The Final Frontier

Physicist and aspiring astronaut Javier Santaolalla has spent his career studying the universe. Now he turns the lens on a more personal question: what does it actually take to cross the final frontier?

Across four chapters, Santaolalla guides viewers through the great enigmas of space science, from the outer edges of the universe and the scale of our galaxy to the possibility of life on Mars and the strange physics of exotic matter. Along the way, he brings in leading national and international experts who speak with authority about questions that have driven human curiosity for generations.

Running alongside the science is a second strand, equally gripping. Four real Spanish candidates are pursuing selection within the European Space Agency's astronaut recruitment programme, one of the most rigorous processes anywhere on earth. Their experiences give the series a human dimension that grounds even its most ambitious scientific territory.

Directed by Beatriz Pérez de Vargas and produced by RTVE, the series finds its strength in Santaolalla's dual role as scientist and candidate. He is not simply a presenter explaining the cosmos; he is someone genuinely trying to reach it. That personal investment gives the whole project an unusual honesty and weight.