DRAX SPACE STATIONS from Moonraker 1979)
Starring Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale. Directed by Lewis Gilbert
The James Bond movies had some marvellous hardware on show. and Moonraker is no exception. The film overall is described, and somewhat dismissed as ‘the one where Bond goes to space’. It does not get a lot of love, But the film is visually stunning. Gorgeous locations, tremendous sets and beautiful photography. Every shot looks like it cost a million dollars.
The Drax Space Station seen is an exceptional piece of production design and production value. The scenes of space travel and the space station are depicted accurately as a weightless environment. In fact it is probably one of the most realistic depictions of space travel in any movie. The station can generate its own gravity via rotation. The design of the station really goes ‘all in’ on the idea of weightless structure. Criss-crossing skeletal corridors and modules hang precariously in space. It is a fantastic design from Ken Adam - inside and outside. I have seen this film many times and doing this painting was actually a great experience to really look at this thing and see what it actually looks like. I ‘think’ there is a sort of symmetry to it that is not immediately apparent..
The Moonraker;s are space shuttle orbiters,
This pianting shows the scene where the 6 Moonraker space shuttles rendezvous at the space shuttles dock onto the various docking areas. The production design for the film was by Ken Adam – his last Bond film, the visual effects are by Derek Meddings and were nominated for the Oscar for best vfx. Quite a year – the black hole, Alien, 1941 and Star Trek the Motion Picture.
Designd by KEN ADAM
Visual Effects directed by DEREK MEDDINGS