmonauts into space.

The first man...

and the first woman.

The city of stars...

The first group

of cosmonaut candidates

arrived in Moscow to start training,

but in July 1960

the unit was moved here,

15 miles from Moscow.

A top secret area.

It's a closed military area

surrounded by walls and a gate, it still exists,

and was built for

the Soviet Union Cosmonaut Program

in the late 1950s, early 1960s.

The first selection of cosmonauts

lived and trained here,

among whom Yuri Gagarin, Titov,

Aleksej Leonov and so on.

In the last ten years,

since I became an astronaut,

I've seen continuous change.

I arrived here in the winter of 2010.

There was no supermarket,

there was one Soviet-style shopping mall

with very little to buy.

You had to leave Star City

and go to a nearby city.

It furnishes much more now,

but the original atmosphere of Star City

has almost been lost,

what I remember of my first years,

my travels and training here in Russia.

We're entering via a service gate

because a cosmonaut just re-entered.

The building is in two parts,

one is isolated, for quarantine,

and one for the others living here.

This is the "Prophylactoryum",

another historic building in Star City.

This is the hall on the third floor,

the floor for European astronauts.

All European astronauts

have lived in these rooms,

at various times in their training.

The first time I came here,

nearly ten years ago, I had room 31,

this time I preferred number 34,

because it's closer to the coffee machine

and the bed is more comfortable.

Yuri Gagarin was the first man

in space and he departed alone.

Now there are three of us leaving:

me, Italian and European,

Alexander Skvortsov,

a Russian cosmonaut

and Andrew, called Drew,

an American from NASA.

This strengthens the friendship

and cooperation already among us on Earth.

This statue of Yuri Gagarin

hides a flower behind his back.

Yuri Gagarin is this great hero

in the USSR

in the 1960s he was the first man

to fly in space,

but his nature remained

that of a man on Earth

with a flower symbolizing

the odors, tastes, colors of the Earth

which he saw from space

for the first time.

I never thought

I'd become so long-winded over time.

Andrew, help me out!

Mister, Doctor,

Colonel Andrew Morgan, called Drew,

will be my second-in-command during Expedition 61,

when I take command of the Station.

We've known each other since 2013,

working together during these years,

but, during this last year and a half,

we've trained together

in the United States, Japan, in Europe,

underwater,

hours and hours of work together.

So, when we leave on July 20th,

I think we'll have a really good time.

Yes, I agree.

I should have brought my guitar, man.

Ladies and gentlemen...

# Superman!

La la la la, Superman! #

# Superman!

La la la la, Superman! La la la la, Superman! #

According to Russian tradition,

after the training phase

begins the theoretical phase

which ends with practical exams.

There are two phases to the exams:

the commander and the pilot of the Soyuz

must take individual exams

before a commission

to show they are able

to intervene manually in the phases

of flight with the Soyuz

that are most complex, dangerous.

The first is the approach, the second

is contact with the Station, the docking,

and the third is the re-enter phase.

It is tradition

to sign a large book after the exam,

in Gagarin's office.

Everything here is exactly as it was

on the date and time of his death

on March 27, 1968,

at just 34 years of age.

Let's go. It's our bus.

Before leaving, every astronaut

lays a carnation at the Kremlin wall

where Yuri Gagarin's tomb is.

It's a tradition

and a mandatory gesture.

These days are the last with my family

before our departure.

Then I will enter quarantine

and be able to see them

only through a window,

however, at a distance.

Being a father...

should be a full time job

and for which no training exists.

We start from zero

and the moment our children are born,

we must already be professionals

and take the situation in hand.

There can be no training,

because each child is a different world.

It's normal that distance creates stress.

In my experience, the only way

to relate to our children,

to maintain that relationship,

is open communication from the start,

to help them see that to stand by them,

physical presence isn't necessary.

Loving one's own children means

giving them the certainty

of your being there for them

when they need you,

creating a virtual place

in which to take refuge at anytime.

Sure, it's the hardest thing to do.

My role as a father

is to give them the map,

the means to be able

to realize their dreams.

My task will be to urge them on,

encourage them,

give support, offer a hand,

but not give the direction.

I miss everything about Italy.

I left Sicily at 16 to go to America,

right after that

I entered the Air Force Academy.

I left Italy definitively

in 2007 for France,

then Germany and finally,

the United States.

I feel the distance.

I miss the Sicilian sea

with its scents, its colors,

but I'm the result

of the life choice I made

and so, I don't stand here reflecting

and complaining.

When I go into space, I fly!

And I'm going to America!

The Americans went to the moon,

I want to go to America.

That's what I said as a child

and so it was.

When I first arrived in America,

I was still in high school.

Now my daughters study here and I work,

have worked, at NASA

here in Texas.

Today what we're gonna do

is a quick shakeout run.

- What this will do is keep your body lose.

- Alright. Let's do this.

To be Ironman still winning the title

is fantastic.

For those active in this sport,

the Ironman Triathlon is a unique event.

Hi, everybody!

- How are things?

- Fine. Hot?

Hoof!

I decided to prepare

for Ironman while I was still in orbit, in 2013.

There's physical deterioration after a mission,

and a long rehabilitation period.

I wanted to show it could be done

within a year after returning to Earth.

Who could have guessed

that for sport, I'd have swum 2.4 miles,

biked 112 miles

and ended with a marathon?

Here I calculate the time

for a full race.

I'll describe a typical lunch.

It really is my typical lunch.

I don't know if other athletes do this diet.

I don't think so.

One measure of nuts,

I think they're called Brazil nuts,

pumpkins seeds, two measures.

I hope Italian food-lovers

and international chefs aren't aghast,

but this is my lunch.

My eating habits have changed

through the years and will again.

The launch is one year away,

I'm ending the theoretical part of my training,

now, at last, the practical part begins.

A spacesuit is called an EMU,

Extravehicular Mobility Unit.

It's comprised of about

18 thousand parts.

The outside layer is puncture resistant,

it protects from extreme changes

in temperature, solar radiation

and micrometeorites, that travel

more than 27 miles per hour.

And I'd add:

what a hole without it!

A spacesuit is

the most expensive attire in the world,

it costs about 15 million dollars.

Among the materials used for the outside

are: nylon, neoprene and Gore-Tex.

Underneath we wear a special garment

that is called LCVG,

Liquid Cooling and Venting Garment,

covered in cooling tubes

to the length of about 300 feet.

And we use cooled water

to maintain a constant body temperature

during extra-vehicular activity,

or EVA.

A spacesuit permits

the dispersion of body heat,

the controlling of connections,

and the communications needed

to monitor the state of health

of the astronaut.

We also wear adult absorbent pads

to accumulate urine.

I didn't wear diapers

as a child

but I had to wear them in space

at 42 years of age!

The spacesuit weighs

about 308 pounds here on Earth.

Training has saved my life many times,

both as a pilot and during my second EVA,

when the spacesuit had a failure.

- Action!

- Yes!

Food tastes the same in space,

but it's the way it's eaten

that can be galactic!

It's like a rainbow of colors in here!

Space food is no different

than food on Earth.

To take it into space,

it must be pre-cooked

or ready-to-eat, maybe adding water.

Ready?

- Say it.

- Three... two... one!

Oh!

Well, we guess we do.

Good morning!

NASA trainers call them "Acers",

it's an acronym to indicate

they're both exercisers and trainers

of our physiological recovery.

In space, muscles atrophy

and there are problems of osteoporosis

due to the lack of vitamin D

given the impossibility

of being in the open air.

All astronauts do 2.5 hours

of mandatory physical activity

to avoid muscle complications

caused by microgravity.

There's also

a galactic vision... in all senses.

With less gravity,

the body tends to lengthen.

I think I lengthened almost 2 inches.

Training in the pool

is one of my favorites.

It puts you close to space conditions

while still on Earth.

Dressing seems

very complicated on Earth,

in orbit it is too,

but for different reasons.

Here, it's a problem

of gravity and dimensions.

In orbit it's harder to get inside

because we can't push ourselves

into the spacesuit,

so, in a certain sense, although it's different,

it's realistic for when we're in orbit.

The pool at NASA

is one of the largest in the world.

202 feet long, 101 feet wide

and 40 feet deep.

Under the water is a partial replica

of the International Space Station.

The advantage of working underwater

is that the spacesuit is,

as far as possible, in neutral balance.

This allows us

to get familiar with the spacesuit,

which would normally weigh

hundreds of pounds,

without the exertion

of this weight on you.

What we need to understand

when we work in the pool

is the exertion, frustration

of working in a very strenuous,

pressurized environment

in which movement is limited.

It's a full-scale, 360-degree training,

with similarities and diversities,

but, in general,

it's an extraordinary training.

The only type of training

that teaches the use of a spacesuit.

And you cut out a little bit...

A spacesuit is

totally isolated, pressurized.

The pressurization gives

an atmosphere inside the spacesuit,

when in extra-vehicular activity

or underwater,

so not to be crushed

by the pressure of the water.

From a physical standpoint, it's one

of our most complex training drills

because it's like doing endurance sport activity,

therefore, long duration.

We spend six hours underwater,

more than seven inside the spacesuit,

including pressurization,

dressing and so on.

It's exhausting,

we can't eat,

we have only half a quart of water

and all movement is extremely tiring.

My hands are white, this is due to

the pressure of the spacesuit.

My nails are a bit ruined

because of the pressure of the gloves.

The spacesuit

is adapted to each astronaut,

but it's not tailor-made,

so there are some constrictions.

# La la la la, Superman! #

# La la la la, Superman!

La la la la! #

We begin with the wet suit,

the number-slot belt.

We go over the checklist.

Okay, we're good to go.

The Ironman Triathlon

started in Hawaii.

It was born in Honolulu

as the result of a bet.

Some athletes were chatting

about which sport,

which athlete,

had the greatest endurance.

"Let's have a race

in which we combine all three!"

One of them said: "The one who wins

will be called Ironman".

And now to bed early,

wake-up is before dawn.

At 5:30 I have to be there.

# La la la la, Superman! #

Superman!

It's 6:40.

I'm about to head to the starting area,

my heat starts at 7:15.

I got up at 4:30 for breakfast.

I prepared my emplacement

with my shoes and helmet for the bike,

and my running shoes.

We'll be starting soon.

JAXA, JAPAN

This is JAXA,

the Japanese Space Agency.

- Thanks very much. I'm Maria. - Yeah?

- Yeah! - How are you?

All the astronauts

tasked to the International Space Station

must do a training period here

which varies according to

the type of training necessary

and the level

of professionalism required.

You pass from a basic level, "user",

to a middle level, "operator"

and then to a higher level,

"specialist".

Good point! Yeah, good point.

No doubt, yeah. The entrance.

On my first mission, Volare,

in 2013, I was at the "user" level,

so I came only once,

for about a week.

This time, with Expedition 60-61,

I am at the "operator" level.

This is my first week of training,

there will be another

in the second phase of training,

about six months before departure.

There is a mock-up of "kibo",

in the Japanese lab,

the logistics part and the robot arm.

So this is...

Lazy back then.

It's a solution we have...

In the next few days

I will train and use these elements,

both to resolve emergencies

and to do routine work

in the normal phases of utilization.

The Japanese lab "kibo"

is the largest and most modern module

of the International Space Station.

It is very well-lighted, well-made

and has several unique characteristics.

Besides, I've always loved

Japanese cartoons and robots.

Good morning.

- It's fish.

- Yeah.

The sushi train's begun, time to eat.

To know a culture,

you need to identify

with all the phases of a person's life,

including entertainment.

Kenji explained a tradition

for all those who approach the temple.

You're presenting yourself

before the god or gods

and you must purify your hands and mouth

with the pure water of the fountain.

It's a little like fortune cookies,

by making a small offering,

you can fish a note to foresee the future.

Let's see what Kenji-San

reads on my note.

He told me I must

be careful on my travels,

something regarding flames or fire.

So, I'd better prepare

for a fire emergency on board.

Fear is not weakness,

the opposite, in fear courage is shown.

Fear is a tool that allows us to survive.

Baikonur in Kazakhstan

was the world's first launching site.

BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN

It was built by the Soviet Union

and is now under Russian administration.

It remained secret for years!

From here departed Sputnik,

the first artificial satellite,

on October 4, 1957.

From here departed

the first manned launch, in 1961.

From here departed the first woman

in space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963.

From here I departed

and am about to depart again.

From here departed Laika, the first dog

in space, dying after only a few hours.

The cosmodrome observes strict criteria:

4,163 square miles

in the heart of the Kazakh Steppa,

built in a secret, deserted place.

The Baikonur base is equipped

for the departure of space vehicles

both with or without a human crew.

Although there is

no clear distinction

between the atmosphere and outer space,

there is an imaginary line,

called the Kármán line,

at 62 miles from the surface.

Scientists say the Earth's atmosphere

encounters outer space at that point.

At Baikonur, many traditions

and superstitions are respected.

The blessing of the rocket

is one of these.

This town

was built in the desert

as support for the workers

at the Center.

It attained city status only in 1966.

Here Gagarin spent

his last night before going into space.

They say there was security to prevent escape

due to an eventual reconsideration,

but it never happened.

In the next room were doctors

responsible for checking his health.

Here, the first machines began,

older-generation flight systems,

but solid and functional,

improved launch after launch.

My isolation wing.

I'm climbing the stairs

to the area where the astronauts live

during their quarantine.

This is the common area

we've made into a small snack bar.

It's the first time we've used this area.

Here we can relax

when we're not involved

in lessons or training.

These are our rooms, they're brand new,

they were realized

expressly for my expedition,

my crew and I

were the first to occupy them.

This is my room, number 304.

About twenty days ago

I attained the rank of colonel,

but I couldn't have a ceremony

to validate my promotion in rank.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Whoever leaves Earth from here

must first plant a tree.

To date, there have been 227 of us,

even Gagarin did.

One day,

6 hours and 24 minutes till departure.

This is the last good-bye to my family,

I'm behind the window

and they're here waving to me.

- Hi!

- Hi.

The next time I'll be in my spacesuit.

- Hi.

- Hi!

We've very close to departure.

We're ready,

an entirely new adventure is starting.

During the first radio call,

you have to say something more than "hi".

You can even say, "Hi Dad".

That would be good.

The boots are Prada.

These boots are not made for walking.

They are like size 55.

Cause they go on top of the spacesuit.

And we only use them once, from here to the bus

and from the bus to the rocket. And that's it.

So...

Go for it!

Great Luca! Go Luca!

It's a moment

of great emotion for everyone.

Maybe the greatest emotion

is that of a father

who cannot hug his daughters.

I was the first Italian

to walk in space.

To date, I hold the European record:

33 hours and 9 minutes of space walk.

I'm the only one to have done

a concert from space

and to have played records

for a party above Earth.

Under my command there was

the first Arab astronaut in orbit.

Under my command there was

the first space walk made solely by women.

October 18 will remain in history.

I hold the record

for European extra-vehicular activity, six.

Space is the metaphor

of a story of successes and hard work,

the symbol of humanity's desire

to exceed itself.

The world must go on,

it must go beyond.

Commander Parmitano

is an extraordinary person.

Hi, ya all!

Parmitano for Italians

is a wonderful example.

# Clappin' hands,

dancin' people in the stands. #

I'd never heard of

a singing astronaut.

But he kept perfect time.

# I don't get bored,

no I don't get bored... #

There are women you can't dance with.

What about sex in orbit?