The Space Shuttle

An idea born in unsettled times becomes a feat of engineering excellence. The most complex machine ever built to bring humans to and from space and eventually construct the next stop on the road to space exploration.

In the last month of the space shuttle programme, Kevin Fong is granted extraordinary access to the astronauts and ground crew as they prepare for their final mission. He is in mission control as the astronauts go through their final launch simulation, and he flies with the last shuttle commander as he undertakes his last practice landing flight. Kevin also gains privileged access to the shuttle itself, visiting the launchpad in the company of the astronaut who will guide the final flight from mission control.

From launch to landing, Inside the Space Shuttle takes you behind the scenes for a rare glimpse into NASA's world of high technology and goes nose to nose with the world's most amazing flying machine. We'll peel back the layers of this legendary space transportation system to reveal how it works and what it has accomplished, highlighting milestones over the last twenty-six years.

Since 1981 the US has relied on its fleet of space shuttles for all manned space flights, as shuttles land like planes and have the ability to be sent back into orbit - the world's first re-usable space craft.

In 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia breaks apart in the skies above America. The astronauts’ families and Nasa staff share personal stories of the launch, unfolding disaster and fallout.

The story of the space shuttle - it's triumphs and disasters - and the dream of building an affordable and reusable spacecraft

Blast Off with the astronauts of the Space Shuttle on a real mission! Experience what it’s like to work and live in outer space! Learn all about the space program. Visit the launch pad, the rockets, astronaut training, and Mission Control! Discover what scientists are learning about our universe and see the world’s largest radio telescope!

Discovery Channel documentary which goes behind the scenes with NASA's Space Shuttle programme. Narrated by actor Gary Sinise, the documentary counts down to the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery - the first Shuttle to prepare for take-off since the February 2003 disaster in which seven astronauts were lost when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated above Texas.

This poignant film is a biography of the shuttle told using three decades of BBC programmes. The film asks if the shuttle will be remembered as an impressive chapter in human space exploration, or as a fatally flawed white elephant.

A celebration of 30 years of NASA achievements with the space shuttle program. The program highlights memorable shuttle missions such as the return of Senator John Glenn to space and the construction of the International Space Station, while exploring the growing diversity among the astronaut corps and space industry personnel.

Columbia's autonomous journey around the Earth during February 1981 opened a new chapter in space exploration. The advent of a "spaceworthy" vehicle severed our dependence upon "Mission Control," and placed the emphasis upon the new vistas observed by the astronauts themselves. The Space Shuttle represented the culmination of more than a century's worth of thought and technological experimentation.

While the Jules Verne character Phileas Fogg saw the world in about 80 days, you can take the express tour as a participant in this spectacular cinematic experience. By replaying breathtaking aerial footage culled from a string of Space Shuttle flights, the program takes you on an unbelievable journey over some of the most beautiful terrain on Earth, with helpful narration that clearly explains each fascinating view.

The story of Columbia's final mission is told in dramatic detail, beginning months before the troubled launch, unfolding across the sixteen days in orbit, and concluding with the investigation into the tragic loss of the seven astronauts' lives.

Set during the launch of the first space shuttle of the Philippines - an ordinary old couple living in the suburbs attempts to go about their life during this strange day.