Tired of watching made-up sci-fi movies and wondering — are there any space documentaries on Netflix? Yes! In fact, there are quite a few to keep you binge-watching for days! Below is our pick of the best space documentaries you can stream right now. Some of these films have been around for a few years; some others have only aired recently, but all space documentaries on this list are definitely worth a few hours of your time!
Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023)
The Netflix space documentaries 2023 season was rather low if we’re completely honest. But this new addition compensates for the pause. Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine tells a detailed story behind the creation of the James Webb Telescope which has helped scientists make some of the greatest leaps in the history of space exploration. The short movie, running slightly over one hour, also features a brief appearance of former US President Joe Biden, along with other ‘star’ scientific cast.
Our Universe (2022)
Wondering what is the new Netflix show about the Universe? That would be Our Universe, and even though the show is not brand new, it is definitely worth watching. If you have already seen the Our Planet series, which first aired in 2019, you will like Our Universe, too. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this documentary takes a good look into some of the most complex questions, including how life in the Universe was formed. The documentary uses advanced CGI graphics to show how many different life forms have evolved over the epochs on our home planet, vividly proving how interstellar events affect life back on Earth.
The Mars Generation (2017)
Trying to figure out what is the best Mars documentary on Netflix? The Mars Generation is a unique documentary that may not show you the Red Planet — we haven’t gotten there yet, not properly, at least. But it does show a camp of aspiring astronauts in Alabama. More importantly, the documentary engages many experts who talk about the pressing problems of choosing an astronaut career. Orbital Today classifies The Mars Generation as a highly motivational documentary for kids who dream of becoming astronauts and colonizing other planets. And, even if you’re past the age limit of making it into NASA’s Astronaut Corps, you may still learn a lot of interesting things about the future of space missions.
Black Holes: The Edge Of All We Know (2021)
This is one of the best science documentaries on Netflix, featuring a truly stellar crew of scientists, including Stephen Hawking. As the name suggests, the film explores the origins of the black holes across different galaxies, and it does so in an engaging, easy-to-understand manner. While the concept of black holes has not been thoroughly studied yet, The Edge Of All We Know breaks down everything the scientific community has managed to discover so far.
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (2021)
If you are interested in space tourist flights, you should definitely see this documentary. Inspiration4 will not uncover any mysteries of deep space for you, but it will take you along on the SpaceX Dragon Inspiration4 mission, vividly showing a truly great technology leap of this century — civilian tourist flights to space.
A Trip To Infinity (2022)
This is one of the best space documentaries on Netflix as far as visuals and the questions raised are concerned. The project aims to explain the mathematical concept of infinity using the most obvious example — the infinity of the cosmos. As the story progresses to explain what infinity is, this documentary starts asking questions about our role in the concept of infinity. The amazing visuals and comprehensive explanations make this film worth checking out.
Challenger: The Final Flight (2020)
Even though Challenger was one of the worst tragedies that claimed the lives of seven astronauts, this documentary takes a slightly different stance on the subject. It offers an in-depth analysis of the mission that, even though it failed, still played its role in the history of space exploration and manned spaceflight. More importantly, it honours the life and work of astronauts who have died in the crash and recognizes the achievements of the ground crew.
Alien Worlds (2020)
Even though Alien Worlds is a theoretical view of what life could be on other planets, this film is based on scientific research. The astonishing visuals and deep scientific thought alone make this space documentary worth watching. This movie is a product of creative work from many scientists — astronomers, biologists, and engineers all contributed their share of knowledge to create this stunning piece of art… based on pure fact.
These are some of the best documentaries for space enthusiasts you can stream on Netflix right now, but the list of attention-worthy films is much longer. Plenty of great, informative documentaries are available for free on YouTube, while some others can be seen on other streaming platforms. But the ones above are a good start for anyone with a Netflix account who does not want to look any further.