Summer Blockbusters: Industry Leaders Rank Their Favorite Space Movies

Space has always been a huge part of popular culture. In fact, some of the highest-grossing movies like "Star Wars" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" have space at the heart. The expanse of space provides the perfect backdrop for emotive storytelling. No matter what age we are, space fascinates us. It engages with the dreamer inside us as we look beyond our world.

This summer, Via Satellite went out to well-known names in the satellite industry to ask what their favorite space movies are and the reasons why. Grab your popcorn and read about the movies that have struck a chord with some of the biggest names in the industry. After all, who better to talk about space movies then people that spend every day immersed in satellites and space. Hopefully you'll find some inspiration for your next movie night!

Awais Ahmed, CEO, Pixxel

Contact

“Contact” blends scientific exploration very nicely with some profound philosophical questions about humanity's place in the universe. It’s compelling narrative, powerful performances, and the exploration of the tension between faith and reason while showcasing the wonder and potential of interstellar communication. Also because I am personally fascinated with the Fermi paradox.

Peter Beck, CEO, Rocket Lab

Lost in Space (series)

It’s fascinating and fun to watch how Hollywood portrayed space at a time when it wasn’t as well explored or understood as it is now, and compare it with what we know today.

Marc Bell, CEO, Terran Orbital

The Fifth Element

As a video/audiophile, I found the quality of the audio and video superb. The Diva Song was one of the best-quality audio tracks of its time. Your computer speaker can’t do it justice. Albanian opera singer Inva Mula-Tchako did most of the voice-over, but they used technology to create notes humans can't actually reach. It was very cool.

Eva Berneke, CEO, Eutelsat

Star Wars

“Star Wars” is totally my go-to space classic. But I have added “The Martian,” though I like the book better than the film as it is actually trying to do a bit more background, and “Dune” to my favorites.

Don Claussen, CEO, ST Engineering iDirect

Interstellar

“Interstellar” is my choice because the story involves interesting scientific theories such as black hole time dilation and multi-dimensional time/space travel, which outside of the context of the movie, could be hard to contemplate. It weaves these theories into a complex story that is easy to digest even though it takes place across many different time horizons, due to a great script and phenomenal acting.

Theresa Condor, COO, Spire Global

Contact

“Contact” has a strong female scientist lead character loosely based on a real person, themes of religion, science, and belief that are still relevant today, and a story written by Carl Sagan. It is a film that can be appreciated by a broad audience even if they are not into science fiction or space.

Mark Dankberg, CEO, Viasat

2001: A Space Odyssey

It’s Arthur C Clarke. It is a classic and set a standard. It made a big impression on me seeing it as a kid. I also really liked “Arrival.”

Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium

Galaxy Quest

It is a constantly hilarious send up of Star Trek and the convention culture that sprang up after it, and has an amazing cast. While I love movies that take a serious look at our future in space, I hope the future includes laughing as hard as I do to this movie.

Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.

Star Wars

“Star Wars” has a brilliant musical score by John Williams. I played French Horn growing up, and the score had some fantastic, strong horn parts, building up excitement, tension, fear, strength, power, mystery, joy.

And the characters! Innovative, lovable, clever, flawed, ever-so-human. What a motley crew! They created their own strong community, realizing that they needed each other to be successful, and proving that diverse teams create better, more innovative solutions. Together, they made the impossible … possible.

Tina Ghataore, CEO, Aerospacelab North America

Apollo 13

As I watched the movie three times, I was in awe of the technology of the day that realized this great feat of going to the moon. The thrill, the risk, and the countless individuals that made this a reality. Of course with some Hollywood effects. “Hidden Figures” was a very close second for me. The struggle of brilliant women to be recognized for their contributions, brilliant as they may be continued in our aerospace industry.

Michelle Lucas, Founder and CEO, Higher Orbits Foundation

The Right Stuff

I love this movie because when I was a youngster inspired by space, this was one of the first movies that was available for me to watch about early days of the space program with the Mercury Program. The amazing flying of airplanes with Chuck Yeager and the space stuff with the Mercury 7… I couldn’t get enough of the movie! I nearly wore out the two VHS tape set that we had.

Per Norén, CEO, Ovzon

Apollo 13

I love “Apollo 13.” The movie maker Ron Howard went to great lengths to create a technically accurate movie, employing NASA's assistance in astronaut and flight-controller training for his cast and obtaining permission to film scenes aboard a reduced-gravity aircraft for realistic depiction of the weightlessness experienced by the astronauts in space. It showcases the art of true engineering and science in combination with creativity to solve problems with technology coupled with agile and fast decision making and practical implementation of solutions for a critical mission. It was a true inspiration!

Nobu Okada, CEO, Astroscale

Gravity

There are many reasons why I like “Gravity” — its visual brilliance, compelling story of adversity, survival, and cooperation. On top of that, it delivers a powerful scene about the dangers of space debris.

Rachelle Radpour, CTO, Boeing Satellite Systems International

2001: A Space Odyssey

My first reaction is "2001 A Space Odyssey." It was one of the first films involving space that I had seen and it captured the essence of it with the slow, dark scenes. What would HAL think of Alexa? “I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do….”

Mark Rigolle, CEO, ABS

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is quintessentially British humor. Its wit and cleverness are unmatched. The towel gag, the improbability drive, and the bureaucratic bypass are just a few examples of its brilliance. One gem from the movie: “Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”

Nicole Robinson, President, DataPath

The Martian

It’s a bit of a wink at the scrappiness of the New Space community – whether a startup looking to inject new capabilities, or long-standing industry giants looking to reinvent themselves, there’s an energy of creativity, speed and mission-purpose. In “The Martian,” you have a stranded astronaut left for dead that not only survives for years but thrives on his own cleverness and ingenuity. When times get tough, the tough create — or in this case, grow space potatoes!

Roger Tong, CEO, Asiasat

Star Trek (the series)

My most favorite one is the “Star Trek” original series in the 1960s. I can still remember a few of the opening statements: “Space: the final frontier. To boldly go where no man has gone before.” It is obviously not for their special effects, but the storyline and the message raised the interest of a whole generation to space.

David Wajsgras, CEO, Intelsat

Apollo 13

The movie represents such a significant, historical event. The intensity of the moment keeps us in constant suspense and, at times, quite emotional. The entire experience serves as a compelling case study in teamwork and perseverance in solving, what at times is seemingly an unsolvable situation. VS