Fly, Rocket, Fly! - Mit Macheten zu den Sternen

Summary

Fly Rocket Fly

Documentary feature about the 'Orbital Transport- und Raketen Aktiengesellschaft' (OTRAG), the world’s first private space launch company, founded in 1975 by space engineer Lutz Tilo Kayser (*1939) in Stuttgart with the goal to enable private space transports. As Europe did not give permission to launch private spaceships, Kayser made a deal with Mobutu Sese Seko, then president of Zaire (today: Democratic Republic of Kongo). The dictator provided Kayser with an area the size of the GDR so he could launch his rockets. After a number of successful tests in 1979, things were looking promising, but when Germany and Russia for various reasons put political pressure on Mobutus' government, Mobutus terminated his contract with OTRAG.