Reviewed by: Michael Seale
Did you know about these movies filmed at Space Camp?
Reading time: 6 minutes
Huntsville is uniquely positioned in the middle of three major filming destinations in the south (Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville), so naturally there have been several movies and TV shows shot in the Rocket City and filmed at Space Camp.
It probably won’t come as a shock that most of these movies and shows center around space, and what better place to film something about space than the US Space and Rocket Center? The Rocket Center is no stranger to the occasional film set, with five major projects that are just about Space Camp and several more that used the center as a backdrop.
Filmed at Space Camp
Space Camp is world famous, with many aspiring astronauts, engineers, and space industry contributors visiting from countries around the world. With Space Camp being so prolific around the world, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s spawned quite a few movies and TV shows covering the camp. Here is a list of all the projects filmed at Space Camp:
- Space Camp (1986):
- “The young attendees of a space camp find themselves in space for real when their shuttle is accidentally launched into orbit.” –IMDB
- This movie is the first about Space Camp and features some prominent figures behind the production including a score written by John Williams, and actors Kate Capshaw (Stars in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and wife of Steven Spielberg) and Lea Thompson (Back to the Future).
- The movie was released 6 months after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and made national headlines because of the prominence of the shuttle program in the film.
- The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley: The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission (1996):
- “In this episode, the super sleuths are called in to help out the Space Program and Mission Control with the help of Alan Bean of Apollo XII, the 4th astronaut on the moon. Unless they solve the mystery of the unknown ticking sounds and the grounded U.S. Space Shuttle, the Shuttle cannot lift off as scheduled!” –IMDB
- This TV special marked the first mainstream television appearance of Space Camp and helped introduce the program to a new generation of children. The main cast of course has notable actors in the Olsen family, with Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth Olsen all appearing.
- A Smile as Big as the Moon (2012):
- “A special-education teacher helps his students, trains them, and looks for ways to take them to where they are dreaming to go: space camp.” –IMDB
- This Hallmark Original Movie is based on a true story and features notable actors John Corbett, Jessy Schram and E. Roger Mitchell.
- Space Warriors (2013):
- “A group of kid space cadets must help in the rescue of three astronauts whose ship got stranded in space.” –IMDB
- This movie is the most unrealistic portrayal of Space Camp you’ll find on this list, yet might be the most entertaining. You’ll find a pretty solid cast list here with names like Danny Glover and Josh Lucas (who fun fact is the voice of the Home Depo commercials) and notable screenwriters Ronald Bass (who won an Academy Award for his script for Rain Man) and Jeff Philips (a founding member of Hollywood Undead).
- The Mars Generation (2017):
- “Aspiring teenage astronauts reveal that a journey to Mars is closer than you think.” –IMDB
- This Netflix original stands out from the others, as it isn’t a work of fiction but rather a documentary that takes you through Space Camp and NASA’s plans to send astronauts to Mars. The documentary features real kids going through the Space Camp program and commentary from Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye.
- The Late Show with James Cordon (2019):
- “James Corden invites the stars of “The LEGO Movie 2″ to Space Camp for a battery of tests to determine who is most fit to make a career change to astronaut.” –YouTube
- This episode sees A-listers Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett making the journey to the Rocket City to attend Adult Space Camp (that’s a thing if you weren’t aware).
- Honorable Mention: Enders Game (2013)
- To prepare for their role in Enders Game, many members of the child-filled cast were put through Space Camp to help them prepare for filming in “space”.
Filmed at the Rocket Center
While Space Camp makes for entertaining TV and movies, it’s not the only part of the Rocket Center that’s worthy of being put to camera. Here are a few more movies and shows that filmed at the Space and Rocket Center:
- Ravagers (1979):
- “In a post-apocalyptic world divided between two groups called the Flockers and the Ravagers, an adventurer and his “pleasure girl” try to find their way to a rumored safe haven called the Land of Genesis.” –IMDB
- This movie is set in a post-nuclear war-ravaged world, and at one point the Rocket Center appears, not as a space museum, but as a rocket graveyard. Notable cast includes three Acadamy Award winners including Richard Harris, Art Carney and Ernest Borgnine (who fun fact is the voice of Mermaid Man in Spongebob).
- Beyond the Stars (1989):
- “Eric moves to his dad in Oregon after accidentally firing a rocket into his high school. He befriends Mara and a retired astronaut.” –IMDB
- This movie was filmed in and around Huntsville Alabama, including the Space and Rocket Center. The movie is loosely based on the life of Buzz Aldrin (the second man on the moon) and features an impressive cast with Christian Slater, Martin Sheen and Sharon Stone all appearing.
- The Amazing Race (2005):
- On this episode of The Amazing Race, four families make a pit stop in Huntsville where they have to go on a couple simulators and search for clues to their next destination. You can read more about this episode in our article here.
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