TELEVISION - SPACE
1960
The Sky at Night - 27/09/60 - Patrick Moore looks at the first pictures taken of the dark side of the moon, and guest speaker Gilbert Fielder talsk about the possible composition of the Moon (8, Copied from the Internet - Black and White - On the same disc as the 09/06/19 and 14/07/19 The Sky at Night, 14 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
1961
21/07/61 - NBC Special News Report : Mercury 7 Space flight - Live coverage of the launch, flight and splash-down of the Mercury 7 manned, sub-orbital space-flight. The astronaut was Virgil "Gus" Grissom who, with the flight, became only the 3rd man in space and the 2nd US astronaut after John Glenn. The flight took just 15 minutes and 37 seconds (8, 1 hour - Black and White, 1 Disc, NBC, NTSC)
1962
President Kennedy's Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Program - September 12, 1962 - John F. Kennedy details the USA's mission to put a man on the Moon sometime in the 1960's. On the same disc as the 1962 and 1963 JFK speeches (8, 18 minutes, Colour, 1 Disc, NTSC)
1966
Horizon : Man in Space - BBC Journalist David Lutyens investigates what space travel is like. With access to the Gemini programme in Houston, Luytjens looks at eating, travelling and living in Space. Also includes interviews with Gemini 7 astronaut Frank Borman and Gemini chief Doctor Charles Berry. On the same disc as 1969 Apollo 11:Impact on Earth (10, Downloaded from the internet - Black and White - 40 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
1969
Apollo 11 : Impact on Earth - Robin Day hosts a discussion on the impact that the 1969 Moon Landing will have on society, historically, scientifically and economically. Includes discussion with head of NASA Thomas Paine, Geoffrey Pardoe (UK Space Engineer), James Mossman (Journalist), Barbara Ward (Economist), Hugh Trevor Roper (Historian), George Porter (Scientist) and Brian Aldis (Sci-Fi Writer). On the same disc as 1966 Man in Space (10, Downloaded from the internet - Black and White - 40 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
1981
Space Shuttle STS-1 Launch and Landing - Original broadcast coverage of the inaugural Space Shuttle flight, piloted by John Young and Robert Crippen. Coverage includes the BBC's "Tomorrow's World" launch programme, news bulletins from ITV and BBC of the 2 days in Space, and the BBC's "Tomorrow's World" landing coverage starting at the radio blackout (9, 2 hours in length, 1 Disc, BBC - Rodd/Prendiville/Pardoe, PAL)
Space Shuttle STS-2 Launch - Original broadcast coverage of the 2nd Space Shuttle flight, piloted by Joe Engle and Richard Truly. Coverage includes the original aborted launch + ITV's coverage of the re-scheduled launch, with Apollo 12's Dick Gordon as studio guest. The landing is not in the coverage (8, 2 hours 56 mins in length, 1 Disc, ITV - Sissons/Gordon, PAL)
1989
For All Mankind - A documentary about the Apollo moon landing, using only footage from NASA and narrated by the Astronauts themselves. The footage is taken from all 6 Apollo missions but is edited to make it look like 1 mission. This is a 2009 re-broadcast of the original 1989 film (10, 1 hour 15 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
1998
Mir Mortals - The story of the problems that beset the American and Russian astronauts on-board the Russian Space Station Mir in 1997. They had to endure a fire, power blackouts and mechanical breakdowns + a dramatic mid-space collision that left everyone on board scrambling for their lives. Includes interviews with the Astronauts from both sides and archive footage (9, Copied from the Internet, 49 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2009
The Sky at Night - 06/07/09 - To commemorate the Apollo moon landing, Sir Patrick Moore and his guests reminisce and celebrate the enormous achievements of the whole Apollo program. Includes short interviews with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (10, 25 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Apollo Wives - Documentary detailing the role the wives of the Apollo astronauts played in the moon landings and how they coped after their men returned to earth. Archive footage is explored with commentary from 10 of the wives and ends with a reunion in Arizona (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Moon - A documentary examining Man's fascination with the moon, which led up to Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind in 1969, and the subsequent lack of interest leading to the cessation of lunar expeditions in 1972 (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon - Documentary looking through nearly 50 years of BBC archive at the story of man's relationship with the moon (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
NASA : Triumph and Tragedy - 2 programmes of 46 minutes each that follow the NASA Space program from inception to the Space Shuttle. Episode 1, One Small Step, documents the triumph of NASA, through Gemini and up to the end of the Apollo 11 program. Episode 2, One Giant Leap, documents the tragedy of the Space program, with pieces on Apollo 13 and the 2 failed Space Shuttle missions. Both episodes include interviews with key staff and astronauts, including Gene Kranz and Neil Armstrong (10, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2011
Stargazing Live : Series 1 -
Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3
live shows, each 1 hour long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy :
Jupiter, The Sun and Meteors. Episode 3 is NTSC standard (10,
3 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL/NTSC)
The Sky at Night - 10/04/11 - Astronomer Patrick Moore celebrates the 700th episode of the series with a question-and-answer session with a few friends ; Chris Lintott, Prof Brian Cox, Prof Alan Fitzsimmons, Dr. Lucie Green and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees. The questions are asked by celebrity amateur astronomer Jon Culshaw (10, On the same disc as the Space Shuttle : A Horizon guide - 1 hour, BBC, PAL)
The Space Shuttle: A Horizon Guide - A documentary chronicling the life of Nasa's Space Shuttle, examining the triumphs and tragedies over the 30 years of it's service. Includes interviews with Shuttle pilots and crews (10, On the same disc as The Sky at Night 700th episode - 1 hour, BBC, PAL)
The Space Shuttle : The Final Mission - British ex-NASA scientist Kevin Fong follows the final weeks of the final Space Shuttle launch with a behind-the-scenes look at the program. Includes interviews with scientists, astronauts and staff responsible for a successful launch (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Space Shuttle's Last Flight - A retrospective look at the Space Shuttle program including interviews with scientists, astronauts and people involved in the design and running of the Space Shuttle (10, 1 hour 27 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2012
Stargazing Live : Series 2- Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3 live shows, each 1 hour long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy : The Moon, Black Holes and the Search for Planets outside our Solar System (10, 2 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL)
Neil Armstrong : First man on the moon - A documentary chronicling the life of Neil Armstrong, from his childhood through to his death in 2012. Includes rare interviews with family and close friends + archive footage of his career (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomer, Broadcaster and Eccentric - A 40 minute posthumous tribute to Sir Patrick Moore, who died in December 2012. The BBC looks back at his life and career, as an Astronomer helping the moon landings, and as a broadcaster hosting the BBC's "The Sky at Night" from its first airing in April 1957. Includes contributions from Brian May, Tim Rice and Heather Couper. Also included on the disc is the last "Sky at Night" programme he recorded shortly before his death, episode 722, and the 1st episode recorded without him, episode 723 (10, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2013
Stargazing Live : Series 3 - Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3 live shows, each 1.5 hours long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy : Mars, The History of the Universe and meteors, comets and asteroids (10, 3 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL)
Sir Patrick Moore Tribute - The BBC celebrated the life of Astronomer and TV presenter Sir Patrick Moore with an evening of his shows. The programmes included 3 episodes of the series "The Sky at Night" from 1975, 1982 and 2009 + an interview by Mark Lawson with Patrick from 2007 (9, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
2014
Stargazing Live : Series 4 -
Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3
live shows, each 1.5 hours long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy : Aurora Hunting, Space Exploration and Gravitational Lenses and Galaxies (10,
3 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL)
Live from Space - A series of 3 episodes looking at life in Space aboard the International Space Station. Programme 1 follows a 6 month tour by Astronauts Mike Hopkins, Koichi Wakata and Rick Matracchio. Episode 2 highlights the dangers of Spacewalks outside the ISS. Episode 3 is a live broadcast from the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, monitoring the ISS as it makes 1 complete lap of the Earth and includes live interviews with the crew of the ISS (10, 3 Discs, Channel 4 - O'Leary, PAL)
The Last Man on the Moon - A documentary about NASA astronaut Gene Cernan, who became the last man to walk on the moon in December 1972. The programme details his life and career before, during and after his time as an Apollo astronaut and includes interviews with friends, family and the man himself, and also includes archive footage of the Apollo moon missions (9, 1 hour 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Cosmonauts : How Russia won the Space Race - The story of how Russia pioneered space exploration, continually upstaging the USA to set milestones in the Space Race. Russia put the 1st satellite, the 1st animal and the 1st human in space, and pioneered living in space with the Salyut space station, but the USA is consistently credited with winning the Space Race because it landed a man on the moon first. This documentary combines rare and unseen archive footage with interviews with the surviving cosmonauts including Alexei Leonov, the man who performed the first spacewalk (9, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2015
Stargazing Live : Series 5 -
Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3
live shows, each 1.5 hours long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy : The Moon, Asteriods and The Solar Eclipse (10,
3 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL)
How to be an Astronaut - British Astronaut Tim Peake films a video diary for the 18 months of training before he goes into Space to join the International Space Station (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Stargazing Live : Tim Peake Special - Professor Brian Cox and amateur astronomer Dara O'Briain host 2 live shows following the launch of Expedition 46 from Baikonur Spaceport in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. On the mission is British Astronaut Tim Peake, the 1st man to work on the ISS and the 2nd Britain in Space
Episode 1 - Blast Off Live - (10, 1 Disc, 45 minutes, BBC, PAL)
Episode 2 - Brit in Space - (10, 1 Disc, 1 hour 20 minutes, BBC, PAL)
2016
Stargazing Live : Series 6 -
Professor Brian Cox and celebrity Astronomer Dara O'Briain present 3
live shows, each 1.5 hours long, focusing on 3 elements of Astronomy : The ISS, Living in Space and Searching for Pulsars (10,
3 Discs, BBC - O'Briain/Cox, PAL)
Stargazing Live : The Spacewalk - A Stargazing Live Special following British Astronaut Tim Peake as he becomes the 1st British astronaut to perform a space walk (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Astronaut Tim Peake returns to Earth - A BBC News special following the return to earth of British Astronaut Tim Peake after his 6 month stay on the International Space Station. Coverage starts as the Soyuz capsule deploys its chutes and includes post-landing interview with Tim Peake at the landing sight in Kazakhstan (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2017
The Sky at Night : 60th Anniversary Special - Introduced by Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock, the programme looks at how our knowledge of the universe has been transformed in the last six decades. Featuring contributions from Jim Al-Khalili, Dallas Campbell and Monica Grady, the programme looks back at an extraordinary age of discovery and the role of "The Sky at Night" during this time (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Horizon : Space Volcanoes - A look at how Volcanoes on other planets in the solar system help scientists on Earth understand our planet better. Using original NASA material and computer graphics, the programme looks at Olympus Mons on Mars, the violent eruptions on Jupiter's moon Io and the icy geyser eruptions on Saturn's moon Enceladus (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Mars - A Traveller's Guide - Using real images and data, Horizon brings Martian landmarks to life - from vast plains to towering volcanoes, from deep valleys to hidden underground caverns - to explain what the first visitors to Mars can expect (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The 21st Century Race for Space - Professor Brian Cox investigates the growing business of commercial Space travel. Brian goes behind the scenes at Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Spaceport America, to see what is happening in privately financed space flight, from space tourism to asteroid mining. Includes interviews with Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? - Astronaut Chris Hadfield, former Nasa medical researcher Dr Kevin Fong and psychologist Dr Iya Whiteley put 12 exceptional British candidates through a series of gruelling physical and psychological tests to find out who has what it takes to be an astronaut. Using a series of the tests, the candidates are whittled down to a final 4 and they are taken to Florida for their final test (10, 6 episodes of 1 hour each, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
America's Secret Space Heroes - A look at the untold story of the machines that created history in the world of space exploration. Each episode looks at the creation, design and build of the machines, along with contemporary accounts from the people responsible. Episode 1 covers the Saturn V rocket. Episode 2 the Lunar Lander Module. Episode 3 the Space Shuttle. Episode 4 the International Space Station. Episode 5 the Hubble Telescope and Episode 6 the Viking Mars Mission (9, 6 episodes of 46 minutes each, 3 Discs, Smithsonian Channel, PAL)
2018
Jupiter Revealed - Using information gained from NASA's Juno mission, scientists take a more informed look at the biggest planet in the solar system : Jupiter. They look at the composition of the planet, its Weather and what it can tell scientists about the birth of the Solar System (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Space Shuttle : Triumph and Tragedy - The inside story of NASA's reusable spacecraft. The programme look back at how the shuttle re-invented Space Travel and brought about the creation of the International Space Station, but the project's costs proved to be far higher than predicted and the Challenger and Columbia disasters hastened its retirement (9, 2 episodes of 45 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
Apollo's Daring Mission - The story of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to travel to the moon and back. The mission was brought forward, despite safety issues, as the space race with Russia escalated. The mission proved that a manned Lunar Landing was possible and gave NASA confidence to go for it with Apollo 11. Includes archive footage and interviews with the Apollo 8 crew ; Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders (9, 52 minutes, 1 Disc, PBS America, PAL)
The Lost Tapes : Apollo 13 - The story of Apollo 13, the 3rd mission to the moon, which almost ended in tragedy after an on-board explosion rendered the spacecraft inoperable. Told through rare news reports, mission control audio, and original NASA newsreels, the programme follows the mission to rescue the crew of Apollo 13 and bring them safely home (9, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, The Smithsonian Channel, PAL)
2019
8 Days : To the Moon and Back - To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, this dramatic reconstruction uses actual NASA audio from the Apollo 11 crew to tell the story of the mission. Actors play the parts of the crew but lip-sync to the audio of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. The documentary covers the launch, the first sight of the moon, the dramatic Lunar descent and ascent and the journey home. Original archive footage from the Apollo programme is combined with newly shot film and cinematic CGI to create the ultimate documentary of the ultimate human adventure (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Sky at Night - 09/06/19 - The show looks at the impending return to the Moon. Dr.Jim Green from NASA looks at the new era of Lunar exploration while other experts look at accommodation on the Moon, the search for Water on the Moon and the answer to the Geology of the Moon (8, On the same disc as the 27/09/60 and 14/07/19 The Sky at Night, 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Sky at Night - 14/07/19 - The show looks back at the role the BBC played in reporting on the Space Race, from the 1950's through to the 1st Moon Landing in 1969. Includes archive action and interviews with 1960's TV presenter James Burke, British Astronaut Helen Sharman and Professor John Zarnecki (8, On the same disc as the 27/09/60 and 09/06/19 The Sky at Night, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Chasing the Moon - The story of the race to the Moon, from the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to Apollo 11, and the first man to set foot on the Moon, in 1969. Includes interviews with the key players, including Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Sergei Khrushchev who is the son of former Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev, + archive coverage from NASA (10, 6 Episodes of 47 minutes, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Moon Launch Live - A reconstruction of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon Landing, from the launch on the 16th July to the Splashdown on the 24th July, told through the NASA audio and ABC/CBS news coverage of the time. Includes NASA coverage of the LM descent and the moon-walk (10, 2 Episodes of 48 minutes and 1 hour 7 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
First Steps : 50 Years after Apollo 11 - CNN looks back at the Apollo 11 mission with memories from Michael Collins, Ed Fendell (CM Comms), Gerry Griffin (Flight Director), Jerry Bostick (Flight Dynamics Officer) and Bill Capentier (Flight Surgeon) (9, On the same disc as 2019 The Day we Walked on the Moon, 26 minutes, 1 Disc, CNN, PAL)
The Day we Walked on the Moon - In a look back at the day man landed on the moon, people involved with the mission and people watching at home give their memories of the day. Includes archive footage of the mission + interviews, among others, with Michael Collins, Gene Kranz and Frank Borman (9, On the same disc as 2019 First Steps : 50 Years after Apollo 11, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Stargazing Live : Moon Landing Special - To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, Professor Brian Cox and amateur astronomer Dara O Briain travel to Cape Canaveral in Florida. They interview astronaut Charlie Duke, who was Capcom for Apollo 11, about his experiences both with Apollo 11 and with his own Moon landing with Apollo 16. Also astrophysicist Dr Kevin Fong looks at Spacewalk Technology while mathematician Dr Hannah Fry looks at a future Mars buggy (9, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC - Cox/O'Briain, PAL)
2020
Pluto : Back from the Dead - The story of how our knowledge of the dwarf planet Pluto, 3.5 billion miles from Earth, was dramatically expanded by the "New Horizons" spacecraft after it performed a flyby in 2015. The information gathered revealed a world that may be able to support life. Includes interviews with scientists involved in the New Horizons mission (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Hubble : The Wonders of Space Revealed - To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its launch, the BBC tells the remarkable story of how Hubble revealed the awe and wonder of the universe and how a team of daring astronauts risked their lives to keep it working (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2021
Mission to Mars : Horizon Special - To coincide with its imminent arrival at Mars, Horizon tells the story of the design, build and test of the $2.5 billion "Curiosity" rover that will search for life on the on the surface of the planet (9, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2022
Secrets of Size : Atoms to Supergalaxies - Episode 2 - Dr. Jim Al-Khalili looks at the vast size of the universe, exploring outside the Milky Way and investigating the idea of interconnected galaxies (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Super Telescope : Mission to the Edge of the Universe - The story of the design, construction and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The Telescope, 100 times more powerful than Hubble, hopes to look back in time to close to the birth of the Universe (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
2023
Wonders of the Moon - Amateur Astronomer Dara O'Briain looks at Earth's nearest neighbour, the Moon, and tries to understand it's effect on the World we live on. Episode 1 focuses on how the Moon has shaped Human Myth, Culture and Spirituality. Episode 2 looks at the moon landings, past and future (9, 2 episodes of 45 minutes each, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
A Very British Space Launch - A behind-the-scenes documentary looking at the trials and tribulations facing Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit and their mission to be the first to launch a rocket into orbit from UK soil. Includes interviews with the technical crew and footage of the launch (9, 47 mins, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
Secrets of Our Universe with Tim Peake - British Astronaut Tim Peake looks at the Universe we asks some of the big questions about our world and what lies beyond it. The episodes are : Episode 1 - The Planets, Episode 2 - Stars and Black Holes and Episode 3 - Living in Space (9, 3 episodes of 43 minutes each, 2 Discs, Channel 5, PAL)
2024
The Space Shuttle that fell to Earth - A documentary looking at the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, where the Shuttle disintegrated as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Texas. Through a combination of first-hand testimony from friends, colleagues and family members + previously unseen video footage, the documentary tells how the tragedy happened and how it could have been averted (9, 3 episodes of 1 hour, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
2025
Apollo 1 : Destination Moon - Documentary looking back at the birth of the race to the moon in the 1960's, focusing on the lives of Apollo 1's prime crew ; Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White II and Roger Chaffee. Includes interviews with NASA employees at the time and family members of the crew (9, 1 hour 10 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
2026
Mission to Space : with Francis Bourgeois - Social media personality Francis Bourgeois decides to realise his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. He visits some of the world’s leading space agencies and puts himself through physical and mental challenges, including a centrifuge and a zero-gravity flight, to see if he has what it takes (9, 2 x Episodes of 46 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
Artemis II Lunar Fly-by Mission - On March 30th 2026, NASA launched their first Lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, sending 4 Astronauts on a 10-day mission to circle the moon and return. During their lunar flyby, the crew set the record for human distance from Earth, 252,756 miles, breaking Apollo 13's record of 248,655 miles (9, 5 Discs, NASA, PAL)
Disc 1
Artemis II Launch - Coverage starts at T-16 minutes and ends at T+17 minutes (1 hour 46 minutes)
Disc 2
NASA Daily Review - Day 1 (35 mins), Day 2 (19 mins), Day 3 (27 mins), Day 4 (22 mins)
Disc 3
NASA Daily Review - Day 5 (24 mins), Day 6 (41 mins), Day 7 (24 mins), Day 8 (22 mins)
Disc 4
NASA Daily Review - Day 9 (20 mins), Day 10 (45 mins), BBC News on Splashdown (21 mins), Artemis II 1st Press Conference (15 mins)
Disc 5
Artemis II Splashdown - Coverage starts at 1 hour 35 minutes before Splashdown and ends as the crew arrive on the USS John P. Murtha (2 hours 15 minutes)