Parents need to know that much of the footage in this well-made documentary series about NASA's history is original film shot at the time of the early space missions -- a time when attitudes toward gender and race were just beginning to change and when smoking was a lot more common. So expect to see plenty of shots of people smoking, including one of the astronauts' wives lighting up in front of her kids. It's also worth noting that minority groups were not represented (beyond clerical and other support positions) during the program's early days. The series covers the highs and the lows of the space program, including explosions -- some of which were deadly.

Families can talk about how the media tends to portray space exploration. Does this series match that depiction or present things in a new light? Did your opinion of NASA change after watching the show? Families can also discuss what isn't addressed in the series -- such as the fact that, in the program's early days, minorities and women weren't included or considered for participation. How do you think the politics and social issues of the time affected what was happening with NASA? How do you think current events affect space exploration today?