Writing credits:
Chesley Bonestell (book)
Willy Ley

Starting off with George Pal as producer (The Time Machine, Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide), one would expect better things from him (Although we can't really lay the blame on him, word has it he was fighting the studio over this project--and lost. This caused his split with Paramount). Followed up by the writers, Chesley Bonestell and Willy Ley, two icons in the sci-fi community. Not to mention Dr. Wernher von Braun as technical advisor and Van Cleave doing the music. With this much talent in the offing, one must assume that the studio ruined this picture.

The film starts off well enough, with the final construction phase of the spacecraft and training of the crew aboard the space station. There is the element of conflict between the General and his son. After the launch, however, the film starts to go downhill as the general inexplicably develops some sort of religious mania and tries to sabotage the mission. This is definitely not the best George Pal has given us, but as a big fan of his work, I had to buy the tape.
Technically accurate, good cinimatography and effects, but the studio should've kept it's fingers out of the script.