The documentary tells the story of how Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura in the original “Star Trek,” went on to recruit the first women and minority astronauts for NASA in the late 1970s.
Franta is currently Vice President of Development at Starfighters Space based at the Kennedy Space Center. He’s also been a liaison to the space industry, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Starfighters Space uses supersonic jets to air-launch rockets carrying small payloads and experiments into space.
Born on the Space Coast, Franta went from wanting to be an engineer to studying English at Flagler in 1987. And while English and engineering may not seem related, he said there’s a significant connection: “The biggest thing I learned at Flagler was how to tell a story.”
Franta’s ability to tell a story, turned out to be a key factor in his success when he found himself in Washington working for IBM.
“I found out I could translate technical things into English. In the regulatory world, in the banking world, in the tax world, you have to translate things for policymakers to some non-technical form that they can understand,” he said.
What launched his career in the space industry was a job offer back in Florida to work on the Florida Space Transportation Act. “What was significant about the Florida Space Transportation Act is that it made space a mode of transportation,” Franta said.
This led to funding from the Department of Transportation and the building of launch pads, and Franta went on to become the Chief of Staff at the Florida Space Authority, where he oversaw the building of aircraft hangers at Kennedy Space Center.
He has worked in a variety of capacities, including consulting for Starfighter Space, Boeing, Lockheed and even Energy Florida, a nonprofit which develops energy projects.
Coinciding with Franta’s career in the space industry was a career in show business and as a storyteller. In 1997, he tried out for a part in the TV series, “From the Earth to the Moon,” and was cast by Tom Hanks.
He got his Screen Actors Guild card from his very first job.
“In 1997, I nearly quit my job because in 21 days, the film industry was going wild in Florida,” he said. “I made more money in 21 days than I did in my regular job.”
Continuing along this trajectory, he would find himself in several other Space-centric films, including “Armageddon."
In 2019, he was given the opportunity to pitch the documentary that would become, “Woman in Motion.” The film would first be delayed when the subject of the documentary, Nichelle Nichols, suffered a stroke and needed time to make a full recovery. Then when it was about to be released, COVID hit.
“We had our film debut, unfortunately, during COVID,” Franta said.
But in a fitting tribute to Nichols and the film, Franta said it was ultimately released in February of 2021 for Black History Month.
“To open Black History Month, it was a great experience,” he said. “I did most of the interviews (for the film), and I got to interview Martin Luther King III in his father's church. I got to interview a lot of astronauts, some of which I knew, some of which I didn’t. Pharrell is also in the film, and I got to go to the Academy Awards luncheon.”
Because of Franta’s career in the Space Industry, they got to film at the Kennedy Space Center. One of the greatest achievements of the film is that it was filmed aboard the International Space Station. One of only 600 films to do so.
