Mathieu Kassovitz and Nicolas Giraud in weightlessness in “The Astronaut”

Who has never dreamed of being Thomas Pesquet? To sail in the cosmos, experience weightlessness, caress the stars? In The Astronaut, the director and actor Nicolas Giraud is Jim, an engineer who has sworn to accomplish the first manned space flight as an amateur, aboard a rocket built in his barn. To make this film as believable as possible, Arianespace provided it with technical support. “My first wish when I embark on the adventure of The Astronaut, is to make a realistic film“, he explains.

A fine team

To win the skies, Jim surrounds himself with André, his chemist neighbor and Izumi, a brilliant math student. At his side, also, a former retired astronaut, played by Mathieu Kassovitz. He too is on a quest: to regain his lost honor after a failed mission. “He was broken by what he went through at the time, he rebelled. That’s what made him decide, despite everything, to share his knowledge.” emphasizes the actor. Will this mission be successful? The suspense runs until the last minute.