If you go

What: "The Space Between Us" screening and talk

When: 6:15 p.m. tonight, doors open at 6 p.m.

Where: Regal Continental Stadium, 3635 S. Monaco Parkway

More info: Sierra Nevada Corp. is teaming up with the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum for a Cine-Talk series special screening of the film. Steve Lindsey, former astronaut and vice president of Space Exploration Systems for SNC's Space Systems business area, will present a talk and Q&A before the movie.

Dream Chaser won't make its debut as a reusable space utility vehicle performing missions in low Earth orbit for another two years. But in Hollywood, it's already a prime-time player in space.

The Dream Chaser spacecraft, designed and manufactured by Louisville's Sierra Nevada Corp., has a cameo in a new feature film opening today, "The Space Between Us," which tells the futuristic story of the first human born on Mars.

As described in a Sierra Nevada news release, "The Space Between Us," starring Gary Oldman, recounts the story of 16-year-old Gardner Elliot, played by Asa Butterfield, who embarks on a quest to find himself, his father and to discover what life is like on Earth.

"I'm raised by scientists," he is heard to say in the film's trailer, and another character exclaims, "He's met less than 15 people in his life!"

Once on Earth — mini spoiler alert — the protagonist connects with a Colorado girl, who assists him.

And, major spoiler alert, help he will need. The trailer also includes the disturbing revelation that, having been raised on the red planet, "His heart can't handle our gravity!" Drama, as they say, ensues.

This marks the second time in two years that the Dream Chaser has flexed its form for the big screen. Last year, it enjoyed some exposure in the Oscar-nominated "The Martian," although it only survived in the director's cut of that box office behemoth.

The cinematic exposure for Sierra Nevada's creation, seen in "The Space Between Us" — and its trailer — as it shuttles the main character to low-Earth orbit, is playing very well at its corporate offices.

"The Dream Chaser stirs imagination in many ways, and it's a fun adventure for SNC to share the vehicle in this format," said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC's Space Systems business area.

"The movie shows a futuristic version of the Dream Chaser. We hope viewers enjoy the role it has in the film and that it inspires them on what the spacecraft can do in real life," he added.

Leonard David, a space writer living in Boulder County whose "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet" served as a springboard for a recent National Geographic television series envisioning humans' future settlement there, welcomes the silver screen attention for Dream Chaser

"As a space-aged follower of human spaceflight, wings and wheels kissing runways — in contrast to capsule splashdowns in the ocean — is always welcome news," he said in an email. "Pursuing Dream Chaser brings closer routine access to space, a future that opens up new business opportunities, including public space travel."

The Dream Chaser is currently slated to take cargo to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract, starting late in 2019. On Jan. 25, it was delivered to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, located on Edwards Air Force Base in California.

There, it will be put through several months of testing at the center in preparation for its approach and landing flight on the base's 22L runway.

Also on Dream Chaser's agenda is the first-ever United Nations mission set for launch in 2021, which will enable United Nations member states to develop and fly microgravity payloads for a 14-day flight to low-Earth orbit.

For those who can't wait that long to see Dream Chaser in action, Sierra Nevada is teaming with Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum tonightfor a special Denver screening of "The Space Between Us" as part of the museum's Cine-Talk Series.

Steve Lindsey, a former astronaut and vice president of Space Exploration Systems for Sierra Nevada's Space Systems business area, will offer a talk and a question-and-answer session before the movie's screening.

The event takes off at 6:15 p.m. at the Continental Movie Theater, 3635 S. Monaco Parkway, Denver.

The movie is also showing starting today at Boulder and Longmont-area theaters.

"The engineers put their full passion and heart into designing the Dream Chaser, so for the whole team — it's such a thrill to see it on the big screen," said Sierra Nevada communications manager Kimberly Schwandt.

"They beam with pride for their work each day and this is just a great avenue to share that passion with the world."

Charlie Brennan: 303-473-1327, brennanc@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/chasbrennan

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