Once Upon a Time in Space
2025– · BBC iPlayer · 61 min · 1 season
S01E04 · Friends Forever
Mon, 27 Oct, 5:00 pm
Far from their home planet, the astronauts aboard the ISS face the emotional realities of isolation, while their relationships are tested when war breaks out on Earth.
About
Once Upon a Time in Space will tell the human story of space exploration using unique, unexpected archive, present-day footage and first-hand testimony from around the world.
On the 14 December 1972, Eugene Cernan became the eleventh person to walk on the Moon. Leaving the lunar surface, he proclaimed, ‘We shall return'. These remain the last words to have been spoken on the Moon. In the decades since, the moon has become alien once again to direct human contact. However, that's all about to change.
Humans are once again looking up and heading out, back into space… and we're taking our power struggles with us. China, Russia, America, India, Saudi Arabia and Japan are all investing heavily in lunar exploration, jostling for power and influence amongst the stars. A new Space Race has begun.
The series will connect the past with the present and examine what the consequences are for the future of humankind as we once again head into space. It will hear compelling new testimony from pioneering astronauts, visionary scientists, remarkable engineers, daring space tourists, maverick billionaires, romantic dreamers and astro-theorists spellbound by the wonder of possibility.
Episodes
- E01
America First
Mon, 27 Oct· 61 minWith the dawn of the Space Shuttle, the US gains ground on Cold War rivals. A pioneering class of astronauts takes flight, but when tragedy strikes NASA are left reeling.
- E02
The Russian Thing
Mon, 27 Oct· 65 minWhen the Soviet Union falls, Russia welcomes US astronauts to their space station, Mir. But co-operation between former cold war enemies is threatened by a run of disasters onboard.
- E03
Politics Always Wins
Mon, 27 Oct· 59 minMir's reign in space comes to an end with the arrival of the International Space Station. A new dawn of co-operation awaits, offering hope for a divided world.
- E04
Friends Forever
Mon, 27 Oct· 59 minFar from their home planet, the astronauts aboard the ISS face the emotional realities of isolation, while their relationships are tested when war breaks out on Earth.
