Return to Space 2022

For the first time, the Oscar-winning directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin turn their focus skyward, documenting the inspiring ascent of SpaceX alongside Elon Musk’s two-decade-long quest to revive America’s ambitions in space travel. This compelling film provides rare insights into the very first crewed mission launched from U.S. soil since the Space Shuttle’s retirement in 2011. It offers an intimate view of the engineers and astronauts selected for this momentous event.

Set against the backdrop of 2020, when the U.S. had not sent astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) using American rockets for nine long years, Musk firmly believes that humanity must strive to become an interplanetary species. He warns that climate change, meteors, or even a potential global conflict could threaten life on Earth. Given that NASA hasn’t returned to the moon since 1972, Musk founded SpaceX with the ambition of developing a reusable rocket system that would allow humanity to expand beyond our planet.

Among the brave astronauts selected by NASA for the maiden flight of the Dragon capsule to the ISS are Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who have trained together for two decades. With safety at the forefront of his mind, Musk recalls the Challenger disaster of 1986, knowing a similar failure could devastate the U.S. space program. Bob and Doug’s deep involvement with SpaceX over the past five years included collaboration in designing the spacecraft, including its abort system.

The film captures the tension of an uncrewed demonstration of the abort system, successfully showing how the capsule can safely separate from the rocket and descend with parachutes back to Earth. Having participated in the final shuttle flight in 2011, Doug Hurley reflects on the enormous risks and costs associated with relying on Russian launches, which had set the U.S. back $82 million per astronaut.

When President Obama called for a shift toward private sector-led space exploration by 2025, aimed at a Mars landing, the response was met with resistance from Congress, with figures like Neil Armstrong opposing such drastic change. Musk found himself moved to tears by Armstrong’s testimony. SpaceX’s VP of flight reliability, Hans Koenigsmann, remembers meeting Musk at an amateur rocket meet in 2002, leading them on a journey where they ultimately constructed the Falcon rocket.

Despite early setbacks—three failed attempts at launching Falcon 1—resilience prevailed; on their fourth try, SpaceX successfully reached orbit, marking the first triumph for a private enterprise in this domain and earning Musk a $1.5 billion contract from NASA. With commercial launches and satellite deployments accelerating in frequency, the space race intensified, notably with competitors like Jeff Bezos entering the fray through Blue Origin.

Amid Musk’s perceived eccentricity—marked by unpredictable tweets and the infamous marijuana use on camera—he remained steadfast in his pursuit of reusability for rockets. After investing $350 billion since the Apollo missions and sending 350 people to space, a paradigm shift became essential. SpaceX’s engineers worked tirelessly to innovate rocket landings with the Falcon 9, eventually reducing launch costs to a remarkable $4,000 per kilogram.

As the anticipated Demo-2 launch to the ISS approached, both of Bob’s and Doug’s wives, who are also astronauts, shared in the excitement. The pressures rose as a successful static fire test took place five days prior, followed by a weather struggle that threatened launch schedules—remnants of a 2016 explosion still fresh in everyone’s minds. The superstitious practices of the SpaceX team heightened the excitement, ensuring they were ready for any eventualities.

On May 30th, with weather conditions finally improving, the crew successfully launched into space amidst the global challenges posed by COVID-19. After adjusting to life in microgravity, Bob celebrated his 50th birthday on the ISS, where they conducted critical upgrades and experiments before preparing for their return in the Dragon capsule, which executed a flawless re-entry and splashdown.

Elon’s passion for space travel, inspired by the Saturn V rocket, remains undeterred as SpaceX transitions into human launches post-80 successful flights. Looking ahead, plans to conquer Mars would necessitate a base on the moon, illustrating a bright future for interplanetary exploration. Just a year later, the very same capsule transported four astronauts to the ISS for a six-month mission, including Bob’s wife Megan, as SpaceX continues its ambitious journey with the development of the Starship aimed at lunar exploration.