New ‘Star City’ spin-off explores Soviet space program secrecy
According to a report from space.com, the new Apple TV+ spin-off “Star City” presents a fictionalized look at the Soviet space program from the perspective of the alternate timeline established in “For All Mankind.” The show focuses on the secrecy surrounding the Soviet program, where even the location of the Star City base was a state secret and cosmonauts’ families were often unaware of their missions. The article explains that the real engineer Sergei Korolev, known only as “the Chief Designer” during his lifetime, is a central figure whose death in surgery is the point where the fictional timeline diverges from history. The spin-off opens with the Soviet flag being planted on the Moon, but shows the event from the Soviet side, including a mission control overseen by Korolev. The report notes that the show draws heavily on the idea that the Soviet program operated on a need-to-know basis, contrasting sharply with the public nature of NASA’s Apollo program. Characters include KGB officer Lyudmilla Raskova, who employs surveillance to control cosmonauts and engineers, and cosmonauts like Yana Akhmatova, who is falsely accused of spying. The first two episodes of “Star City” are available now on Apple TV, with new episodes debuting on Fridays.
What’s reported
The show “Star City” is a spin-off of “For All Mankind” and explores the Soviet space program.
Real engineer Sergei Korolev oversaw the R-7 rocket, Sputnik, and Vostok programs, and was referred to as “the Chief Designer” during his lifetime.
The alternate timeline of “For All Mankind” diverges at Korolev’s death during surgery in 1966.
In the show, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov plants the Soviet flag on the Moon, seen from the Soviet perspective.
KGB officer Lyudmilla Raskova (played by Anna Maxwell Martin) employs surveillance, including Irina Morozova (Agnes O’Casey).
Cosmonaut Yana Akhmatova (Niamh Algar) is falsely accused of spying and executed.
First woman on the Moon Anastasia Belikova (Alice Englert) faces threats of replacement for deviating from a script.
The show suggests conspiracy theories about Yuri Gagarin’s death being no accident.
The first two episodes of “Star City” are available on Apple TV; new episodes debut on Fridays.
Key figures
Sergei Korolev (real engineer, “the Chief Designer”)
Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi (creators of “For All Mankind”)
Rhys Ifans (plays the Chief Designer in “Star City”)
Anna Maxwell Martin (plays Lyudmilla Raskova)
Agnes O’Casey (plays Irina Morozova)
Niamh Algar (plays Yana Akhmatova)
Alice Englert (plays Anastasia Belikova)
Alexei Leonov (fictional cosmonaut)
Ed Baldwin (fictional astronaut, mentioned)
Yuri Gagarin (real cosmonaut, referenced)
Sources: space.com
