A first-time cosmonaut prepares for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and this Russian television production, part of the series Space Odyssey XXI Century, follows the process from training ground to orbit. Cameras show the fueled Soyuz rocket from its own gantry moments before launch, then cut to a rare interior view of the Soyuz capsule during reentry, something most spaceflight programs never let viewers see. The cosmonaut describes the crush of acceleration during ascent as a warm blanket settling over the body, followed by a struggle to catch breath once the gravity load builds. The film also tracks how hardware and materials developed for spaceflight get repurposed for problems on the ground, a detour from the main story that gives the technology its own segment. Daily routines aboard the International Space Station get more intimate treatment than the usual highlight-reel footage, following meals, maintenance, and downtime rather than just experiments. The result is a close look at what actually happens between a cosmonaut's selection and their first orbit.