Sally Ride made history in 1983 as the first American woman to fly in space — and now her story is headed to your TV screen.
Amazon has officially greenlit The Challenger, a limited series starring Kristen Stewart, based on Meredith E. Bagby’s 2023 book The New Guys.
Ride’s journey didn’t stop in orbit. She later served on the presidential commission that investigated the tragic 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which claimed seven lives.
To celebrate the news, we’re revisiting some of the best astronaut movies (both real and fictional) from over the years …
The Martian
The Martian, based on Andy Weir’s novel, follows the survival of an astronaut accidentally left behind on Mars and NASA’s race to rescue him.
Featuring a cast of stars such as Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean and Donald Glover — Ridley Scott’s comedy-drama won the 2015 Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Interstellar
Arguably Christopher Nolan‘s greatest film, Interstellar follows former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) on a mission through a wormhole to find a new home for humanity.
Beyond its star-studded cast, which includes Anne Hathaway and Timothée Chalamet, the film is about much more than space exploration. One of its most heartbreaking moments comes from watching Cooper’s daughter Murph (played as a child by Mackenzie Foy and as an adult by Jessica Chastain) grow up without her father while he’s light-years away.
Apollo 13
The 1995 film Apollo 13 not only won two Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, but it became one of the most popular astronaut films ever made.
This historical drama tells the real-life story of the 1970 mission that ended in an unsuccessful Moon landing.
Starring Tom Hanks as the mission’s captain, the film was directed by Ron Howard, who is said to have gone to great lengths to make the film both technically and historically accurate.
First Man
Most people know Neil Armstrong as the first man on the Moon, but Damien Chazelle’s 2018 film First Man explores his private life and struggles, including the loss of his daughter.
Ryan Gosling leads the cast, with Claire Foy as his supportive wife and Corey Stoll as the outspoken Buzz Aldrin.
Based on James R. Hansen’s authorized biography, the film earned an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Space Cowboys
In the 2000 drama Space Cowboys, Clint Eastwood plays a retired engineer who convinces his former test pilots to repair a malfunctioning Soviet satellite.
The film’s seasoned cast includes Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones and James Cromwell as the NASA manager who brings them out of retirement and Marcia Gay Harden as the official overseeing the mission.
Aged astronauts proved a hit with audiences, bringing in $128.9 million worldwide on a $65 million budget.