Best movies like Return to Space

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Return to Space Starring Elon Musk, Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken, James Bridenstine, and more. If you liked Return to Space then you may also like: Unidentified Flying Oddball, Red Planet, RocketMan, The Challenger, Countdown and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

The inspirational rise of SpaceX as well as Elon Musk's two-decade effort to resurrect America’s space travel ambitions.

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Unidentified Flying Oddball

A NASA spacecraft proves Einstein right when, traveling faster than light, it ends up near King Arthur's Camelot. On board are big-hearted Tom Trimble and Hermes, the look-alike robot he built. Tom immediately makes friends with pretty Alisande while becoming enemies with the evil knight Sir Mordred. It seems Mordred has joined up with the Sorcerer Merlin and they are both up to no good. It is now up to Tom to try and use 20th century technology to foil their plans.

Red Planet

Astronauts search for solutions to save a dying Earth by searching on Mars, only to have the mission go terribly awry.

RocketMan

Fred Z. Randall is geeky and obnoxious spacecraft designer, who gets the chance to make his dream come true and travel to Mars as a member of the first manned flight there.

The Challenger

When the space shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, it was the most shocking event in the history of American spaceflight. The deaths of seven astronauts, including the first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe, were watched live on television by millions of viewers. But what was more shocking was that the cause of the disaster might never be uncovered. The Challenger is the story of how Richard Feynman, one of America's most famous scientists, helped to discover the cause of a tragedy that stunned America.

Countdown

Desperate to land a man on the moon before Russia does, NASA hastily preps a would-be spaceman for a mission that would leave him alone in a lunar shelter for a year.

Life

The six-member crew of the International Space Station is tasked with studying a sample from Mars that may be the first proof of extra-terrestrial life, which proves more intelligent than ever expected.

Geostorm

After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world's leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong: the system built to protect Earth is attacking it, and it becomes a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone along with it.

Moonfall

A mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it.

Destination Moon

Postulates the first manned trip to the moon, happening in the (then) near future, and being funded by a consortium of private backers. Assorted difficulties occur and must be overcome in-flight. Attempted to be realistic, with Robert A. Heinlein providing advice.

Europa Report

A crew of international astronauts are sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon.

Gravity

Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first Shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The Shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone-tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness of space. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

Hangar 18

During a Space Shuttle mission a satellite rams a unidentified flying object. The UFO afterwards performs an emergency landing in the deserts of Arizona. However the White House denies its existence because of the near presidential elections. The UFO is brought to the secret Hangar 18 and the accident is blamed on the incompetence of the astronauts Bancroff and Price. But the two fight against this and try to hunt down the UFO.

Astronaut

A lonely widower battles his family, ill health and time to win a competition for a golden ticket to space.

Look Both Ways

On the eve of her college graduation, Natalie's life diverges into two parallel realities: one in which she becomes pregnant and must navigate motherhood as a young adult in her Texas hometown, the other in which she moves to LA to pursue her career. In both journeys throughout her twenties, Natalie experiences life-changing love, devastating heartbreak and rediscovers herself.

Marooned

After spending several months in an orbiting lab, three astronauts prepare to return to Earth only to find their de-orbit thrusters won't activate. After initially thinking they might have to abandon them in orbit, NASA decides to launch a daring rescue. Their plans are complicated by a Hurricane headed towards the launch site—and a shrinking air supply in the astronauts' capsule.

Moon Zero Two

On the Moon in the year 2021, a former-astronaut-turned-salvager helps a millionaire space industrialist capture a 6000-ton sapphire asteroid, while also assisting a woman in finding her missing miner/prospector brother

Space Cowboys

Frank Corvin, ‘Hawk’ Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill and ‘Tank’ Sullivan were hotdog members of Project Daedalus, the Air Force's test program for space travel, but their hopes were dashed in 1958 with the formation of NASA and the use of trained chimps. They blackmail their way into orbit when Russia's mysterious ‘Ikon’ communications satellite's orbit begins to degrade and threatens to crash to Earth.

Space Station 3D

Some 220 miles above Earth lies the International Space Station, a one-of-a-kind outer space laboratory that 16 nations came together to build. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary structure in this spectacular IMAX film. Viewers will blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia for this incredible journey -- IMAX's first-ever space film. Tom Cruise narrates.

SpaceCamp

Andie Bergstrom, an astronaut eagerly awaiting her first trip to space, runs a summer camp for teenagers with her NASA-employed husband, Zach. One night during an engine test, Andie and four teenage campers are accidentally shot into space. Together, the group -- which includes Kathryn, a pilot-in-training, and Tish, a ditz with a perfect memory -- must work together to operate the spacecraft and return home.

Passengers

A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.

Moontrap

The Space Shuttle returns to earth, but some of the equipment brought back on it begins to behave strangely. Scientists are unsure what is happening, and decide to take all necessary precautions.

Magellan

After NASA picks up a trio of mysterious signals from within our own solar system, astronaut Roger Nelson is dispatched on a multi-year solo mission aboard the Magellan spacecraft to investigate the sources.

Mutiny in Outer Space

An expedition to the lunar ice caves contracts a deadly moon-fungus. Stopping en route they contaminate a space station with the fungus, which soon begins to take over the entire place.

Trapped in Space

After an accident during a routine trip to Venus, a spaceship has only enough oxygen left for three people... out of five on board.

Rocket's Red Glare

A troubled 17-year-old Todd Baker restores a Mercury Redstone rocket as a science project with the help of his ex-astronaut grandfather. When a NASA emergency leaves a space shuttle and its crew in danger, Todd's rocket is the only one ready for immediate launch.

Walking on Air

A young paraplegic wants to escape the bonds of gravity by going into outer space.

Moonbase

The most dangerous criminals in the universe escape from the Off-World Penitentiary and stow away to the quiet Moonbase Waste Disposal Plant. Hidden beneath the lunar surface lies an arsenal of nuclear warheads- the inmates' passport home to earth. Moonbase Commander John Russell launches a desperate fight to save his crew from a force capable of laying waste to an entire planet.

Earthstorm

A massive asteroid impact on the moon begins causing storms on earth due to the sudden changes in ocean tides. But when further examination is conducted it's discovered that the moon's structure is now entirely unstable -- threatening all life on earth. With time running out, a team of scientists turn to one man, demolitions expert John Redding, in effort to find a solution and secure the moon.

Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land

Starflight One, a commercial aircraft that can whisk passengers around the globe in a matter of hours, embarks on its maiden voyage. The trip goes horribly awry, however, when the aircraft is forced out of the atmosphere and into outer space. As it is too dangerous to attempt reentry, Captain Cody Briggs, his passengers and his crew brave declining levels of oxygen while NASA scientists scramble to launch a rescue mission in a race against time.

The Beyond

Set in 2019, The Beyond chronicles the groundbreaking mission which sent astronauts - modified with advanced robotics, through a newly discovered wormhole known as the Void. When the mission returns unexpectedly, the space agency races to discover what the astronauts encountered on their first of its kind interstellar space journey.

Threshold

Alien seeds hitch a ride to earth in a space shuttle crew and begin to grow. When their numbers reach the Threshold amount they will be an unstoppable swarm.

Space Dogs

Belka, the amazing flying dog is unexpectedly hurdled into the streets of Moscow when the rocket she is in malfunctions during one of her circus routines. Fortunately the crash leads her to meet a streetwise dog named Strelka and her irredeemable rat friend Venya. Together with other amusing friends found along the way, the three find themselves in a space program-training center where they get sent away in a rocket, leaving planet Earth...

MARS: Inside SpaceX

The inside story of SpaceX's plan to get humanity to Mars, providing an unprecedented glimpse into one of the world's most revolutionary companies. A behind-the-scenes journey with Elon Musk and his engineers as they persevere amidst both disheartening setbacks and huge triumphs to advance the space industry faster than we ever thought possible.

Hubble's Cosmic Journey

This is your window into the universe… Hubble was launched in April 1990 on board Space Shuttle Discovery. Its release into orbit over 500km above the Earth marked the birth of one of humanity’s biggest dreams; to place a telescope into space, high above the obscuring effects of the atmosphere, to gain the clearest view of the cosmos we could hope to see. But in the months which followed it was clear that the dream had turned into a nightmare, as Hubble’s mirror was found to have a flaw. Three years of heartache and huge human resolve followed, to mount a rescue mission to fix the flaw. The results were breath taking and produced the most complete view of the Universe we’ve ever had. This is the story of the men and women who conceived, built, fixed and operated Hubble – the most celebrated science instrument in history.

NASA & SpaceX: Journey to the Future

A film crew was granted unprecedented access to NASA and to SpaceX headquarters, giving viewers a rare glimpse inside Launch Control and firsthand accounts from SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk, Bridentstine and the astronauts flying the mission: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

A Year in Space

Follow astronaut Scott Kelly's 12-month mission on the International Space Station, from launch to landing, as NASA charts the effects of long-duration spaceflight by comparing him to his identical twin on Earth, astronaut Mark Kelly.

Shuttle Discovery's Last Mission

With more than 27 years of service, the space shuttle Discovery has clocked more time in space than any other shuttle. She has flown more than 148 million miles, and has become one of the most storied spacecraft in American history. Join us as we celebrate her remarkable past and follow her final flight: to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It's an emotionally charged mission full of logistical challenges. Discovery is a robust, but very fragile aircraft, and getting her to D.C. in one piece will require some innovative engineering.

Space Shuttle: The Final Mission

In the last month of the space shuttle programme, Kevin Fong is granted extraordinary access to the astronauts and ground crew as they prepare for their final mission. He is in mission control as the astronauts go through their final launch simulation, and he flies with the last shuttle commander as he undertakes his last practice landing flight. Kevin also gains privileged access to the shuttle itself, visiting the launchpad in the company of the astronaut who will guide the final flight from mission control.

The 21st Century Race For Space

A new age of space exploration, and exploitation, is dawning. But surprisingly, some of the boldest efforts at putting humans into space are now those of private companies started by a handful of maverick billionaire businessmen. Beyond mass space travel, and even space mining and manufacturing, the dream of Elon Musk and others is true space exploration. His company, SpaceX, already delivers supplies to the International Space Station, and their next step is delivering astronauts too. But their true ambition is to ensure the survival of the human race by crossing our solar system and colonizing Mars in the next decade. Could commercial spaceflight companies eventually make us a space-faring civilization?

One Under the Sun

Astronaut Kathryn Voss, sole survivor of a disastrous space shuttle mission, is a distraught mother desperate to reunite with her terminally ill daughter but becomes a wanted fugitive after discovering she possesses an extraordinary gift.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

Man's landing on the moon was our greatest technological achievement. The Apollo 11 mission was truly the stuff of dreams. For the first time, our species walked on another celestial body. Even more remarkable was their ability to make it back. This is the story of the July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 moon landing. Drama with digitally remastered original footage.

Houston, We've Got a Problem

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

The Astronaut

An elaborate deception emerges when an American astronaut is lost on a mission to Mars. Space agency officials fearful of losing public support and government funding decide to cover up the accident by employing an exact double for the lost astronaut. The ruse begins to unravel when the wife of the lost astronaut realizes she is living with a different man. Although angered by the deception, the woman has fallen in love with the replacement and plans to keep the secret. They both have a change of heart and decide to reveal the secret when they discover a new Mars mission is underway.

A Smile as Big as the Moon

Mike Kersjes is a special-education teacher and football coach in Michigan. Mike doesn’t talk down to his "special" students. He respects them, and he believes they’re capable of achieving great things. When Mike hears about Space Camp, a competitive education program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, he gets an idea. Even though the program is designed for gifted science students, Mike decides participating in the summer program would do wonders for the self-esteem of his young students, one in particular who wants to be an astronaut.

Stowaway to the Moon

E.J. Mackernutt, Jr., an 11-year-old boy who has always been fascinated by space and astronauts, sneaks into Cape Kennedy and becomes a stowaway on a spaceship scheduled for a lunar landing. After he is discovered, NASA at first cancels the landing, but E.J. and the astronauts convince them to go forward with it. Problems arise when one of the astronauts is incapacitated by illness and the other two are stranded on the moon's surface, but E.J. is able to command the space capsule and save the day.

Project Moon Base

In the future (1970) the US sends a mission to the moon to investigate the building of a moon base.

The Science of Interstellar

Matthew McConaughey narrates a fascinating look at Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film "Interstellar," including scientific foundations, the work of consulting Scientist Kip Thorne, basic film themes, the science behind the search for planets capable of hosting life, space-time and the theory of relativity, the science of wormholes and black holes, crafting the film's visuals based on real scientific observation, the birth of the universe, the Dust Bowl and the evolution of dust as a toxin, the likelihood of future dust storms, the prospects of escaping a dying or doomed planet and the possibilities of colonizing Mars.

Apollo 11

A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin.

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