It’s almost time to return to space. Not the galaxy that you might be familiar with, but the alternate reality of Apple TV+’s acclaimed series For All Mankind, which returns for a fourth season in November. The show, from Golden Globe nominee and Emmy Award winner Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica) and Emmy Award nominees Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert is back, bringing the astronauts and ground crews of NASA, the Soviet Space Program, and even Helios, into the 21st Century, where new missions — and old rivalries — await.

It’s an exciting return for what might be the best science fiction show around, but for those who aren’t familiar with For All Mankind, or those who just want to know what to expect from this new season, here’s the mission brief.

What is For All Mankind about?

The series is an alternate history of the space race, with the diverging point from reality coming when the Soviet space program is the first to land a man on the moon, coming months before Neil Armstrong’s real-life historic footfall on the lunar surface. As a result, space becomes the new focus of the Cold War, with both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. putting new focus on their space programs — leading to missions to not only take control of the moon, but also to journey further… including manned missions to Mars.

Each season of the show ends with a time jump to set up what comes next; the first season, which takes place primarily in the early 1970s, ends with a scene set in 1983. The second season, set in the mid-1980s, ends with a scene from 1995, which is the time period of the third season. That season ends with a glimpse into 2003, which is when the new season will begin.

What is For All Mankind Season 4 about?

The official description of the season from Apple TV+ sets up an appropriately tense atmosphere:

“Rocketing into the new millennium in the eight years since Season 3, Happy Valley has rapidly expanded its footprint on Mars by turning former foes into partners. Now 2003, the focus of the space program has turned to the capture and mining of extremely valuable, mineral-rich asteroids that could change the future of both Earth and Mars. But simmering tensions between the residents of the now-sprawling international base threaten to undo everything they are working towards.”

Who is in the For All Mankind cast?

Despite its time jumps, For All Mankind has a relatively stable cast, with Joel Kinnaman (astronaut Ed Baldwin), Wrenn Schmidt (engineer and later NASA administrator Margo Madison), Krys Marshall (astronaut Danielle Poole), Coral Peña (engineer Aleida Rosales), and newcomers Eli Gathegi (tech bro Dav Ayesa) and Cynthy Wu (Kelly Baldwin, scientist) all returning for the fourth season.

They’ll be joined by new series regulars Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, Daniel Stern and Svetlana Efremova.

Is there a For All Mankind Season 4 trailer?

Yes, there is, in the form of a recruitment video from Helios, the private space agency founded by Ayesa that was introduced in season 3.

Are there For All Mankind Season 4 teaser images?

You betcha — including the chance to see some of the new cast for the first time. Click through the gallery below.

For All Mankind Season 4 begins November 10, with new episodes being added weekly to Apple TV+ until a season finale January 12, 2024. The three earlier seasons are already available to be binged (or re-binged, perhaps).

While you’re awaiting the blast-off of For All Mankind’s new season, let’s revisit the response to another Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso in its final season.