Humanity remains fascinated by the cosmos, enjoying stories of real or fictional characters exploring the universe, deflecting asteroids headed for Earth, or making contact with alien civilizations. Unfortunately, 2024 was not the most generous year in terms of standout sci-fi premieres. Still, fans of the genre were able to enjoy some compelling films and documentaries throughout the year. Such films not only entertain us but often inspire professional development. For example, NASA aerospace engineer Kelly A. Burke credits the movie Space Camp for helping her choose her career. Similarly, Misty Snopkowski, manager of NASA’s Commercial LEO Program, recalls rushing home after school to watch Star Trek, sparking her desire to work in the space industry.

While not everyone can become an astronaut or aerospace engineer, many find that a passion for space remains an accessible and engaging way to broaden their horizons. Movies about space allow us to touch the mysteries of the universe and draw inspiration from some of humanity’s significant achievements.

Here, we present some of the most interesting feature and documentary films about space in 2024. 

Apollo 13: Survival

The Apollo 13 mission, during which three NASA astronauts narrowly escaped disaster, has been the subject of numerous documentaries. The 1995 drama, which starred the outstanding Tom Hanks as James Lovell, seemed to leave little room for other cinematic takes on this story. The film earned nine Oscar nominations and won two: one for Best Film Editing and another for Best Sound. However, director Peter Middleton decided to take another look at those events, creating a film that could itself earn a distinguished place in the genre of space cinema.

movie "Apollo 13: Survival"
NASA mission control room, from the movie “Apollo 13: Survival”, rated 7.3 on IMDb.
Source: Netflix

Apollo 13: Survival incorporates NASA archival materials, interviews, dramatic reenactments, and never-before-published home photos and videos from the family of mission commander James Lovell. The director successfully immerses the audience in the era’s atmosphere, making them witnesses to what unfolded both in space and on Earth, particularly in the mission control center. The voices of people directly involved, authentic audio recordings of communications, nervous NASA staff smoking in the background, and snippets of broadcasts from that time all come together to create a unique narrative canvas for one of the most dramatic Apollo missions.

Apollo 13: Survival does not aim to analyze the causes of the accident or draw sensational conclusions. Instead, it masterfully captures the spirit of the time and the emotions that gripped everyone invested in the mission.

Wild Wild Space

This HBO documentary series was inspired by the book When the Heavens Went on Sale by Ashlee Vance. Director Ross Kauffman drew from this work to create a documentary about three companies: Astra Space, Rocket Lab, and Planet Labs. The parallels in the film to America’s “Wild West” era are no coincidence: low Earth orbit (LEO) has become a new frontier for private companies to pursue their ambitions, enjoy the freedom of pioneers, and play by their own rules.

The Wild Wild West poster
The Wild Wild West poster. The movie rated 6.8 on IMDb.
Source: HBO Originals

Vance’s journalism not only served as the foundation for Wild Wild Space but he also appeared in the film. He appeared on-screen, co-wrote the script, and helped depict the 21st-century space race, which began with the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 in 2008, as realistically as possible. The founders of Astra Space, Rocket Lab, and Planet Labs all bet high stakes on securing their place in low Earth orbit (LEO) and launching satellite carrier rockets. However, the fiercest battles unfolded between Astra Space’s Chris Kemp and Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck. Viewers have a unique opportunity to witness their rivalry play out and explore the backstage of a new era of space exploration: commercial spaceflight.

The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth

The documentary delves into the story of the STS-107 mission, during which the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry over Texas, claiming the lives of seven astronauts. This was the second major failure for the Space Shuttle program, along with the Challenger disaster, and led to a two-year suspension. Flights only resumed after NASA implemented numerous structural and technical modifications for subsequent missions. These missions, moreover, flew exclusively to the ISS, ensuring that, in the event of a malfunction, the crew could use the station as a safe haven. The sole exception was the mission that repaired the Hubble Space Telescope.

STS-107 Columbia shuttle crew
Traditional photo of all STS-107 crew members on NASA’s website. The film The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth tells the story of their achievements and untimely demise, rated 8.4 on IMDb.
Source: NASA

The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth is a detailed account of the causes and consequences of the Columbia disaster, the reasons for which become clear through interviews with NASA personnel. Family members of the fallen astronauts share personal stories, emotions, and how the catastrophe impacted their lives. The mission was “the one that should never have happened,” according to the space agency’s chief engineer.

Solar System

This documentary is a five-part series in which Professor Brian Cox explores the planets of our Solar System, presenting them to viewers from a fresh perspective. Cox, a specialist in particle physics and a Fellow of the Royal Society, is actively involved in public and political advocacy for science. He is well-known to audiences for his work with the BBC, where he frequently hosts science programs.

In the miniseries Solar System, Cox introduces viewers to the mysterious natural phenomena that occur on the surfaces of the planets orbiting the Sun. Viewers will discover alien landscapes with volcanoes and icy mountains, see metallic frost and monsoon rains a billion kilometers from Earth, and explore some of the least-known regions of the Solar System.

Solar System episode "Volcanic Worlds"
The opening scene of the episode “Volcanic Worlds” from the documentary series Solar System, rated 9.0 on IMDb.
Source: bbcearth.com

Mars – Life on the Red Planet?

The general story of the successful landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars is well-known. However, few are aware of the challenges involved in building, launching, and landing the rover in the 45-kilometer-wide Jezero Crater as part of the Mars 2020 mission. DW Documentary decided to highlight the complex work necessary to ensure that the rover, aptly named Perseverance, could complete its mission. It has already transmitted detailed images from the surface of Mars and collected samples from the crater, which was once a river delta. Meanwhile, the attached Ingenuity helicopter made a series of historic test flights on the Red Planet. Who knows: by the end of its mission, maybe it will even find signs of ancient life.

Jezero Crater on Mars, Perseverance rover
What remains of an ancient delta in the Jezero Crater on Mars, which NASA’s Perseverance rover is exploring to look for fossilized evidence of microbes on the planet.
Source: NASA

Jupiter: The Largest Planet in our Solar System 

Jupiter is the oldest planet in the Solar System and twice as large as all the other planets combined. If Jupiter were a hollow sphere, it could easily contain 1,000 planets the size of Earth. Its magnetic field is the cause of the most spectacular auroras in the Solar System. Moreover, Galileo’s discovery of Jupiter and its four major moons changed humanity’s understanding of the universe. And this is just a small fraction of what we know about this strange planet, which NASA calls a “world of extremes.”

In this 37-minute BBC Earth Science documentary, viewers will learn about the origin of Jupiter and how it has influenced the celestial bodies that orbit the Sun.

the planet Jupiter
Image of Jupiter taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Source: NASA

Fortitude: Forging The Trillion Dollar Space Economy 

The new space age is an era of boldness and risk-taking. New pioneers are working to turn their fantastical visions of space into reality, investing billions of dollars in the process.

Director Thorsten Hoffmann tells the captivating story of how a few enthusiasts have created a space industry worth trillions of dollars. This documentary is not just about how billionaires travel to space, launch rockets, and take tourists with them, though: it also allows viewers to learn how sending satellites into space is no longer the exclusive domain of governments, how data from space is already transforming entire industries on Earth, and how seemingly utopian ideas like building private space stations with hotel rooms are already attracting investments.

film “Fortitude: Building a Trillion-Dollar Space Economy”
Fortitude: Building a Trillion-Dollar Space Economy, rated 7.8 on IMDB.
Source: rottentomatoes.com

Fortitude not only looks at major players like the USA and the UK but also highlights the work of innovation centers in places like Singapore, Israel, and Luxembourg. It shows how a few wealthy, space-obsessed Western “techies” are already having an impact on the work of farmers in India and Latin America, helping to combat climate change, and addressing the consequences of natural disasters in Africa.

The Mars

This Indian documentary series brings us one step closer to the planet Mars, exploring its past, present, and likely future. The creators of the show closely collaborated with NASA and other space agencies to recreate the most realistic picture possible of the planet and ensure the accuracy of the information. To achieve this, scientists, engineers, and astronauts from around the world were involved in the production. The combination of rigorous scientific data and stunning visual effects makes this journey across Mars especially thrilling and instills the hope that, soon, the Red Planet will become more accessible and open to human activity.

Indian documentary series "Mars"
The Indian documentary television series Mars, rated 8.8 on IMDB.
Source: imdb.com

What Is The Biggest Thing In The Universe? 

The “History of the Universe” YouTube channel regularly features videos about how our universe came to exist and has evolved over trillions of years. This time, scientist David Kelly and his brother, Peter, discuss what might be the largest thing in the vastness of space. Against this backdrop, the sense of Earth’s smallness, despite being populated by eight billion people, is particularly impactful. While the film does not feature awe-inspiring visual effects, it nevertheless offers a truly captivating story that helps viewers understand how scientists find and study massive cosmic structures.

growing voids in the Universe
The growing voids in the universe, a scene from the documentary What Is the Biggest Thing in the Universe?

Fly Me to the Moon

October 4, 1957, is officially considered the start of the Space Age, and it also marked the peak popularity of the jazz song “Fly Me to the Moon,” which lends its name to this film. Although the events depicted in the movie, which is a romantic comedy, take place later, during the 1960s, it is dedicated to the space frenzy that gripped the United States in the lead-up to the first manned lunar mission. In preparation for the mission, NASA hired the marketing specialist, Kelly Jones, played by Scarlett Johansson. Jones is tasked with creating positive images of the astronauts and ensuring that, regardless of the mission’s outcome, the agency’s reputation remains intact. However, Kelly’s vigorous efforts, especially her initiative to pre-record a staged landing in a film studio as a backup plan in case of failure, do not sit well with Cole Davis, played by Channing Tatum, the leader of the lunar mission. It is worth noting that the idea that a fake Moon landing was filmed was a bit of creative license taken by the film’s directors, not an actual event. 

film "Fly Me to the Moon"
On the set of Fly Me to the Moon, rated 6.6 on IMDb.
Source: Sony Pictures

The film wonderfully demonstrates how NASA and the U.S. government “sold” the Moon and how various brands, like Omega with their Speedmaster wristwatches–“the first watch on the Moon–became involved in the space frenzy. You can read more about this period in the first and second parts of our article series, “Marketing Space.”

For All Mankind

2024 saw the completion of filming for the fourth season of the science fiction series For All Mankind. The TV series, which began in 2019, depicts an alternate world where the space race never ended. Its title echoes the inscription “We came in peace for all mankind” on the plaque left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. What happens on-screen appears extremely realistic, but there are a few differences: in real life, the United States, not the Soviet Union, was the first to land astronauts on the Moon, and ultimately, the USSR itself dissolved, meaning one of the main participants dropped out of the space race altogether.

movie “For All Mankind”
For All Mankind, rated 8.1 on IMDb.
Source: Apple TV

The series features archival footage of astronauts, NASA engineers, and American presidents, but the main focus of the script is on the actors. The fourth season centers around a conflict over a mineral-rich asteroid that is approaching Mars. 

If you’ve already watched the previous three seasons, don’t stop now. The fourth season preserves both the dramatic and scientific aspects of previous seasons and the creators have once again crafted not only an incredibly expensive but also a truly well-crafted TV show for Apple TV. Furthermore, in the spring of 2024, the show was renewed for a fifth season.

The Three-Body Problem

Another science fiction series. This one, which premiered in 2024, was created for Netflix based on the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The plot revolves around astrophysicist Ye Wenjie, who, after the tragic death of her father during the Cultural Revolution in China, joined a secret program to study space. Her decision to respond to a signal from a distant planet leads to unforeseen consequences that threaten all of humanity.

film “The Three-Body Problem”
The Three-Body Problem, rated 7.5 on IMDB.
Source: Netflix

The plot of the film revolves around a strange game on a planet with three suns, where the main characters must solve survival challenges, adapt to a constantly changing climate, and deal with scientific and technological discoveries that are impacting society and the world. Meanwhile, the game itself may be the key to understanding why scientists around the world begin to take their own lives.