Best movies like The 21st Century Race For Space
Could commercial spaceflight companies eventually make us a space-faring civilization?
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The 21st Century Race For Space Starring Brian Cox, Richard Branson, and more. If you liked The 21st Century Race For Space then you may also like: 3022, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Queen of Blood, Red Planet, Robinson Crusoe on Mars 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.
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?
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Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet
In 2020, after the colonization of the moon, the spaceships Vega, Sirius and Capella are launched from Lunar Station 7. They are to explore Venus under the command of Professor Hartman, but an asteroid collides and explodes Capella. The leader ship Vega stays orbiting and sends the astronauts Kern and Sherman with the robot John to the surface of Venus, but they have problems with communication with Dr. Marsha Evans in Vega. The Sirius lands in Venus and Commander Brendan Lockhart, Andre Ferneau and Hans Walter explore the planet and are attacked by prehistoric animals. They use a vehicle to seek Kern and Sherman while collecting samples from the planet. Meanwhile John helps the two cosmonauts to survive in the hostile land.
Queen of Blood
A spaceship is sent to Mars after a alien distress signal is picked up. They find one survivor, but when a crew member is found drained of blood it's evident they have rescued a bloodsucking monster.
Red Planet
Astronauts search for solutions to save a dying Earth by searching on Mars, only to have the mission go terribly awry.
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Stranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.
Rocketship X-M
Astronauts blast off to explore the moon on Rocketship X-M or "Rocketship eXploration Moon". A spacecraft malfunction and some fuel miscalculations cause them to end up landing on Mars. On Mars, evidence of a once powerful civilization is found. The scientists determined that an atomic war destroyed most of the Martians. Those that survived reverted to a caveman like existence.
The American Astronaut
Samual Curtis's first mission in this bizarre science fiction musical comedy requires him to take a cat to a saloon on an asteroid. There, he meets his former dance partner (the Blueberry Pirate) and collects his payment: a device capable of producing a Real Live Girl. Including music by alternative rock group The Billy Nayer Show, this film began life as a live show with a loyal following.
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.
Conquest of Space
A team of American astronauts leave their space station on the first mission to Mars, but the captain's religious beliefs may get in the way.
The Martian
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
The Midnight Sky
A lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
Planet of the Vampires
After landing on a mysterious planet, a team of astronauts begin to turn on each other, swayed by the uncertain influence of the planet and its strange inhabitants.
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun
A planet is discovered in the same orbit as Earth's but is located on the exact opposite side of the sun, making it not visible from Earth. The European Space Exploration Council decide to send American astronaut Glenn Ross and British scientist John Kane via spaceship to explore the other planet.
Europa Report
A crew of international astronauts are sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon.
Flight To Mars
Four scientists and a newsman crash land on Mars and meet martians who act friendly.
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.
Love
After losing contact with Earth, Astronaut Lee Miller becomes stranded in orbit alone aboard the International Space Station. As time passes and life support systems dwindle, Lee battles to maintain his sanity - and simply stay alive. His world is a claustrophobic and lonely existence, until he makes a strange discovery aboard the ship.
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
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.
A.I. Rising
On a lonely mission to Alpha Centauri, Milutin is teamed up with Nimani 1345, a female cyborg designed to fulfill his every need. At first thrilled to be able to control her, Sebastian grows tired of having his desires fulfilled so easily. Longing for human intimacy, Sebastian alters Nimani's programmed responses, but in doing so he risks the mission's security — and his own life.
Star Command
A bunch of young and impulsive space cadets make their first real flight in space and realize that the attack they suffered wasn't a training mission. They face the Enemy alone and have the chance to save the world, and maybe to prevent the war? Can the cadets conquer the more experienced, stronger and much more evil enemy? (Written by Peter 'grin' Gervai )
The Wizard of Mars
In 1974, four astronauts, silver shoe-clad Dorothy, overweight Doc, goofy Charlie, and wooden Steve, crash land on Mars when taking readings, with only four days of supplies. They must try to survive on the surface, which is barren except for some canals with huge maggots with fins. After embarking through a golden igneous cavern, braving a storm and finding an unmanned Earth vessel, they discover a golden road which leads them to the unchanging ruins of what was once a beautiful Martian city. The Martians are modeled on the Flatheads of Oz, and their collective consciousness, the "Wizard," forbids them to leave until they perform a very small task...
Murder in Space
Set in the "not-so-distant future", the crew of an international space station are set to return triumphantly to Earth, until someone starts killing the other crew members.
Aurora
In the 22nd century, seven explorers set out on a mission to earth's nearest sister planet, AURORA. Their mission - to survey and explore for future colonization. When their ship suddenly malfunctions, the crew is forced to crash land on the planet's surface, where crippling heat, poisonous water, and fierce storms threaten their lives at every turn. With a handful of supplies and little hope of rescue, their only option is a grueling four hundred mile trek to their ship's lost supply bunkers. To survive, the men will have to push their endurance to the limit and entrust their lives to a leader who will risk everything to succeed, no matter what the consequences.
The Last Scout
In 2065, the crew of the Pegasus are searching for a new home for humanity. As they approach their potential new world, the discovery of another ship could be the key to their salvation, or doom them and the rest of humanity to extinction.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Kids in Space
The Magic School Bus kids blast into orbit - and onto the International Space Station - only to find themselves on the run from a giant tardigrade.
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.
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.
Approaching the Unknown
Captain William Stanaforth is on a one-way solo mission to take the first steps in colonising Mars. Like all pioneers throughout history, Stanaforth will face insurmountable odds and life and death decisions as he rockets bravely through space.
Astronaut: The Last Push
When a tragic accident cuts short the first manned mission to explore life on the moons of Jupiter, Michael Forrest must make the 3 year journey home to Earth in pure solitude
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.
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.
G-Loc
With Earth virtually destroyed, Bran Marshall flees to Rhea, a nearby planet now hostile towards "Earthers". Escaping onto a Rhean supply ship, he finds the crew slaughtered, with the only survivor a female warrior named Ohsha. As the two try to kill one another, the ship is damaged by meteorites. Bran and Ohsha must join forces to salvage the craft before it impacts the planet below — and the humans that live there.
Assassinaut
Assassinaut is a science-fiction adventure film about a young girl who braves the alien wilderness of a faraway planet to save the President of Earth from a murderous astronaut.
Paradox Alice
In the near future, a team is sent on a dangerous mission to Europa to retrieve and bring water back to a dying Earth. Their operation unexpectedly goes awry, jeopardizing not only the lives of those on board but also on earth, resulting in the possible extinction of the human race.
Return to Space
The inspirational rise of SpaceX as well as Elon Musk's two-decade effort to resurrect America’s space travel ambitions.
Space 1999
A moonbase crew fights for survival in the aftermath of a massive explosion that shifts the moon from its orbit into space.
3022
A group of astronauts living in the haunting emptiness of deep space struggle to cope after Earth suffers an extinction-level event.