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Do you have what it takes to make it in space?

In 2013, a critical life-support system on the International Space Station failed, requiring an immediate spacewalk to fix it. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy made the repair and saved the space station. As an astronaut, he was trained extensively for space walks. But how do astronauts train here on Earth to work in the microgravity of space? Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit explores the ways in which NASA uses underwater environments to simulate life and work in space, offering a fascinating look into the high-tech world of astronauts. Join astronaut Chris Cassidy (current ISS Commander) as he trains in his space suit alongside a full-sized mock-up the International Space Station in a giant underwater facility in Houston. Dive to the sea floor with NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps as she lives underwater with fellow astronauts for ten continuous days at Aquarius Reef Base in Florida. Find out what it takes to live and work in space.

Directed by Jonathan Bird, produced by Art Cohen and Jonathan Bird. Presented by MacGillivray Freeman Films.

Narrated by Mike Casey

Release date: January 2021

Runtime: 20 minutes

Format: DCI compliant digital, IMAX digital, Dome-customized digital

Meet Astronaut Jeanette Epps,
one of the main characters in the film. Learn how her background led to a career with NASA and experience what life is like as an astronaut.

Astronaut Chris Cassidy begins his NBL training dive.
Astronaut Chris Cassidy descends in his space suit in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston.
Neutral Buoyancy Training
Astronauts maneuver in their space suits in neutral buoyancy around the ISS model to prepare for space walks.
Spacewalk Training
Just as in space, astronauts must move around the outside of the ISS by folding onto railings. They must learn to move and work without gravity or oxygen.
Suiting Up
Astronauts from around the world train for life on the ISS underwater and suit up in wetsuits rather than a space suit for a day at work.
Micro-gravity Training
Astronauts train using drills and hammers at the bottom of the ocean to simulate working in the microgravity and lack of oxygen that would be found on an asteroid or another planet.
Underwater Training
As a part of NASA’s NEEMO program, Astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Thomas Pesquet learn how to live and work in an underwater environment in preparation for spaceflight.
Aquarius Reef Base
Using new 8K underwater cameras, director Jonathan Bird sets up a shot on the Aquarius Reef Base that functions research and training facility 60 feet below the ocean’s surface off the coast of the Florida Keys.
Director Jonathan Bird
World-renowned diver and cinematographer surfaces at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) Training
From left, Astronauts Thomas Pesquet (ESA), Jeanette Epps, Mark Vande Hei and Akihido Hoshisw (JAXA) prepare for a 10-day stint aboard the Aquarius Reef Base off the coast of the Florida Keys.
NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab
One of the largest indoor pools in the world and can fit a life-size model of the International Space Station.
For Educators

Invite your students to have a learning experience they won’t forget! Book a field trip to see Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit and become immersed in the physics, biology and other key school curriculum. Download the Educator Guide for hands-on activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Schedule your field trip now by contacting your local IMAX theatre for information about special group programs.

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