Astronaut Theo Cooper wakes up in jail after being arrested for causing a drunken scene. His boss, Walter Anderson, informs him that he would have been kicked off the upcoming space mission if they found a replacement in time. The mission, organized by Kepler, aims to study psychological effects of deep space excursions. Coordinator Dr. Emily McTier mentions concerns about astronauts' perceptions while cut off from the outside world. Engineer Cole Dvorak will provide public updates, while Bug Kieslowski experiments with life systems. Captain Theo, dealing with a hangover, remains indifferent to the simulation.