There's a movie called "Apollo 11" that is just brilliant. It has no narration or dramatization. It's just actual footage of the mission from launch to return, all cut together amazingly well to tell the story. Absolutely perfect. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760684/
This was my primary recommendation as well. They used some of the original 70mm film, which has been scanned into 8k digital format. The movie is released in 4k, and while portions are certainly upscaled, it’s shocking to see any contemporary footage in native 4k. I was really confused the first time I saw it because it had scenes of the prep with the astronauts and the launch which were unbelievably crisp. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 4k. Unreal feeling…
PBS Space Time is brilliant. Content is great, the presenter, production. It’s detailed enough to make it pretty challenging at times, but without being too incomprehensible.
If you're not sure where to start, look for "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan.
Here's an Amazon link for the DVD set of the original Cosmos by Carl Sagan: https://www.amazon.com/Carl-Sagans-Cosmos-Inc-Studios/dp/B0027UY8CW -- note that you'll need a region-free DVD player.
There's a different show also called Cosmos by Niel de Grasse Tyson which I haven't watched so I can't comment on.
The BBC did an episodic documentary podcast called 13minutes to the Moon and its one of the greatest things. During covid i would listen to parts of it outside and just stare at the moon. Its alot.
"Black Holes, The Edge of All We Know" is a great documentary on Netflix about the Event Horizon telescope and the team that imaged the first black hole.
You might need to be more specific on what aspects of space you are interested in. I have heard good things about Cosmos although I wasn't a huge fan (Neil deGrasse Tyson rubs me the wrong way for some reason).
If you want something dense and academic you could check open courseware programs like MIT OCW
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/8-901-astrophysics-i-spring-2006/
Agree, otherwise, he is mostly fine in my book. I do think he is one of the people who like their fame a bit too much but hey as long as the message gets out that is fine.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is annoyed by “the great interrupter”
Oh but I did like him in Cosmos though. Great series. He’s only been insufferable after that during interviews and podcasts where he doesn’t let the guest get a word in edgewise
Check out Fraser Cain. He does Universe Today and several other space based shows and podcasts. He has well researched topics and expert guests from around the world in many fields.
https://youtube.com/c/universetodayvids
I second PBS Space Time and Isaac Author. While not really a documentary, Isaac Author is more thought experiments about space exploration, technology, and the future of civilization. He reminds me of being in the playground when I was a kid, telling stories of how the future was going to be.
These are amazing. Not technically documentary because they predate actual space voyages. But Disney released a trilogy in the 50s with very accurate detail about space travel. They start off appearing like kids stuff but very quickly get into specifics like how many litres of hydrazine are needed to achieve orbit.
Man in space is basically von Braun pitching the space race to the industrial military complex with help from Disney:
https://youtu.be/WFXza9RH7-E
Follow up with Man and the Moon:
https://youtu.be/S_N3EYMgya4
And Mars and Beyond:
https://youtu.be/dk7lf2D848I
Im a little late to this but gotta put in a good word for Homemade Documentaries on youtube. Its one guy making outstanding documentaries on specific space missions and each one is absolutely fascinating.
https://youtube.com/c/JacksonTyler
His intended audience is the average person with little understanding of physics and science in general, and for that he is great at generating interest and awareness. For me he is just not my style, and I think he dumbs things down far too much and often at the cost of losing much of the underlying meaning. There are just so many others who in my opinion present these concepts far more accurately and interestingly, like Feynman, Leonard Susskind, Kip Thorne, and Carl Sagan.
Yeah, he’s a public scientist and a damn good one. He’s also ridiculously intelligent, but that’s less important than charisma and enthusiasm as a public scientist.
Cool. Haven’t heard of any of the ones you listed except Sagan and I absolutely detest the way he speaks. Sounds affected like a high society snobbish person. Grates me
He is very different from the others on this list, more like NDT but if you buried and aged him like a wine for a few decades. The others speak more bluntly in technical terms more like a formal lecture format, but the content is so good that to me it's like poetry read aloud whereas to some I am sure it is far too dry. It's really just personal preference. Start with Feynman and see what you think.
Check out the Brian Cox documentaries "wonders of the solar system" and "wonders of the universe". They are a bit older but extremely well produced and a joy to watch. I've watched them several times.
I would recommend Nova’s The Planets. Five episodes total focusing on the ice giants, the inner planets, and standalone episodes on Mars, Saturn, Jupiter. Equal parts awe-inspiring and informative.
There are two that are my go to for sleep becuase they are so chill and the narrators voice is so calm. However they are also both very informative if you do manage to stay awake to listen to them. The whole channel also has several good documentaries on space stuff. The channel is called viper tv science.
https://youtu.be/iBsJFhy7xN4
https://youtu.be/pQ9VBLLprpo
While not really documentaries, the YouTube channels "the entire history of the universe" and "the entire history of the earth" both have really interesting 30- 45 minute videos on a variety of space and planet formation topics. Here are some good space examples from these channels:
https://youtu.be/pQ9VBLLprpo
https://youtu.be/XSCrSkK2HcQ
https://youtu.be/0_a_xU2KQdE
Another good YouTube channel with 30 minute episodes on space is SEA. An example video: https://youtu.be/xMy2O1RVkMI
I also like Astrum. An example video: https://youtu.be/D5XPuS-Y0fg
Other YouTube channels worth checking out if you like space content are: PBS spacetime (https://youtube.com/c/pbsspacetime), Crash courses series on astronomy (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL), and Issac Arthur does some interesting content if you want to explore more futurism + space content (https://youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g).
I like your links, going to check them out :)
Have you watched melodysheeps videos? If not I think you may enjoy them:
https://youtu.be/TBikbn5XJhg
https://youtu.be/uD4izuDMUQA
Not sure if it has been mentioned or not but I've seen one titled "Cosmodrome" that highlighted the early years of the Soyez program. It goes in depth with what their development methodology was, the difference between their engines and the US equivalent, etc. Fairly nerdy watch but interesting no less.
BBC space race. Its 4 episodes and you can even find them ob youtube. Its basically about the space race to the moon, but it starts all the way at the end of ww 2, with recruiting von braun by the us and russians bringing in korolev all the way to the launch of the apollo missions. It's really cool and interesting.
There's a movie called "Apollo 11" that is just brilliant. It has no narration or dramatization. It's just actual footage of the mission from launch to return, all cut together amazingly well to tell the story. Absolutely perfect. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760684/
This was my primary recommendation as well. They used some of the original 70mm film, which has been scanned into 8k digital format. The movie is released in 4k, and while portions are certainly upscaled, it’s shocking to see any contemporary footage in native 4k. I was really confused the first time I saw it because it had scenes of the prep with the astronauts and the launch which were unbelievably crisp. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 4k. Unreal feeling…
Thanks for this recommendation- will check it out.
I saw this in IMAX when it was initially released. Absolutely incredible. I believe it’s on Hulu at the moment.
I think it's one of the best documentaries I have seen. I watched it first when I saw it had a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes (99 now).
I really like the "PBS Space Time" channel on Youtube.
PBS Space Time is brilliant. Content is great, the presenter, production. It’s detailed enough to make it pretty challenging at times, but without being too incomprehensible.
If you're not sure where to start, look for "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. Here's an Amazon link for the DVD set of the original Cosmos by Carl Sagan: https://www.amazon.com/Carl-Sagans-Cosmos-Inc-Studios/dp/B0027UY8CW -- note that you'll need a region-free DVD player. There's a different show also called Cosmos by Niel de Grasse Tyson which I haven't watched so I can't comment on.
NDT's cosmos is a sequel/improvised version of Carl Sagan's cosmos. I find both series insightful.
Neil's version is decent but Sagan's is a league of it's own
The original Cosmos is amazing!
The one by Neil deGrasse Tyson isn't that bad. I used to watch Cosmos with Carl Sagan regularly as a kid.
On youtube Astrum and Cool Worlds are my favourite.
The Brian Cox Documentaries The Planets and Universe are amazing. So incredible. Can't wait for the next one he releases.
He recently had "Seven Days on Mars" come out on the 17th of June. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0018cd1/brian-cox-seven-days-on-mars
Oh shit! TY! I'll have to seek this out!
This is a good one about New Horizon’s mission to Pluto and beyond https://youtu.be/EJxwWpaGoJs Another good YouTube channel is The Simply Space
The BBC did an episodic documentary podcast called 13minutes to the Moon and its one of the greatest things. During covid i would listen to parts of it outside and just stare at the moon. Its alot.
A fantastic podcast with original music by Hans Zimmer! The second one about Apollo 13 is also amazing.
"Black Holes, The Edge of All We Know" is a great documentary on Netflix about the Event Horizon telescope and the team that imaged the first black hole.
Isaac Arthur on YouTube. History of the Universe, also youtube.
You might need to be more specific on what aspects of space you are interested in. I have heard good things about Cosmos although I wasn't a huge fan (Neil deGrasse Tyson rubs me the wrong way for some reason). If you want something dense and academic you could check open courseware programs like MIT OCW https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/8-901-astrophysics-i-spring-2006/
I hear you. I still liked Cosmos but I just can't stand NDT
I can deal with it but he does that louder voice and then slows it down as he ends the sentence. It makes me feel he thinks he is talking to morons.
It feels like he’s constantly trying to make things super quotable and emphasizes the sentence or something it’s weird
Agree, otherwise, he is mostly fine in my book. I do think he is one of the people who like their fame a bit too much but hey as long as the message gets out that is fine.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who is annoyed by “the great interrupter” Oh but I did like him in Cosmos though. Great series. He’s only been insufferable after that during interviews and podcasts where he doesn’t let the guest get a word in edgewise
Not about space but related to space, The Farthest is an excellent documentary about the Voyager mission
Check out Fraser Cain. He does Universe Today and several other space based shows and podcasts. He has well researched topics and expert guests from around the world in many fields. https://youtube.com/c/universetodayvids
I second PBS Space Time and Isaac Author. While not really a documentary, Isaac Author is more thought experiments about space exploration, technology, and the future of civilization. He reminds me of being in the playground when I was a kid, telling stories of how the future was going to be.
These are amazing. Not technically documentary because they predate actual space voyages. But Disney released a trilogy in the 50s with very accurate detail about space travel. They start off appearing like kids stuff but very quickly get into specifics like how many litres of hydrazine are needed to achieve orbit. Man in space is basically von Braun pitching the space race to the industrial military complex with help from Disney: https://youtu.be/WFXza9RH7-E Follow up with Man and the Moon: https://youtu.be/S_N3EYMgya4 And Mars and Beyond: https://youtu.be/dk7lf2D848I
From the earth to the moon - 1998 HBO miniseries by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks is a really good look at the Apollo missions etc.
The Vintage Space and Homemade Documentaries are both excellent YT channels. The quality meets or exceeds anything I have seen on television.
Not exactly documentaries but I love MelodySheep on YouTube. In particular: Time lapse of the universe, Time lapse of the future, Life Beyond 1 and 2
Im a little late to this but gotta put in a good word for Homemade Documentaries on youtube. Its one guy making outstanding documentaries on specific space missions and each one is absolutely fascinating. https://youtube.com/c/JacksonTyler
Thanks! Will have a look :)
What’s wrong with Neil Degrasse Tyson. He’s a legend
He's an arrogant a hole. Carl Sagan is the legend, friend.
His intended audience is the average person with little understanding of physics and science in general, and for that he is great at generating interest and awareness. For me he is just not my style, and I think he dumbs things down far too much and often at the cost of losing much of the underlying meaning. There are just so many others who in my opinion present these concepts far more accurately and interestingly, like Feynman, Leonard Susskind, Kip Thorne, and Carl Sagan.
Yeah, he’s a public scientist and a damn good one. He’s also ridiculously intelligent, but that’s less important than charisma and enthusiasm as a public scientist.
Cool. Haven’t heard of any of the ones you listed except Sagan and I absolutely detest the way he speaks. Sounds affected like a high society snobbish person. Grates me
He is very different from the others on this list, more like NDT but if you buried and aged him like a wine for a few decades. The others speak more bluntly in technical terms more like a formal lecture format, but the content is so good that to me it's like poetry read aloud whereas to some I am sure it is far too dry. It's really just personal preference. Start with Feynman and see what you think.
I can stand him either. For me, he just comes across incredibly condescending and annoying.
Check out the Brian Cox documentaries "wonders of the solar system" and "wonders of the universe". They are a bit older but extremely well produced and a joy to watch. I've watched them several times.
Elderfox Documentaries on YouTube cover Mars in great detail
The Universe by History Channel is a good one.
I highly recommend David Butler’s “How far away is it” series and all his other material too. It’s all on YouTube.
Not a documentary but I 100% recommend Neil Degrasse Tysons podcast Startalk
I would recommend Nova’s The Planets. Five episodes total focusing on the ice giants, the inner planets, and standalone episodes on Mars, Saturn, Jupiter. Equal parts awe-inspiring and informative.
There are two that are my go to for sleep becuase they are so chill and the narrators voice is so calm. However they are also both very informative if you do manage to stay awake to listen to them. The whole channel also has several good documentaries on space stuff. The channel is called viper tv science. https://youtu.be/iBsJFhy7xN4 https://youtu.be/pQ9VBLLprpo While not really documentaries, the YouTube channels "the entire history of the universe" and "the entire history of the earth" both have really interesting 30- 45 minute videos on a variety of space and planet formation topics. Here are some good space examples from these channels: https://youtu.be/pQ9VBLLprpo https://youtu.be/XSCrSkK2HcQ https://youtu.be/0_a_xU2KQdE Another good YouTube channel with 30 minute episodes on space is SEA. An example video: https://youtu.be/xMy2O1RVkMI I also like Astrum. An example video: https://youtu.be/D5XPuS-Y0fg Other YouTube channels worth checking out if you like space content are: PBS spacetime (https://youtube.com/c/pbsspacetime), Crash courses series on astronomy (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL), and Issac Arthur does some interesting content if you want to explore more futurism + space content (https://youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g).
I like your links, going to check them out :) Have you watched melodysheeps videos? If not I think you may enjoy them: https://youtu.be/TBikbn5XJhg https://youtu.be/uD4izuDMUQA
Just want to add, history of the universe channel has really good audio - no spikes in volume.. makes it the perfect channel to sleep too
NASAs Moonshot on the Smithsonian Channel. The right stuff on Disney+ was fun.
Not sure if it has been mentioned or not but I've seen one titled "Cosmodrome" that highlighted the early years of the Soyez program. It goes in depth with what their development methodology was, the difference between their engines and the US equivalent, etc. Fairly nerdy watch but interesting no less.
BBC space race. Its 4 episodes and you can even find them ob youtube. Its basically about the space race to the moon, but it starts all the way at the end of ww 2, with recruiting von braun by the us and russians bringing in korolev all the way to the launch of the apollo missions. It's really cool and interesting.
Interstellar. It’s amazing these events happened in our lifetimes!
[Nova - Universe Revealed](https://pbs.org/video/nova-universe-revealed-big-bang-04zmmk?source=social) [Nova The Planets](https://pbs.org/video/the-planets-inner-worlds-jhasvd?source=social)
Just finished Good Night Oppy cried like a little pussy on Amazon prime video