A rare Soviet documentary film from 1951, directed by Pavel Klushantsev. It explores the history of humanity’s study of the universe, from ancient astronomy to modern understandings of the solar system, examining the structure of the cosmos, the planets, and advances in scientific space research.

This movie follows the crew of the spaceship Homeland, preparing for the first manned mission to Mars. When an American ship, Typhoon, rushes to beat them and suffers a critical malfunction, the Soviets divert their mission to attempt a rescue. Stranded on the asteroid Icarus with depleted fuel, the cosmonauts await a desperate rescue mission that may cost another crew their lives.