The Sky at Night – Destination Moon returned viewers to familiar territory on 1st April 2026, when Artemis II climbed away from Earth on the first crewed journey toward the lunar surface in more than half a century.
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The narrative of international cooperation in orbit, a central theme in Once Upon a Time in Space episode 4, began as a powerful symbol of post-Cold War optimism. For decades, the endeavor of space exploration was defined by a bitter rivalry between two superpowers.
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The story of Once Upon a Time in Space episode 2 begins at a pivotal moment in history, as the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War thawed. While communism fell across Eastern Europe, a crown jewel of the fallen empire remained: the Soviet space station Mir.
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In this special edition of The Sky at Night, the team delves into the remarkable journey of Dr. Nicola Fox, the current head of science at NASA, whose roots trace back to a humble beginning in the United Kingdom
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This month, we delve deep into the heart of space exploration with an exclusive look at NASA’s groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission
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With sixteen minutes remaining until its anticipated touchdown, Mission Control abruptly lost all forms of communication with the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
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NASA engineers meticulously examine film footage capturing the moment a piece of debris collided with the Space Shuttle Columbia merely 81 seconds after its launch.
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As NASA readies the Space Shuttle Columbia for its landmark 28th flight, a palpable mix of anticipation and concern envelops both the astronauts and their loved ones.
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Chasing the Moon episode 3: After the immediate celebration of 1968’s successful Apollo 8 mission, underlying questions about the space programme emerged with new intensity as politicised young Americans challenged the nation’s priorities. Nasa pushed brashly forward. After the lunar orbit, competition escalated among the training astronauts. Who would be chosen for the first moon landing? In January 1969, Nasa ended months of speculation and announced the crew for Apollo 11. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong would be in the craft that landed on the moon. They would be supported by Mike Collins in the command module.
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Chasing the Moon episode 2: What exactly was it going to take for America to beat the Soviets to the moon? Cold War tensions persisted, as rumours circulated that the Soviets were preparing to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon. Nasa quickly developed the Gemini program, sending astronauts into orbit around the Earth to practice critical manoeuvres for the eventual trip to the moon. Ed White became the first American to walk in space, an experience so exhilarating that, when Houston ordered him back in the space craft, he replied, ‘Not yet!’. Nasa’s next-generation spacecraft, Apollo
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Chasing the Moon episode 1: On 4 October 1957, Soviet scientists launched Sputnik 1 – a beach ball-sized, radio-transmitting aluminium alloy sphere – into orbit. The satellite caused a sensation. Amid Cold War tensions, the Soviet Union’s accomplishment signalled a dramatic technological advantage and American felt it had little choice but to join the Space Race. Then on 12 April 1961, the Soviets sealed their advantage when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth. John F Kennedy, the newly elected president, was faced with the issue of how to respond. Two days later,
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Looking for Life on Mars: Follow along as NASA launches the Mars 2020 Mission, perhaps the most ambitious hunt yet for signs of ancient life on Mars. The spacecraft will blaze into the Martian atmosphere at some 12,000 miles per hour and attempt to lower the Perseverance Rover in the rocky Jezero Crater, home to a dried-up river delta scientists think could have harbored life. Perseverance will comb the area for signs of life and collect samples for possible return to Earth. Traveling onboard is a four-pound helicopter that will conduct a series of test flights—the first on
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