This year probably the most romantic brand in the history of mankind, NASA, the American aerospace agency, has turned 60. The Soviet Union was the first to launch the satellite and the pilot into orbit. Moreover, American astronauts still get to the ISS on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. However, for most people around the world, the dream of space exploration is connected to these four Latin letters. Their magical power is so great that such clothing manufacturers as H&M and Hernon Preston teamed up with NASA to launch special collections. The genre of space films still remains extremely popular although these days people prefer to look at the screens of their smartphones than at the starry sky. There were enough failures in the history of NASA – the end of the Apollo program, the Challenger disaster and the end of the Space Shuttle program. However, the power of the myth around the agency has always been there helping NASA to regain its strength after each failure. A history spanning for sixty years of going beyond the limits of gravity certainly deserved a cinematic panegyric. This documentary turned out, perhaps, a little straightforward. This is understandable since this feature was supposed to be a heroic saga. From the first steps on the moon to flying beyond the solar system, from the exploration of terrestrial oceans to long-gone lakes on Mars - this is not a history of some bureaucratic organization. The story of NASA is our common best and our wildest aspiration. It is particularly gratifying that in this work Russia received a well-deserved but non-mandatory acknowledgment.
Before the film, Vitaly Egorov, a popularizer of astronautics, will talk about problems and challenges of modern space programs. He will also discuss the future of the industry and new frontiers of space exploration.
Anthropologist Denis Sivkov will discuss the prospects for space exploration as seen by humanity and ordinary people.