On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek - io9 Comments

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

MurdockOileus — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:26:58 PDT

comment on on the international space station, you can watch star wars but not star trek There is absolutely no need to have any Start Trek up there. Every decent astronaut is supposed to have watched every single Star Trek episode and movie...twice. After all, that's probably what made them want to be astronauts in the first place.

MurdockOileus

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

SteverMan — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:21:09 PDT

When I first found the list, I thought that the last movie listed must have been something in Cyrillic characters. I'm guessing that it's not anything by Sergei Eisenstein... I thought that maybe there was not much that the Russian crew members have wanted to bring up, or else they have different personal items rules or limits.

Maybe we can suggest a series of Anime, Kurosawa or Martial Arts movies that should be brought up by the JAXA crewmen who will be coming up over the next year or so. There's also a Canajian long duration crew member going up next year; maybe we can suggest items to be brought up. Do they have complete runs of SCTV on DVD? That would be a blast.

David

SteverMan

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

jonathan29 — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:37:50 PDT

[en.wikipedia.org]

NASA *must* hate teh Star Trek!

jonathan29

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

cljohnston108 — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:56:03 PDT

@TheAlmanac: Yeah, I felt quite stunned when I couldn't find Firefly or Serenity on the list, after all we went through to get them up there!
Ah well, at least we've got pictures to prove they had been.

cljohnston108

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

volks73 — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:45:33 PDT

Sealab 2021! AWESOME!! Capt. Murphy rocks and I bet they're itching for some Mingus Dew up there in space.

volks73

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

denisegp — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:28:26 PDT

Terry Brooks? Ugh.

And just what is the last movie on the list? Is that some kind of alien gibberish?

I was glad to see that they only read the prologues to Robert Jordan's books. Much better if you don't even bother with all the rest.

denisegp

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

TheAlmanac — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:04:52 PDT

@Nivair H. Gabriel: I was wondering when someone would mention that Firefly and Serenity made it up there as well, despite not being listed...

TheAlmanac

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

RAHfanboy — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:25:23 PDT

@Miranda Kali: "Here a Lee, there a Lee..."

RAHfanboy

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

donkeyjote — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:53:16 PDT

Maybe noone up there REQUESTED Star Trek?

donkeyjote

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

RobinInSeoul — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:39:44 PDT

The story of Firefly/Serenity at the ISS: [www.breakingatmo.com]

RobinInSeoul

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

justcorbly — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:36:11 PDT

Hey! That's a photo of a Soyuz vehicle, not the ISS.

If you wanna talk about fiction, it helps to have a grip on reality.

justcorbly

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Velireon — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:40:37 PDT

I'm pleased about the Stargate and Firefly on that list -- but wouldn't you think people working on a space station might enjoy a space station story like DS9 or B5? I know I would ...
But maybe that's just it: they don't want a reminder of how bad their station sucks compared to the fictional ones?

Velireon

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

DocGratis — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:36:43 PDT

@jargonking: If you were on the ISS you would be to busy working to stare out the window...

The bandwidth to space is too important to waste on beaming movies...

But I have heard that personal Ipods go up that seems to make sense..

DocGratis

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:30:27 PDT

@moff and Miranda Kali:

I think it's the simplest explanation for Yoda's death. He finally decided "Screw this. I'm outta here."

As for Mon Mothma, that's a tough one. I was never all that sure that ol' G.W. really had strong political ambitions. More of a general/scout reluctantly accepting that his overall ability to keep people from fighting each other was needed. Seems more like Ackbar to me. Plus, I think seeing Ackbar swimming the Delaware would be awesome.

@Garrison Dean, King Awesome: How dare you call Lobot a racist shit!? (But seriously, very fine work.)

92BuickLeSabre

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

jargonking — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:26:37 PDT

I always thought that every gram of cargo cost a fortune to carry into orbit so why bother taking up books and discs?
Surely it would make more sense to beam the movies and TV straight to the station.
Books could be read on a screen...didn't these people learn anything from watching 2001?
Personally, if I were on board the ISS I'd be too busy looking out of the window to watch movies.

jargonking

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

OW-Holmes — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:20:16 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre: And what did that democratic society do after they destroyed the empire but just fall prey to the same trap again.

Another moronic Jedi enclave was born and another Empire 100 years later.

Star Wars has one important lesson. Democracy just doesnt work.

OW-Holmes

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Kuato — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:19:57 PDT

I don't see why this is a problem, they are too busy doing work up there to worry about watching ST reruns.
Besides, all that sex with hot alien chicks keeps them pretty entertained... Waitaminute, that *IS* ST!

Kuato

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

gt0163c — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:07:50 PDT

From what I understand, mostly in reading about how this works when the Firefly discs were taken up to the ISS, items rotate in and out of the ISS media library. So, this document is just a snapshot of what was available at the time. Also, I believe the ISS inhabitants have a say in what goes up. Maybe no one on the ISS at the time the list was made is a Star Trek fan.

gt0163c

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Garrison Dean, King Awesome — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:05:59 PDT

@Evil Tortie's Mom: Thx, workin on it.

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Evil Tortie's Mom — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:52:55 PDT

@Garrison Dean, King Awesome: Funny stuff! MOAR!

Evil Tortie's Mom

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Evil Tortie's Mom — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:48:36 PDT

@Miranda Kali: You have caused me to actually LOL!

So we need to start a campaign to get Star Trek up to the ISS. (and B5)

Evil Tortie's Mom

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Garrison Dean, King Awesome — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:41:25 PDT

@moff: Don't blame the Empire for the result of your hubris.

@92BuickLeSabre: The Jedi way sucked thanks to the Prequels... Here is my io9 inspired take on it from a couple months ago. Read if bored.

[modlight.blogspot.com]

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

moff — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:40:38 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre & Miranda Kali: The picture of Ackbar crossing the Delaware would have been a lot less imposing, since he probably would have swum the whole way underwater.

moff

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Miranda Kali — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:34:30 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre:
I kinda think of Mon Mothma as Washington. I think she definitely had political interests in mind, much as he did.
Ackbar I see more as R.H. Lee. ...a bit flamboyant and just a smidge gung-ho. Plus, I see him doing the number from "1776" with a lot of panache.

Miranda Kali

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

EBone — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:32:21 PDT

@bigswingdaddy: "I don't want our Heroes in Space(tm) gettin' any ideas about international cooperation and peaceful explurrashun. That's commie talk."

Uh, you do know that the 'I' in ISS stands for International Space Station, right?

I know, I know, just kidding.

EBone

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Nivair H. Gabriel — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:32:08 PDT

Star Trek should definitely be there. But I like the rest of what I saw (The Right Stuff is a MUST! So is Apollo 13, although that might be bad luck ...), and I want to happily report that FIREFLY AND SERENITY ARE UP THERE TOO. :D

Nivair H. Gabriel

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

moff — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:29:01 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre: I always thought it must have driven Yoda crazy that out of five movies, did anyone ever listen to him even once ?

moff

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Jeff-Minor — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:28:56 PDT

Maybe the Federation is too Touchy Feely Socialistic for the Feds. I'm with Annalee, I'd much rather watch Trek than those completely stupid (but fun)Star Wars prequels. All that glitters is not gold.

Jeff-Minor

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:22:07 PDT

@OW-Holmes: The Jedi as a theocratic militaristic collective couldn't even save a group of pre-schoolers in their own headquarters (literally or metaphorically). They sucked it up big time. As I've said before, Yoda, Qui-Gon and Ben's sole mission was to prevent A.S. from turning into Vader. (Yeah, nice work with that guys.)

What brought down the Empire? It was the ragtag rebellion (+1 lone Jedi), the Wolverines hiding out in the fields of Calumet. An class-traitor, a cowboy/rogue, a independent "business man", and the remnants of democratic society.

That's a straight up revolutionary army right there, with Ackbar starring as General Washington.

92BuickLeSabre

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Bloodboiler — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:21:49 PDT

'Around the world in 80 days Disk 1' and
'Around the world in 80 days Disk 2'

They actually ship movies on disks to space? I can understand books in paper form, but physical movie disks? Cant blame them though, I bet MPAA would love to sue NASA if they dared to rip movies.

Bloodboiler

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

moff — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:21:03 PDT

@Garrison Dean, King Awesome: Speaking from, ahem, personal experience, we got pretty shitty results.

moff

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Castle1914 — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:20:33 PDT

It's probably a choice by the Trek franchise. It sounds weird but it's exactly what Mrs. Roddenberry would do.

Castle1914

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

moff — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:20:07 PDT

Maybe everyone onboard has all the Trek episodes and movies committed to memory, and they act them out each night in little after-dinner playlets?

Weird, man.

moff

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:17:22 PDT

@OW-Holmes: Federation is a bunch of human-centric imperalist dogs!

Annalee Newitz

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Garrison Dean, King Awesome — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:17:18 PDT

@OW-Holmes: But the Empire gets results.

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

OW-Holmes — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:01:21 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre: Star Wars is much more subversive.

What save the galaxy against an evil empire. Not a democratic organization but a group of "holier than thou" Jedi. A club you can only get in if your genes are right.

At least the Federation is Democratic.

OW-Holmes

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

urukhaifive — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:00:48 PDT

@Annalee Newitz: Well, duh, no one likes those movies which shall not be named, especially Star Wars nerds.

urukhaifive

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

phoenix — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:00:44 PDT

@bigswingdaddy: Get him, he knows too much!

phoenix

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

darcymcgee — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:59:28 PDT

2001? 2010? The requisite Sharpie to update the boxes as each year passes and they appear less like a possible future and more like an alternate past?

darcymcgee

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

OW-Holmes — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:58:54 PDT

@Annalee Newitz: My new life goal is to watch the entire series of DS9 in a zero gravity environment.

Make it so.

OW-Holmes

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Garrison Dean, King Awesome — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:58:26 PDT

@Gyrus: Yeah that and the men would start wondering why their female counterparts are in Jumpsuit Coveralls instead of Miniskirts.

Mmmmm Zero G miniskirts glaarrrrggg

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:57:14 PDT

Harold and Kumar is on there also. NASA must be growing space weed.

Priam

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Miranda Kali — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:54:33 PDT

Hmmm. No Bab-5, either.
Yeah, looks like they're none to plussed with the whole "different cultures getting along" thing.
Or maybe they just reeeeealy don't like Walter Koening. (and avoid not only shows with him, but shows that relate to show that he was in..)

Miranda Kali

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

edosan — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:48:58 PDT

That's it -- I'm not going up there now in protest.

edosan

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

russdanger — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:45:56 PDT

Sounds like people are pretty F#&king burned-out on "Star Trek", doesn't it?

russdanger

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:44:33 PDT

I just think if they're going to have frakkin Stargate they should have Star Trek. I'd love to hang out in space and rewatch seasons 3-5 of ST: TNG. And some DS9 too. Sorry, that's better than the first three Star Wars "prequel" movies.

Annalee Newitz

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

OW-Holmes — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:43:09 PDT

Now when the aliens first arrive at the ISS they will have no idea what Darmok and Jilad at Tinagra means. Or how to count lights (hint: there are 4). Or what to do if they are in a state of quantum flux and the only way to solve the problem is to the reverse the polarity of the data stream with a neutrino field.

Our astronauts are woefully unprepared.

OW-Holmes

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

ManchuCandidate — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:38:35 PDT

Someone at NASA must be a subversive. Sealab 2021? Uh-oh.

ManchuCandidate

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

bigswingdaddy — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:36:31 PDT

@Log1c: Dont forget the solid waste separator with the blade assembly, ensuring that in space the sh*t always hits the fan.

bigswingdaddy

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Gyrus — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:35:57 PDT

Why does the government hate Star Trek?!

It posits a socialist future where cooperation and shared human values are the driving force, rather than capitalism. Astronauts are already light headed, why give them any radical ideas?

Gyrus

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Log1c — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:35:25 PDT

@extracrispy: They pee into a vacuum cleaner, I don't think they need any porn.

Log1c

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:32:55 PDT

Because celebrating Federations and condemning evil rogue independent states is more reminiscent of New World Order fears than celebrating Republics and condemning evil galactic Empires?

92BuickLeSabre

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

bigswingdaddy — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:32:49 PDT

I don't want our Heroes in Space(tm) gettin' any ideas about international cooperation and peaceful explurrashun. That's commie talk.

They should concentrate on what their mission actually is aboard the ISS, not some hippie-future dream.

Alternately NASA could remember that they named an Orbiter Enterprise, and therefore at some point ST was on the approved list :)

bigswingdaddy

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

joemono — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:32:12 PDT

Also, you guys hate Star Trek, why on earth would it bother you that it's not in their library?

joemono

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

joemono — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:30:30 PDT

@designguybrown: Exactly, can't they just "beam up" some Star Trek episodes?

joemono

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

extracrispy — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:29:45 PDT

Any porn?

extracrispy

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

inakizombie — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:28:34 PDT

Eh.. they have Stargate.. good enough for me. I wouldn't mind swapping Lost for, say, DS9 or somesuch..

inakizombie

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

designguybrown — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:27:29 PDT

...what can't they get torrents up there...

designguybrown

On the International Space Station, You Can Watch Star Wars But Not Star Trek

Log1c — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:25:15 PDT

Star Trek sucks, sorry. It would make me go crazy, I'll take everything else though. Hell, I'd rather watch the 2nd and 3rd Matrix movies before Star Trek.

Log1c