The Space Between Us (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Nathaniel Shepard decided to keep Gardner hidden to protect him from potential public backlash and safety concerns. Since Gardner was born on Mars and his father's identity was unknown, Nathaniel feared the child would face discrimination and danger if the world learned about his existence. He also believed Gardner would need risky surgery to adjust to Earth's atmosphere.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Nathaniel's decision to conceal Gardner's birth hints at his protective nature and the secrets surrounding the Mars colony.

• nathaniel shepard
• gardner secret
• mars colony
• protection

Gardner's body developed in Mars' lower gravity, causing his bones to be less dense and his heart to be enlarged to compensate for thinner atmosphere. When exposed to Earth's stronger gravity and higher atmospheric pressure, his heart couldn't pump effectively, causing dangerously high troponin levels that could lead to fatal cardiac arrest.

Foreshadowing: Nathaniel's opposition to Gardner visiting Earth foreshadows the medical dangers that later unfold.

• gardner earth survival
• heart condition
• mars gravity
• medical condition

The mysterious man in the video with Sarah was initially believed to be Gardner's father. However, at the beach house, Gardner discovers the man is actually Sarah's brother, not his biological father. This revelation devastates Gardner, as it means his father's identity remains unknown, until Nathaniel later reveals the truth.

Foreshadowing: Gardner finding the wedding ring in his mother's belongings hints at a more complicated family history.

• sarah video
• beach house
• mystery man
• gardner father

Gardner grew up never knowing his father, raised only with the scientific team on Mars after his mother Sarah died during childbirth. By discovering the video and wedding ring, he became obsessed with finding answers about his origins and identity. This desire for connection and understanding of where he came from drove his entire journey to Earth.

Foreshadowing: Gardner hacking into the robot to access his mother's belongings establishes his determination to uncover his past.

• gardner father search
• identity
• origins
• mars upbringing

Gardner connected with Tulsa through an online chatroom while still living on Mars. He was searching for information about his father online and struck up a conversation with Tulsa, a foster care teenager from Colorado. Under the impression Gardner was a wealthy penthouse resident with a medical condition, they formed a bond and made plans for him to visit her.

Foreshadowing: The online connection sets up their eventual meeting and the central relationship of the film.

• gardner tulsa meeting
• online chatroom
• foster care
• connection

To survive on Earth, Gardner underwent a medical procedure to improve his bone density, which had developed poorly in Mars' low gravity. Despite Nathaniel's opposition, Gardner chose to have the surgery and complete training, believing the risk was worth the chance to find his father and meet Tulsa.

Foreshadowing: Kendra's argument for Gardner to visit Earth foreshadows his willingness to take extreme measures.

• gardner surgery
• bone density
• mars to earth
• medical procedure

Gardner's body couldn't handle Earth's gravity after prolonged exposure. His enlarged heart, adapted for Mars' thin atmosphere, struggled to pump blood effectively under Earth's atmospheric pressure. This cardiac stress caused him to collapse, and doctors discovered carbon tubes in his bones, confirming his Martian origin.

Foreshadowing: Earlier medical evaluations at NASA had already revealed Gardner's unsuitability for Earth.

• gardner collapse
• hospital las vegas
• carbon tubes
• cardiac arrest

After Gardner collapsed at the beach house and was resuscitated by Nathaniel and Kendra, he asked about his mother Sarah. In that vulnerable moment, Gardner connected the dots and realized Nathaniel was his father. This revelation transformed their relationship, as Nathaniel had known the truth all along but kept it hidden.

Foreshadowing: Nathaniel's intense protection of Gardner and anger about the mission's secrets plant seeds of his true relationship.

• nathaniel father reveal
• gardner learns truth
• confrontation
• parentage

Gardner was saved by being launched into orbit aboard a Dream Chaser spacecraft. Removing him from Earth's gravitational pull allowed his heart to function normally again, as the reduced pressure in space restored his cardiovascular system to the conditions his Martian-adapted body could handle.

Foreshadowing: The medical crisis at the beach house creates the urgent need for the spacecraft rescue.

• dream chaser spacecraft
• orbit rescue
• earth gravity
• medical emergency

Gardner's body simply cannot survive long-term on Earth due to his Martian physiology. His heart and bones adapted to Mars' environment, making Earth's gravity and atmosphere life-threatening. While he reconciled with his father and said goodbye to Tulsa, he had to return to Mars to survive.

Foreshadowing: The entire medical arc of the film establishes that Gardner belongs in space, not on Earth.

• gardner return mars
• survival
• earth incompatible
• life on mars

After Gardner returns to Mars, Kendra decides to adopt Tulsa and offers her a path forward. Motivated by her desire to reunite with Gardner, Tulsa enrolls in NASA's training program, promising a future where she might join him on Mars or work in the space program.

Foreshadowing: Tulsa's dreams of escaping foster care and finding something greater set up her positive ending.

• tulsa adoption
• nasa training
• future reunion
• hopeful ending

The carbon tubes were a medical discovery that confirmed Gardner was born on Mars. Doctors found these structural supports in his bones, likely a side effect of Martian development or a medical intervention, that made his skeletal system fundamentally different from humans born on Earth, proving his claims of extraterrestrial birth.

Foreshadowing: This discovery happens at the Las Vegas hospital, providing crucial evidence for Tulsa to believe Gardner.

• carbon tubes bones
• medical proof
• martian anatomy
• x-ray discovery

Shaman Neka was the man who married Gardner's parents, Sarah and Nathaniel, in a ceremony on Mars. When Gardner and Tulsa tracked him down, he helped them locate the beach house from the video, providing the key clue that led to the revelation about Gardner's father.

Foreshadowing: Neka's existence confirms Gardner's parents were married, hinting at a relationship Nathaniel kept hidden.

• shaman neka
• married parents
• beach house location
• gardner origins

Nathaniel opposed Gardner's visit because he knew the medical risks were extreme. Gardner would need surgery to improve his bone density, and even then, his heart condition made survival on Earth questionable. Nathaniel's protective instincts made him refuse, though Gardner ultimately defied him and made the journey anyway.

Foreshadowing: Nathaniel's secret-keeping throughout the film reflects his desire to shield Gardner from harm.

• nathaniel opposition
• medical risks
• earth visit denied
• protection