请调整浏览器窗口大小或者请使用手机查看!
Our modern-day itch to find out what lies out beyond our atmosphere is rising again. The frontiers of space exploration are expanding as scientists debate a range of future missions: a return to the Moon, manned flights to Mars, robotic missions to Titan and Europa, or mining asteroids. This expansive series shows that this grand quest is driven as much by technology as our attitudes toward Earth.
The night sky is a time machine. The further we look out into the universe, the further back in time we reach. Most of what we see is actually dark matter and dark energy, but its nature eludes us... for the moment.
As scientists and astronomers peer more closely and with ever more fidelity at nearby stars, they are discovering countless exo planets. How many Earth-like planets are out there? Could one of them hold life not so different from our own?
The sun bathes our planet in warmth and light. It powers the machinery of nature, our weather, and it encourages and sustains life on land and at sea. We study it closely, and it can reveal the secrets of all other stars.
There are many more worlds in our solar system than just the planets. The mysterious moons of the gas giants may hold much more than we ever imagined. Each one is unique, and each one deserves a scrutinous eye.
In the cold, dark expanse of our solar system, beyond the asteroid belt, lie the giant planets. Some can be seen with the naked eye, others have been visited by our camera. What secrets do they hold?
From the beginnings of our solar system 4.5 billions years ago, there remain many clues to reveal its evolution. Remnant debris, asteroids, and comets are what's left of the building blocks to our celestial neighborhood.
Mars has fired our imagination for thousands of years. The tantilizing possibility of life has made it the most inviting planet in our solar system. It is the only other place that man may one day call home.
They orbit between our planet and our star. Mercury and Venus make up half of our terrestrial planets, but we still know very little about them. As we take a closer look at our companions, we find more questions than answers.
The moon is our closest celestial companion. It lights our night sky and gently tugs at our shores. Few have walked on her surface, but her allure remains strong.
The sky above is studded with stars and countless galaxies. In them, we can read not only our origin, but also our final destination. Technology is on the brink of taking us to places we have only dreamed of.
Space technology continues to grow despite the public eye being constantly drawn back down to ground level. New telescopes are allowing us to see further and more clearly than we ever have, on our constant search for earth-like planets that may hold other forms of life. Looking closer to home, missions to Mars supply us with constant information about a barren planet that may become our new home.
Our time has given us technology that is better than ever, and our will to explore the universe is forever pressing. Now, we have gotten better at guiding our satellites and landers, our telescopes are more powerful, and our knowledge of our own planet is growing. With these new and advanced tools, we can explore the New Frontier like never before.
Due to world events over the last twenty years and the decline in government finance; Space exploration has fallen from the media's gaze into the shadows. The explosion of private investment is helping to reshape our goals. Europe and the ESA have shouldered their burden of exploration and now Japan, China and India have all committed to launching probes to the Moon, Mars, and beyond!
Our modern-day itch to find out what lies out beyond our atmosphere is rising again. The frontiers of space exploration are expanding as scientists debate a range of future missions: a return to the Moon, manned flights to Mars, robotic missions to Titan and Europa, or mining asteroids. This expansive series shows that this grand quest is driven as much by technology as our attitudes toward Earth.