Blueprint for Space: The Evolution of Space Technology
S01:E03 - Robotic Explorers
T01:C01 - S01:E01 - Toward Space
From the capture of the V-2 at the end of the war to the rush to develop missile technology.
T01:C02 - S01:E02 - Rendevous in Space
NASA’s first two-person spacecraft was conceived to learn the techniques of rendezvous, docking and walking in space.
T01:C03 - S01:E03 - Robotic Explorers
The vast distances to the planets and the time it would take to get there ruled out sending people on missions of planetary exploration.
T01:C04 - S01:E04 - The Shuttle Era
Originally devised as a way to cut the cost of launching satellites, the re-usable shuttle proved too complex to bring about the hoped-for savings.
T01:C05 - S01:E05 - Deep Space
Placing a telescope above the distorting effects of the Earth’s atmosphere became an objective for astronomers soon after the space agencies began sending satellites into orbit.
T01:C06 - S01:E06 - Looking at the Sun
The Sun is the only star close enough to examine in close detail, but developing the hardware to work in such a hostile environment has not been easy.