Inside the Space Station

"If we wanted to live among the stars, how would we do it?" asks this fascinating Discovery Channel program, narrated by Liam Neeson, which chronicles the international collaborative effort of 16 countries to build a space station. Marking the first time in history that space research has not been driven by politics or threat of war, the International Space Station project (which began in June of 1998 and is scheduled for completion in 2006 after a total of 45 launches) involves each participating nation building components that are then launched into space and assembled. Although the station was only partly complete at the time this documentary was filmed, the viewer is still able to tour the "finished" station through the magic of computer graphics. Tracing the evolution of the station from its inception, the program introduces the many scientists and engineers involved in the massive project, follows the astronauts through their "boot camp" training (in environments ranging from underwater to sub-zero temperatures) as they learn to work together under physically and psychologically stressful circumstances, and then ultimately shows viewers the team in action in outer space. Although available in both VHS and DVD format, the latter is loaded with extras, including featurettes, a construction timeline, and a photo gallery. A surefire winner, this is highly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (L. Stevens)