Orphans of Apollo is a documentary film, covering the period in
human spaceflight from the conclusion of NASA's
Apollo Moon program to shortly after
the Soviet Union's dissolution. A group of entrepreneurs, including
Walt Anderson,
Richard Branson,
Tom Clancy,
Jeffrey Manber, and
Rick Tumlinson, grew up during the early
Space Age. The sudden halt to rapid progress when that era closes then disappointed them — as the film's title indicates, they were "orphan[ed by]
Apollo['s]" cancellation. When the Russian government decides that it no longer needs the soon-to-
deorbit Mir space station, they hope to purchase the station with
Walter Anderson's money and boost it to safety as a
private space station. However, the plan requires extensive cooperation. The Russian government must agree to sell the station to once-enemy foreigners. American government agencies must agree to license and perform a space mission that boosts the station to safety — thereby creating a non-governmental competitor to their services. With limited money, the entrepreneurs cannot coordinate all the players before time runs out and the space station deorbits. == Production ==