[together] Ready!

Jet!

Go!

- ♪ Jet Propulsion ♪ ♪ That’s his name ♪ ♪ Jet Propulsion ♪ ♪ He’ll rocket to fame ♪ ♪ When he arrived, he created a buzz ♪ ♪ ’Cause there was no house ♪ ♪ And then there was, he said ♪ - ♪ People of Earth!

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

♪ ♪ I’m from Bortron 7, and my name is Jet!

♪ - ♪ Jet Propulsion ♪ ♪ That’s his name ♪ ♪ He looks like us ♪ ♪ But he isn’t the same ♪ - ♪ I’m a space tripper and a galaxy crosser ♪ ♪ My parents brought me here in a flying saucer ♪ - ♪ And just to prove it was a fact ♪ ♪ He flew them out to space and back ♪ ♪ Jet Propulsion ♪ [spaceship whirring] - ♪ Jet Propulsion ♪ [together] Ready!

Jet!

Go!

- ♪ He showed up, and now it’s a blast ♪ ♪ Looks like the future really got here fast ♪ - ♪ Nice to meet you, human race ♪ ♪ Tell me all about the place ♪ - Jet Propulsion!

- Jet Propulsion!

- Jet Propulsion!

all: Ready!

Jet!

Go!

- What ya lookin’ at, Sean?

Stars?

The moon?

Sunspot?

- [barks] - Actually, I’m looking for the northern lights.

- Wait, you’re looking for the northern lights?

They’re so cool.

I learned all about them from "Commander Cressida" comic, number 46, "Northern Lights in August."

- We can look for the lights together.

I’m not seeing them here.

Maybe we can see them from over there.

- So, northern lights, huh?

What exactly are those?

- They’re like an awesome light show in the night sky.

Different colors, kind of hanging like curtains.

- Yeah, green, yellow, red, in swirling shapes.

- Uh, how do you guys know all this?

- Well, I actually saw them once and they were really great.

Plus, I just love reading about science.

- Me too!

But I’ve never seen the northern lights myself.

Where were you when you saw them?

Were you here in the neighborhood?

- I was, but maybe you can see the lights from other places too.

- Like from outer space?

[tings] We could go out and try to look for them.

- Wow!

Can we go in your saucer and look for them?

Now?

- [chuckles] Wow, Sean, you’re never this excited to go into space.

- It’s the new me.

At least for today.

But seriously, can we go?

This could be the best trip ever.

- All right!

Let’s go see the northern lights.

[engine rumbles, horn honks] - Did someone say, "northern lights""?

- We did.

But isn’t Mom gonna drive us?

- [chuckles] No, no.

I’m driving today.

Ready to take you kids to find the vibrant, multicolored illuminations in the northern sky.

- But Mr.

Propulsion, you never drive.

- Hm, true.

But I do know how.

Here’s my Bortronian driver’s license.

[tings] I’m rated for interstellar overdrive.

See?

Yeah, I can drive.

- [giggling] He’s a very safe driver.

- [smooch] - I’m staying on Earth today, writing up my latest travel report.

You kids go and have fun.

- Sounds good.

Let’s roll.

Excelsior!

- Ha.

It’s the new Sean.

He almost seems Bortronian.

[Sunspot barks] - Okay, have fun.

I really wish I could go see the northern lights.

But... [sighs] I guess I’ve got to stay here again.

Maybe I’ll see them when I’m older.

- Aw, Mindy.

You’ll be older before you know it.

- And you can definitely come to outer space with us then.

- [whines and barks] - Thanks.

Well, I hope you get to see the northern lights today.

- You okay, Mindy?

Don’t you have flugelhorn lessons or something?

- Nah, no plans.

But I’ll be okay.

- [whistles] - Are you trying to cheer me up, Sunspot?

- [whimpers] - It’s working.

[giggles] [laughter] - [groans] Ow!

- Oh, no!

Are you hurt, Sunspot?

- [squeaks] [whimpers and grunts] - Sunspot says he better stay back here on Earth because he hurt his arm.

But who on Earth will look after him?

- I will, I will!

Sunspot can come to my house and I can be his pet-sitter.

both: Great!

- Perfect.

- We’ll have so much fun, Sunspot.

Plus, it’ll be good practice for when I have my own pet one day.

- Wonderful.

And I’ll be right here all day, if you need anything.

- Okay, feel better, Sunspot.

Take good care of him, Mindy.

- I will.

Go to space, you guys.

- Mindy’s right.

Let’s go to space.

- [groans] [computer beeping] - Okay, let’s do the countdown.

all: ♪ Five, four, three, two, one ♪ ♪ Doors are shut, engine’s on ♪ ♪ Everybody in their place?

♪ ♪ Let’s go into outer space!

♪ [together] Ready!

Jet!

Go!

[jet engines revving] [jet engines whooshing] [jet engines whirring] - All right!

Let’s find those northern lights.

- Hmm.

Should we just do one orbit around the Earth and see what we can see?

- Hm.

Good plan.

- Okay, look for any colored lights.

- Come on, Earth.

Show me colored lights.

- Maybe we should start at the North Pole.

They are called the northern lights, after all.

- Right, North Pole.

That’s, uh, huh.

Which, uh-- oh, left.

Hang on, kids.

Big turn coming.

[jet engines whooshing] Jet: I see lights!

Oh, wait.

That’s just the screensaver.

Hey, I see other lights.

Oh, that’s just Alpha Centauri, that really bright star.

- [giggles] Remember, the northern lights should be really colorful, Jet.

- Oh, oh.

I see colorful lights.

Oh, whoops.

That’s my own reflection.

[chuckles] Hey, my hair is looking pretty good.

[laughter] both: Oh, Jet.

- [squeaking] - [gasps] Your arm is feeling better?

Great, Sunspot!

So, do you want to learn some Earth pet tricks?

- [grumbles] - Okay, Sunspot, sit.

- [chitters] - Very good.

Next, fetch.

[ball thuds] That means get the ball and bring it back to me.

[ball thuds] - [yips] - Silly Sunspot.

[giggles] Let’s try this one.

Roll over.

So, just roll...over.

- [boings and barks] - Well, that’s kind of rolling over.

Hmm.

I wonder if Sean, Sydney, and Jet saw those northern lights yet.

[jet engines whirring] - Well, that’s once around the Earth, and apparently no northern lights.

- Maybe if we knew a little more science about the northern lights, it would help.

- Good idea.

Face?

- Hello, everyone.

I just love a good light show.

So, the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, begin when your hot sun burps out gas made of solar particles.

The gas travels through space until it reaches the Earth.

However, there’s a magnetic field that protects the Earth from the big burps of gas from the Sun.

The magnetic field steers them to the Earth’s North and South Poles, where they smash into the atmosphere--bam!

And make amazing and colorful light patterns in the sky.

all: Whoa!

Face: These lights can sometimes be seen from all around the Earth.

But they’re much brighter the closer you are to the North or South Poles.

all: Cool!

Thanks, Face.

- Well, Sean, you were right about the North Pole.

Let’s give it another try.

Turning left.

Everybody hang on.

- And...follow the leader, Sunspot.

Over my meteorite.

Around the bush.

Hey, Sunspot?

When I’m older, will you go with me to see the northern lights?

- [barks] - Thanks, Sunspot.

You’re the best.

Sunspot?

Where are you?

Sunspot!

[jet engines whirring] - Come on, northern lights.

- Yeah, why are you hiding from us?

- Hm.

I’ll take her down lower, see if that helps.

Okay.

Oh, clouds ahead.

- [gasps] Oh!

Oh, lights!

I see lights!

And they’re colorful.

They must be the northern lights.

all: Aw.

- It’s just a big Earth city all lit up.

Let’s keep looking.

- Sunspot!

Sunny, sunny, Sunspot!

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

[groans] Hm.

Sunspot, fetch!

- [barks] - Phew!

What a relief.

You can’t just disappear like that.

From now on, tell me.

I’m your pet-sitter.

- [purrs] - Come with you?

Okay.

But remember, we have to stick together.

- [barks] - Cover my eyes?

Why?

Are you keeping a fun, secret surprise from me?

- Surprise!

Your own northern lights.

- [gasps] Really?

Wow!

- Sunspot felt bad that you couldn’t go to outer space with the others, so he made them just for you.

- Sunspot, you’re the best alien pet ever.

The best any pet ever.

- [purrs] - [smooch] - Ohh.

I guess this wasn’t our night.

- Next time we look for the northern lights, let’s be scientific and make an actual plan.

- It’s like we say on Bortron 7... both: If you don’t find something the first time around, then make a plan, and it might get found.

- Or...something like that.

- Wow, lights.

The lights!

- Yes, lights!

There!

- Where?

all: It’s the northern lights!

[map beeps] - I calculate they’re near Boxwood Terrace.

Our neighborhood.

- Hurry, let’s check them out.

- Right.

Hang on.

[jet engines whooshing] [tires screeching] - There’s a better view in the backyard.

Let’s go!

- You guys!

Look what Sunspot made me!

My own northern lights.

- Amazing.

- So awesome, Sunspot.

- [barks] - As you Earthies say, holy moly!

They’re incredible, Sunspot.

We could see them from outer space.

- And I didn’t even leave the ground.

[majestic music] Sean: Wow, they look like the real ones.

♪ ♪ - [barks] [whimpers] [boings] [frantic chittering] - Not now, Sunspot.

We’re admiring your pretend northern lights.

- [squeaks] - Um, what, Sunspot?

What is it?

[gasps] ♪ ♪ all: Whoa!

Sean: Holy moly.

all: The real northern lights!

- We’re so lucky.

We can see two northern lights at the same time.

[all cheering] - Whoa!

Hi, Sean.

Where are you going?

- Hi, Mindy.

I’m bringing my telescope up to the tree house.

Once it’s dark, I want to try and spot the ISS as it passes overhead.

- What’s the ISS?

- "ISS" stands for International Space Station.

- Right, I knew that.

Umm, what is that again?

- It’s a big space laboratory that’s in orbit around the Earth.

I looked it up online and I found out that it’s gonna pass overhead soon, so I’m getting set up early.

- Okay, have fun finding the space station.

I’ll be back.

Whoa.

The tree house is getting busy these days.

- [neighs] - Oh!

Hi, Sydney.

What are you doing?

- Hey, Sean.

I’m drawing my own Commander Cressida comic.

I’m onto page 25.

See, she’s got an assignment to travel to Beta Centaurus to pick up a rare kind of fuel.

And on the way, they get lost in a very crowded asteroid belt.

They all have to work together to find a way out.

- Wow, cool.

But I was gonna set up my telescope and observe the ISS when it flies overhead tonight.

- [gasps] The International Space Station is gonna fly overhead tonight?

- Yeah!

So... if I could just set up my telescope right here, maybe move some of these?

- Wait, wait, don’t move them.

I’ve got all my stories spread out, and I’m--I’m kind of in the middle of it.

- Me too.

The ISS is gonna pass over soon, and I want to get set up and be ready.

- But I need to use the tree house for my comic book studio.

- But it’s also our tree house observatory.

I need it to observe the International Space Station tonight.

- Ah, the tree house.

What better place for my Earth plant-growing experiment.

See?

They can get sunlight and moonlight.

Now, where to set all this stuff down?

[stammering, nervous laugh] Whoa, crowded in here.

Hi, guys!

Uh, where can I put all this stuff down?

- Not here.

- But I’m trying to set up my telescope.

- But he can’t either because I’ve got all my comics here.

both: So you can’t either.

- Wow.

What are we gonna do?

My garage is full of my other experiments.

I need the tree house for this one.

[all arguing at once] - How’s it going, guys?

Looks like you’ve got a space problem.

- Huh.

You’re right.

All of our projects need space, more than we have at home.

- Hmm.

Let’s be scientific about this.

I need the telescope here because it’s far away from any light.

It’s the darkest place to look at space.

- Right, and I need enough space to put out all my drawings in sequence.

See?

They’re all set up right where I can see them.

- Hmm.

Maybe if we all go help Jet clear away some of his stuff, you can use the garage for your comic, Sydney, at least until I get my observation of the ISS tonight?

- Hmm.

Okay.

- What a great plan.

Excelsior!

Uh, what’s the plan, again?

[whimsical music] ♪ ♪ - Wow.

It’s pretty crowded in here too.

There’s room for one project, but Jet has a lot.

Can you really make enough room for Sydney’s comic?

- Hmm.

You’re right, Mindy.

But what are we gonna do?

- [barks] [bell dings] - I know.

What if the three of you take turns in the tree house?

- Sounds perfect.

How do we do that?

- Well, my Commander Cressida watch has a timer thingy.

I could set my timer and each of you could use the tree house for ten minutes.

- Ten Earth minutes.

Hmm.

Do you think that’s long enough for each of us?

- Ten minutes is a long time.

My mom says I don’t sit still for one minute.

- Okay, great plan.

Let’s do it.

both: Yeah!

[watch plays upbeat fanfare] - So, who’s first?

- Sydney should go fist.

She was already working on her comic.

- [laughs] Thanks.

I’ll take the comics back up to the tree house.

- Great.

We’ll play catch while you make your comics, and that way we’ll be ready for our turns.

♪ ♪ [laughter] - Oh, good toss, Mindy.

Oh, over here.

- Me.

It’s my turn.

- You go, you go.

- Wait, it’s my turn.

- Hey, Sunspot, watch out!

Sean, up-heads!

Or is it "heads-up"?

- Hey.

- Oh, sorry.

What are you looking at?

- I was just wondering if it’s time to see the space station yet.

- Sean, how does the space station stay up there and not fall down?

- Uh, good question.

It, uh... - Perhaps I can answer that, Mindy.

all: Hi, Face!

- How does the International Space Station stay in space and not fall to Earth?

The ISS is powered by giant solar panels and the whole thing is about the size of a football field.

all: Whoa!

Face: But it stays up in space because it is traveling so fast-- about 17,500 miles an hour-- that Earth’s gravity can’t pull it down to the ground.

But Earth’s gravity is still strong enough to keep it from flying off farther into space.

all: Wow!

- Tell us more, Face.

- Hmm.

When she goes up to scout the surface of the asteroid, should she take her ion bike or wear her rocket skates?

What do you guys think?

Oh.

[laughter] - Hey, you’re early, Sydney.

Your ten minutes aren’t up yet.

- I know, but since we’re all here, would one of you mind coming up and helping me with my comic?

- Oh, I’d love to help, Sydney.

- Thanks, Jet.

- Now, where was I?

Oh, yes.

On the ISS, a crew of astronauts can live and work on board for months at a time.

- Okay, so I was thinking.

She’s about to exit the ship and explore the surface of the asteroid, and... - All right, I’m ready to help you.

And hey, I just happened to bring my Bortronian Sun Simulator lamp.

Uh, mind if I set up while we work?

- Uh, but--but that’s where I’m working on my comics.

- So I was thinking I should experiment with a combination of light or shade, like artificial day and night.

- Sorry, you guys.

I lost track of the time.

Face says the ISS is about to pass overhead in a couple of minutes.

I have to come up here right now.

- Sean--Sean, be careful.

My comics.

- What happened?

You guys are all back jammed in together again with all your stuff.

Weren’t you going to take turns?

all: Oh, yeah.

- Well, my ten minutes must be up by now anyway.

[watch plays upbeat fanfare] - Yup!

Right on time.

- Okay, Sean, go ahead and take your turn, since the ISS is about to fly over anyway.

- Thanks, you guys.

I really appreciate it.

I wouldn’t want to miss it.

- [sighs] Okay, we’ll give you some room.

- Okay, the ISS will appear on the western horizon, which is over...there.

[gasps] Hey, there it is.

Wow, this is amazing.

I can even see the solar panels.

Oh, no!

I better move out onto the deck.

I guess I should have thought of that in the first place.

You guys, look!

There’s the ISS.

all: Wow!

- Even I can see it.

- Yeah, that’s the light bouncing off the solar panels.

Amazing, huh?

Come up here and look through the telescope.

You’ve gotta see this.

all: Okay!

- Wow.

It’s moving so fast.

- Wow.

And it’s so bright.

[Sunspot bleats and whimpers] - Ooo, and so fancy.

Sean, take one last look before it’s gone.

- Wow, cool.

- Thanks for letting us come up and look, Sean.

I know this is your ten minutes in the tree house.

I thought you wanted it all to yourself.

- Yeah, I thought so too.

But once I actually saw the ISS, I really wanted you all to see it.

- Mm, yeah.

And when I had the place to myself, I really wanted to show you all my comic.

- And I haven’t even gotten started on my Earth plant experiment, but when I do, for sure I’m gonna want to talk to you about it, because I love talking about stuff.

- And I didn’t even need to set up inside the tree house.

The view was best out here on the deck.

I guess I was being kind of selfish.

- You guys...this is just like the space station.

- What do you mean?

- Did you know that scientists from a lot of different countries share the space station?

- They do?

- Yes, they do.

The ISS is basically a laboratory orbiting around the Earth.

Astronauts come from all over the world and learn to live and work together to perform experiments.

- Like what?

- Like what happens to plants and humans when they don’t have much gravity to hold them down.

- Ha!

Just like my experiment...sort of.

- And they have to find a way to share the space and not argue.

- Right, Mindy.

They depend on one another’s research to help with what they’re working on.

There’s a lot of sharing of information.

- So, did you guys notice anything about what Face said that could help with your tree house space problem?

- Hmm.

Nope.

- Nuh-uh.

- Not really.

- [whimpers] - Well, I noticed something.

The astronauts all get along in the space station, even though it’s a tight squeeze for them too.

all: Ohh!

- So, if we think of the tree house as our own little space station... - We could all work close together, side by side, sharing ideas.

- Yes!

What a great plan!

all: Excelsior!

- [barks] [laughter] - Hey, is it my ten Earth minutes now?

[watch plays upbeat fanfare] - Yeah, it is.

And I’ll help you, Jet.

The ISS keeps orbiting, so it’s gonna pass overhead again, but not for another 92 minutes anyway.

- 92 minutes?

That’s like forever from now!

- [giggles] Yeah.

I can draw a whole other Commander Cressida adventure in that time.

[laughter] ♪ ♪ - Woo-hoo!

I love being in the International Space Station, 250 miles above the Earth.

How’s it going, Commander Sydney?

- Excellent.

I love drawing the first microgravity comic.

How are you doing, Astronaut Jet?

- My Earth plants are growing faster than ever, Commander!

They seem to really enjoy microgravity.

I do too.

I love weighing practically nothing.

♪ ♪ - See?

They’re all getting along.

Another job well done, Space-pet Sunspot.

[laughter and cheering] Jet: This is so fun!

[overlapping chatter] Woo-hoo!

- Hi, I’m astronomer Amy Mainzer, [together] Ready!

Jet!

Go!

[upbeat music] ♪ ♪ - Jet Propulsion!

- Jet Propulsion!

- Jet Propulsion!

[together] Ready!

Jet!

Go!