Space: 96

Solaris (2002) is an American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau. Clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Kelvin receives a message from his scientist friend Dr. Gibarian, through emissaries for DBA, the corporation running a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. Gibarian asks for Kelvin’s help in understanding an unusual phenomenon, but refuses to disclose further information. DBA is faced with uncertainty about what steps to take next, as ...

Star Trek X: Nemesis (2002) is a science fiction film directed by Stuart Baird. This installment marks the tenth film in the Star Trek franchise and features the beloved cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. On Romulus, members of the Romulan Senate discuss potential peace terms with Shinzon, leader of the Reman rebels. The Remans, a slave race from the nearby planet Remus, are often used as laborers and soldiers by the Romulan Empire. While some military members show support for Shinzon’s proposal, the Praetor and Senate are firmly against forming an alliance. However, their opposition leads ...

The American space Western drama television series, Firefly (2002–2003), was created by Joss Whedon under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. The show centers around the ‘Firefly-class’ spaceship Serenity, home to the main characters. Its body has a firefly-like shape and its tail lights up during acceleration, similar to a bioluminescent insectoid abdomen. The ship was named after the Battle of Serenity Valley, where Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and Corporal Zoe Alleyne survived on the losing side. In ‘Bushwhacked’, it is revealed that this loss sealed the fate of the Independents. The Alliance ...

In the epic sci-fi film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), directed and co-written by George Lucas, the Galactic Republic faces a new threat ten years after the events on Naboo. The Separatist movement, led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku, poses a danger to the Republic. Senator Padmé Amidala, who was once Queen of Naboo, travels to Coruscant to vote against creating an army to assist the Jedi in fighting this threat. However, upon her arrival, she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and is placed under the protection of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. After foiling ...

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005), initially known as Enterprise in its first two seasons, is an American sci-fi TV show brought to life by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It aired from September 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005 on the United Paramount Network (UPN). The sixth installment in the Star Trek series, it serves as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. Set a hundred years before the events of The Original Series in the 22nd century, it follows the journey of Earth’s first warp five starship, the Enterprise, as it explores ...

Space Cowboys (2000), an American adventure drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, tells the story of two U.S. Air Force pilots and aspiring astronauts- William ‘Hawk’ Hawkins and Frank Corvin. In 1958, while testing a modified Bell X-2, Hawk decides to attempt breaking speed and altitude records. However, the plane stalls and they are forced to eject, narrowly missing a Boeing B-50 Superfortress with navigator ‘Tank’ Sullivan. After landing safely on the ground, Frank throws a punch at Hawk but their fight is interrupted by flight engineer Jerry O’Neill. Their superior, Bob ...

In 3028, an American animated sci-fi film called Titan A.E. (2000) was directed by Don Bluth. The cutting-edge ‘Titan Project’ angers the Drej, a violent species of energy beings who see humans as a potential adversary. With the goal of eliminating humanity, the Drej launch a massive attack on Earth, forcing people to flee in search of safety. As Professor Sam Tucker leaves his son Cale in the care of his alien friend Tek and escapes on the spaceship Titan, he gives Cale a gold ring and assures him that there is still hope for their kind. After Earth is destroyed by the Drej, surviving humans become refugees ...

The American sci-fi adventure film, Mission to Mars (2000), directed by Brian De Palma, tells the story of the Mars I mission. In 2020, the mission is launched with Luke Graham as its commander. Upon reaching Mars, the team stumbles upon a bright white formation in the Cydonia region. They believe it could be an extrusion from a subsurface geothermal column of water that could be beneficial for future human colonization efforts. The team alerts the Earth-orbiting World Space Station before going to investigate further. However, while exploring the formation, they hear a strange sound on their communications system. ...

The American science fiction thriller film, The Astronaut’s Wife (1999), marked Rand Ravich’s feature directorial debut. Spencer Armacost, a NASA astronaut, and his wife Jillian, a second-grade teacher, faced a terrifying situation when an explosion on their mission caused a loss of communication with the command center. After a safe landing, both spouses visit them in the hospital where they are unconscious until they recover. While Armacost wakes up without any issues, Streck requires an emergency electrical cardioversion. However, neither of them discusses the in-flight incident. Subsequently, Armacost ...

George Lucas wrote and directed Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), an epic space opera film. The Trade Federation disrupts peace in the Galactic Republic by blockading Naboo with plans to invade. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sends Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. However, Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and secret supporter of the Trade Federation, orders the Viceroy to kill the Jedi and begin their invasion using battle droids. The Jedi manage to escape and seek refuge on Naboo. During their time there, Qui-Gon ...

From the Earth to the Moon (1998) is a docudrama series, co-produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tom Hanks and Michael Bostick in 1998 for HBO. It depicts the Apollo program during the 1960s and early 1970s and is based on Andrew Chaikin’s book A Man on the Moon. The special effects are under visual director Ernest D. Farino and are known for their accuracy. The ...

In Star Trek IX: Insurrection (1998), a science fiction film directed by Jonathan Frakes, Lieutenant Commander Data is temporarily transferred to an undercover mission observing the peaceful Ba’ku people. However, he experiences a malfunction and inadvertently reveals the presence of a joint Federation-Son’a task force also observing the Ba’ku. Admiral Matthew Dougherty reaches out to the USS Enterprise-E for Data’s schematics, but firmly asserts that their assistance is not necessary. Despite this, Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to defy orders and retrieve Data with the Enterprise. As Picard ...

Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007) is a military sci-fi adventure show that is part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Stargate franchise. Created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, the series is based on the 1994 film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the show continues the story of the original movie one year after its events. The show follows SG-1, a present-day military team from Earth, as they embark on ...

Star Trek VIII: First Contact (1996), an American science fiction film, marked Jonathan Frakes’ debut as a feature film director. In the distant future, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is plagued by memories of his previous encounter with the Borg – in which he was assimilated by them. When Starfleet warns him of a new Borg threat to Earth, Picard’s orders are to monitor the Neutral Zone for any signs of Romulan aggression. Starfleet fears that Picard’s past experiences may cloud his judgment in the upcoming battle. As the battle rages on and Starfleet suffers heavy losses, the Enterprise crew disregards ...

Apollo 13 (1995), a docudrama directed by Ron Howard, follows the journey of astronaut Jim Lovell as he prepares for his next space mission after having orbited the Moon on Apollo 8. Excitement builds as Lovell and his guests gather to watch Neil Armstrong’s historical steps on the Moon from Apollo 11. Lovell shares with his wife Marilyn his desire to one day walk on the lunar surface. However, a twist of events occurs when Lovell’s crew is informed that they will be flying Apollo 13 instead of their initially assigned mission, due to a swap with Alan Shepard’s crew. Alongside Ken Mattingly and Fred ...

Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001), an American science fiction television series, was brought to life by the minds of Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor. Originally airing on UPN from 1995 to 2001, it ran for seven seasons with a total of 172 episodes. As the franchise’s fifth installment, this show is set in the 24th century and follows the journey of the USS Voyager, a Starfleet vessel trying to return home to the Alpha Quadrant. Stranded in the Delta Quadrant at the far edge of the Milky Way galaxy, Voyager ...

Stargate (1994), a sci-fi action-adventure film, was directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. In 1928, at Giza in Egypt, archaeologist Professor Paul Langford unearthed cover stones engraved with Egyptian hieroglyphs and other markings. Underneath these stones, he found a large metallic ring that served an unknown purpose. Sixty-six years later, Professor Langford’s daughter Catherine invites Egyptologist and linguist Dr. Daniel Jackson to translate the hieroglyphs. The stones are now part of a classified project overseen by Special Operations Colonel Jack O’Neil of the U.S. Air Force. With Dr. ...

Star Trek VII: Generations (1994) is the seventh installment in the popular American science fiction film franchise. The movie follows retired Starfleet officers James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov as they attend the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise-B. During this mission, the starship is unexpectedly called upon to rescue two El-Aurian refugee ships caught in a massive energy ribbon. Although they are able to save some refugees, the Enterprise becomes ensnared in the ribbon as well. In a desperate attempt to free their ship, Kirk sacrifices himself and is presumed dead after being thrown into space by the ribbon’s trailing end. Fast forward to ...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) is a popular American science fiction TV series co-created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. As the fourth installment in the Star Trek franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993 to June 2, 1999, consisting of 176 episodes across seven seasons. Set in the future, where Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, the show revolves around Deep Space Nine – a space station situated near a wormhole connecting Federation territory to the Gamma Quadrant on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy. ...

The American science fiction film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), was directed by Nicholas Meyer, who also directed the second Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan. It follows the journey of the starship USS Excelsior under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu in the year 2293. During their mission, they discover that the Klingon moon of Praxis has been destroyed in a mining accident. The destruction of Praxis and its impact on the ozone layer of the Klingon homeworld causes chaos within the Klingon Empire. As a result, they seek peace with their long-time enemies, the United Federation of ...