Aliens, trips to Mars, suspended animation: we may have only seen them on the big screen, but it’s all possible - according to someone who’s actually been in orbit.
When it comes to space, most of us only experience the cosmos at the cinema - whether it’s watching Sandra Bullock hurtle through the blackness of space, or Matt Damon grow potatoes on Mars. But for US astronaut Steve Smith, space isn’t science fiction: it’s real life.
A four-time spaceflight veteran with over 40 hours of spacewalking under his belt, Steve has flown aboard both the Space Shuttle Atlantis and Discovery, helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope, and spent decades advancing NASA missions.
Of course, there’s one other way us non-space-suited folk can get closer to the rest of our galaxy, and that’s at Florida’s legendary Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - launch site of the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and Artemis missions - which also happens to be where Steve gives passionate talks to lucky guests, inspiring the next generation of explorers. It’s where we’re sitting down with the celebrated astronaut for an exclusive chat, as he gives us his astronaut-approved movie recs - which include everything from Hidden Figures, to Interstellar and Star Trek. And while Hollywood often takes creative liberties, Steve says, “Any space movie is good for us - even if it’s not completely accurate. It brings attention to what we’re doing.”
However, some are more realistic than others - and even surprisingly true to the experience of exploring space, he shares with us. So which ones are the most realistic? From the likelihood of real aliens to how we’ll actually travel to Mars and what it really takes to be an astronaut, here’s his expert verdict on the most realistic space movies, ever…
Passengers (2016)
“The idea of people sleeping enroute to Mars is something we’re genuinely looking into. Because the trip is so long, we might need a solution like that. We may be 40 years away from being able to actually put someone to sleep for that duration, but it’s a very interesting concept. The rest of the storyline - where someone wakes up another person, the drama, and the swimming pool scene where there’s gravity loss and a tidal wave inside the station - those parts are, of course, fictional.”
“I tell people: a trip to Mars is a two year round trip. So how are we going to deal with the psychology of people being stuck in a spaceship, staring out a window and just seeing stars the whole time? That’s going to get boring fast. We either have to go faster - which is probably the route we’ll take - or figure out some kind of suspended animation. We don’t know yet… but a lot of things that once sounded crazy have turned out to be true!”
The Martian (2015)
“For me, the best movie to talk about in detail is The Martian. I love that movie. It’s my favourite recent one - but only the first 80%... the final part gets a bit far-fetched.”
“I’ve been to Mars myself - well, in simulation - so I appreciated what they did with the movie. A crew member is stranded on Mars, and the team back on the ship heading to Earth turns around to save him. That part isn’t really possible, but it’s a great story. And then when he launches himself on a rocket and pokes a hole in his glove to steer - it’s just not possible. You wouldn’t want to do that.”
“But, the first 80% of the movie is realistic. It’s the environment: the rocks, the wind, the sand, the solar rays, the human structures that they build and how they’ve organised their equipment. The uniforms, the lighting, the attention to astronaut psychology. The way they send messages to Earth and their families. Mission Control’s reaction when they realise he’s still alive - that was portrayed really well. And how everyone came together, even internationally, to work on a solution. That spirit is true to life. The Martian also did a nice job of showing how desolate and far away Mars is from Earth.”
“But there’s one thing I didn’t buy: I don’t believe they would have kept it a secret from the crew that Matt Damon’s character was alive! That’s not how we operate - we’re very open with each other.”
Gravity (2013)
![Gravity - Official Main Trailer [2K HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OiTiKOy59o4/maxresdefault.jpg)
“Gravity, with Sandra Bullock, visually, is incredible. The graphics are stunning: the Hubble Space Telescope, the station, her suit, the Russian spacecraft - those were all very accurate. But some of the things she did in the movie just aren’t possible. Like, when she transfers between spacecrafts. I remember thinking, ‘That’s a bit far-fetched.’ And the scene where she’s floating and tries to save George Clooney - travelling through space using your suit like that isn’t possible either. Still, I’d call the movie half and half when it comes to nonfiction realism, but with fictionalised elements.”
Top Gun (1986)
“Top Gun really resonated with me - The Right Stuff inspired me to become an astronaut, with its depiction of the space world and Top Gun inspired me when it comes to the world of aviation. It was about the team, the uniforms, the shared language, the specialised equipment, the speed, the sense of adventure - not sitting at a desk. After I saw Top Gun, I remember driving home in my 1966 Corvette. We didn’t have DVDs or anything then, but that day, the theme song came on the radio - ‘Highway to the Danger Zone’ - and I drove a little too fast around a corner. I almost crashed! But it really inspired me.”
“NASA is a paramilitary organisation in some ways, and I couldn't join the military, so for me, joining NASA was a way to experience that world. After all, we fly fast aircrafts, we wear uniforms, we use the same processes to deal with danger: thorough training; checklists. We have a chain of command - commander, pilot, mission specialists. We talk to each other in a precise, efficient way, especially under pressure, like during spacewalks. We have mission patches we help design. It really does feel like a paramilitary experience.”
Apollo 13 (1995)
“Apollo 13 is very accurate - that and The Right Stuff are highly regarded in the space community because they depict real events. For example, Apollo 13 shows NASA’s Mission Control, which at the time was almost entirely male. Now it’s 50/50 - completely different - and there’s no smoking in Mission Control anymore, which you see in the film! Those older movies really got the atmosphere and details of the time right.”
“It’s about personality too - if you look at Apollo 13, Jim Lovell in the spacecraft and Gene Kranz on the ground - those were real people, and I think the movie did a fantastic job of showing their bravery, optimism, and creativity in a crisis.”
“Yes, lots of people are technically qualified to be astronauts. But NASA’s selection process also focuses on soft skills. I think we had 18,000 applicants one year, and we picked fewer than ten. We look for people who have dealt with danger, who are good communicators, and who can live in a tin can for six months; team players - people who know when to lead and when to follow. Empathy matters. That’s what it comes down to when you're choosing between equally qualified candidates.”
Contact (1997)
“I loved Contact, with Jodie Foster. Again, the first half was the strongest, in terms of accuracy. It explores the possibility of other life out there, which I do believe in. When I ask guests at Kennedy Space Center if they think there’s life elsewhere in the universe, 90% raise their hands - and I agree with them. With trillions of galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars, it just seems statistically impossible that we’re alone.”
Steve Smith is a retired NASA astronaut and an ambassador for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the US space programme, offering a full day or more of fun, inspiration, and educational activities.
Single-day admission is $75 per adult/$65 per child plus tax, and the two-day ticket is $89 per adult/$79 per child. Located just 45 minutes from Orlando, Florida, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is open daily at 9am, with closing times varying by season.
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