‘A Girl and an Astronaut’ Ending Explained: What Happened to Niko in Space?

Space is still the ultimate frontier. Our oceans are still mostly unknown, and we know more about space than the depths of our seas, but there is one important difference. The fact is that space is just so much bigger, and the possibilities are just so endless. Because of it, pursuing space exploration has always been on humans’ minds. A Girl and an Astronaut, a new Netflix Polish TV series, mixes that sense of adventure with a love story that survives space and time.

The series tells the story of Marta, a young woman who ended up falling in love with two daring test pilots who would soon become astronauts. However, when one of them, Niko, disappears into space, her broken heart only finds solace in the arms of her one remaining love interest, Bogdan. However, everything changes when, 30 years after his disappearance, Niko comes back, and he is exactly the same as when he departed 30 years before. Sadly, the series wastes this great setup with pointless flashbacks and useless secondary characters that only fill up time.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for A Girl and an Astronaut. Read at your own risk.

What Happened To Niko In Space?

The series begins with the introduction of our three main characters. First, Marta, who in both timelines, mainly serves as the object of desire for both main characters. The writers try to approach Marta as a nuanced and complex character, but there is just so little about her that she probably works better as an audience’s surrogate than anything else. Do you want two handsome men fighting for your love? Then follow this blank page of a character and imagine that it is you. It worked for Twilight, so why not?

Niko is introduced as brave, jovial, and quite charming. He is the typical character who doesn’t waste too much energy doing things, yet he does them the best. This is why he is the one chosen for the mission that will change his life. The series spends a lot of time showing us just how charming Niko is, and it almost begins to idealize in very forced ways. He is just human, but everyone around him loves him so much that poor Niko feels a bit artificial.

Bogdan, on the other hand, is equally talented, but his personality is more abrasive. Marta finds him lovable in a weird sort of way. He doesn’t really manage to be charming, but you can see that he is a good person. It makes sense for Marta to have fallen into his hands after Niko disappears. Marta keeps always saying that he loves both of them equally, but it is clear that she is lying. In the end, Marta chooses to be with Niko, and just moments before he embarks on his mission, Marta declares that she loves him.

When Niko reappears, it seems that something in space kept him as young and healthy as he was when he departed, which is completely impossible, at least at this point in the story.

What Was The True Nature Of Niko’s Mission?

The mystery of what really happened to Niko is not revealed until very late in the season. Most of the season is focused on the love story, but many different supporting characters are not doing much. However, once this is true, the return of Niko means that he has become an important scientific discovery. The fact that he was able to go to space, remain there for 30 years, and then come back, as young as he was the moment he left, could be an incredible achievement, especially when it comes to future space exploration.

It is revealed that what happened to Niko was on purpose. You see, the main scientist in charge of the project was looking for a cure for a girl called Nadia. The girl had a strange condition, and she was doomed not to be able to walk or move completely in the future. So, the scientist thought there might be a way to put her in hibernation, so she could wake up when there would be a cure for her condition. However, before trying to do something like that one here, there had to be other tests, one of them being Niko.

The entire desk of higher-ups in the projects was on it. The company that financed the launch was also interested in creating the technology that would allow astronauts to travel through space for long periods, thanks to hibernation. And so, Niko’s life was sacrificed in the name of progress and money. What should have been a hibernation of 24 hours got extended to 30 years. The scientist would die and never see Niko come back from space, but at least his technology was successful.

Marta escapes with young Niko, and together, they spend a lot of time having sex. Marta is angry with Bogdan, her husband because he lied about Niko being dead when, in reality, he could say something like that and be completely certain. In the end, Niko seems to be captured by the authorities, and Marta seems to be ready to take her own life. It is a very confusing and weird ending, but all hints point in that direction as she says goodbye to the camera.