Constellation
Season 1 – Episode 1
Episode Title: The Wounded Angel
Original release date: February 21, 2024
Plot: A disaster on board the International Space Station becomes a fight for survival.
* * *
[person breathing heavily]
[speaking Russian on radio]
conditions worse… Why don’t you answer?
There are flames… Fire! Fire!
Capsule is on fire.
Twenty-one…
Twenty-one… [breathing heavily]
Thirty… forty… forty-two… There are flames…
[continues speaking Russian]
[continues speaking Russian]
[in English] Could we please have it a bit warmer?
Oh, it’s broken, honey. Snuggle down.
[person breathes heavily on radio]
[continues speaking Russian]
Mummy? What’s she saying?
Um.
She’s saying, um, that the world is the wrong way around.
[continues speaking Russian]
When’s Daddy coming?
[radio chatter]
[continues speaking Russian]
[siren wailing]
[child gasps]
[radio chatter]
[child] Mummy?
[sighs]
What’s happened to Daddy?
[chiming]
[wind howling]
[mother sighs, speaks Swedish]
Close the door, honey.
[grunts, breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
Oh, it’s freezing.
Come, I’m gonna get the fire started.
[child] Can I have a story?
[fire crackles]
Yeah.
Yeah. Um… [sighs]
I can read for you.
The iPad one.
The space one.
I prefer it.
Yeah.
Hi, I’m Johanna. I’m an astronaut. [chuckles]
And I work for the European Space Agency.
I live on the International Space Station.
I’m going to be up here for a whole year.
And I got a very special bedtime story.
It’s called “The Little Rocket Girl.”
Do you want me to read it?
Yes.
[Johanna] So, it goes like this.
“Up and out in space, it’s very cold.
The stars move fast and the sun burns hot just to try to stay warm.”
[breathing heavily]
“Up and out in space, it’s very quiet.
But the worst thing about up and out in space
“is that it can be very, very lonely.”
[wind howling]
[sniffs, breathing heavily]
[distant scream]
[gasps]
[panting]
[voice] Mamma!
[gasps]
[breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
[voice] Mamma!
Mamma!
[parent] Alice? Leaving in 15.
[Alice] I’ll be right down.
[electronic voice] Stand by.
[Alice] I’m all ready to go.
[parent] Okay.
Say hi.
[electronic voice] Mission control connecting you now.
[line ringing]
[ringing continues]
[device chimes]
Mamma?
[Johanna, in Swedish] Good morning, honey…
Have you brushed your teeth?
[Alice chuckles] Yes.
How many minutes?
Three minutes.
‘Cause that’s what we do in our family.
[both chuckle]
Are you going on your space walk today?
You don’t need to worry, honey. We’re ready for it.
I know.
Would you like to say good morning to Yaz?
[in English] Hi, Alice. Good morning.
Hey, Yaz.
[Alice, in Swedish] Are you nervous?
Just a little bit.
Do you wanna take a look at the lettuce? I think they’re looking fairly perky.
Some of them have woken up a bit.
What do you think? [Chuckles]
[in English] Isn’t it magical?
[in Swedish] Looks good.
But I might let one
of the others try it first.
Yes.
Just a bit worried that it might turn me into an alien.
[in English] Check the connection.
[person] Copy that.
Oh. We have to whisper.
[Alice] Why is that?
[whispers] ‘Cause they’re doing something very fiddly at the CAL.
Hey, Alice.
Hi, Paul.
Your mom’s big day today.
RPL. CAL data:
Core signals green, magnets aligned, 25.5.
Copy, phase six.
[Paul] Copy.
Core temperature: Minus 203 degrees.
Tune lasers.
Come on.
What does it do?
[Johanna] It’s looking for a new state of matter.
What does that mean?
[chuckles] Don’t know.
[Alice chuckles]
Eighty-four days till you’re home.
[Johanna] Only 84.
[Alice] I can’t wait.
Aw.
I miss you so much.
I miss you too, Mamma.
Will you be careful when you go out there?
Always.
[in Swedish] I’ll see if I can see you.
[in English] Wow.
Look.
There you are.
You see?
[device beeps]
[worker] We’re ready.
[commander] All right.
Good luck, son.
[Paul] Good luck, Commander.
I’ve always been lucky till now.
[chuckles, groans]
[machine beeps]
Hey, Alice.
Wave to yourself.
Begin.
[alarm blaring]
[explosion]
[grunting]
[chattering]
Station, RPL, do you copy?
Get them back. We’re in the middle of something.
Mamma?
[in Swedish] Are you there?
[in English] Everything all right?
[in Swedish] She’s gone.
[rumbling]
[air hissing]
[grunting, screaming]
[screams]
[screams]
[in English] Debris! Scallation!
[alarm blaring]
[grunting]
[Alice] Mamma?
Alice! Alice!
Houston, this is Station.
Do you copy?
[blaring continues]
Houston, this is Station. Do you copy?
[electricity crackling]
[ringing]
[screams]
GC, lock the doors.
[technician] Repository is not activated.
Station, Houston on space to Ground 1, you have a depressurization.
All comms are open.
Crew gather in Soyuz 1 evacuation capsule.
Initiate pre-evacuation protocols.
Execute emergency response.
Houston, fire and fog in Zarya.
[controller] Power down.
[Johanna] Ilya!
Jo, go immediately…
[exclaims]
to nearest evacuation capsule, Soyuz 1.
Houston, there’s a fire between us and Soyuz 1.
[controller] Gather in Rassvet instead.
[Ilya] Jo, I can’t get through!
[grunts]
[Jo] Ilya, we need to get to the evacuation capsule!
[Ilya grunts] Copy.
[pants] What the fuck hit us?
Something hit us!
[Jo] Get through now!
I’m out.
Brace me!
I’ll get the hatch.
[controller] Station, you need to suffocate the fire.
[Yaz] Copy! On it!
[Ilya gasps]
[Yaz] Shutting off pressurization in Zvezda.
[astronaut] Something hit us.
[Jo groans]
You guys okay? [Breathes heavily]
[Ilya] Hatch secured.
[controller] Crew, roll call.
Ericsson.
Andreev.
Brostin.
Suri.
[controller] Lancaster?
[Paul groans] I’m stuck.
[people chattering]
Air is clear.
[controller] Ericsson, Brostin, air is clear. Assist Commander Lancaster.
Copy.
[controller] Andreev, Suri, check systems and life support.
[Yaz] We’re on it.
[Ilya] Checking.
[Jo] Houston, we’re losing oxygen.
[air hissing]
I can hear it.
[controller] Station, copy.
Paul? How are you doing?
[Paul breathing shakily]
I’m stuck.
[Brostin] He’s pinned in.
He’s covering the depress.
We need to tourniquet him here.
Apply pressure on the artery.
[Jo] Here, got it.
Houston, Paul’s injured.
[controller] Copy.
His left arm is crushed beneath, uh, rack four.
He’s bleeding heavily.
What’s the status of the systems?
Ilya, what’s the status?
Power outages in 55% of Zvezda and Quest.
Depress in Harmony, Columbus.
[Paul] Jo [breathes heavily]
you’re in control now.
We need to give him oxygen.
Copy.
Go, go, go.
[controller] Crew, assess viability of Soyuz evacuation capsule.
You’re signaling serious oxygen and pressure loss across the ISS.
[Jo] Copy. Ilya?
Paul, you’re staying with me, huh?
[Paul] Yeah. Mmm.
[controller] Audrey, you need to prep Paul for immediate evacuation.
[Jo] Just breathe.
Are you with me?
He’s unfit for evacuation.
[Ilya] Jo, electrical failure in Soyuz 1 capsule.
Signals: 95% electrical failure.
Soyuz 2 functional.
Soyuz 1 damaged.
There’s only three places in Soyuz 2.
We can only evacuate three of us.
Critical damage to all life support and systems.
[controller] Stand by. You’re currently unable to launch Soyuz 1.
Pump.
If we can’t move him, we’re gonna have to amputate the arm.
I’m so sorry, Paul.
Jo…
You’re gonna be okay.
[Paul whimpers]
[controller] Jo? Ilya?
You were scheduled to do a space walk this morning.
You need to complete the space walk
in order to fix life support and damage to Soyuz 1.
[Paul] I wanna come back.
Okay. He’s out. What about Paul?
[controller] Jo, Audrey can take care of Paul.
Got it.
You need to assess damage to Soyuz 1 evacuation capsule.
Fix life support and power.
Copy.
Then we can bring you home.
Here we go.
[cars approaching]
Okay, come on. This is terrible. We can’t both be late.
If you’re paying attention,
we were six seconds into deploying the laser
at the time of the accident.
The CAL would have retrieved information within two millionths of a second.
Keep it below minus 120 degrees and get a retrieval plan.
Commander, there’s a signal from the CAL. Something’s coming through.
Irena Lysenko, Roscosmos.
Commander Henry Caldera.
Chief Scientific Consultant…
Henry.
Rocket Propulsion Laboratories.
[colleague] Look.
Michaela Moyone, NASA Mission Control.
Oh, my God.
Frederic Duverger.
Head of European Space Agency.
[Henry scoffs]
[Michaela] So we had a serious collision…
Come here. You see this?
on the ISS…
[Henry] Holy shit.
And we need to discuss a full evacuation.
[bell rings]
[students chattering]
Alice, hey, come on.
Hi.
[parent] Hey.
[Alice] Hey.
Hey.
[students chattering, laughing]
Okay, everybody in your seats.
Good morning.
[students] Good morning.
[speaks German]
[students speak German]
[speaks French]
[students speak French]
[speaks Russian]
Are you okay, Wendy?
I had nightmares.
[Michaela] Jo, Ilya, your objective is to assess the damage
to the electrical and life support systems.
[Jo] Understood.
[Michaela] Okay, Jo. And you have a go for hatch opening.
[Jo] Copy.
Hatch is open and secure.
I’m heading outside.
[Ilya] I’m right behind you, Jo.
[Jo breathing heavily]
[Michaela] Jo, Ilya,
handing you over to Roscosmos Control to handle the space walk.
Good luck.
Copy.
[Ilya] Understood.
[Jo breathing heavily]
[control speaks Russian]
We’ll direct. Let’s get it fixed.
[Jo] Okay, that’s both of us clear of the hatch.
You’re gonna be in the dark for approximately 20 more minutes.
[Jo] Copy.
[control] Jo, Soyuz 1 capsule is signaling total power loss.
You need to fix power cables on Unity.
[Jo] Got it. [sighs]
[control] Ilya, you’re heading down to check escape capsule Soyuz 2.
[Ilya] Copy that.
[breathing heavily] Over Nauka, approximately eight meters.
Some superficial damage.
But Soyuz 2 looks like it’s more or less intact.
[Audrey] Houston station, operation completed on Paul.
[Michaela] Copy.
ISS is down to 30% life support.
ESA, you cannot overstate the importance of this experiment.
We got a signal.
A double-quantum signal. That is highly significant.
We appreciate the importance, RPL,
but we can’t prioritize NASA experiments over arranging an evacuation.
Don’t lecture me about the evacuation, Frederic.
I’ve been doing this for 50 years.
If we abandon ISS in the current political climate, we’re never going back.
NASA, the science is not more important than the people.
Oh, we’re not running a goddamn kindergarten up there.
We found another state of matter that can only exist in zero gravity.
Now, whatever is wrong up there, it can be fixed.
[Jo breathing heavily]
Oh, shit.
We got severe collision damage to the power supply.
Oxygen system, external power cables sheared through from this side.
Cannot reconnect.
Damage irreparable.
[rhythmic beeping]
[Audrey] Houston, please advise.
Paul is going into cardiac arrest.
Starting CPR.
[grunts]
One and two and three and four and five and six…
Terminate EVA. Terminate EVA.
Prepare Soyuz 2 for immediate reentry.
EVA and Houston, disregard that command.
That command is not agreed.
[control] RPL.
Houston, keep this loop clear.
I will not allow us to make that decision
until we have the schematics to retrieve the CAL experiment.
Disagree. Let’s end this call now and get them down from there.
[in Russian] Sergei, continue with the space walk.
[technicians chattering]
[Sergei, in English] Jo, medical team is working on Paul.
Continue with EVA.
Copy.
Keep me posted.
Where am I heading now?
Tell her to head to the truss.
It’s critical they fix secondary life support systems.
[Sergei speaks Russian]
[static]
[technician] What is the issue?
Jo, we can’t see what you see.
Check camera.
[Jo] Understood. [pants]
I got a red light.
It’s a fault. Sorry.
[Sergei] We’ve got no cameras operating past Unity.
She needs to keep going.
Okay. One minute till sunrise.
Twenty-seven, 28, 29, 30.
[rapid beeping]
[Sergei] Sunlight in five, four, three, two, one.
Jo, you need to head to the truss to fix secondary life support,
otherwise, there won’t be power or oxygen for the crew repairs on Soyuz 1.
[Jo] Copy.
[Sergei] Keep in mind we have no cameras on the truss. They are all down.
We are flying blind from here.
[Jo] Okay. Heading over to secondary life support systems.
[Sergei] Okay, Jo.
[Audrey] Twenty-eight, 29, 30.
Stop.
[breathes heavily] Clear.
[defibrillator powering up]
[grunts]
Start.
One and two and…
[Jo breathing heavily]
Rounding edge of PMM.
The truss is coming into view.
[gasps]
Oh, God.
Get amiodarone.
[grunts] Twenty-one, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.
Whatever hit us completely destroyed secondary life support systems.
This is a substantial impact.
[beeping continues]
One and two and three and four…
[Sergei] Can you see what caused it?
[Jo] Moving towards it.
Working my way closer.
Looks like it’s a… maybe… 50 centimeter tear.
There’s something tangled up in the… in the truss.
Ilya, can you copy?
[Ilya] Almost with you.
[equipment beeps]
[Sergei] Jo, please confirm visual.
It’s, uh, orange fabric.
I think I need to go from above.
[grunts, pants]
[breathing heavily]
[grunting]
[screams] Come back.
Shit. It’s a body.
[Sergei] Jo, please confirm.
Jo?
[Jo panting]
[Sergei] Jo, respond.
Ilya, we need visuals on Ericsson.
Jo! I’m coming!
[speaks Russian]
[grunting]
Check my O2 mix.
[Ilya breathing heavily] Come on, Jo.
[Jo grunts]
[Ilya] Come on.
[Jo breathing heavily]
[Ilya] Just a little. Yeah, Jo.
[straining]
[Ilya] I got you.
Whoa. Yeah.
[sighs] She’s secured.
[in Russian] Tell him to get a visual.
Andreev, get a visual.
[breathing heavily]
Negative.
[in English] It was a woman. USSR. Soviet.
I saw a dead female cosmonaut.
[defibrillator thuds, beeping]
[steady beep]
[panting]
Come on!
Come on, I’m not giving up!
You come back! [Panting, crying]
[grunts] Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
[sighs, sniffles]
Houston, TsUP… [breathing shakily]
Paul is dead.
I repeat, Commander Lancaster is dead.
[Sergei] I’m… I’m sorry to pass this on.
Station is reporting that Commander Lancaster has died.
He has died following cardiac arrest.
[people whisper]
[Henry sighs]
[sighs]
[buckles fastening]
[Audrey] Bye, Paul.
Soyuz 2, prep for undock complete.
[Sergei] Deorbit Parameters are up linked. Families in transit to Baikonur.
Which is no fucking good if we’re all dead, is it?
Take it easy.
[sighs]
[Michaela] We have a repair schedule for Soyuz 1.
Three of you leave now in Soyuz 2,
the remaining crew member fixes power damage in Soyuz 1
using 606 batteries from the Russian command module.
Then Soyuz 1 is clear to return.
Why don’t two of us go now in Soyuz 2 and two of us stay to repair Soyuz 1?
Insufficient life support to sustain more than one person.
[exhales deeply]
[sighs]
So, Ilya, Yaz…
Audrey, you came up in Soyuz 2.
Jo, I’ll stay.
No, you’re the Soyuz commander.
You bring these two back home.
That’s an order.
What about Alice?
We’ve all got families.
[students chattering]
It’s a bit sticky, isn’t it?
I’ll tell you what, Luka, why don’t we just take the wings off and-and…
Or maybe we just start again with this guy, shall we?
[knocks]
Is she gonna come back?
I hope so.
Why don’t you say yes?
Because I don’t wanna lie to you.
Listen, darling. [Sighs]
Mummy has every chance of coming back, but it’s tricky.
[radio chatter]
Nobody’s ever not come back from space before.
Not from an ESA flight.
I have to tell you something.
It’s quite upsetting.
[sighs]
I’m afraid Wendy’s dad has died.
[engine starts]
What are we gonna do with our bikes?
We left our bikes.
Duration of SKD burn, two minutes 57 seconds.
Entry angle, 95 degrees.
Ready to go?
[Audrey] Parameters are set.
Ready to go.
Anything you want us to say?
Take a message home?
If I don’t make it back, will you please be around for Magnus and Alice?
[both sigh]
[speaks Russian]
[Audrey] Tilting station.
Thrusters tested.
Full power. Unbolt.
Copy.
[Audrey] Bolt, armed.
[Ilya] Fire thruster, KDU engines in three, two, one.
Mechanical disconnect.
[Audrey] I see separation.
Moving into approach trajectory.
Time to land: Three hours 27 minutes.
[Ilya sighs]
God willing.
[Jo] Bye.
[Michaela] Jo, you are to fill Soyuz 1 with enough provisions for 24 hours.
How much life support do I have?
How much oxygen?
Approximately 19 hours.
[chattering]
All right. [Speaks German]
[Frederic] Listen to me.
[Magnus] Go through to the back, Alice.
[Frederic] Resend the orbit information.
[parent whispering] Lancaster. We were just asking as to the suitcases, the bags.
[flight attendant] So sorry from all of us.
[parent] I apologize again profoundly.
Yes.
[Magnus] Oh, Christ.
[parent] I am so, so sorry.
Wendy, why don’t you go and sit with Alice?
I’m so sorry, Frida.
[Alice] Do you want my rabbit?
[Michaela] Soyuz 1 is damaged.
It has breathable atmosphere but doesn’t have enough power to get you home.
Once you’ve filled Soyuz 1 with supplies, you need to remove the dead batteries
and replace them with the 606 batteries up in Zvezda.
You’ll have oxygen and power in the ISS every 45 minutes to do repairs.
[Jo] Copy.
[Sergei] Jo, your family are on their way.
You can speak to them when you get back to daylight.
Great.
Close main hatch.
[Michaela] Pressurize.
Copy.
Wait.
I’ll be right back.
[Michaela] Jo,
the ISS only has solar power for light and life support.
You have one and a half minutes.
Night’s coming. You won’t be able to pressurize.
I just need to go and get something.
I will make it in time.
[Michaela] Jo, when night comes, you’ll only have oxygen in Soyuz 1.
[Jo] I know.
[Michaela] Jo.
Tell Alice I’m taking her necklace.
[Michaela] Jo, 20 seconds.
[Jo] I’ve got her necklace.
Mamma loves her. It means I’ll be okay.
I’m coming back to her and Daddy.
Promise to pass that on.
[Michaela] Ten, nine…
[Jo] Promise to tell her.
Eight,
seven, six…
[sighs]
[Jo] Sergei, do you promise?
[chuckles]
If you don’t promise, I’m just gonna sit here and sulk.
We’ll pass it on.
[Jo] Thanks.
[Michaela] So, this is the procedure every orbit:
45 minutes in the light, 45 minutes in the dark.
Going out of comms. Back in daylight in forty…
[inhales deeply, sighs]
For the record,
and I know
how historically unlikely it is,
this is my rendering
of what hit the solar stack.
Female corpse
in USSR flight suit.
[exhales sharply]
[child laughing, babbling]
[Magnus] Should we go find Mummy, Alice?
[Alice] Okay.
[Jo exhales sharply]
[Alice babbles]
Oh, my baby.
[inhales, exhales deeply]
[timer beeping]
[machinery whirring, beeping]
[Sergei] Good morning, Station. Morning, Jo.
Good morning, Sergei.
You’re always so cheerful.
[Sergei] Thank you, Jo.
We have approximately 17 hours, 49 minutes.
Let’s go find those batteries.
[Jo] Let’s do it. I wanna get home.
The batteries weren’t built to move, but they should be accessible.
[Jo] Understood.
[sighs]
It’s gonna take longer than we thought.
[Yaz] SKD in minus 20.
Firing thruster in five, four,
three, two, one.
Separation complete.
[Henry] Irena, you’re in charge of this goddamn evacuation.
I sent you a plan.
I want Ericsson to bring back the CAL.
Henry, I told them to leave your machine.
Why on God’s earth would you do that?
[sighs] For all I know, it caused the accident.
Irena, there is something contained in the six seconds that it was running
that can make a difference to everything.
To you, to me, my brother.
It worked. We need it back.
We will not get another chance.
Send the retrieval plan, please.
[Sergei, in Russian] Soyuz 2, confirm deorbit parameters.
[Irena gasps]
[Ilya, in English] Confirmed. Entry into atmosphere.
[Sergei, in Russian] Capsule has re-entered atmosphere.
[Ilya speaks Russian]
[Sergei speaks Russian]
[Irena sighs]
[in English] Send the CAL retrieval plan.
[Frederic] Yeah? Getting off the plane as we speak.
Heading straight to mission control. What’s her status?
All right. Yeah. Bye.
She’s about to hit nightfall. If we hurry, you can speak to her.
Good.
Yeah?
[Sergei] Cinch all your straps down tight while you are under G.
Try to keep your airways open by holding your head back.
Radio break off.
[Ilya] TsUP, do you copy?
[Sergei] We hear you, Ilya. Loud and clear. [Sighs]
[Ilya] Good to hear your voices.
[cheering]
Soyuz 2 deploys parachute, entering controlled landing.
[sighs]
[Irena sighs]
[breathes deeply]
[pills rattle]
[chattering]
[no audible dialogue]
[no audible dialogue]
[Sergei] Jo. I have good news.
That’s a successful landing of Soyuz 2.
[Jo] Copy. Great.
[drill whirring]
[speaks Swedish]
[Sergei] Jo, we are sending some schematics.
RPL requests that you retrieve one of their experiments.
Which experiment?
[Sergei] CAL data core in Destiny.
[Jo] Don’t know it. Not sure I’ll have time.
It’s a NASA experiment. Don’t jeopardize your safety.
Is my family there?
[Sergei] They’re on their way.
Ten minutes to nightfall.
Copy.
[sheep bleating]
I know you and Mummy were having problems.
But I still want you to be friends
whatever happens.
[chuckles]
[sighs deeply]
[Jo sighs]
[grunts, panting]
[speaks Swedish]
[Sergei] Your family are in the building and coming to speak to you.
Oh, I’d love to speak to them too.
[Sergei] Wonderful. We are setting that up.
[Jo] Copy.
[Sergei] Let’s get this battery done before nightfall.
[Jo] Let’s do it.
Your family are walking in now.
[Jo] Copy… [speaking indistinctly]
[radio static]
[beeping]
[Sergei, in Russian] Station, this is TsUP.
[speaking Russian]
[in English] TsUP, this is Station, come in.
TsUP, this is Station, come in.
[beeping]
[Sergei speaking Russian]
What’s happening? Daddy, what’s happening?
[speaks Swedish]
Hello, this is Station. Is my family there?
[Magnus chattering]
[Sergei, speaking Russian]
I’m gonna go ask them what happened. You stay here for a second, okay?
Excuse me? Hello? Excuse me?
[in Russian] What’s happening?
[in English] Please respond.
[watch chimes]
[speaks Swedish]
[Sergei, Magnus speaking Russian]
Alice. Come back. Alice!
Alice.
Alice!
Alice!
[speaks Swedish]
Go in.
[distant banging]
[banging]
[banging]
[banging]
[breathing shakily] Shit.
[banging]
[banging]
[banging]
[banging]
[door rattles]
[flashlight clatters]
[door rattling]
[breathes shakily]
[rattling continues]
[Jo] Hello?
[rattling continues]
[rattling continues]
[breathing heavily]
[panting]
Wha… [pants]
[Alice] Mamma!
[gasps]
[wind howling]
[Alice screaming] Mamma!
[Jo gasping]
[Alice] Mamma!
[pants]
[thuds]
[door rattles]
[banging]
[gasps, whimpers]
Mamma. [Breathes shakily]
[exhales sharply]
[speaks Swedish]
[sighs]
[speaks Swedish]
[in Swedish] Where have you been?
[shivering]
[“Tellur” by Surrogate Sibling plays]
