Capricorn One (1978)

Earth → Mars orbit → Earth orbit

No date is given; the empty spacecraft flies to Mars and back over several months while its crew fakes the landing on the ground. 1,180.4 million km in all on the map.

1. 1

   Launch pad Earth · date unknown

   Minutes before lift-off the crew is pulled out; the rocket flies with an empty capsule, and the astronauts are taken to a desert base to fake the trip on a Mars set.

   Capricorn One (uncrewed) · 590.2 million km

2. 2

   Mars (empty craft) Mars, orbit · date unknown

   The unmanned craft reaches Mars while the “landing” is staged for television on a set in the desert.

   Capricorn One (uncrewed) · 590.2 million km

3. 3

   Re-entry burn-up Earth, orbit · date unknown

   On the way home the faulty heat shield fails and the capsule burns up, so the crew is officially dead.