15 Cosmic Triumphs: Documentaries About Outer Space

Premise:Celebrated astronomer Carl Sagan (who passed in 1996) wrote and presented this classic 13-part series that explores the science of the universe - and humankind's place in it.

Why It’s Out Of This World:First released on PBS in 1980, Cosmos attracted 600 million viewersand remains one of the most beloved and widely watched science documentaries of all time.

Part of its appeal is that it breathtakingly ties together the cosmos and human history. Although it's clear that humans are just a small speck in the vast universe, Sagan nonetheless puts humanity at the heart of his story, reminding viewers that human bodies share the same organic material as other parts of the universe.

As an expert science communicator, he also takes a poetic stance when considering the wonders of the universe, noting, “It makes good sense to revere the sun and the stars because we are their children.”

Premise:Humans have never been to Mars - but robots have. Expedition Marsfollows two NASA rovers that landed on Mars and explored the enigmatic terrain.

Why It’s Out Of This World:In 2004, NASA launched twin rovers Spirit and Opportunityon a 90-day mission to Mars. They collected information that has given scientists incredible insight into what the Red Planet is actually like. Among the discoveries: Mars was wet at one time and could have potentially supported life.

Alas, the rovers would never get a hero's homecoming. NASA left both of them on the planet, and they continued to communicate with Earth over the course of several years. Spirit went silent in 2010, while Opportunity kept going until 2018.

Premise:NASA's Apollo program - which sent astronauts to the moon - ended in 1972. Yet it lives on in this documentary, which uses original, archival footage from all of the Apollo missions between 1968 and 1972.

Why It’s Out Of This World: For All Mankindtells the story of the Apollo missions from the 24 astronauts who lived them. Director Al Reinert accessed a treasure troveof photographs and video footage - 6 million feet of film - that the astronauts made while on the moon. He also conducted 80 hours of interviews with them to learn their stories and get context when necessary.

Premise:Released in 2008, the entire documentary is a kind of visual thought experiment: What would it be like to travel to the edge of the universe?

Why It’s Out Of This World:Humans haven't traveled into deep space, but that doesn't mean we haven't wondered what it would be like. Fortunately, we have images from tools like super-powered telescopes to show glimpses of the universe beyond our little corner.

Journey to the Edge of the Universeuses this information to craft a simulated trip past what they may recognize - such as the moon and our solar system's planets - to faraway galaxies.

It's important to note that scientists still have more questions than answers about the universe. The edge of it may not have some physical boundaryHumans might only see the limit of what they can observe.

Premise:Stephen Hawking, the late physicist and cosmologist, wrote this three-part series. It looks at big questions: Can we time travel? Does alien life exist? How did the universe form?

Why It’s Out Of This World:Name a cosmologist, and most people will mention Hawking. As a scientist in the public eye, he helped non-experts grasp the universe's complex details.

Hawking asks no question to be too small.The film discusses whether aliens exist.He accepts the chance of aliens. Still, he warns, “If aliens visit us, the result will be like when Columbus landed in America; it did not end well for the Native Americans.”

Premise: Journey to Space, narrated by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation, updates space exploration's present and future. It focuses on how scientists find new details about deep space, far beyond human reach.

Why It’s Out Of This World:A big selling point is Journey to SpaceThe film uses images. Presented in IMAX 3D, it uses restored, high-definition footage of NASA's major launches. The story itself is still compelling.Justin Chang wrote inVariety:

The appeal of Journey to SpaceThe image of space—sun flares up close, a nebula shot—looks great. But these visuals are not the main draw. The film remains engaging in 2D or on a smaller screen.

The innovations that drove space travel, and the people who made them, are the main focus.

Premise:The documentary shows scientists searching for signs of life elsewhere in the universe.

Why It’s Out Of This World:Earthlings not being alone is not new. The film shows how Carl Sagan, the respected astronomer behind the classic PBS showCosmos, helped create a “Golden Record”of music and language to send to space for aliens to find.

The Search for Life in SpaceThis IMAX feature uses high-definition images from space telescopes.

Premise:Humans landed on the moon in 1969. Many think the next step is a planet: Mars. This documentary looks at how soon we might reach the red planet.

Why It’s Out Of This World:The documentary shows science world celebrities like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, but the real subjects are regular people: teenagers in Space Camp, an education program focused on new ideas. These young adults are the "Mars Generation," as the film suggests they will be the first group to travel to Earth's neighbor.

This documentary interests viewers because it covers more than just outer space; it also addresses real human concerns, hopes, and dreams.Kayla Cobb wrote this in Decider.Michael Barnett's documentary shows a space where kids pursuing their academic interests passionately get praise.

Premise:The film covers NASA's Apollo 11 mission, the first manned trip to the moon. On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong famously walked on the moon.

Why It’s Out Of This World:There is good reason for this.Apollo 11Received many awards after its 2019 release. The documentary works well because it uses old footage to tell the mission story. Sources include photos, audio, and 70mm film that, sinceit was never catalogedhad nearly been forgotten over time.

Director Todd Douglas Miller skipped a voice-over narration. Instead, the footage speaks for itself. Filmmakers restored the photos and new film, making the images "as vivid and fresh as the day they were taken."NPR's Monica Castillo says this..

Premise:The world has great tools to explore the universe, like the James Webb Space Telescope. Launched in 2021, it offers a clearer,far-reaching view into the universeto study the origins of the galaxy. The documentary explores how the telescope could find "Planet B," a possible Earth-like planet somewhere in the universe.

Why It’s Out Of This World:Finding life on other planets sounds like science fiction. ButThe Hunt for Planet Bshowsthat scientists—including NASA staff—ask serious questions.that scientists—including those at NASA—ponder.

Although the film focuses on space exploration, it offers a great view of the humans at the project's core.IndieWire's Eric Kohn states this., it "cherishes the humanity of its characters above all."

Premise:What are black holes? That is the main question at the heart ofBlack Holes: The Edge of All We Know, a documentary that looks at what scientists have found about the phenomena.

Why It’s Out Of This World:The film does not just cover the search for black holes. It also includes the story of the first black hole photograph scientists took in 2019,the result of a huge effort.

Black Holes: The Edge of All We KnowThe film shows late Stephen Hawking working with other scientists. Director Peter Galison found showing science as a team sport important.He explained toThe Guardian:

I wanted to show how central, how vital, how productive collaborations can be. This applies to small theory work or the much larger observational side. We need to see the human teamwork that lets people find new things.

Premise:What does “infinity” mean? What does it look like? This Netflix documentary features global experts exploring these and other mind-bending issues.

Why It’s Out Of This World:No one said studying space was easy, butA Trip to InfinityThis takes it to a new level. Mathematics forms the core of space study, so does the idea of infinity. Does it exist? Is the universe infinite?

Viewers struggle with these complex concepts even though the documentary breaks them down.The film earned a reputationIt is too out-of-this-world.

Premise:Actor Nichelle Nichols is best known for playing Nyota Uhura on the TV seriesStar Trekduring its 1960s run. She did more than play a space officer; she was also a key, real-life ally for NASA and young women interested in science.

Why It’s Out Of This World: Woman in MotionThis captures how Nichols used her fame for good. Disappointed by NASA's lack of diversity, she committed to helping the organization attract women and people of color afterStar TrekStar Trek completed its three-season run. Her work helped NASA's recruitment programApplicants grew from 1,500 to 8,000..

The documentary uses Nichols' own words. Besides an interview, it shares the 400-page report she wrote for NASA about her recruitment efforts.Director Todd Thompson told Space.com:

Luckily, when Nichols finished her mission [for NASA], she had to make a final report. That report was about 400 pages long, and we got it. It felt like having the world's encyclopedia because everything was in that document.

That report guided us on which topics to cover, who she worked with, and where she went. It guided our story and who we would contact.

Premise:On January 28, 1986, NASA launched the space shuttleChallenger. Just 73 seconds after takeoff, an explosion ripped it apart, killing everyone aboard. This four-part documentary miniseries, made by JJ Abrams, explores theChallenger's story from start to fiery end.

Why It’s Out Of This World:The disaster remains one of NASA's darkest days. This documentary focuses on people, featuring interviews with the families of the seven crew members who died.Producer Glen Zipper told The Guardian:

Plenty of other Challenger documentaries and books exist. Scripted versions also exist. But no one told the story from the astronauts' viewpoint. No one told the story from the families' viewpoint.ChallengerOther documentaries and books cover the Challenger story. Scripted versions exist. But no one told the story from the astronauts' perspective. No one told the story from the families' perspective.

Premise:SpaceX launched its manned spacecraft Falcon 1 in 2020.Return to SpaceReturn to Space shows the challenges engineers faced building it. It also shows what Falcon 1 aimed to achieve.

Why It’s Out Of This World:What's so special about Falcon 1? According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the rocket is reusable, an innovation that might open up the possibility of more space travel in humankind's future.

Some critics attacked the documentary, calling it what IndieWire called “an exasperating two-hour commercialThe film also got criticism for downplayingNASA's role in launching Falcon 1 and real worries about SpaceX's environmental impact.the role NASA had in launching Falcon 1, as well as legitimate concerns over SpaceX's environmental footprint.