Fly Rocket Fly (Trailer)

Fifty years ago, the iconic "one small step" by Neil Armstrong marked the climax of the Space Race between the USA and the USSR, but the race to the stars was far from over—and not just between superpowers. Fly Rocket Fly uncovers the astonishing untold saga of OTRAG, the world’s first private space launch company, blazing a trail long before SpaceX took to the skies. This is the fairytale of Lutz T. Kayser, a visionary German engineer with a childhood dream to reach the stars. In 1975, backed by a crew of aeronautical pioneers from Stuttgart and guided by the legendary Wernher von Braun, Kayser founded OTRAG—Orbital Transport and Rocket Corporation. Barred by the Treaty of Paris from launching rockets on German soil, OTRAG struck a historic deal with General Mobutu Sese Seko, the autocratic ruler of Zaire, whose fascination with grand projects and cutting-edge German tech fueled a daring partnership. Mobutu, fresh from masterminding events like the “Rumble in the Jungle,” dreamt of Africa’s place in the cosmic age. He granted OTRAG a testing ground four times the size of Belgium deep in the Congolese jungle—an entire city where rockets rose from the earth. Early successes ignited hope and wonder, but also a geopolitical firestorm. Suspicion and Cold War tensions brewed, fueled by rumors that these German rockets were covert weapons hidden under a canopy of rainforest. Then tragedy struck, claiming seven lives and abruptly ending OTRAG’s space odyssey in Zaire. Before this extraordinary chapter fades into legend, Fly Rocket Fly gives the OTRAG team their first chance to tell their story, enriched by nearly 25 hours of exclusive, stunning 16mm archival footage, super-8 films, and thousands of rare photographs—never before seen by the public. Experience the thrilling clash of dreams, politics, and cosmic ambition in a tale that rockets beyond history and into myth. Read More

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• Aug 2025