A stellar role for ESA
Launched on 21 February 2024 on Apple TV+, new original series Constellation has gripped viewers with its mix of sci-fi and mind-bending mystery.
Created and written by Peter Harness, Constellation stars Noomi Rapace as Jo – an astronaut who returns to Earth after a disaster in space – only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. This action-packed space adventure is an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman's desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost.
The story opens with an emergency on the International Space Station and the drama continues to unfold both in space and back on Earth. ESA helped to ensure the series had a thoroughly authentic space setting and provided invaluable advice on how space programmes work. ESA also supplied props, including official ESA badges and patches.
Simon Arnal, executive producer of Constellation, was delighted by the collaboration with ESA, "It was wonderful to work with ESA's real space experts. They provided great suggestions and technical advice that really helped us to create an authentic setting for Constellation."
For ESA, high-profile TV series and films are a great way to put the space agency in the public eye. They help to cement the perception of ESA as part of today’s space and science ecosystem.
ESA's Branding and Partnerships Office is increasingly working with filmmakers and games producers, helping them to add real space to their projects. This includes providing ESA locations for filming, which has just been made easier by the launch of Film ESA, the agency's film location guide. This can be downloaded from the ESA Brand Centre.
Emmet Fletcher, Head of ESA's Branding and Partnerships Office, commented on the successful collaboration, "We are delighted that ESA has been able to play a part in helping the producers of Constellation to realise their compelling space story. With the launch of ESA's portfolio of resources for the film industry, we look forward to further onscreen adventures in space."
The complete first season of Constellation is now streaming globally on Apple TV+.
