''Homemade Astronauts'' is a television show on

Science Channel Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, manu ...

(Discovery Science USA) and

Discovery+ Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discov ...

that debuted in 2021. It featured DIY wannabe astronauts, who design and build their own equipment, in an attempt to reach the edge of space. The people are average Americans building on their farms, ranches, garages, and backyards.

History

Mike Hughes reached altitude in a manned steam rocket in 2018, filmed for the series, setting a record for an amateur manned rocket. Discovery Networks gave the greenlight for full series production in 2019, for airing on The Science Channel in 2020. In February 2020, during filming of an attempt by Mike Hughes to reach or in altitude, the steam rocket crashed on landing, killing Hughes. In March 2020, the show filmed an attempt by Kurt Anderson to break the world ice speed record in his rocket sled '' Arctic Arrow'' using a peroxide rocket, with the Rocketboys team. The attempt resulted in a crash that destroyed the dragster sled, reaching , short of the record of . Season 1 began airing in May 2021, having been filmed over 2.5 years, for a total of 4 episodes. Season 1 carries a dedication ''This series is dedicated to Michael "Mad Mike" Hughes 1956-2020'', and uses the title crawl "The ~~new~~''DIY'' space race is here. ~~Tech giants~~''Everyday people'' are making history. They're using their ~~billions~~''credit cards'' to fund their dreams.""Homemade Astronauts", Discovery+, 2021, season 1

Cast

Cast featured on the show include: ;Team Hughes/Stakes * Mike Hughes, professional daredevil, wannabe astronaut * Waldo Stakes, vehicle designer; builder of Hughes' manned rocket * Stephanie, Waldo's daughter and team member ;The Rocketboys (Team Michaelson/Anderson) * Ky Michaelson, SFX artist and stuntman and amateur rocketeer, who in 2004 built the first amateur rocket that reached space at a zenith of ; * Kurt Anderson, Rocketboys mechanical engineer, and ''Arctic Arrow'' rocket sled dragster pilot, wannabe astronaut * David, Rocketboys electronics engineer * Buddy Michaelson, son of Ky, Rocketboys parachute expert ;Pacific Space Flight (Team Smith) * Cameron Smith, doctor of anthropology and archaeology, Portland State University anthropology professor and wannabe astronaut, who built his own spacesuit, wanting to go to the edge of space * Majorie, a student and part of Team Smith

Teams

Teams shown include: * The Rocketboys: (Team Michaelson/Anderson) using a solid fuel rocket; attempting to build a crewed space rocket to reach the edge of space (), the McDowell Line McDowell Limit: 50 miles up, the edge of space recognized by the U.S. government, by USAF/FAA/NASA, and used by

Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a British-American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group conglomerate, which retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and opera ...

as the edge of space * Team Hughes/Stakes, using a balloon launch

steam rocket A steam rocket (also known as a hot water rocket) is a thermal rocket that uses water held in a pressure vessel at a high temperature, such that its saturated vapor pressure is significantly greater than ambient pressure. The water is allowed to e ...

rockoon A rockoon (from ''rocket'' and ''balloon'') is a sounding rocket that, rather than being lit immediately while still on the ground, is first carried into the upper atmosphere by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and ignited. ...

to reach up, the

Kármán Line The Kármán line (or von Kármán line ) is a conventional definition of the Outer space#Boundary, edge of space; it is widely but not universally accepted. The international record-keeping body Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI ( ...

Kármán Limit: 100 km up, the edge of space recognized internationally by the FAI, and used by

Blue Origin Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P. is an American space technology company headquartered in Kent, Washington. The company operates the suborbital New Shepard rocket and the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket. In addition to producing engines for its own ...

as the edge of space * Pacific Space Flight: (Team Smith) using a balloon; to reach the Armstrong Line ( or ), in a

high altitude balloon High-altitude balloons or stratostats are usually uncrewed balloons typically filled with helium or hydrogen and released into the stratosphere, generally attaining between above sea level. In 2013, a balloon named BS 13-08 reached a record alti ...

Armstrong Limit The Armstrong limit or Armstrong's line is a measure of altitude above which atmospheric pressure is sufficiently low that water boiling, boils at the human body temperature, normal temperature of the human body. Exposure to pressure below this li ...

: FL630, the edge of the atmosphere where pressure suits are required to prevent bodily fluids from boiling; used by balloon-based space tourism companies as the edge of space

Episodes

Notes

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 10715506, Homemade Astronauts 2020s American documentary television series 2021 American television series debuts American non-fiction television series Private spaceflight Science Channel original programming Television series by World of Wonder (company)