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Apr 13, 2026

Spin-off of the main sci-fi of the 21st century: what is known about the series "Star City" about Soviet cosmonauts

Michael Torres
By Michael Torres Video Game News and Features Editor
Last updated: Apr 13, 2026
Spin off of the main sci fi of the 21st century what is known about the series star city about soviet cosmonauts

The fifth season of one of the most talked-about sci-fi shows, For All Mankind, continues to unspool its alternate past — a world where the USSR beat the US to the Moon in 1969. Each installment throws new twists at that premise; in season five we're firmly in the 21st century, with the USSR intact, humans on Mars, and asteroid mining part of everyday industry.

What "Star City" will be about

Per the announcement, Star City turns its lens toward the Soviet Union and the people who made that alternate space program run. Expect Soviet labs, launchpads, and a version of history where cosmonauts (and the scientists behind them) outran the Americans to the Moon. Intelligence services figure into the story too — i.e., the spycraft and secrecy that would shape, complicate, or even enable those missions.

Creators of the series and cast

The spin-off keeps its creative roots: showrunners Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi (the team behind the original) are steering this ship — see Ronald's page here: Ronald D. Moore.

The cast includes Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O'Casey, Sully MacLaud, among others.

Like its parent show, Star City will stream on Apple TV. The first season consists of 8 episodes. The premiere of the opening two episodes is scheduled for May 29, right after For All Mankind’s fifth season wraps; new installments will drop weekly through July 10.

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Why "Star City" is worth watching

A few reasons to keep an eye on it — written more like quick notes than a glowing press blurb:

  • A rare chance to see that alternate timeline from across the Iron Curtain; for Russian viewers this perspective may feel especially immediate (e.g., familiar locations, cultural beats).
  • New faces and new hazards: the show can explore technical problems, internal rivalries, and the kinds of personal stakes that don’t always make it into rocket-science dramas.
  • The team frames it as a thriller, so expect tension, clandestine maneuvers, and the occasional betrayal — spy stuff that can pivot the plot suddenly.
  • It looks set to probe how people cope when systems fail or demand too much — characters pushed to the edge, not platitudes about heroism.

Conclusion

Only season one is on the slate for now. If viewers connect with the tone and the cast, the creators may widen this corner of the universe; if not, Star City could remain a compact, darker offshoot. Either way, it promises stories about rivalry, technical improvisation, and people making fraught choices under pressure. Don't be surprised if familiar faces from For All Mankind pop up now and then.