Exploration of the Planets

A year through the distant eyes of meteorological satellite Himawari-8 – a hypnotic stream of Earth's beauty, fragility and disasters. Animation of satellite irradiation scan measurements, scientific data by meteorological satellite Himawari-8 courtesy of JMA/BoM/NCI

An inside look at NASA’s new Artemis program and its mission to return astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years.

A brief visualisation of NASA’s historic spacecrafts Mariner, Pioneer, Voyager, and Dawn, exploring the solar system, culminating in the New Horizons mission.

One of humanity’s greatest achievements, the International Space Station is a $150 billion science laboratory hurtling around Earth at 17,000mph, its thin metal walls shielding astronauts from the most hostile environment humans have ever endured. Microgravity, the vacuum of space, extremes of temperature, micrometeorites - life here is perilous. To mark 25 years of continuous habitation onboard, Space Station We Have a Problem reveals how astronauts are only a technical glitch or software error away from disaster. From malfunctioning spacesuits and docking disasters, critical leaks and even the entire space station backflipping out of control, this is life and death played out in low earth orbit, coupled with the bravery and brilliance that each time, saves the day.

Discover the UFO phenomenon like never before, with insights from NASA, CNES, Oxford, compelling firsthand witnesses, and even the possible viewpoint of extraterrestrial visitors.

NASA documentary of the flight of Apollo 15. Details the launch, lunar landing, and return to earth of the spacecraft and crew. NASA Film HQ-217

What if you could get behind the wheel and race through space? We scale down the Solar System to the continental United States and place the planets along the way to better appreciate the immense scale of the Universe. See space as never before, with Mars looming over the Freedom Tower and Jupiter towering above the Lincoln Memorial. Join former astronaut Chris Hadfield - a YouTube sensation for his performance of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” aboard the International Space Station - and his interstellar hitchhikers Michio Kaku and astronomers Derrick Pitts and Laura Danly. It’s a joyride from coast to coast - and from the sun to Pluto.

Today, hundreds of kilometers above our heads, millions of pieces of trash are orbiting randomly at breakneck speed. Scientists are now warning that, if nothing is done, the exploration outside our planet, and communications systems within, will be almost impossible within 30 years. How can we collect the space trash and avoid future disasters?

Spacecraft OSIRIS-REx attempts to grab a piece of an asteroid to bring back to Earth so scientists can study it to learn about the planet's origins.

Follow the extraordinary inside story of NASA engineers as they race to build and launch Artemis I, the world's biggest rocket, as it prepares for missions that will transport humans to the moon, then launch an amazing journey to Mars and beyond.

For the first time since the legendary Apollo missions over 50 years ago, humans are once again setting out for the Moon on April 1, 2026. NASA’s Artemis II mission marks the beginning of a new era in space exploration, and Germany will play a key role. This documentary follows the four astronauts during their preparations and offers exclusive insights into the Orion spacecraft. German astronauts Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer, along with other space experts, explain how the mission will proceed and why it is being undertaken. It's a journey that blends science, adventure, and the fundamental question: Why do people risk their lives to reach other celestial bodies and distant worlds?

Join our host on the International Space Station of the year 2050. Marvel at the three-dimensional sights and learn many things about the astral bodies that surround us.

This documentary by Theo Kamecke from 1970 gives an in-depth and profound look at the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. NASA footage is interspersed with reactions to the mission around the world as the film captures the intensity as well of the philosophical significance of the event. Won special award at Cannes.

A respectful overview of Dr. Marvin E. Grunzke’s career that included training Ham, the first chimpanzee launched into orbit by NASA.

July 1969. America made history and sent the first humans to the moon. High-quality NASA footage and extensive news broadcasts bring this sensational moment in history bursting back into life. Live news footage from every corner of the globe recreates the excitement and elation that surrounded the event, as 600 million people tuned in to watch Neil Armstrong's remarkable first steps.

An epic journey around Mars — built from real satellite and rover data — revealing the red planet as you’ve never seen it before.

One film projected two times with a difference of a couple of seconds.

Social isolation affects millions of people, even Mars-bound astronauts. A savvy NASA psychologist is tasked with protecting these daring explorers.

Told through the tales of love of a retiring film projectionist and a late-blooming actress, the short documentary delves into the journey of Manila’s oldest movie theater from grandiosity to obsolescence.

Explores the extraordinary, transformative events Cocoa Beach residents found themselves engaged in during the 1950s and 1960s as the exploration of the future arrived on their sleepy shores.