For anyone who looks up into skies and dreams of space travel, Disney+ has a documentary that will pull you in to what being an astronaut involves. Among the Stars, an upcoming six-part docuseries on Disney+, is an unforgettable story of astronaut Chris Cassidy and his journey back into space. Besides the stunning images from space and of our planet, the series also gives a glimpse of what goes on in NASA to support these astronauts.
You are immediately drawn to the series within the first few minutes as Episode 1 highlights one of the dangers Cassidy experienced with his fellow astronaut from Italy, Luca Parmitano. During a spacewalk, we watch and hear as water begins to leak inside Parmitano’s spacesuit as he urgently tries to get back to the ISS door before drowning. The footage and the audio are heart-stopping as you realize this is not some Hollywood special effect but something that was captured in real-time. This moment accentuated the real risks involved with working in space and how important the ground crew is to these astronauts.
While this was an amazing scene, there were many other moments like this that stood out. This series doesn’t pull any punches on showing the risks of space travel and it helps draw you in, giving a connection to some of the more emotional moments (like when Cassidy had his off-to-space party and you see the glimpses of worry among his friends and family intermixed with their smiles as they wish him safe travels).
What surprised me most about Among the Stars was the political aspect of space travel. About half the series was focused on fixing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), a particle detector that collects data from space with the hopes to unlock the secrets of dark matter and help forge a path to humanity becoming an interplanetary species. While the mission is dangerous in itself (4 spacewalks to repair the thermal cooling system), it was how the government handled the somewhat eye-opening mission. The interactions and disagreements between Nobel laureate and AMS principal investigator Dr. Samuel C.C. Ting and those from NASA were often tense and the footage of watching the astronauts overcoming glitches to repair his invention (and I would even go so far as to say it was Dr. Ting’s baby) was an incredible and intense watch.
Throughout the documentary, you will see many fascinating stories beyond the allure of being in space. Among the Stars not only captivates with its segments, but it takes you behind the curtain to show you the hard work and emotions involved in being an astronaut.
In this case, the series specifically follows Cassidy on what is to be his final mission to the ISS space station. You see his excitement, his disappointments, the setbacks, and the success of the last couple of years. We even get a peek behind the curtain and see all the little things that go into preparing to travel and live in space — most of which we mere humans stuck on Earth would never think of.
Among the Stars plays very much like what you would expect to see on National Geographic. It is incredibly detailed and in-depth. It was surprising to see this as a Disney+ docuseries as this is not geared for younger children, but rather, to adults and older kids who have a fascination with space travel. The series even goes on and talks about the future of space travel as we look beyond the ISS and towards the moon and Mars.
All in all, if you are a fan of space or NASA, this is a serious well-made docuseries that you should watch.
Among the Stars will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning Wednesday, October 6.