Today's Space Exploration Day is all about the stars, distant planets and astronauts. I took a look at the longest journeys in these science fiction films.
Today is space exploration day. So I've been scouring my Netflix account and my DVD collection for the best sci-fi films with the longest journeys into the infinite expanses. But simply listing a few sci-fi classics would be boring. That's why I've chosen the journey of the spaceships as a starting point. Please fasten your seatbelts and hold on tight - because we're travelling to infinity and much, much further.
Ascension (2014)
Distance: 0 kilometres
Director: Mairzee Almas, Nick Copus, Robert Lieberman, Vincenzo Natali and Stephen Williams
The story of the Canadian-US-American mini-series mainly takes place on the spaceship. The tragic death of a young woman affects all the passengers, giving the plot a dramatic twist that makes the programme exciting even for non-space fans.
Gravity (2013)
Distance: 600 kilometres above the earth
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Seven-time Oscar winner "Gravity" impresses with its wonderful visuals, thrilling moments and a heartbreaking story about the tough fight for survival in an inhumane environment. Because no matter how loudly Dr Stone and Kowalski call for help, no one can hear them scream in space.
Moon (2009)
Distance: approx. 384,400 kilometres, moon
Director: Duncan Jones
Sam Rockwell delivers a masterful performance in the science fiction thriller "Moon". As Sam Bell, the American actor gives what is probably his most convincing performance and manages to touch even the most hardened of us with his multiple roles.
The Martian - Save Mark Watney (2015)
Distance: approx. 228 million kilometres, Mars
Director: Ridley Scott
Pure nerve-wracking cinema! Watney's rescue mesmerises and drives me crazy until the very last second. Well-implemented special effects and an eerily real, inhuman environment as well as a main character who is simply endearingly human are proof that Ridley Scott delivers great cinema with "The Martian".
Interstellar (2014)
Distance: approx. 1658 million kilometres, Saturn 57.6
Director: Christopher Nolan
A small note: the journey continues after the wormhole at Saturn. But the distance to the planets explored by Cooper is unknown. I have therefore only included the distance to Saturn.
Alien - The uncanny creature from an alien world (1979)
Distance: approx. 39 light years, LV-426
Director: Ridley Scott
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Distance: approx. 4000 light years
Director: Edward James Olmos, Michael Rymer, Robert M. Young, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Rod Hardy and Michael Nankin
The series from 2004 focuses on the coexistence of people in a confined space, all with the same goal: to survive! Plus a pinch of paranoia, politics and religion. Like the remake, the original "Battlestar Galactica" from 1978 focuses on good science fiction effects, action-packed scenes, social problems and moral decisions. Something for everyone!
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Distance: approx. 70,000 light years, gamma quadrant
Director: Peter Lauritson, Steve Oster, Hans Beimler, René Echevarria, Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Peter Allan Fields
In contrast to the usually utopian vision of the future in "Star Trek", seven seasons about the Deep Space Nine space station show present-day problems such as social inequality, racism, poverty and war. Unlike the Enterprise, the USS Defiant is a warship and flies combat missions in the Gamma Quadrant.
The spin-off was a complete success in the USA, but was only shown in the afternoon programme in German-speaking countries. In Germany, the hype surrounding the Deep Space Nine crew didn't quite take off, with only die-hard fans being able to avoid the programme.
I spend my everyday life with writing, eating, sports and sleeping - and in between a lot of humour. I love the summer, ice cream, chocolate, sunsets and walking barefoot. Traveling, exploring new worlds and experiencing adventures. And nothing beats a good pizza with good friends to a good movie.
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The moon, Mars and Saturn were once just dots in the sky for me, but now the planets have taken on a new meaning for me. I took a look at the most famous space journeys in Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters and I have to admit that I'm somehow fascinated. Sure, when Captain Picard blathers on about inertial dampers on board the Enterprise, it doesn't interest me much. But technology isn't everything in space. Because there are people and aliens on board the spaceships who are venturing into previously unseen expanses and pursuing their curiosity. Who's to say that captivating stories can't be told? Admittedly, I wasn't blown away by all of them, because what exactly is going on in "Interstellar" - don't hold it against me - God knows. I mean, is love quantifiable in space and time or not? Why am I actually asking myself that?
At first glance, the "Ascension" looks like a luxury cruise ship that only accommodates the upper echelons of society. In reality, however, it is an interstellar generation spaceship that was sent into space by the US government in the 1960s with the mission of finding a new planet for humanity. The participants in the mission, which is supposed to last around 100 years, come from all generations and those who have left will never arrive. But halfway through their journey, a gruesome murder occurs and throws all the fellow travellers off course...
Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are terrified when an accident occurs during a routine trip on Stone's first space mission and the two are suddenly left to fend for themselves in outer space, connected only by a cable. It would actually be Kowalski's last mission before retirement. No matter how many times he has floated weightlessly in the sky in his astronaut suit, he is always amazed by the world from above. But suddenly even the most beautiful view is no longer of any use, as the connection to Earth has been severed and any hope of rescue is lost.
Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is the man in the moon. In the distant future, mankind is running out of energy sources and around 70% of the energy is generated on the moon. Bell is stationed there, where he is due to be replaced after three years and can then return to his family on Earth. But shortly before his departure, a terrible accident occurs and the only man on the moon is rescued by his own clone. Together, Bell number 1 and Bell number 2 discover more clones and begin to realise that the promise of a return to Earth was probably fictitious.
Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is part of a Mars expedition that has to be cancelled due to a dangerous sandstorm. Astronaut Watney goes down in the storm and is declared dead. Although he is not. He wakes up abandoned on a planet that, in addition to vast amounts of red sand, has incredible mountain ranges and impressive canyons. Admittedly, Mars is not exactly a feast for the eyes, and yet Watney manages to make his way through an environment that was not actually intended for humans.
Humanity is on the brink of extinction. Food is so scarce that our species doesn't have long to live. Matthew McConaughey, as engineer and former NASA pilot Cooper, sets off on a secret mission in search of a new planet. A wormhole near Saturn is supposed to provide the solution. Together with the daughter of scientist Brand (Michael Caine), the father of the family sets off into the great unknown, because the theory doesn't quite tell them what awaits them in reality. Wormholes are unexplored territory, and nobody really knows what lurks beyond. A fascinating journey through space and time in search of humanity's salvation begins.
Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" raises the really big questions of human history: Who are we? Where do we come from? And why do we have the right to live? The endless expanse of space and the almost unsettling silence provide the backdrop for a film that questions our existence and makes us think. But the film is not necessarily that easy to follow. Don't be ashamed if you don't understand the whole spectacle of time travel and other dimensions straight away - to be honest, I didn't either. If anyone can explain the ending to me, I look forward to your comment.
Blu-ray, 1979, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, English
The crew of the spaceship Nostromo is in an artificial deep sleep, but is woken up by an SOS signal from the on-board computer, which directs them to an unknown planet. There, the crew comes across an abandoned spaceship that shows traces of aliens. When Kane (John Hurt) is suddenly attacked by a baby alien and it attaches itself to his face, the captain (Tom Skerritt) nevertheless decides to take the victim on board. On board the Nostromo, the so-called facehugger escapes and there is great panic. But the facehugger is the least of the crew's problems...
The legendary "Alien" is less about the story, which, as you can see, is not exactly profound, and more about the film's presentation and atmosphere. The villains were created by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, who even had his own museum in Gruyère, and have long since achieved cult status. The film also brought us one of the greatest film heroines of all time: Ellen Ripley.
The series centres on the conflict between humans and machines: Humans have created highly developed robots, the Cylons. They serve the inhabitants of the twelve human colonies in every situation, even though no one has ever asked them whether they actually want to. The Cylons rise up against their creators, retreat into space and retaliate. On the day the Battlestar Galactica is to be taken to the museum, the Cylons attack the twelve planets inhabited by humans simultaneously. Galactica and a small fleet of spaceships manage to escape. Their destination: the legendary 13th colony called Earth.
How do I know that the journey is about 4000 light years away? The producers of the series sat down with astro-cartographers and mapped Galactica's journey on real star charts. We can also learn one thing from the series: Kobol is about 2000 light years away from Earth. In the follow-up series Caprica, it is said that the twelve colonies are also about 2000 light years away from Kobol. So Kobol is halfway between Earth and the colonies. We also know from Caprica that the Colonies, Kobol, Earth and the Lagoon Nebula lie in a straight line, even if that sounds rather strange astronomically.
Unlike the original "Star Trek" series, the spin-off programme "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" is set on a space station. Close to the planet Bajor, Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) runs the Deep Space Nine station, which is intended for space exploration and to protect the nearby planet. The station has also been strategically placed to become the administrative and political control point of a nearby wormhole. This allows any spaceship to travel into the Gamma Quadrant. There, the Dominion rules, new dangers lurk, new diplomatic missions and new allies await.
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) is sent to the remote planet Naboo with his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). The planet, normally ruled peacefully by Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman), is at war because the Trade Federation is blockading the kingdom. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to mediate peace and help the queen negotiate a truce. Unfortunately, peaceful talks do not materialise and the three fly together to the desert planet Tatooine. Pursued by the Sith Lord Darth Maul (Ray Park), they meet nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who soon turns out to be a powerful child. Jedi Master Qui-Gon quickly realises that he has found the predisposition to the Force in Anakin.
With "Star Wars" from 1977, director George Lucas provided the template for something really big. Further masterpieces followed with the two subsequent films in 1980 and 1983, but fans had to wait a while for further instalments of the success story. It was not until 16 years later that the long-awaited new instalment followed with "Episode I - The Phantom Menace". Even if fans and critics today agree that the so-called prequel trilogy is not the best film of all time, this is where the story of the Skywalker family begins. That's why this film finds a place in my list, because chronologically the galaxy far, far away is captured on celluloid here for the first time.
One look at the stars and it becomes clear that the universe is endless. At least for us normal people, it seems impossible to ever set foot in the vastness of space. And that's exactly why we just throw ourselves in front of the TV and let others climb into the spaceship for us. Because the adventures far above the clouds are always thrilling. Tell us in the comments which is your favourite space flick and help us decorate our Galaxy movie night. Have a safe journey - and may the Force be with you.
