S1E1 · America First

In the 1970s, America looks to its state-of-the-art, reusable Space Shuttle to reinvigorate its national space programme and meet the country’s military and commercial demands. For the first time, aspiring astronauts of all genders and racial backgrounds have been encouraged to apply. But in 1986, tragedy strikes when Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board. This is the story of the early Space Shuttle program, using immersive interviews with astronauts and their families reveal how they battled segregation, sexism and hard-wired prejudices to secure a ride to space.