Xploration Outer Space

Mars - it's our neighbor and potentially one of our next stop in the solar system But why go? How do we get there? And is there life on the red planet? Later, we reveal a desert that may hold the key to one day living on Mars!

We are going behind the scenes to find out how an astronaut trains for the exploration of the great unknown – space. From the largest indoor pool in the World, to a flight thats nicknamed the vomit comet, it's a day in the life of an astronaut!

We pose one of science's ultimate questions – are we alone in the Universe? We'll discover the best places to look for life and see the array of technology thats eaves dropping on the Universe. The search beyond Earth begins on Xploration Outer Space!

Of the millions of asteroids in our solar system, a small group is inching their way closer to us here on Earth. We'll see how we are preparing for near Earth asteroids, from telescopes that track them, to a gun that predicts their impact.

We are taking a unique ride to the edge of space on a balloon! We'll see how scientific balloons are made, hear the story of a ground breaking experiment, and launch one of our own that turns into a dramatic search and rescue mission!

We first set foot on the moon in 1969 but we haven't been back in over 40 years. That may change thanks to recent discoveries, amazing images, and the Google Lunar X-Prize competition with 30 million dollars on the line. Explore the journey to the moon!

Forget beaches or mountains, we've got a new vacation destination – space! But fair warning, these trips can get a little pricey. From rockets to space planes, to even balloons, space tourism is taking off on Xploration Outer Space!

Rockets are key to everything we do in outer space! We'll see how they ignite, fly, and go behind the scenes of a launch thats headed to the international space station. We'll find a unique way to travel that could hold the key to deep space exploration!

Thousands of satellites orbit the Earth everyday, helping us in ways that we may not even be aware of. But how are they made? Where do they live in space? And how do they avoid crashing into each other? All this and more on Xploration Outer Space!

The sun provides us with light, heat, and the potential for a ton of clean energy, but it can also turn space into a danger zone. We'll examine a few major solar storms and check out the largest solar thermal energy facility in the World!

We look at some of the most extreme events happening deep in the cosmos. From supernovas to gamma ray bursts, to one of the strangest objects found in the universe, black holes. We examine the life and death of stars this week on Exploration Outer Space!

This episode's journey sends us coast to coast for an inside look at one of explorations most important inventions. And in Europe, one mans mission to Mars is gaining a lot of attention, despite one catch - there's no coming back.