For All Mankind - Pathfinder Shuttle Maiden Flight

NASA's maiden NERVA rocket "flight" is moved up in light of the Soviet shuttle Buran essentially acting as a blockade against the U.S's Sea Dragon resupply mission, who they think is harboring nuclear weapons to the moon. Pathfinder will act as weaponized escort for the Sea Dragon resupply mission to "deter" the Russians from attacking—basically the Cuban Missile Crisis but in space.

[zacvidyasagar]

I had the biggest smile on my face when I saw they were air launching a shuttle

[HeliosEusebio]

"Fly a ship into space. Not launch, not blast. Fly."

Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?

[rzero]

If there is something to love about this show, is that it uses actual proposed, experimental projects, and/or failed bids for space programs.
For example, Lockheed C-5 (alongside Boeing 747) was proposed to carry Rockwell Space Shuttle. Sea Dragon was a proposed heavy launch vehicle and Pathfinder was the name for a Space Shuttle mock up.

[kylefan]

Seeing the nuclear engine burn is like seeing the exact moment our world went from modern to sci-fi. Watching the whole show felt like experiencing the origin of those beloved sci-fi series.
In short, it’s like witnessing the history we didn’t got to own. I literally cried.

[dredayka]

"Y'all ready for the inaugural flight of the most bad ass nuclear rocket ever to grace god's green earth" Me: Fuck yeah

[ScottGammans]

SO many nerd moments in the penultimate episode of S2:
1. Air launched SSTO Pathfinder
2. Sea Dragon night launch
3. The Saturn 1B on the milk stand! (My personal favorite for sentimental reasons.)
4. That thing that happened at the end of the episode. Egad.

[StellarYankee]

The space program we deserved but had to wait for.

[hGW]

The T-tail on that C-5 had me sweating during the orbiter separation.

[Cloingor]

I get that this scene is unrealistic in various ways and annoys the fanboys but I like that the show generally leans into the historical record: Sea Dragon, NERVA and air-launched vehicles were all things that the Americans looked at at various points.

Also: Sally Ride - a true American hero

[SoloRenegade]

FYI, Pathfinder was an actual shuttle. A full scale mockup, now on display in Alabama

[mattknell]

God this scene was perfection! I love how the cockpit viewpoint is filmed vertically the whole time prior to the reveal that is actually docked with the transport plane horizontally! Soooo clever!

[hdufort]

I find it extremely weird that the Russians didn't develop Buran as the super powerful shuttle with the Uragan rocket and perhaps even flyback boosters as they intended to. This would have made the timeline so much cooler.

[TheJoeSwanon]

I love how the show generates so much serious intelligent debate. Just look at this comment section. It’s The first time it’s actually interesting to read people’s comments

[raymondyee]

01:55 WOW....launch from the top of a modified C-5. Now that's a first.

[johnecoapollo]

Brings a tear to my eye. The music, the pure joy of the crew, the fact that you indeed just flew into space. Awesome.

[TheBreezus]

Imagine building something so big that when it launched you have to be at least 6 miles away so your ear drum doesn't explode. Jeez

[andrejspecht]

Nice animation. Keep healthy, everyone, we still have to witness the Great Return to Space this century. I'm def going to be a excited old man.

[luccarodrigues]

This is my favorite scene from Season 2 :-)
The surprise reveal when the camera flips 90 degrees to show the Pathfinder piggyback riding on top of the cargo plane and later SSTO-ing into space was golden.

[martinxy]

For all mankind, the show that brings fourth the promises never given to the generations watching it

[boblieser]

When I first saw the Pathfinder cockpit and the clouds outside, I was wondering, will they launch from Kennedy or Vandenberg? Then that 90 degree turn blew away my expectations. Awesome setup and scene!