NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to launch as early as February 6, putting human spaceflight to the moon back in the spotlight after a 50-plus year hiatus which may inspire future filmmakers to explore the possibilities of space travel in their own work.
In celebration of our IRL return to the drama and wonder of space, we asked 11 astronauts to share their favorite space films that capture the thrill of leaving Earth behind. Did your favorite make it?
‘The Martian’: Survival, science and teamwork on the Red Planet
“The Martian” follows an astronaut. played by Matt Damon, stranded on Mars as NASA races to save him. – Giles Keyte/20th Century Fox/Genre Films/Shutterstock
Directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from a book by Andy Weir, “The Martian” is at turns funny and perilous. Matt Damon, in the title character, portrays a stranded astronaut, alone on the Red Planet. He uses his botany and mechanical engineering skills to survive, but also the collective brain trust and courage of NASA and his fellow mission astronauts.
For Clayton C. Anderson, who spent five months aboard the International Space Station in 2007, the depiction of teamwork in “The Martian,” which also starred Jessica Chastain, hit close to home. “It shows the dedication of NASA’s workforce, working together, sometimes at huge personal sacrifice, to get the job done,” he said.
Having completed a 152-day tour of duty in orbit, Anderson knows how essential that collaboration is. “That job starts with protecting the crew, the vehicle and mission objectives, with all three defining mission success,” he said.
Dr. Kate Rubins, who logged nearly 300 days in space and became the first person to sequence DNA beyond Earth, praised the Oscar-nominated film for its scientific realism. “It does a great job of showing how biology and chemistry can be used to make what you need from what you have on hand,” she said.
Scenes in which Damon’s character must grow his own food felt especially authentic. For astronauts, resourcefulness isn’t cinematic flair — it’s mission-critical. Having to utilize what you are given is “critical during space missions, like growing food or making essential materials, instead of relying upon resupply from Earth,” Rubins added.
‘Apollo 13’: A true story of ingenuity and arguably NASA’s finest hour
A real life NASA mission to the moon turns into a dramatic struggle for survival in 1995’s “Apollo 13,” with Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon and Tom Hanks. – Moviestore/Shutterstock
That same spirit of ingenuity and teamwork is at the heart of another astronaut favorite: “Apollo 13,” the true story of the nearly ill-fated moon mission, starring Ed Harris, Bill Paxton and Tom Hanks as the mission’s commander Jim Lovell.
Four retired astronauts praised its realism, emotional impact and tribute to NASA’s professional collaborations.
Nicole Stott, who flew two space shuttle missions and spent more than 100 days aboard the International Space Station, said the best picture nominee embodied lessons she learned early in her career as a NASA engineer. “To really make things happen, we have to adopt a ‘here’s how we can, not why we can’t’ approach to everything,” she wrote via email.
The film’s attention to detail left a lasting impression on Michael Massimino, who flew multiple shuttle missions and performed spacewalks to service the Hubble Space Telescope. He said the movie, which was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2023, “paid well deserved tribute to the dedicated men and women of Mission Control.”
Others pointed to how accurately the film captured the true high stakes peril of spaceflight. “Ron Howard directed it to be as close to reality as he could, even using the real dialogue between the wounded Apollo capsule and Mission Control,” said Chris Hadfield, who commanded the ISS in 2013. “It intensely dramatizes the urgent, high-stakes, life-or-death reality of spaceflight.”
Howard “did an incredible job reflecting the real tension that both the crew and Mission Control felt during an extremely challenging scenario,” said Scott Altman who was the commander of the final two missions to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Even knowing how the story ends, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, another retired astronaut and educator who emphasizes STEM outreach, said, “it still makes me hold my breath every time I watch it.”
‘Galaxy Quest’: Finding humor and humanity in space adventure
In “Galaxy Quest,” a space TV show’s actors — played by Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tim Allen and Tony Shalhoub — become real heroes to save aliens from a warlord. – Moviestore/Shutterstock
Not every astronaut’s favorite film is grounded in realism. “Galaxy Quest,” staring Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Tim Allenigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Tim Allen, earns its place in space-lovers’ hearts by capturing camaraderie, humor and the joy of exploration — even while poking fun at sci-fi tropes.
“It might not have the verisimilitude of ‘Apollo 13,’ the gold standard for technical accuracy in a space movie, but it captures the wonder of space exploration … and it’s very funny,” Garrett Reisman, a retired astronaut who flew on Space Shuttles Endeavour, Discovery and Atlantis, said.
Stott also said she gravitates toward films that focus on relationships over physics. “The human interaction between the characters, which felt so familiar to me,” she said of 1999’s “Galaxy Quest” and another favorite of hers, 1997’s “RocketMan,” starring Harland Williams.
‘The Right Stuff’: A tribute to the pioneers who started it all
“The Right Stuff” follows the origin of US space program and the missions of original astronauts of the Mercury program. – Allstar Picture Library Limited/Alamy Stock Photo
Few films capture the daring spirit of the early space program quite like the 1983 film “The Right Stuff,” adapted from Tom Wolfe’s best-selling book of the same title. Following the journey of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, the movie — which starred “Apollo 13’s” Harris, as well as Sam Shepard and Scott Glenn — resonates with those who know what it means to push the limits.
The movie is not only Massimo’s favorite but also a turning point in his career. After seeing it as a senior in college, it “rekindled my dream of becoming an astronaut,” he said.
Warner Brothers, which distributed “The Right Stuff” and “Interstellar,” is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’: A classic that still amazes
In “2001: A Space Odyssey,” a crew travels to Jupiter after discovering a mysterious lunar artifact. – Moviestore/Shutterstock
For some astronauts, cinematic ambition matters as much as story. Leroy Chiao, who spent more than 6 months in space and commanded Expedition 10 aboard the ISS, points to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” for the visuals that were considered groundbreaking when it was released in 1968. “The way that Kubrick was able to film real-looking space scenes back then was fantastic,” said Chiao, the author of the memoir “Dinner with an Astronaut.”
He recommends reading the book, by Arthur C. Clarke, before watching the film, noting it can be difficult to follow otherwise. The payoff is worth it. “Once you understand it, wow!” he wrote in an email.
‘Interstellar’: A journey through space, time and humanity
In “Interstellar,” a former pilot, played by Matthew McConaughey, leads a team to find a new home for humanity. – Paramount/Warner Brothers/Kobal/Shutterstock
Christopher Nolan’s 2014 “Intersteller” dramatizes a dystopian scenario where the climate crisis has dwindled Earth’s food supply, necessitating a mission to find a habitable Planet B.
The movie, starring Matthew McConaughey and “Martian” star Chastain, nails both the science and emotional depth, according to Josh Cassada, who flew to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission in 2022.
Dr. Sylvain Costes, a scientist at NASA Ames research center, lauded the film for showing how, in deep space, “time becomes a resource more precious than fuel.” The film, she added, “masterfully transforms the cold equations of General Relativity into a visceral human tragedy.”
Others emphasized the film’s broader message. Michael Wong, who studies planetary atmospheres and habitability, said his brain was filled with “the grandeur of space exploration — a collective human endeavor both extremely difficult and uniquely fulfilling.” The film, he said, balanced “furthering science and art, at once.”
Caltech astro-visualizer Robert Hurt called “Interstellar” the “2001: A Space Odyssey” of our time, saying “it’s ultimately about humanity taking charge of its own future.”
‘Apollo 11’: Reliving the thrill of the moon landing
CNN’s “Apollo 11” reveals rare footage of the historic moon landing. – NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Of course, not all great space films need to rely on fiction. Terry Virts, a retired NASA astronaut, singled out the CNN documentary “Apollo 11” as a must-see.
“It has amazing newly discovered IMAX-quality footage, a great soundtrack, and when they showed the launch sequence,” Virts said, “my heart was racing faster than when I actually launched into space.”
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