By Beth Deitchman
On Disney Junior’s Mission Force One—the newest chapter of Miles from Tomorrowland—Miles Callisto, his sister Loretta, and their friends travel to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, using technology and their imaginations to help keep the universe a welcoming and inclusive place for all species. In “The Space Station Situation,” a brand-new episode debuting Monday, May 7 (5:30–6 p.m. EDT), on Disney Junior and in the DisneyNOW app, Miles and the gang go on an adventure a little closer to our home—240 miles or so above the Earth’s surface on the International Space Station (ISS)—as they travel back in time to our present day to prevent the ISS from getting stuck in the future.
The ISS represents a true international partnership between space agencies from the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Series creator/executive producer Sascha Paladino, a self-described “space geek,” told D23.com that the new episode is intended to celebrate NASA, the ISS, and what humans can achieve when they work together. Here are several reasons why Miles fans, space fans, and, of course, Disney fans should be sure to tune in:
1. The first-ever screening of “The Space Station Situation” took place on the International Space Station, making it the first-ever kids television premiere in space.
After learning that astronauts on board the ISS will sometimes watch movies during their break times, Paladino began to think about creating an episode of Mission Force One that they might enjoy as much as the series’ young fans. “I thought it would be such a cool, full-circle thing to actually send Miles to the International Space Station,” Paladino said.
2. True to the spirit of the ISS, the episode’s voice cast features science experts and astronauts from several different countries.
Guest voices for the episode include a who’s who of space and science luminaries, including NASA astronauts Scott Kelly, Jeanette Epps, and Yvonne Cagle; the European Space Agency’s astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from Italy; Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko; NASA space station flight director Holly Ridings; and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Randii Wessen, Diana Trujillo, Bobak Ferdowsi, and Kevin Hand—all voicing themselves. “I really wanted to show that the ISS is a true global collaboration,” emphasized Paladino. “It feels like it’s important to point out that when people from different places work together, amazing things can happen. And, to me, the ISS is the most beautiful and amazing example of that.”
3. In addition to their voices, the astronauts lent their expertise to the episode.
Paladino gave the astronauts and scientists who would lend their voices to “The Space Station Situation” the freedom to change their lines to make them sound more realistic. There may be areas on the ISS with eloquent names like “Tranquility Node,” but according to the astronauts, they refer to it only as “Node 3.” Astronaut Scott Kelly—who recently spent an entire year on the ISS—also provided some key design input. Paladino recalled, “He came by our studio and his first comment about our interiors for the ISS was that they were too clean and neat. He told us to make them messier.”
4. The episode’s “Earth Premiere” took place at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Following the ISS premiere of “The Space Station Situation,” the episode was screened at the nonprofit Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA Johnson Space Center. “The event was so amazing because we had astronauts, people from NASA, and people from Disney there together. It felt like the culmination of everything we’ve been doing with Miles from Tomorrowland,” said Paladino.
5. Disney fans will want to stick around through the credits for a very special rendition of the beloved Sherman brothers song “There’s a Great, Big Beautiful Tomorrow.”
The iconic song—written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman for the Carousel of Progress at the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair—is performed over the end credits of “The Space Station Situation” by musician Matt Mahaffey and features a solo by Bela Fleck, who also happens to be Paladino’s brother. Keep an ear out for the song throughout the episode because Mission Force One’s composer, Frederik Wiedmann, incorporated it into the score. If you listen closely, you’ll hear Grammy® winner Fleck play the classic tune on the banjo.
“The Space Station Situation” ends with Miles’ acknowledgement that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority could not exist had it not been for the incredible achievements of NASA and the other space agencies of the world. It also ends with a callback to the song, as Miles looks forward to a “great, big beautiful tomorrow.” For Paladino, the Sherman brothers’ song sums up Walt Disney’s vision of the future as a positive and optimistic place—and that’s the future that Paladino is committed to portraying in Mission Force One.