Author Topic: TIME / Netflix Inspiration 4 mission documentary series (Read 31019 times)

Welsh Dragon · « **Reply #40 on:** 09/07/2021 11:21 am »

They're reality show feel good fluff pieces. Not worth your attention. Nothing in there you wouldn't already know if you are on here.

hopalong · « **Reply #41 on:** 09/07/2021 12:17 pm »

Quote from: theonlyspace on 09/07/2021 07:45 am

Is there a link to watch these on line?

They are on Netflix, so you will need a Netflix subscription as far as I am aware.

Vettedrmr · « **Reply #42 on:** 09/07/2021 12:20 pm »

Just a heads-up to anyone of similar mind of those criticizing these episodes as "fluff", "nothing there that you won't learn here": Netflix doesn't do technical manual TV. If you haven't figure it out, the name of this flight is "Inspiration", not "More Info Than You Ever Wanted to Know".

brihath · « **Reply #43 on:** 09/07/2021 12:45 pm »

Quote from: Welsh Dragon on 09/07/2021 11:21 am

They're reality show feel good fluff pieces. Not worth your attention. Nothing in there you wouldn't already know if you are on here.

I disagree with this assessment. I have been following spaceflight closely since Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 flight and found the first two episodes fascinating and exciting. I enjoyed the profiles of all the crew members and shared their excitement as they learned of their selection for the mission. The second episode dealt with the risks of spaceflight and featured an extended interview with Lauren Clark's husband about losing her when Columbia broke up on reentry in 2003. The show is poignant at times, but the poignancy adds to the discussion. I think the series does an excellent job of covering St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, the recipient of Jared Isaacman's fund-raising effort. It sure beats the commercials spotlighting St. Jude's featuring Danny Thomas we used to see in movie theaters in the 1960's. I look forward the next 2 episodes.

spacenut · « **Reply #44 on:** 09/07/2021 12:46 pm »

If millions of people watch this, and millions of people are not normally interested in space, get interested. That is a plus. Also, Musk isn't riding with them into space to stoke his ego like Bezos and Branson. This has a much better and story, thus Inspiration.

Welsh Dragon · « **Reply #45 on:** 09/07/2021 02:08 pm »

Quote from: Vettedrmr on 09/07/2021 12:20 pm

Just a heads-up to anyone of similar mind of those criticizing these episodes as "fluff", "nothing there that you won't learn here": Netflix doesn't do technical manual TV. If you haven't figure it out, the name of this flight is "Inspiration", not "More Info Than You Ever Wanted to Know".

Fluff is popular. And there's nothing wrong with fluff if you like that sort of thing. My post was just a warning for anyone here, which is hardly the average Netflix viewership.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #46 on:** 09/08/2021 06:27 am »

https://twitter.com/djsnm/status/1435459193528487941

Quote

The Inspiration 4 documentary on Netflix is great so far, not much in new info, but lots of very relatable people. I think it’s a fine counterpoint for people who got mad at Bezos and Branson’s suborbital hops.

Star One · « **Reply #47 on:** 09/08/2021 09:00 am »

I liked it. Not to sound cheesy but I thought it was genuinely inspiring. Lots of likeable people which helps in a well put together documentary.

By the way if you want read possibly the most ridiculously bad review then look at this from The Guardian:

https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/06/countdown-inspiration4-mission-to-space-review-does-elon-musk-really-need-the-free-pr

hektor · « **Reply #48 on:** 09/08/2021 06:47 pm »

After watching the second episode of the documentary I conclude that both male crew members are married while the two female crew members are single.

Sian Proctor has recently tweeted she had divorced just before being selected and the best friends of Hayley in the documentary thought she might be filmed for a new season of The Bachelor so I assume she is single too.

Oersted · « **Reply #49 on:** 09/08/2021 07:26 pm »

Calling this a fluff piece is really missing the point.

Episode 1 is very inspirational, focused on Jared and Hayley, including a long segment dedicated to her childhood cancer survival story. Heartrending home video clips of her going through chemo.

This show is obviously about the people going up. For info on Falcon and Dragon go to Everyday Astronaut.

I'm going to donate some $ to Saint Jude after watching this.

QuantumG · « **Reply #50 on:** 09/08/2021 10:08 pm »

They've got the billionaire flying jock, the professional woman who survived cancer, the nerdy guy who was a nightwatchman of nuclear apocalypse, and lady of color who just missed the grade to become an astronaut.

It's like The Breakfast Club, in space.

JAFO · « **Reply #51 on:** 09/08/2021 10:24 pm »

Quote from: QuantumG on 09/08/2021 10:08 pm

They've got the billionaire flying jock, the professional woman who survived cancer, the nerdy guy who was a nightwatchman of nuclear apocalypse, and lady of color who just missed the grade to become an astronaut.

It's like The Breakfast Club, in space.

'Murica. F-yeah!

Jared is who I wished I was, Haley is my little sister, Christopher is my buddy who got the nod (and who I am secretly very envious of) and Sian... sigh.

QuantumG · « **Reply #52 on:** 09/08/2021 11:11 pm »

ZachS09 · « **Reply #53 on:** 09/09/2021 12:19 am »

I just finished watching Episodes 1 and 2. Loved the backstories of the four crew members.

During the part with Hayley, which talked about her cancer, I cried because I felt like I was her little brother in the hospital observing her going through chemo. Honestly, this was one of the best space-themed series/movies I've ever watched in my life.

I'm looking forward to the training portion on the 13th.

1 · « **Reply #54 on:** 09/09/2021 06:22 am »

I'm not one to tolerate fluff when good, technical discussion will do. Thing is, for this mission, technical discussion will NOT do. The 'fluff' is not beside the point, or missing the point. The fluff IS the point. This mission is not intended to demonstrate a new engineering marvel, or a scientific accomplishment. The mission objective is as titled: to inspire.

The target audience is not the technically or scientifically inclined. The target audience is every single child at St. Jude; all of whom have likely been told about the mission and are likely excited to see one of their own, so to speak, rise beyond the skies. The target audience are the friends and families of those children who, completely powerless in all other regards, may be encouraged to remain strong and be reminded that it's not over yet. These people have little use for statistics or equations or figures of merit. Let them have some hope.

Thus, "reviews" that paint this as a PR stunt for Elon are useful in that they provide information as to which people may be ignored in the future. Proper consideration for such was best expressed by the late, great Max Regar: "Ich sitze in dem kleinsten Zimmer in meinem Hause. Ich habe ihre Kritik vor mir. Im nachsten Augenblick wird sie hinter mir sein"

or, in English,

"I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment, it will be behind me."

About a month and a half ago, I received my hat, shirt, and poster for the lottery 'thank you' gift. I plan on wearing at least one piece of swag on the day of the launch. Probably won't be the poster.

Star One · « **Reply #55 on:** 09/09/2021 07:27 am »

The one technical point that hasn’t been mentioned on here especially by those mentioning it being fluff. Is the much higher orbit it’s going into as was outlined in the first episode, I am glad we got too see at least some discussion of thus. Not only is this I presume useful from an engineering point of view for Dragon, but also from a life sciences point of view as even though they are only in orbit for three days I imagine good data will still be collected.

Oersted · « **Reply #56 on:** 09/09/2021 08:09 am »

It was pretty amazing to see Jared, in his first meeting with SpaceX, pushing for a high-altitude flight, up to 575 km, even higher than the Hubble service flights, and the SpaceX execs going "hmmm, not sure about that".... - Well, seems he managed to convince them!

Seems some people are unhappy that spaceflight won't exclusively be for the "professionals" anymore. Well, I am thrilled about it. Also, I am beyond impressed by Elon trusting the automation of Dragon sufficiently to not fly a astronaut along to hand-hold the crew. THAT in itself is a watershed. Let's hope it works out all right! :-O

laszlo · « **Reply #57 on:** 09/09/2021 11:50 am »

It's not the fluff that's the problem, it's the saccharine. The show inspires you to mentally gargle a gallon of lemon juice to get the sicky-sweet flavor out of your head. It's everything that's wrong with commercial TV network spaceflight coverage distilled into a potent concentrate and delivered with a schlocky Hallmark card.

Jeff Lerner · « **Reply #58 on:** 09/09/2021 12:17 pm »

I think the show is great and the crew perfect selections for this flight, representing the “ common man” at so many levels…

And while some of you might be dumping on them, let me remind you that the crew will be strapping themselves into a capsule atop a launch vehicle containing tons of highly explosive liquids and spending 3 days in space …the Right Stuff, indeed.

Having said that, I will add that the notion of “Spam in a Can” did cross my mind…all aspects of the flight will be controlled by the spacecraft and SpaceX…essentially, don’t touch any of the buttons, likely no control is even enabled.

which brings up the point of the role of the so called professional astronauts that ride Dragon for NASA..they too are really just passengers as long as things go right during their flight ?

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #59 on:** 09/09/2021 01:34 pm »

Quote from: Jeff Lerner on 09/09/2021 12:17 pm

which brings up the point of the role of the so called professional astronauts that ride Dragon for NASA..they too are really just passengers as long as things go right during their flight ?

Yes, pretty much.

Inspiration 4 crew have had quite a lot of training of what to do when things go wrong. For example, the 30 hour Sim last month (far longer than any NASA Dragon Sims) included multiple failure scenarios, including complete loss of comms with the ground simultaneous with potentially fatal capsule issues needing urgent resolution. So the crew had to resolve themselves. [Edit to add: covered in latest Axios podcast]

Really hope we see that in next week’s episodes!