Once upon a time, this was an accurate reflection of the real-life space programme: when NASA announced its first team of astronauts, dubbed the Mercury 7, in 1959, their wives were portrayed as the ‘ideal housewife’ (aka doting, domestic, loyal, prim, proper, smiling) by the world’s press.

Nowadays, though, things have changed – and for the better. In 1983, America’s first woman, Sally Ride, went into space, and Mae Jemison became the first woman of colour in space in 1992.

NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins became the 60th woman to fly in space when she launched to the International Space Station in 2016. In 2019, the first all-female spacewalk was conducted by Jessica Meir and Christina Koch. And the first woman to go to the moon, of course, is planned for 2024, as part of the Artemis program.

To quote Stylist’s Marisa Bate, these incredible women have proven wholeheartedly that “women can lead the adventure, not just be married to it.”

So it makes sense, then, that Netflix’s Away has decided to gender-flip the tired old sci-fi narrative of the patient wife sat waiting on her astronaut husband.

Watch the trailer for Away below:

Netflix’s Away is here to dismantle that tired “space wives” trope