FOR ALL MANKIND Imagines That the USSR Won the Space Race

Because Ronald D. Moore’s highly-anticipated new series is one of the flagship releases for Apple’s new streaming service, there has been scant material about it so far, but that all changed after the tech giant released a teaser trailer and a new image at their developer’s conference.

The opening of the high-concept sci-fi show immediately sets up the main gambit: What would have happened to America, NASA, and the space race if the Russians had reached the moon first? We get to see the reaction of the American public as well as Joel Kinnaman’s protagonist as they watch the historical moment that changes everything. “A Soviet cosmonaut has become the first man to set foot on the moon,” a news reader explains drolly.

Showrunner Ronald D. Moore is the mind behind some of the biggest sci-fi and fantasy shows of all time with his most recent creation Outlander about to begin its fifth season. Before that, he worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager which has us very excited for the potential thoughtful sci-fi that For All Mankind might have to offer.


Though details are scarce, the trailer showcases a gorgeous vision of space as well as a period piece about the inner workings of NASA. It’s hard not to think of Madmen as a potential inspiration–featuring a lot of serious men talking about the future–but with a lot more of science-fiction flair. From this glimpse, it seems like the big conflict here will be how America tops the USSR, and it even looks like they might be heading to Mars in an attempt to do so. For now, though, we’ll have to keep guessing as For All Mankind doesn’t hit screens until fall 2019.

Images: Apple