Independent Lens: Space, the Longest Goodbye

The original Mercury 7 astronauts were test pilots, because they were expected to go up and come back down, while somehow holding their spacecrafts together. In science fiction, crew and passengers often spends millennia in suspended animation as they travel to distant galaxies. The three-year trip to Mars and back will be something in between, without the means to communicate with family back on Earth. It is a peculiar challenge that the psychologists and “human factors” specialists at NASA are trying to prepare for in Ido Mizrahy’s documentary Space: The Longest Goodbye, which airs tomorrow on PBS, as part of the current season of Independent Lens.

It is sort of hard to believe, but they did not really have people doing what Dr. Al Holland does at NASA, until he started his department in 1994. Of course, the hard-partying “Right Stuff” generation had their own ways of dealing with stress (read Tom Wolfe). There was also a deep institutional fear of confiding personal information that could potentially get astronauts scrubbed from future missions. However, Holland and his colleagues slowly gained their trust, after showing a need for their feedback, to help prepare future astronauts for longer and longer deployments on the International Space Station (ISS).

Mizrahy and Holland certainly diagnose potential problems, using the experiences of former astronaut Cady Coleman, her husband, and their son as a case-study. Hopefully, current astronaut and potential Mars crewmember Kayla Barron can benefit. The Naval Academy grad and her Army vet husband managed her 176 days in space, but they realize it will get more complicated when they have children.

Although it is still considered the stuff of science fiction, some form of deep sleep is duly considered as a method of combatting loneliness and isolation (along with virtual reality). However, Dr. Holland worries about the shock of waking up to three years of elapsed history. For instance, imagine how jarring it would be to suddenly learn the Mets won the World Series?

Viewers can learn a lot from Longest Goodbye. It certainly instills a greater appreciation for the sacrifices astronauts make. However, the pacing feels a bit languid. Frankly, Ramachandra Borcar’s politely ambient score arguably does the film a disservice. It might feel like a good match to the celestial visuals, but it has a lulling effect. Some stronger, more emotionally resonant melodies would have better sharpened viewers’ focus.

I.S.S.: The Wrong Stuff

Gene Roddenberry would be very disappointed in the 21^st Century. Political differences have not melted away in space, but it hardly matters, since as a nation, we have largely lost our drive for space exploration. To reach the International Space Station (ISS) we currently must hitch a ride with the Russians. Reportedly, Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has not yet affected relations on the station, but when a full-scale nuclear war breaks out below, all bets are off in Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s I.S.S., which opens Friday in theaters.

Marine Corp officer and research scientist Dr. Kira Foster is starting her first rotation on the I.S.S., accompanying the returning Christian Campbell (Air Force). They are joining American Captain Gordon Barrett and Russians Weronika Vetrov, Alexey Pulov, and their captain Nicholai Pulov. It soon becomes apparent the international relations are exceptionally warm between Barrett and Petrov. Regardless, everyone assures her they check their politics at the station hatch.

Then both teams get stealth messages from Earth, instructing them their respective nations are at war and to take control of the I.S.S., by any means necessary. Unfortunately, while the Americans are still stuck in what-the-heck mode, Pulov launches into action. In retrospect, this would not be a good time for a solo American space-walk.

Regardless, the Americans find themselves a crewmember down. However, the resulting guilt and anger stokes dissension among the Russians. In fact, Foster is approached by one of them regarding a secret revelation.

Throughout I.S.S., the station environment looks convincingly realistic. The “Winds of Change” karaoke business is also a smart reference to the supposed Cold War’s peaceful resolution. Unfortunately, a pathetically weak lead undermines the film’s credibility.

Not for one second can we believe Ariana Debose’s Foster is a Marine, because she never acts like one. Perhaps the fault lies in Nick Shafir’s script, but a real Marine would never be so passive, reserved, deferential, or indecisive. Marines are drilled to take immediate action in times of crisis, even if it is the wrong action, because it is harder to hit a moving target. Yet, Foster just sits around, waiting for somebody to tell her what to do. Trust me, I’ve known some Marines, starting with my grandfather. Debose has the wrong stuff.