The documentary incorporates imagery from the 1957 launch of Soviet Sputnik I alongside scenes that feel reminiscent of "The Outer Limits," with Mike Wallace serving as narrator, and it explores the evolution of rocketry more than the space race itself. The story traces back to the late 19th century and a Russian scientist whose work inspired the Sputnik program ("friendly traveler"). His granddaughter briefly explains some of his scientific ideas. These theories were expanded upon by American Professor Robert Goddard, who envisioned rockets as a means of escaping Earth’s gravity. Goddard's widow, also responsible for much of the impressive early footage of his rocket construction, offers an interview reflecting on the criticism he faced and suggests that German scientists were monitoring his progress. We see Dr. Oberth leading a group of enthusiasts including a young Werner von Braun, with some genuinely amusing filmed experiments included. Fortunately, Fritz Lang enlisted them as technical advisors for his 1929 film "Frau im Mond," which is where the concept of counting down to zero originated. Their “Rocket Club,” however, eventually failed. Shortly after, the Nazis took over, militarizing the rockets and sidelining space travel in favor of the V1 and V2 weapons, a focus of this section. Hitler initially abandoned the project (reportedly due to a nightmare!), but his scientists created a film to persuade him otherwise; he was greatly impressed and reversed his decision with disastrous consequences for London. Following the war, “Operation Paperclip” was initiated by the Americans in an attempt to salvage technology from damaged V2 facilities and locate key personnel involved in missile development. With Von Braun among them, over 100 people relocated to the US to advance their own guided missile program, leading to the launch of "Explorer 1" into orbit. While the documentary offers a compelling look at the advancement of powered projectiles, it falls short in delivering a narrative centered on space exploration. Though there are previously unseen images of rocketry from both the USA and USSR, including footage of “Dezik,” the first living creature to orbit Earth, the final twenty minutes largely consist of a series of rocket launch recordings accompanied by increasingly enthusiastic narration that struggles to fill the hour-long runtime. Ultimately, it leans too heavily into propaganda and comments on the US government’s hesitancy to match the financial investment and focus given to space exploration by their European counterparts.

Source on TMDB