Trajectory: Milestones in Space Exploration - Season 1
1 - The Space Race, The Hubble, Chasing Comets & Space Debris
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
2 - Episode 2
Air Date: December 10, 2021
Episode 2 of Season 1
3 - Project Mercury, The Mars Express & The Soyuz Launch System
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
4 - Project Mercury Advancement, Camera Tracking & the International Space Station
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
5 - Project Gemini, Venus Express, EMU & Deep Space Communication
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
6 - Project Gemini Advances, Cassini at Saturn & More about Mars
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
7 - Project Gemini docking, Mars Curiosity & Satellite Swarms
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
8 - The Apollo Program Begins, Caves and Planck
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
9 - Rebuilding Apollo, Orbiting Carbon & Zero Gravity Training
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
10 - Beyond Earth Orbit, IXV Vehicles & Galileo Satellites Lost and Found
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
11 - To The Moon, SpaceX's Dragon and Falcon & GAIA
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
12 - The Beginning of the End, Apollo Gets Complicated & the End of Apollo
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
13 - The shuttle program, The Challenger Disaster & Return to Space
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.
14 - The Space Shuttle Matures, Complex Space Construction & The Final Years of the Space Shuttle
Air Date: December 10, 2021
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.