Filming 400 kilometres above Earth came with a few challenges
Space station astronauts manned the cameras for this unique look at life in space
This article is written by Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël and Stéphane Rituit, the founders of Felix & Paul Studios, which produced Space Explorers: Moonrise on the ISS and the virtual reality series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience.
Have you ever dreamed of exploring the vastness of space and discovering the mysteries that lie beyond planet Earth? Have you ever wondered what it takes to live on the very fringes of human capability?
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) do this every day. The documentary Space Explorers: Moonrise on the ISS uses footage filmed entirely on board the space station to share an intimate look at its occupants as they live and work while orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth.
But like everything done in space, making the film was not an easy endeavour.
Life on the edge of human existence
We first approached NASA about the concept for this documentary in 2016. They were enthusiastic about the idea but warned us about the massive challenges we'd face in executing our ambitious plan. Pulling it off took years of developing cutting-edge technology and forging relationships with NASA, the Florida-based ISS National Laboratory and major international space agencies.
Space Explorers: Moonrise on the ISS is inspired by our virtual reality series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, the largest production ever filmed in space. It took more than two years to shoot using specialized 3D cameras that captured virtual reality content in 360 degrees.
All the filming was done by the astronauts, who we trained in the art of making documentaries. Using cameras designed to survive space conditions — extreme temperatures, exterior hazards and radical lighting — they captured 250 hours of virtual reality footage and video diaries that documented their life in microgravity, both inside and outside the ISS.
The result is a unique take on the joys, wonders and dangers of life in orbit, and an incredibly intimate look at what it takes to leave everything behind for months at a time and live at the very edge of human existence.
We wanted to capture the emotional, physical and psychological experiences of the astronauts as they witnessed our world from space while preparing for the future of space exploration.
Getting a different perspective
By the end of this decade, NASA's Artemis program plans to re-establish a human presence on the moon for the first time in 50 years. The ISS is a proving ground for how humans might fare further from home, with the astronauts themselves serving as the scientists and test subjects.
But they are also people.
In the videos, they didn't shy away from sharing personal moments and the details of their daily lives, from exercising and preparing meals to bonding as a team or tossing a football around.
We took care to demonstrate progress in terms of the diversity in human spaceflight over the last few decades, a topic close to the heart of the astronauts.
As an homage to women pioneers such as Jerrie Cobb, an aviator and member of the Mercury 13 program, we wanted to highlight the history and achievements of females in space exploration. We were happy our cameras captured the first all-female spacewalk conducted by Jessica Meir and Christina Koch.
Among the most moving scenes in Space Explorers: Moonrise on the ISS are the ones focusing on what's known as the "overview effect."
Many astronauts describe an overwhelming experience when they see the Earth from above — whole, without borders, a graceful and fragile biosphere floating in the vastness of a lifeless cosmos.
We feel privileged to share what it's like to live on the space station, a visceral experience of beauty and fragility that is known to only about 250 humans so far.
While the world prepares for an age of greater space exploration, we hope this documentary leaves you with a profound sense of unity and the desire to protect and preserve our home planet.
