The Space Party (film)

Theatrical release poster

Saulo Meneghetti

Tiago Iorczeski

Gene Kranz

Danielle Dyson

Estevan Kerman

Electronic Gems

Jonathan Mickelson

Brazil

***The Space Party*** is a 1984 space adventure romance film directed and co-written by astronaut Raphael J. Chryslar and cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, and produced by Nebula Cinematography Division on behalf of the Kerbal Geographic Society. It stars Clare and Phillip Kerman, Raphael J. Chryslar, Saulo Meneghetti, Michael Milliner, Tiago Iorczeski and Gene Kranz.

The movie depics an earthling husband reuniting with his wife in space, who is a Skylab astronaut on another long expedition. Since her birthday is coming up, the station crew throw a massive first-ever space party to celebrate, with only days of notice by mission control to quickly launch the special guest in time.

The production company (and with Chryslar's help) went to great lengths to capture and assemble a technically and scientifically accurate movie, with most scenes being filmed in real time in space aboard and during the real Skylab Workshop Station birthday party on May 4th 1983; the inagural launch of the Soyuz-Atlantis SA-2 mission, orbital rendezvous footage from a reconnaissance satellite and exclusive filming inside an active mission control facility.

Released to cinemas in the United States and Brazil on Valentine's Day, 1984, *The Space Party* was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture (winning for Best Filming Activity and Best Sound). In total, the film grossed over $2.3 billion worldwide during its theatrical releases. The film was very positively received by critics.

## Plot

The film begins with a narrator delivering remarks:

In late April 1983, Soyuz-Laptop Expedition 13 blasts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to begin an 8 month long-duration mission to the Skylab Workshop Station, with Clare Kerman (who is the assistant CEO of SSPX) and her personal friend of world-renowned space architect John Chryslar aboard. The vehicle also carries along Chryslar's college friends and work colleagues to the station.

On April 29th, Clare's Husband Phillip - who works as an educator at the European Space Agency ESTEC facility in the Netherlands, is aware that his wife's birthday is coming up, and will be her first in space in her space career. Since he misses her so much, and knows he's not an astronaut (and becoming one will take months to apply and train), Phillip calls NASA management to negotiate a super-quick rocket launch to quickly send him up to the station. He doesn't want to spend her birthday alone on Earth, and has done a lot of outstanding educational work for the space agency. However his idea is initally denied due to logisitcal and safety concerns with launching an unqualified individual within a week to the Skylab, even though a launch on May 2nd is scheduled with the new Soyuz-Atlantis VIP launcher from Kennedy Space Center.

Phillip than emails J. Chryslar (onboard the space station), and explains his plan, who he instantly approves of. Chryslar then contacts Gene Kranz with his verdict, stating that Phillip's request will make good use of one available seat for the SA-2 mission - which will launch with three other crew: a DJ, Musician and a newly qualified Pilot. His plan also allows for a major leap in Skylab public relations by throwing the first ever space party. After several hours of planning and negotiation via email, Gene Kranz gives the offical go-ahead for Phillip to be flown in to Kennedy Space Center for 'urgent' training and assignment for SA-2; much to Phillip's euphoria and relief.

On the evening of May 1st 1983, ESA airlines flight 143 carrying the SA-2 crew and Phillip Kerman departs from Amsterdam Schiphol, en-route to the Kenendy Space Center. Approximately 9 hours later, the jet reaches US airspace but encounters turbulence during the landing maneuvers, requiring a turnaround and re-approach. The pilot — Esteven Kerman, manages to land the plane safely just after 9am local time on Runway 27.

Under a beautiful sunny blue sky, the jet taxis to the Eugene F. Kranz Administration Building at LC-39, where the crew disembarks and are greeted by their trainer Danielle Dyson. The four future space travelers are briefed on quick space facts and the training agenda before signing in at reception and filling out NASA assignment forms in the administration building. Meanwhile George Dyson drives to the Space Station Processing Facility to prepare Soyuz-Atlantis payloads and Clare's gifts from her ground colleagues, and has trouble finding them!

Two hours later, the crew complete check-in, and are driven via a coach bus to the Astronaut training facility. While the crew experiences several training exercises, including a centrifuge, thruster pack, mechanical assembly and a treadmill; engineers prepare the Soyuz-Atlantis rocket and spacecraft at the Vehicle Assembly Building and roll it out to the pad.

A few hours later, it is evening, and the Soyuz rocket is almost ready to launch. At 6:40 pm EDT, the crew finishes training and have suited up in the astronaut checkout building. Engineers do quick systems check before the four head out to the coach bus waiting outside. Amist crowds of media photographers, the crew board the bus, while reflecting on the mission ahead.

The coach bus takes them to the pad, along with Estevan Kerman and Danielle Dyson. All crew disembark and take a quick elevator up to the pad's surface to view the rocket, where they exchange hands and hugs, and pray for success. However Phillip becomes increasingly nervous but Saulo thoughtfully reassures him. Danielle takes two polaroid photos before the crew head down from the platform and up the main elevator shaft to the top.

The astronauts board the Soyuz-Atlantis capsule, which has already been filled with cargo bags and food. With half an hour remaining on the countdown, Saulo perfoms radio and systems check with the mission and launch control centers.

Meanwhile at the Kennedy Launch Control Center, launch controllers run various system tests, checks and procedures. In Houston Texas, Skylab Mission Control room staff conduct the same operations with the Soyuz' engines, where they encounter a gimbal problem. Gene Kranz sends two engineers (which happen to be Estevan and Danielle - their second roles) to the Launch Control room to fix the situation.

The controllers, led by Launch Director Sean "Butch" Hainsworth, fix the problem and resume countdown and launch preparations, including fuel levels and computer drives.

At 7:10 pm EDT, the Soyuz-Atlantic rocket blasts off from the cape, with a large crowd applauding a distance away. The crew (including Philip) comment on the acceleration forces and altitude as the trajectory progresses. Three minutes into the flight, the boosters shut down (having consumed all the propellant they contained) and are jettisoned. Two minutes later the core stage burns out, and the upper stage (filled with Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxgyen), ignites. After approximately 7 minutes (over 10 mins into the flight) the Soyuz-Atlantis reaches orbit, achieving an insertion altitude of 170 km.

Overjoyed with the fact of being in space, Phillip and his crewmates radio to mission control on the sucess of the launch, and are then instructed by mission control to begin orbital-rendezvous manoeuvers. After a quick 6 m/s burn, the crew then listen and relax to a Brazilian country-music track by Lado de-Ca while orbiting over the Northern and Southern Lights. Forty-five minutes later while over the Antarctic, Saulo and his crew are told by Peggy Whitson in mission control that the phasing orbit rendezvous process (where the vehicle will catch up with the Skylab while using a lower orbit) will take over 30 hours, and in that time the crew have to wait in their rather confined capsule (most available space is taken up by bags).

The next morning the crew on the Skylab Workshop Station are busy doing routine jobs, while a select few begin party preparations: Chef Cheryl researches party food recipies on a laptop (and also taking careful consideration of Clare's diet preferences), while Raphael J. Chryslar uses a computer to design Clare's card using CAD software.

Meanwhile the crew (including Pablo Kristian) in the US Odyssey lab encounter a jammed printing machine; Paul Falconer, Ryan and Carlos Valera enjoy breakfast; Joel Magnus exercises while watching *Rossen Reports* on TV, and some crew take naps in the Auxiliary Habitation Module.

Three hours later, J. Chryslar finishes Clare's card and prints it out. He is then instructed by Thiago Mourão (on behalf of the SA-2 mission operations officer on the ground) to head over to the Workshop Segment, where he is connected to other mission control staff via a video Skype call on a Lounge TV monitor, to set-up containers, cooking and party equipment. While Chryslar assembles the DJ and barbecue structures, the station passes over a city and then the Southern Lights, while the containers float freely in the workshop segment. After an hour, the job is done.

Mission Control then tells Louis Donato in the Server Module to fix a hard drive issue, while other crew address an internet connection problem in the WiFi processing module, to allow some of the CAD software engineering crew to finish their assignments. A few minutes later J. Chryslar is privately informed about the arrival of the Soyuz-Atlantis, where the docking time would be early the next morning, and the party itinerary. He's told to keep the party plans itself a secret surprise from Clare. He then heads off to have dinner.

Later that evening, the Soyuz-Atlantis SA-2 spacecraft finishes its phasing orbit rendezvous process, and makes a few more engine burns to catch up with the space station. At just over 2:00 am in the morning (ground EDT time), mission control hands over guidance to the Skylab as the Soyuz-Altantis gets within 500 meters of the station. Even though the crew are tired (and most on the station are asleep except a few), the docking is a pure success. Kevin Gustafson aids in the navigation, while Chris Hadfield and commander Alessandro Pierozan talk directly to Saulo, and monitor their progress.

Upon opening the hatch, Clare and Phillip reunite and exchange love and hugs, and along with the other guests, they immidiately check into their sleeping compartment and head to bed. Mission control briefs the crew that they'll wake up in 6 hours time.

At 4am on May 4th, while all but two of the crew asleep, Carlo Montenegro and Alessandro Bellio are discretly instructed by mission control to unload the cargo and gifts from the unpressurized payload bay of the docked Soyuz-Atlantis spacecraft, but only while the station is orbiting in the Earth's night shadow (to prevent any peeping crew from spying on the contents). Alessandro Bellio donnes a spacesuit while Carlo guides him from the South Cupola. Using the Canadian robotic arm, the steel container is unloaded with a magnet and attached to the station's container airlock.

After completing his task, Alessandro returns to the station, and before returning to bed, is told by the control staff to load trash bags into the aging Cygnus-E spacecraft, close the hatches, and push the undock button. The ground controllers mangage the rest of the task by remotely deorbitng the cargo vehicle, where it is destroyed while entering the atmosphere.

At 8:00 am, May 4th (Clare's Birthday), all station crew wake up and do their usual freshen-up and morning exercise buisness. The space chefs start prepping the party food, where the party is set to begin at 11:00 am.

At 10:30, astronauts Pedro Rebeschini, Leland Melvin, Carlos Valera, Darren Joyce, Paul Falconer, Johann Chryslar and Cheryl Hobbs bring gifts and gather into the Communal Meeting Module to sing a wonderful happy birthday to Clare, accompanied by her husband Phillip. Clare is filled with so much thanks and eurphoria, and is further enhanced when Darren and Cheryl mention that they have been planning a special surprise party together for Clare, joined by all the station crew.

11:00 — Party Time; all Skylab crew are ordered to cease all work operations and gather into the Workshop Segment. The main lights have been turned off, and the interior is beautifully lit in an awesome blend of purple, blue, yellow, green, red and orange disco lights, while non-irratant soap bubbles are emmited by a fan blower to imitate stars (to give the feeling of a really spacey party). 80s disco music plays, while DJ Michael Milliner operates the speakers and sound system. All 140 crew float around, do 'cart wheels' and dig in into the delicious meals provided by the space chefs. The menu includes cheddar, mozzarella and goat cheese pizza, with lamb, vegetable or chicken toppings, fries, space barbecue sauce, and with smoothies and a wide range of juices. For the first time, a hydrogen-powered enclosed barbecue grill and infrared oven were used in space during this occaision.

While the music increases the boogie, Clare and Phillip briely observe out the square observation module. Then mission control asks Chryslar to activate the live stream CCTV footage for the media on the ground to acquire to broadcast to the world.

The crew then enjoy rithmetic 80s disco music and do lots of spins and flips, and the track is later followed by a series of jazzy blues while the special guests tuck in for a full meal.

While the station orbits over the Antarctic and begins heading northward, Clare and Phillip exchange gifts and love messages, all accompanied by Paul, Darren, the Chefs and Chryslar. Before having dessert, Mission Control connects a Skype call on a monitor in the dining area, letting the crew know that they are on the front page of all the world's newspapers (the fact of holding a first-ever space party). A shore time later while the party atmoshere becomes more romantic Phillip then tells Clare that he's up there for a 7 month mission, where an excited Clare proudly responds.

The film ends with a narration by Leland Melvin of the space station's history and its highly successful public image, and an external cube satellite broadcasts a timelapse of the Skylab's exterior. A note is displayed telling the audience that Clare, Phillip and their friends and colleagues returned to Earth on the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-9 mission, and annual space parties have now been permanantly implemented into the station manifest operations.

## Cast

All cast and crew use their real names in the movie:

* Clare Kerman — assistant CEO of SSPX who is the star of the film
* Phillip Kerman — husband of Clare, and ESA STEM educator who is launched to reunite with his wife
* Raphael J. Chryslar — the CEO of SSPX, architect of the space station, and a crewmember who plans the party
* Gene Kranz — Chief Flight Director of the Mission Control Center, Houston TX
* Carlo Montenegro — Expedtion 13 crewmember
* Danielle Dyson — KSC astronaut training coach
* George Dyson — Assistant training coach and SSPF engineer
* Esteven Kerman — ESA airlines private pilot
* Deke Slayton — Assistant chief astronaut and mission operations co-ordinator
* Chris A. Hadfield — the longest serving astronaut in space in history
* Alessandro Pierozan — Commander of the Skylab Workshop Station on Expedtion 13
* Michael Milliner — a DJ who accompanies the crew of Soyuz-Atlantis SA-2
* Saulo Meneghetti — A Brazilian pilot, and commander of SA-2
* Tiago Iorczeski — Brazilian/Polish guitar musician and crewmember of SA-2
* Kyle Herring — NASA launch commentator
* George Diller — Rocket Launch commentator
* Cheryl Hobbs — Skylab space chef
* Chef Andrea — Skylab space chef
* Paul Falconer — Engineering lecturer and crewmember of Skylab
* Darren Joyce — Electrical engineering lecturer and crewmember of Skylab
* Carlos Valera — Venezuelan astronaut and crewmember
* Ryan Valera — crewmember and lover of Carlos Valera
* Jack Pearce — a student and crewmember on Skylab, who's good at aerial photography
* Kevin Gustafson — American astronaut and station control and guidance navigator

All other crew and staff are noted in the movie credits, along with brief captions of their profession.

## Production

An idea of a space party came to the mind of (obviously) Raphael Chryslar himself, and emailed the filming and animation division of Nebula Space Engineering Corp. for any possible script development, but was quickly shelved due to a lack of ideas and opportunities.

With the conception of a VIP launcher to the Skylab Workshop Station, the Nebula space company wanted to make a documentary film about the launch of the first private enterprise rocket in the Skylab program, but when information about a possible space party began to emerge in Febuary 1983, they quickly instructed NASA to send some of their handheld cameras up to the station, along with a small deployable cube-sat machine to relay footage of the exterior. This equipment was carried on the Expediton 13 Soyuz-Laptop vehicle.

Since the film is entirely based on real events and more of a real-life motion picture, the Nebula Cinematography Division obtained NASA's permission to sift through many emails of conversations between Gene Kranz, Phillip Kerman and Raphael J. Chryslar, to enable development of a filming script – which began on April 11, 1983. The process took a 10 days.

The production team was sponsored by the Kerbal Geographic Society, and together they allocated $60 million to pay for the Skylab astronaut's time to use the cameras to film all the events of the party, and prior events taking place to prepare it. Oleg Artemyev was the main director for ground filming at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA F-15 jets and helicopters (equipped with cameras and are armed with telephoto lenses) were scrambled to capture footage of the space center and the approaching ESA airlines plane.

The footage of the Soyuz-Atlantis rocket was obtained from engineering footage taken during the launch. The scenes in the mission control centers were obtained using a camera holding arm held by a movable apparatus. To comply with the filming agreement of the space agency, the team did their best to minimize distracting the working employees. Scenes showing the exterior of the Soyuz-Atlantis in space and the docking were taken using a small deployeable camera cubesat which used nitrogen thrusters to record in-space footage.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan happened to be visiting the Kenendy Space Center during the filming of the SSPF scenes.

## Soundtrack

The score to *The Space Party* was composed by Stellardrone, Hotel Pools, Lado De-Ca, James Horner, Jonathan Mickelson, and various artists within the Electronic Gems company. The score was a critical success, where Stellardrone and Daniel Perotta gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.

*The Space Party* original motion picture soundtrack

Names and artists listed, and in order of use.

1. *Inside the White House* — Felix and Paul Studios
2. *Straight* — Bensound
3. *Eclipse of Steel* — Hotel Pools (Electronic Gems)
4. *It's Training Time* — IBM
5. *Band of Brothers: Suite Two* — Michael Kamen
6. *The Fugitive: Sykes marks Kimble* — Warner Bros
7. *Lunar Dream* — James Horner
8. *The Launch* — James Horner
9. *Rise: the Space between Us* — Craig Armstrong
10. *After the Storm* — Craig Armstrong
11. *After Antietam: Glory Soundtrack* — James Horner
12. *Now We are Free (Juba Remix)* — Gladiator
13. *Kibo: Around the World in a Tea Daze* — Shpongle
14. *Apollo Choir* — NASA
15. *A Moment of Stillness* — Stellardrone
16. *Apenas mais uma de Amor* — Lado De Ca
17. *Twilignt* — Stellardrone
18. *Billions and Billions* — Stellardrone
19. *Unfound: on the Edge* — Electronic Gems
20. *HOME: Resonance* — Electronic Gems
21. *Voyage: Hypher* — Electronic Gems
22. *Zarya + Node 1*— Hellblazer
23. *Between the Rings* — Stellardrone
24. *The Caspian Sea* — Sean Doran
25. *Church Jazz* — TD Jakes
26. *Happy Birthday* (piano version) — Leland Melvin
27. *You're the One for Me* — D'Train
28. *Give Me the Night* — George Benson
29. *Miami Nights 1984: Accelerated* — New Retro Wave
30. *Printer* — Electronic Gems
31. *Space Jazz* — Stanley Clarke
32. *Silk of New York* — *stock music library*
33. *Nimrod* — Edward Elgar

## Release

The film was premiered on September 12, 1983 in the UK, and released on Febuary 14, 1984 in North and South America.

### Box office performance

 North America
 International
 *Worldwide* | $2,314,001,585

### Reception

Review aggregator agency *Rotten Tomatoes* reports that the film has an overall approval rating of 95%, based on 88 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "In creating a real-life movie from astronaut and engineering footage of a history-making event in space is truly a pioneering achivement and a romantic marvel" Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 85 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roger Ebert of the *Chicago Sun-Times* praised the film in his review saying: "A powerful story, one of the year's best films, told with great clarity and remarkable technical detail and scientific accuracy, and acted without pumped-up histrionics." Richard Corliss of *Time Magazine* highly praised the film, saying: "From lift-off to orbital insertion, *The Space Party* gives one hell of a ride."

Janet Maslin made the film an *NYT* Critics' Pick, calling it an "absolutely thrilling" film that "unfolds with perfect immediacy, drawing viewers into the nail-biting suspense of a spellbinding true love story."

### Home media

On May 1st 1984, the movie was mastered into a 4K UHD version and made available to watch on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Youtube, Steam, and other platforms. A game inspired by the film, called "1986: A Space Endeavor" is in development.