The “spooky” series is coming to Apple TV+. <\/p>
Writer Peter Harness<\/a> is no stranger to sci-fi, having written episodes of Doctor Who<\/a> and adapted HG Wells\u2019s War of the Worlds in 2019, but Apple TV+\u2019s Constellation<\/a> was a whole new challenge for him.<\/p>\n The writer delved into the \u201cdark recesses\u201d of his brain to conceive a \u201cspooky\u201d dark psychological thriller<\/a>, which he describes as \u201ca ghost story in space\u201d.<\/p>\n The series, led by Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, follows Astronaut Jo [Rapace] who returns to Earth after a disaster in space to discover that there are missing pieces in her life. She sets out to expose the truth about the hidden secrets of space travel and recover what she has lost.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to do something that was like a ghost story in space. We had the elements of horror and spookiness but also something that was grounded and authentic in science diction. It\u2019s very different from something like Doctor Who, which is science-fantasy. This originated in the dark recesses of my brain,\u201d Harness told RadioTimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI decided a while ago that I wanted to focus on telling a story that I made up. You have to fight, kick and bite but I thought, \u201cWhat\u2019s the point of being a writer unless you\u2019re going to tell new stories?\u201d<\/p>\n One aspect of space travel that is often not talked about is the psychological effects it can have on the astronauts while in space or upon returning to Earth. Harness spoke with people involved with ESA and NASA, who were glad this neglected side of the story was being told.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is true that there are these vivid ghost stories about weird things that have happened in space. [For example,] the Salyut 7 crew who saw angels, that\u2019s a true story. They also see flashes of light that pass through their hands and out the other side and they can\u2019t explain it,\u201d said Harness.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people see alien spacecrafts. They don\u2019t tend to mention it, it\u2019s like fighter pilots who see UFOs, they know it\u2019ll be the end of their career.\u201d<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n For a better sense of the everyday experiences of space travel, Michelle MacLaren met with American astronaut Scott Kelly, who made four spaceflights between 1999 and 2016<\/p>\n \u201cScott brought an element of grounded-ness and reality to it. He was really helpful in execution and helping us understand what it\u2019s like to move in space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n MacLaren added: \u201cHe told us a story about how he was on a spacewalk and it was so dark that he got lost. He didn\u2019t know where he was, so for 45 minutes until the sun rose he had to just stay there and had to try and stay calm. He couldn\u2019t see anything and how terrifying that must be!\u201d<\/p>\n