NARRATOR: Previously on The Big Bang Theory:
- I love this part!
- Me too!
I have strongly mixed feelings.
When we filmed the final episode from last season...
...we showed us launching into space.
My friend Joe Acaba...
...was in Kazakhstan getting ready to launch...
...like, the next day on a Soyuz.
And he took a photo.
He had my friend Kevin Ford, another astronaut, take a picture...
...of Joe watching me in the capsule with Wolowitz and with Pasha...
...and he tweeted it, "Here I am watching Mike do what I'm gonna do for real...
...in a couple of days."
The word came down that there was an actual astronaut in the Space Station...
...who was a huge fan of the show...
...and so it was this sort of parallel thing happening...
...and we Skyped like I did in the show.
We Skyped with him.
When do we start in this?
Do we have a time, a start time when the satellite is available or...?
WOMAN".
We are starting the event in three minutes.
- Are you in outer space?
- Yeah, are you in space?
WOMAN".
I only wish.
- Where are you?
- I am in Mission Control apparently.
Do you guys have any questions?
What if there's call waiting?
We'll work that at real time.
I'll see what I can do.
So we were able to hook it up.
It was a surprise for him.
He had no idea who he was gonna talk to.
I think he maybe knew it was me.
If he knew it was me, he wouldn't show up.
So he probably didn't even know it was me that was gonna start it off.
I think what we had planned to do is I was gonna start out close to the camera...
...you know, my big ugly head there, so all he can only see is me.
I was gonna ask him how he's doing and say, "We have some special guests."
- Does he not know?
- And-- No, this is a surprise for him.
So we thought we might start it off with saying we have an astro-- Do we wanna--?
Does he watch the show?
Does he even know what's happening?
MASSIMINO: No.
He's a-- So, what happens-- - He's like, "And you are...?"
They were just about as excited as we were to do this...
...so it's kind of a mutual admiration going on
between NASA and The Big Bang Theory.
ACABA: Houston, it's Station on two.
Houston, Station on two.
Can you guys hear me?
That's Joe Acaba calling the-- Calling the control center.
And they're probably...
I don't know what they're doing, but they're not paying attention to him right now.
But we're gonna set up a call, a video call with the Space Station...
...and with the cast here at The Big Bang Theory.
WOMAN: Standby.
- Joe Acaba is a huge fan.
MAN: Okay.
- There he is.
Joe, how are you doing?
I'm doing great, man.
How are you?
I'm doing really well.
He had made the comment that Bernadette was one of his favorites.
So we had Melissa start it off as the--
You know, the spouse of an astronaut wanted to say hi...
...then we kicked it over to the rest of the cast.
I'm out in Los Angeles...
...and we appreciate you spending some time with us here...
...because we have an astronaut's spouse who wanted to say hi to you...
...if you have a couple of minutes.
I'm ready.
[CHUCKLES]
- Hey.
- How you doing?
Good.
How are you?
Can I call you Joe?
Can I call you Joe Cab?
What should I call you?
Call me anything you want.
How are you?
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
I've never talked to a guy in space before for real...
...so you're my first.
Always good to be the first.
Glad I can be that guy.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
Never forget your first.
I have some friends here that would like to say hi to you.
- Surprise.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Wow.
This is pretty cool.
I feel like I'm watching you guys on TV.
Welcome to the Space Station.
CUOCO: There's been a lot of firsts on this show.
Great opportunities and meeting wonderful people...
...that have come through the show.
It's-- You know, Nobel winners...
...and astronauts and Stephen Hawking.
How long have you been up there now?
Coming up on four months...
-...and so I'll head back on Sunday.
CAST: Wow.
NAYYAR: What is that in your hand?
You know, I'm doing these crazy science experiments...
...so I'm a human guinea pig.
And so I've gotta wear this thing for 24 hours...
...looking at my blood pressure.
And then I've got a Holter monitor on underneath...
...that I gotta wear for a couple of days.
And then we'll draw blood and then we'll pee in a bag.
So it's a never-ending process.
HELBERG: Do you drink all that stuff after too?
It's delicious.
It's straight from the stream.
You know, it's as good as it gets.
[CAST LAUGHING]
GALECKI: What do you miss the most from home?
You know, probably that weather.
You know, I'm from Southern California.
And, you know, it's-- The view from here is killer.
You can't beat it looking out the window.
But you do miss that sunshine...
...the wind blowing on your face and all that.
I think I'm looking forward to that.
Even though Houston is not the most pleasant place this time of year...
...but it will be nice to get back...
...feel some of that Earth climate.
And I'm looking forward to some pizza and a big fat bacon cheeseburger.
[CAST LAUGHING]
But floating around, you know, you can't beat it.
[CAST LAUGHING & CHATTERING]
We don't get paid big bucks, but we get to have fun.
CUOCO: It's awesome.
GALECKI: Wow.
So you guys are shooting now, I guess.
And how long does that go on for you?
Till about mid-April.
Once you come back and get settled, you'll have to come over to a tape night.
I would love to do that.
You know, my parents live in Anaheim...
...so I'm sure I'll be out there relatively soon.
They can't come.
Just you.
We have limited seating.
Sorry.
You know, the connection with Earth is still there for you...
...and with our modern technology now...
...we're able to call home, e-mail, and do things like this.
We don't always get to do this all the time, but this is another way...
...to stay in contact with people.
Normally we do it with our families.
This was a bit different doing it with the cast
of The Big Bang Theory.
It's important because it keeps you in touch with what's happening...
...because you do really feel like you're off the planet.
NAYYAR: Do you get to watch the show up in space?
I haven't seen any since I've been here.
You know, we get some things shot up here...
...and like right now, it's nice.
They're streaming some ESPN...
...so we can watch the football.
So it's nice that football season started again.
But we do get some shows and movies sent up every now and then.
They take good care of us.
We were talking with him, it was cool.
He said, "Come here, I'll show you something."
- He brought the laptop around.
- I'm gonna float you on over...
...see if we can give you a view out the window.
And he opened the window and he put the camera and we saw Earth.
And when you see something like that...
ACABA: I'm in the Jap Module...
...and they've got a couple of windows.
And it's a pretty nice view out this one.
- There's an alien out there.
- Yeah.
- You don't have to open the window, just-- - Oh, come on.
- No, no, no.
- Oh, he is opening something.
- Oh, my God.
- No.
GALECKI: Wow.
RAUCH: This is unbelievable.
HELBERG: We were there looking at Earth...
...from Earth and I think all of our minds sort of melted a little bit and...
Yeah.
There was tears in a lot of eyes.
It was amazing.
It really was.
It really-- It was mind-blowing.
- When you think about it, it really was insane.
- Yeah.
Seeing where we are from that distance, live...
I started weeping because I couldn't believe it.
No.
That was amazing, I have to say.
Difficult to wrap your mind around.
ACABA: You're looking at the beautiful blue planet.
We're over a bunch of water...
...not too thick.
But the view is always good.
And then you can see some of the solar panels that are out there.
GALECKI: Wow.
Thank you so much.
NAYYAR: That was beautiful.
GALECKI: That is breathtaking.
What's funny is as he turned his camera around where he was...
...all-- Everyone-- All the crew, all the writers were like behind the--
Trying to look and there was, like, 200 people...
...like, they couldn't believe, you know.
It was supposed to be us, they're all, "We wanna see."
And he saw, like, all these people staring at him.
No one wanted to miss out on this...
...because that's not something you do every day.
NAYYAR: We're gonna get the crew to say hi.
CUOCO: People wanna say hi.
GALECKI: Wanna say hi.
BIALIK: A lot of people.
Ha-ha-ha.
Hey.
So good to see everybody.
- I wanna float like that.
- Close the window.
- Bye.
Bye.
- Thank you.
That was awesome.
That's awesome.
- Get home safe.
ACABA: Thank you, guys, very much.
You made the end of my expedition one I'll never forget.
So I really appreciate it.
[ALL CLAPPING & CHEERING]
One of the benefits of being in space so you get to speak to people...
...who you'd love to speak to but don't always get a chance.
But it's also for his mental well-being to get a chance to do this.
It's really a boost to morale.
So everyone here was serving their country today...
...by doing this little event.
The folks, they're like family, Joe.
I do hope you get a chance.
Make sure you come and visit.
GALECKI: Yes, please.
HELBERG: Please come.
It's like an extended family for us here.
HELBERG: We'll drink each other's pee.
CUOCO: You'll feel right at home.
Yeah, it's just wonderful.
Yeah, so...
You guys opened it up.
I will definitely be there and I'll take you up on that.
We set out to make a show that would make people laugh.
But I think somehow as a by-product of that, a lot more happened...
...and it's really fun to be living in the moment and enjoying this ride.
MASSIMINO: That was really cool.
HELBERG: Awesome.
Bye, Joe.
RAUCH: Bye, Joe.
CUOCO: We Skyped with space.
ACABA: Have a great day.
- I really appreciate all of you taking the time.
MAN 1: Thanks, Mass.
WOMAN: Thank you, Mike.
MAN 2: That was awesome.
HELBERG: That was amazing.
CUOCO: That was really amazing.
MAN 3: He's still there.