Who'll Own the FedEx of Space? 'Return To Space' Dares Us To Ask
Oscar-winning filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin like their documentaries to have stakes—insurmountable, death-defying stakes. Sometimes the stakes are physical and immediate, like dangling off the side of a mountain 3,300 feet in the air. They can also be heart-wrenching, like attempting to rescue a group of young boys trapped inside an underwater cave. "We love stories about people and humans trying to achieve impossible goals and then being able to examine the why of it," Chin told me during a recent Zoom chat.
There are astronomical stakes at work in the couple's latest project too, but the topic is more political than their previous explorations. Return to Space, which is now available to stream on Netflix, documents the development and launching of SpaceX's Falcon 9—the first American-made, reusable rocket to successfully transport astronauts to the International Space Station since the space shuttle program folded its wings for good in 2011.
Adrenaline pumps through Return to Space—Americans launching into orbit on their own rockets is indeed a monumental beginning of a new era. The access granted to Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi makes for an incredible viewing experience, as does the filmmakers' masterful handling of the emotional side of the story. But this remarkable new phase of history is also polarizing because billionaires are involved, and the ego battle responsible for our collective renewed interest in space is laughably uninspiring compared to the Cold War angst that powered the Apollo missions to the moon back in 1968.
Many intelligent people are asking critical questions about the billionaire space era, including former deputy NASA administrator Lori Garver, who features prominently throughout Return to Space and is credited with forging NASA's partnership with the private sector. In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Garver raises the most urgent and obvious issue: Why is NASA so focused on getting to Mars when it could use its powers to put out the fire we started on our own planet instead?
Return to Space never fully addresses this question. It takes the answer Musk gives about needing to "extend the light of consciousness and become an interplanetary species" at face value. The documentary's larger objective, of exploring the humanity behind the Falcon launch, is captured incredibly, however. To watch the work is to feel blown away—both by the incredible effort required to create a reusable rocket for an affordable price and Elon Musk displaying real human emotion.
Still, I had questions. So I called up Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi to discuss the film. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
ESQUIRE: Talk to me about how this project came to light.
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi: We've always been obsessed with this story. It had all the ingredients of the films we are most interested in. In terms of something that is seemingly impossible, that pushes human ingenuity and the frontier of our experience, as well as characters who are complicated and driven. I also think we wanted to make this film because it is marking the beginning of a new relationship between humans and space, and we wanted to document that for our kids.
Jimmy Chin: Yeah, so people have an understanding now and down the road of why we embarked on this new era of space travel. We also just love stories about people and humans trying to achieve impossible goals and then being able to examine the why of it, which I think will give insight into exactly what we're talking about when we discuss this new era of space travel.
ESQ: But was this something that you guys arrived at independently or did someone reach out to you?
ECV: No, we were not reached out to. We had this idea and had been talking to Netflix about it for a while and just decided to go for it.
ESQ: One of the most touching parts of the documentary to me was the astronauts' marriages. (Both Bob and Doug, central figures in the film, are married to astronauts who have also made repeated trips to the ISS and beyond).
JC: There's risk calculations that are very objective, but then there's also more subjective risk calculations around your family. Is this worth it? Is it not worth it? How does it impact the people around you when you make these decisions? Space is something that we love to examine, because it tells us a lot about us as humans.
ESQ: A noticeable portion of the documentary is devoted to helping viewers understand the historical context of this new era of the space race and the justifications for the private/public model that prevailed. What was the intention behind this portion? Was it political?
ECV: The political intention was to try to raise the questions that are inherent in the privatization of space, right? There are a lot of ethical questions that, kind of like big tech, our government will be slow to catch up to. Our relationship to space is real. We're on Zoom. Satellites are making this conversation possible. This is a concrete achievement that happened: U.S. astronauts, on a U.S. rocket, from U.S. soil for the first time in nine years. It was also a collaboration between a private company and NASA.
The political part of it was just saying, "Listen, there are questions here, and this is happening now. Let's try to get into it, and let's remember what the intentions were of the people who started it." Doug and Bob were chosen because they bring institutional knowledge of the real human risk. Doug flew the last shuttle mission. They were both present when the Challenger exploded. Those are the eyes that are helping to develop the new rocket.
ESQ: The documentary briefly discusses the concerns some people have about eccentric billionaires being involved in NASA’s space exploration. You guys met Elon Musk in person. What was it like dealing with such a large personality?
ECV: Well, space is his best look, right? He's totally authentic. He does think about consciousness. He does get visibly happy the moment you mention Spaceballs. But, it's important that we acknowledge all the complications and the complexity of his character. I will say this, in terms of this billionaire space race, we were trying very hard to clarify what that is. Billionaires have been playing in space for a while, from Paul Allen, to Richard Branson. But, Elon is a totally different deal. I would maybe consider going on a Falcon. I would never consider any of those other rockets.
ESQ: Really? Say more!
ECV: Blue Origin is an elevator to space, whereas, SpaceX regularly launches four rockets a week. They've had multiple failures to learn from. It's on a different dimension than the other private sector attempts right now. But Elon, yeah, he's a totally eccentric character. Our experience was quite positive because he's talking about something that he loves most in his life.
JC: We all know that he has a brilliant mind, and is a visionary. But we still approached him like we approach a lot of characters. They're all human beings. They all have feelings. They all have dreams, intentions, ideas, about why they do what they do. In that way, it was like exploring any other character.
ESQ: What are you hoping viewers take away from Return to Space?
JC: There's something very inspirational about the story, right? It's about humans achieving this impossible goal, but it's also getting an understanding of who these people are. There's a lot of layers to what we hope the audience experiences when they watch this film. I think we're always also interested in the subtext of the bigger story.
ESQ: Which is what in this case?
ECV: It's about what connects us. Doug and Bob are interesting because they have a legacy of human loss in space exploration. Return to Space is about what makes these astronauts take those risks. What is there to gain from this?
ESQ: There are so many documentaries coming out now about the billionaire space race. Countdown, Amazon's Shatner in Space … What do you make of this proliferation?
ECV: I think it is symptomatic of our new reality. There are a lot of concerns around the privatization of space right now. There are a lot of questions that need to be asked. Our documentary is here to be like, "This is happening. You don't really have a choice. It's happening, so let's start thinking about it.” We can't wake up one day and be like, "Why does Amazon own the FedEx of space?"
You Might Also Like