mike massimino astronaut

Mike Massimino’s Top 5 Favorite Space Movies

Posted:
Sep 19, 2018 - 1:33pm

This week, the Intrepid Museum will host a celebration of space, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), and science fiction at its 7th annual Space & Science Festival from September 20-23. Guests can meet astronauts, explore exhibits by NASA, chat with our expert partners, stargaze on the flight deck, and more during four days of out-of-this-world events at the Museum. 

We checked in with our Senior Space Advisor and former NASA astronaut, Mike Massimino, to see what his favorite space movies are and why:

  • The Martian (2015) – “This movie has great science demonstrations and shows the real camaraderie between astronauts.”
  • The Right Stuff (1983) – “This movie changed my life. I saw this as a senior in college and it rekindled my interest in becoming an astronaut. My favorite line: in response to being asked what “astronaut” means by Gus Grissom (Fred Ward), Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid) responds, “star voyager.”
  • Star Wars (1977) – “It’s a classic! It was fun for me as a kid and again as a parent with my kids.”
  • Apollo 13 (1995) – “This is the most accurate of all the space movies and it shows how the Mission Control Center has your back.”
  • Gravity (2013) – “George Clooney makes for a very cool astronaut!”
Learn more about Space and Science Festival and view the complete schedule of events
mike massimino astronaut
Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, peers into Columbia's crew cabin during a brief break in work on the Hubble Space Telescope, latched down just a few feet behind him in Columbia's cargo bay, during his second extravehicular activity of STS109 on March 5, 2002. (NASA)
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mike massimino astronaut
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Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, peers into Columbia's crew cabin during a brief break in work on the Hubble Space Telescope, latched down just a few feet behind him in Columbia's cargo bay, during his second extravehicular activity of STS109 on March 5, 2002. (NASA)

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Two children play inside a mock space capsule located in the Museum's Exploreum
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