Starflight One - random flight into space
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Starflight One - random flight into space |
| Original title | Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1983 |
| length | 105 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Jerry Jameson |
| script |
Peter R. Brooke , Robert M. Young |
| production |
Peter Nelson , Arnold Orgolini |
| music | Lalo Schifrin |
| camera | Hector Figueroa |
| cut | John F. Link |
| occupation | |
| |
Starflight One is an American science fiction action film from 1983. On its maiden flight, a modern supersonic aircraft escapes from the earth's atmosphere into space . A race against time begins and the oxygen reserves dwindle to save the passengers. With support from NASA , the vast majority of passengers can be saved.
action
The "Starflight One" is the first aircraft in the world that can fly at three times the speed of supersonic . The countdown to its start can no longer be stopped, although a safety risk cannot be ruled out during the last test on the flight simulator . Under the economic and public pressure, those responsible cannot bring themselves to postpone the start.
“Starflight One” is taking off on its first flight from Los Angeles to Sydney , with 59 passengers and media representatives on board. At almost the same time, a satellite launched into orbit on a rocket base in Sydney. Since its launchers fail, the rocket has to be blown up with the satellite. A fatal decision for "Starflight One", because the aircraft is now steering precisely in the direction of the cloud of debris. The aircraft's rocket engine is reactivated so that it can fly over the debris and avoid a collision. However, due to the technical defect identified in the last test and not remedied, the rocket drive can no longer be switched off, so that the aircraft is shot out of the earth's atmosphere into space. Than the rocket stage annealed, the airplane circling heavy- and unmotivated in orbit around the Earth.
The starting position for the crew and passengers seems hopeless for the time being. The oxygen reserves are limited to two to three days, and if the aircraft were to re-enter the earth's atmosphere, it would burn up because it is not equipped with a heat shield . To make matters worse, it was discovered that a small hole was torn in the aircraft wall during the collision with a piece of debris.
The engineer Josh Gilliam is the only person who could possibly calculate the approach angle in time, but he himself is trapped as a passenger on the plane. It is therefore decided to bring him back to Earth by the Columbia space shuttle launched into space . The first attempt by a flight attendant to transfer to the Columbia through a pressurized capsule docked in the cargo hold of the aircraft fails, however, and the flight attendant dies. After the fuel tank of the "Starflight One" has been refilled, the decision is made to lock the engineer in an airtight coffin and transport him from the aircraft to the space shuttle by the Columbia crew. This undertaking succeeds, but precious oxygen escapes into space. Josh Gilliam is the first rescued person to reach Earth on the Columbia.
The next rescue operation with another Columbia flight provides for the passengers to be rescued by means of a rescue hose that is attached between the Columbia and the aircraft. The first group of five passengers manage to transfer to the Columbia. In the next group, however, the hose touches the defective outer wall of the aircraft and the exposed, sparking cables and catches fire in the process, killing the five passengers.
Another rescue attempt is made, in which the passengers are to be transported from the aircraft to the Columbia space shuttle by means of a rocket stage . The attempt succeeds, but since the space in the rocket stage is limited, three “volunteers” have to stay behind in addition to the crew.
A passenger left behind in the aircraft manages to repair the damaged outer wall of the aircraft during a space walk . The aircraft is thus fit to fly again. Due to the ever decreasing air supply, it is decided to dare to re-enter the earth's atmosphere. To prevent it from burning up, another shuttle in space is supposed to act as a heat shield flying ahead. The re-entry succeeds and “Starflight One” lands safely on earth.
Trivia
The television film was first shown in the USA on February 27, 1983, in Germany it was released on May 25, 1984.
Reviews
On the internet platform allesueberfilme.de the film received bad reviews : "The sometimes hair-raising rescue attempts can hardly maintain the tension in the naive, clumsily staged spectacle."
Web links
- Starflight One - random flight into space in the Internet Movie Database (English)