Whether marveling at the stunning beauty of the northern lights, aka the aurora borealis, or considering the mind-boggling impossibilities of black holes, humanity has always looked at the stars with wonder and amazement. And while we may never fully understand the secrets of the universe, there’s certainly no reason not to indulge our scientific curiosities — especially when that spirit of inquiry took us all the way (back) to the moon. If livestreaming the Artemis II journey has you inspired to explore the galaxy, check out these documentaries on Netflix that feature scientists and explorers who’ve worked to advance our understanding of space and what’s beyond our atmosphere. (And head here to read more about NASA+ live programming, like Artemis II’s moon flyby.)

Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine

Cosmic Time Machine, directed by Shai Gal (The Jewish Underground), is one part of Unknown, a series of documentaries that explores, well, the unknown. This chapter follows NASA’s creation and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope in space. It also showcases some of the first images it captured — high-resolution pictures of objects too far away for even the Hubble Space Telescope to view. The other parts of this series are Cave of Bones, The Lost Pyramid, and Killer Robots.

Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine

1h 4m   TV-14   2023

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Black Holes | The Edge of All We Know

The study of black holes presents an ultimate test to humanity’s understanding of the universe. This documentary by director Peter Galison (Containment) follows two groups working to better understand them. The first — led by world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking — is striving to prove how black holes interact with time. The second crew is working to build the Event Horizon Telescope to capture the first-ever image of a black hole from Earth’s high-altitude observatories.

Black Holes | The Edge of All We Know

1h 39m   TV-14   2021

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The Mars Generation

Countless kids dream of becoming an astronaut. The teenagers featured in The Mars Generation, a 2017 documentary film directed by Michael Barnett (Changing the Game), just might be lucky enough to achieve that dream. This doc follows a group of teens as they attend Space Camp while experts reflect on NASA’s legacy and the future realities of space travel.

The Mars Generation

1h 37m   TV-PG   2017

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Mercury 13

This 2018 documentary details the lesser-known but true story of Mercury 13. In the early 1960s, this group of 13 women pilots trained for and passed the same tests as the men of NASA’s Mercury 7 program, but were ultimately denied the chance to go to space. Directors David Sington (In the Shadow of the Moon) and Heather Walsh (Nova) tell their stories through archival footage and interviews with some of the pilots and their families.

Mercury 13

1h 19m   TV-PG   2018

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Apollo 13: Survival

On April 13, 1970, three astronauts — Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise — were aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft when they faced NASA’s greatest crisis: An explosion stranded them halfway to the moon. This 2024 documentary from director Peter Middleton (Notes on Blindness) utilizes archival footage — including of the astronauts’ lives before launch — and scene reconstruction for a new look at this famous story.

Apollo 13: Survival

1h 38m   TV-14   2024

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Ancient Apocalypse

Graham Hancock narrates this docuseries about the pseudoarchaeological theory that there was once an advanced human civilization destroyed 12,000 years ago by sudden climate change. In Season 2, Hancock explores the Americas, searching for proof of this purported prehistoric society. In the season’s sixth episode, he traverses Mexico, surveying the Pyramid of the Sun and investigating the Mayans’ astronomical expertise, which led them to create a detailed calendar.

Ancient Apocalypse

2 Seasons   TV-14   2022

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