Home / Series / National Geographic Documentaries / Aired Order / Season 2006 / Episode 16

Space Launch: Along for the Ride

Nestled in the remote and desolate steppes of southern Kazakhstan, the Russian run Baikonur Cosmodrome is the oldest and largest space facility in the world. With 20 to 30 rocket launches annually, the stage is set for an unusual mission. American entrepreneur Greg Olsen has spent 20 million dollars to live out every stargazer's dream. He will become the third private citizen on the planet to hop aboard the Soyuz rocket, and journey to outer space. After completing 900 hours of intensive cosmonaut training, including zero G exercises, crisis drills, and launch simulators, Olsen joins two veteran astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station. Olsen turns his personal handy-cam on himself and records a daily diary while in orbit some 350 kilometers above the Earth. Throughout the training, launch, and re-entry procedures, cameras provide a rare peek inside a Russian space mission, gaining unprecedented access to the floor of mission control as well as the highly secure laun

English
  • Content Rating United States of America TV-PG
  • Network National Geographic
  • Notes Is a season finale
  • Created March 2, 2023 by
    Donnagen
  • Modified March 2, 2023 by
    Donnagen