NASA Grounds Richard Garriott's Sci-Fi Film

[WMDogma]

NASA Grounds Richard Garriott's Sci-Fi Film

NASA keeps the first science fiction movie to be filmed on location in space under wraps.

A documentary titled Man on a Mission recently opened to theaters, detailing multi-millionaire game designer Richard "Lord British" Garriott's $30 million USD expedition to visit the International Space Station. While enjoying the view of Earth from roughly 400 kilometers up, Garriott also worked with the station's crew to produce a short, fictional sci-fi film, shot entirely in lower Earth orbit.

The short film, titled Apogee of Fear, stars real-life NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff along with Cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov investigating a "possible alien intruder" shortly after Garriott departs the International Space Station to return to Earth. However, outside of one or two private viewings hosted by Garriott himself, NASA has refused to allow any public viewing of the film.

NASA hasn't given any particular reason why it's withholding a public release of Apogee, though Garriott believes that it might be "too playful" for NASA's tastes. However, there has been some growing demand to see the film from organizations like the Smithsonian Institute, which has requested a copy to have for its archives.

Source: SPACE.com [http://www.space.com/14234-1st-scifi-movie-space-nasa-garriott.html]


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[HobbesMkii]

NASA hasn't had much of a sense of humor ever since they got all that crap for crashing that probe into Mars.

 

[AdamG3691]

they're not letting it be shown because it's not science fiction, it's science FACT!
*dun DUN DUUUUNNNNN*

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Sounds like a fun film, but I have a sad feeling I may never get a chance to see it.

[small]On a side note: WERE THE FUCK DOES GARRIOT GET ALL THIS MONEY?!?[/small]

 

[DrakeLake]

I can imagine that film being released and getting criticized for being made in the first place. "We're wasting money making stupid films in space!"

 

[tsb247]

I don't see how this movie could hurt anyone. I'm curious as to what NASA is thinking here.

 

[gamee-o]

Lower Earth orbit...meh...I want to see more Ultima.

 

[Formica Archonis]

As crazy as Garriott can be, he's at least done humanity a service and made the first space-based movie be a nice little B-movie, with amateur actors and no doubt cheap special effects. Because if someone didn't get this out of the way, then you know the first movie filmed in space would be a porno, and the last thing we need is the Smithsonian enshrining something called "Masturspacetion" or "Zero G Spot" as a first for cinema history.

 

[-|-]

I bet it's because the film a steaming pile of poo.

 

[OneTwoThreeBlast]

As crazy as Garriott can be, he's at least done humanity a service and made the first space-based movie be a nice little B-movie, with amateur actors and no doubt cheap special effects. Because if someone didn't get this out of the way, then you know the first movie filmed in space would be a porno, and the last thing we need is the Smithsonian enshrining something called "Masturspacetion" or "Zero G Spot" as a first for cinema history.

Holy shit, this is awesome. Congratulations Sir/Madam; you have won the Internets for today.

Anyway, I have to think NASA is just being a bunch of dicks. Surely there's no big technological secrets in a vehicle that's merely in lower earth orbit. What the hell could they possibly be hiding?

Maybe they just don't want people to see horrendous acting? I'm not saying the acting is horrendous, but if that's the case, I can kind of (kind of!) see why NASA wouldn't want the public to view it. Everyone will just end up talking about how bad our astronauts are in the film.

 

[Jodah]

Could be because NASA doesn't want stupid people to think it's real. Wasn't there a press release from them telling people there were no aliens on the moon because of some shitty horror movie that wasn't even shot in space? People believe anything and NASA might not want to deal with it.

 

[Agayek]

Sounds like a fun film, but I have a sad feeling I may never get a chance to see it.

[small]On a side note: WERE THE FUCK DOES GARRIOT GET ALL THIS MONEY?!?[/small]

He basically invented MMOs, I'd be surprised if he didn't have a swimming pool of cash to play with.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Sounds like a fun film, but I have a sad feeling I may never get a chance to see it.

[small]On a side note: WERE THE FUCK DOES GARRIOT GET ALL THIS MONEY?!?[/small]

He basically invented MMOs, I'd be surprised if he didn't have a swimming pool of cash to play with.

Does that mean every MMO Dev/Publisher has to pay him royalties?

If so he probably has a fountain of liquid gold.

 

[Agayek]

Does that mean every MMO Dev/Publisher has to pay him royalties?

If so he probably has a fountain of liquid gold.

I have absolutely no idea. All I know is he owns the rights to the Ultima franchise (or did last I checked), and was the first MMO, in the modern sense. He likely has patents or copyrights or whatever on a number of concepts/technologies used by modern games to perform as they do.

 

[EHKOS]

I don't see how this movie could hurt anyone. I'm curious as to what NASA is thinking here.

Inside of the space station. Prolly machines and stuff in the background they don't want other countries to see.

 

[Vault Citizen]

I don't suppose there is a chance it could be leaked somehow? Maybe if someone involved "loses it" on a train or something, next to a conviniently placed journalist.