Trajectory: Milestones in Space Exploration
Revisit the key advances that have marked space exploration and find out the very latest innovations in space science.
Episodes
The Space Race, The Hubble, Chasing Comets & Space Debris
Cold War and the Start of the Space Race - Cold War rivalry and the acceleration of space exploration. Servicing Hubble - Preparations for Hubble’s final servicing mission. Chasing a Comet – Launch and the difficult path to rendezvous. Space Debris - Monitoring orbital debris.
Project Mercury, The Mars Express & The Soyuz Launch System
Project Mercury Begins - The start of NASA & America’s first manned space program. Mar Express - The European Space Agency’s Mars Satellite. The Soyuz Launch System - The gradual evolution of Russia’s Soyuz launcher.
Project Mercury Advancement, Camera Tracking & the International Space Station
Project Mercury Advances - America’s first manned space program finally puts a man in orbit. Camera Tracking - the array of special cameras that follow a spacecraft at launch. The International Space Station - The building and operation of the orbiting laboratory.
Project Gemini, Venus Express, EMU & Deep Space Communication
Project Gemini Commences – Did Gemini give the US a lead in the space race? Venus Express – The last days of ESA’s Venus probe. EMU - NASA’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Deep Space Communications – ESA’s worldwide network of giant dishes.
Project Gemini Advances, Cassini at Saturn & More about Mars
Project Gemini Advances - NASA refines the techniques needed for rendezvous. Cassini at Saturn - In the Cassini probe’s final years of activity its handlers are asking it to do more complex and risky assignments.
Project Gemini docking, Mars Curiosity & Satellite Swarms
Project Gemini: Docking and EVA - In the final phase of the Gemini program NASA struggles with docking and spacewalks. Curiosity Roving Mars - On the surface of Mars the Curiosity rover is changing the way we think about the red planet.
The Apollo Program Begins, Caves and Planck
The Apollo Program Begins - At the very beginning of NASA’s moon project things go wrong. ESA’s special training program for astronauts. Planck - Mapping the cosmic microwave background radiation.
Rebuilding Apollo, Orbiting Carbon & Zero Gravity Training
Rebuilding Project Apollo - After the Apollo 1 disaster NASA resumes manned space flight. Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 - Monitoring the Earth’s Co2 levels in unprecedented detail. Zero Gravity Training - Parabolic flights and their role in weightlessness training.
Beyond Earth Orbit, IXV Vehicles & Galileo Satellites Lost and Found
Beyond Earth Orbit - The Apollo program takes bold new steps. IXV Re-entry Vehicle - Europe is working to perfect a re-entry vehicle. Galileo Satellites Lost and Found - Navigation satellites go into incorrect orbit.
To The Moon, SpaceX's Dragon and Falcon & GAIA
To the Moon – The Apollo program achieves its major objective. Dragon Falcon and Spacex – New Directions in re-usable spacecraft. Gaia – Mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail.
The Beginning of the End, Apollo Gets Complicated & the End of Apollo
The beginning of the End – After the first moon landing the Apollo science program was about to start in earnest but people were losing interest. Apollo gets complicated – new technology is added that extends the reach of the Apollo program.
The shuttle program, The Challenger Disaster & Return to Space
The Shuttle Program – The first reusable spacecraft. The Challenger Disaster – Pressing launch schedules to lead to carelessness and the loss of the Challenger. Return to Space – A re-designed shuttle is back in space with a redefined role.
The Space Shuttle Matures, Complex Space Construction & The Final Years of the Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttles matures – the Space Transportation System changes the nature of orbital missions. Complex Construction in Space – Confidence in the shuttle begins to return and engineers forget the lessons of the past.
