AllMovie

In a significant sense, America's romance with space travel began in 1898, when the teenaged Robert Goddard read H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and first imagined a device that could travel to Mars. By 1915, Goddard had proved experimentally that a rocket could provide thrust in a vacuum. This is the fourth installment in the 13-volume American Documents documentary series, which presents United States history in an entertaining, yet well-researched manner. American Documents, Vol. 4: America's Romance with Space is hosted by Colonel William Anders, lunar module pilot for Apollo 8, the first U.S. rocket to reach the moon (1968). Highlights of this program include newsreel footage, NASA film sequences, a detailed chronology of American space technology and missions, and an interview with Goddard's widow Esther. This documentary won the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon.