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An in depth look at the current state of the US Space Program, its past mistakes and its possible future looking forward.
Space exploration is an integral part of our future and has played a massive role in the earth’s technological advancements since its inception. From GPS to the internet, the push to further explore space and put a man on the moon has advanced countries around the world. In his directorial debut, Paul J. Hildebrandt presents us “Fight For Space,” a documentary that explores the past, present and future state of the US Space Program. The push to further explore the boundaries of human capabilities has always been at the forefront of human achievement. The ability to push beyond and explore the unknown is what drives space exploration, even if the birth of the space program was politically motivated, it has none the less improved our lives through technological advancement in an undeniable way. So what is the current state of space exploration, and what is its future? The last man to set foot on the moon was on the Apollo 17 mission and no man has returned or gone beyond since. Has the yearn for space exploration diminished over the years or does the cost and political volatility of exploring space make it too much of a risk?
The likes of Arthur C. Clarke, Issac Asimov, and even Disney, have inspired young astronauts with stories of space exploration and adventure. Unfortunately, the current reality of the US Space Program is far from glamorous. Bogged down in political red tape and spiraling costs, NASA was never created to be sustainable, it was a crisis project developed by JFK in response to the Russians’ own attempts with Sputnik and Gagarin. The launch of Sputnik really spooked the US, the thought of a Russian radio transmitter orbiting overhead forced the US to react. And react they did, with the creation of NASA following a year later and then the pledge to put a man on the moon soon after, NASA was at its peak and with unlimited funds. However this couldn’t last, NASA was a political tool of war, and once the cold war ended, the immense cost of the space program was deemed unsustainable at its current levels and scaled down to a low orbit program. Space exploration had stalled, however, the technological advancements we discovered in the process are essential to our daily lives today. Nonetheless, the Fight for space also highlights positives the space program can have on our economy, Neil deGrasse Tyson stressed that the fight for space exploration can change the outlook of a nation, much like it did in the ’60s. Paul J. Hildebrandt allows an unbiased collection of various sources, from the scientific community, to argue that case and the impact the exploration of space will have on our futures. The future of space exploration is at a critical juncture. No longer a tool to be used in the cold war, maybe we can now actually explore the scientific frontiers freely and without political limitations. With not a single scientist in any of the Apollo missions 11 – 16, it was only on Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon that a scientist was deployed.
Paul J. Hildebrandt’s “Fight For Space” is an interesting, well put together piece on the US space program and its future. The history of space exploration is fascinating and Hildebrandt has put together a clever little piece comprising of old NASA footage, interesting interviews with prominent people from the scientific community and a fantastic score by Ron Jones. The moody foreboding tones of the music combine well with the subject matter. The source material is fantastic, the interviews fascinating and the ideas and concepts for the future of space travel, inspiring. I would recommend this to anyone interested in space exploration or anyone who would like to learn more about the inception of space exploration and its benefits/negatives it has on societies.
“Fight For Space” had its World Premiere at DOC NYC on Monday, November 14th
[…] Irish Film Critic gives the film 4 out of 5 stars, and further notes, “Paul J. Hildebrandt’s “Fight For Space” is an interesting, well put together piece on the US space program and its future.” […]