Wild Wild Space to Debut on HBO and Max

The HBO Original documentary Wild Wild Space, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ross Kauffman (Born into Brothels), will debut on Wednesday, July 17 (9:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

Wild Wild Space chronicles the modern-day celestial land grab happening above our heads. It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes race of epic proportions in which companies compete to blast satellite-carrying rockets into low earth orbit.

From exhilarating triumphs to gut-wrenching setbacks, we witness the fierce competition to tackle humanity’s next great frontier. However, beneath the shiny veneer of progress is the dark side of capitalism’s insatiable appetite for profit and the far-reaching reverberations of a world controlled by the skies.

Inspired by the New York Times best-selling book When the Heavens Went on Sale by esteemed technology and space journalist Ashlee Vance, Wild Wild Space follows three rocket and satellite companies – Astra Space, Rocket Lab, and Planet Labs – and the quests of their idiosyncratic founders to conquer the burgeoning space industry.

Following the roller coaster journey for a piece of this unchartered territory, the film details the multi-faceted uses of satellites, from planet-saving and environmental imaging to “big brother” government scrutiny and military espionage, exploring the ethics of technological advances.

With billions of dollars at stake, the world’s privacy in the balance, and the ramifications of space debris dangerously cluttering Earth’s low orbit, the documentary reveals how satellites now control the fabric of our modern world and posits that whoever controls space may very well control the future of humanity.

The featured participants include Chris Kemp, co-founder/CEO of Astra Space; Ashlee Vance, tech journalist and author; Jonathan McDowell, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab; Will Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Planet Labs; and Robbie Schingler, co-founder and chief strategy officer (CSO) of Planet Labs.

There’s also Pete Worden, Brigadier General, U.S. Air Force, retired; Jessy Kate Schingler, director of Open Lunar; Dr. Bhavya Lal, technology and policy at NASA; Allison Puccinia, imagery analyst at Armillary Services; and Carissa Christensen, CEO of BryceTech.

HBO Documentary Films is presenting a Zero Point Zero production with Amblin Documentaries and Hyperobject Industries.

Ross Kauffman directed the documentary, which was produced by Jaye Callahan, Ashlee Vance, Adam McKay, Todd Schulman, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, and Craig H. Shepherd.

John Khoury, Maiken Baird, and Rachel Crane are the executive producers. Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen are the executive producers for HBO.

You can view the official Wild Wild Space trailer here and the key art below.