Once Upon a Time in Space

America First

61 min

In the 1970s, America looks to its state-of-the-art, reusable Space Shuttle to reinvigorate its national space programme and meet the country’s military and commercial demands. For the first time, aspiring astronauts of all genders and racial backgrounds have been encouraged to apply. But in 1986, tragedy strikes when Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board. This is the story of the early Space Shuttle program, using immersive interviews with astronauts and their families reveal how they battled segregation, sexism and hard-wired prejudices to secure a ride to space.

The Russian Thing

65 min

After the Soviet Union’s fall, the Mir space station remains a symbol of a vanished era, but Russia’s space program struggles to survive. The US worries that Russian rocket scientists with sensitive nuclear expertise could be recruited by rogue states. In response, the Shuttle-Mir Program is launched: American astronauts train in Russia and live aboard Mir, providing crucial funding to Russia’s space agency and giving NASA essential long-duration flight experience. Yet disaster strikes when a deadly fire erupts, followed by a cargo ship collision that sends Mir spinning out of control. Featuring rare personal archive footage from Russia’s Star City, this offers a unique glimpse into early cooperation between two global powers.