‘Constellation’ Cast Gives An Exclusive Look Behind The Scenes At The Making of Apple TV+’s Space Thriller

Apple TV+‘s psychological space thriller, Constellation, is an out-of-this-world feat that filmed across various countries, recreated the International Space Station, and challenged actors to master physically and emotionally demanding performances.

As director and executive producer Michelle MacLaren puts it, “The scope of Constellation is phenomenal.”

Starring Noomi Rapace, Jonathan Banks, James D’Arcy, and more, Peter Harness’ eight-episode series follows astronaut Jo Ericsson (Rapace), who returns home after a fatal accident in space only to learn life on Earth is drastically different than she remembers.

With stunning visual effects, action-packed stunts, extreme weather conditions, and ambitious sets, Constellation crafts a compelling story that’s sure to spark curiosity. Those craving more info about the making of the series are in luck. In Decider’s exclusive clip, the cast and crew of Constellation give fans a behind-the-scenes look at its creation — from location shoots to astronaut lessons and beyond.

“I’ve done a lot of physical things in different roles. This is by far the hardest,” star Noomi Rapace explained in the two-minute featurette above.

In addition to acting on a wire during space scenes to visually achieve the weightlessness experienced by astronauts, VFX Supervisor Doug Larmour confirmed that on the ground, Rapace and the actors worked with real fire and performed their own stunts. “It’s been all the extremes. Being trapped in space was physically demanding — extreme heat. And now we’re in the extreme cold,” Rapace said from a snowy location shoot near a frozen lake in Finland.

Aside from the intense physical demands, executive producer David Tanner confirmed that the series’ “biggest challenge was building and filming on the International Space Station,” which was wildly successful, in part, because of a special on-set consultant.

“The beauty of this whole project has been Scott Kelly. He’s a real astronaut. He was very influential to give us a real-life experience,” William Catlett, who plays Paul Lancaster, explained. “It was magical having him be a part of our team. This is our star,” Rapace added. “The team behind it, the months it took to make it. It was thrilling because I really felt like I was in space.”

Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut who set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space back in 2015, approved of Constellation‘s ISS scenes, too. “It’s really an incredible job they did,” he said in the featurette.

As noted above, “outer space” wasn’t Constellation‘s only filming location. In addition to Finland, cast and crew headed to Morocco, which James D’Arcy, who plays Magnus Taylor, described as “absolutely beautiful.”

The team also shot the interior cabin scenes at a studio in Cologne, and when watching the final product, they realized how much the various locations enhanced the story. “It’s breathtaking. It’s spectacular,” director/EP Michelle MacLaren said. “It made the locations a character that was really important because we’re telling this international story.”

In addition to sneaking a peek behind the Constellation curtain and learning more about the set and filming process, fans will also get exciting glimpses of the season ahead. Are we getting more space scenes? Who’s lying on the ground in the snow? And what’s the deal with that burning cabin?! We’ll have to wait and see!

New episodes of Constellation premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV+.