Orphans of Apollo (2008 )Part 1/2

Join this band of rebels out to change the course of history in space, as they board a private Gulf Stream jet, fly to Russia, negotiate one of the most remarkable business deals of the final frontier. 'MirCorp', the entrepreneurial company, commandeered the Russian space station to be an outpost for what was intended to be the first phase of a trillion dollar business. The award winning documentary tells the dramatic tale of the boldest business plan the Earth has ever seen. The project was to include mining of asteroids, gravity free laboratories, a space 'hotel', and a research facility. MirCorp was the ultimate start-up company, and unlike anything the universe had ever seen. The documentary film "Orphans of Apollo" is the greatest space story never told. The film tells the extraordinary true story of a small group of entrepreneurs who felt, 'orphaned' by President Nixon's decision to end the NASA Apollo Moon program and the subsequent years of nominal space activity. This band of brothers took matters into their own hands, and commandeered the Russian Mir Space Station. The rebellious, yet pioneering efforts launched the new commercial Space Revolution. This is the remarkable untold story of the greatest secret in the new space race. Follow this diverse group as they pioneer their way through this new business of space. Listen to the management team as they struggle with issues of branding, finance, technology, and engage in the ultimate slugfest with the most powerful governments and bureaucrats. Can these dreamers replace the age old traditionally held approach to spaceflight with their radically new vision of individuals and private enterprise developing space for all of mankind? Can they go where no man has gone before? As they venture into space to make billions, they also go having deep convictions, vision and idealism to save Earth, and live the dreams they were promised as children through the great achievements of the Apollo missions that held the world captive. They dream of resources captured in space and brought back to Earth having the potential to solve our planet's energy problems. They dream of colonies on the moon, and maybe one day even Mars. They dream, as any businessman with boyhood dreams of the endless possibilities that only the infinite imagination of space can make true. Their story is the story of dreamers everywhere who know no bounds to their imagination, whether their feet are firmly planted here on earth or their hearts and minds are soaring through the infinite expanse of outer space. First time documentary filmmaker Michael Potter, who is one degree of separation from most of the key players in this remarkable and historic epic, is an expert on international technology and business. Potter has published extensively on technology policy issues. He worked together with key figure in "Orphans of Apollo" Walt Anderson in creating a publicly traded pan-European telecommunications company. Potter previously worked