The Mastery of Space

This film, shot by filmmakers from NASA, the U.S. Space Agency, chronicles the events leading up to human spaceflight. It shows the training of pilots, the technical description of inhabited capsule launches, and their guidance its from the ground and from inside the cabin itself. The strictly technical documentary shows the preparation of an actual launch to put a Mercury capsule into orbit. We meet Shepard and Glenn here, and of the latter we see the triple orbital flight with long sequences from inside the cabin studying the cosmonaut's reactions.

Directed by —, The Mastery of Space leans on a strong ensemble — Jack Whitaker — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1962.