The 21st Century Race For Space

Duration: 58'52''

Synopsis

Brian Cox gains exclusive access to Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Spaceport America, to explore what is really happening in privately financed space flight right now.

Further Information

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Episode 1 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Episode 1 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'44''

Chris Hadfield, Dr Kevin Fong and Dr Iya Whiteley put 12 candidates through a series of physical and psychological tests t...

Episode 1 | Building Cars: Secrets Of The Assembly Line

Episode 1 | Building Cars: Secrets Of The Assembly Line

BBC Two | 2019 | 1'28'11''

As the Mini turns 60, buckle up for an incredible journey into the secret world of the car factory. Every 68 seconds ...

S06E06: Chairs | Inside the Factory

S06E06: Chairs | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2022 | 59'09''

Gregg Wallace visits the Ercol factory in Buckinghamshire to follow the production of a Windsor chair. Meanwhile, Cherry Healey investiga...

S08E02: Jelly Beans | Inside the Factory

S08E02: Jelly Beans | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2024 | 59'03''

Gregg Wallace visits a jelly beans factory in Dublin to reveal the astonishing processes used to make ten million of these colourful...

Episode 3 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Episode 3 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

BBC Two | 2017 | 59'00''

Old fears surface when the remaining candidates face some space agency swim tests. Their teamwork and mental agility are s...

Episode 2 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Episode 2 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'47''

The remaining astronaut candidates are put through more demanding tests. They have to escape from an underwater capsule an...

S02E04: Bicycles | Inside the Factory

S02E04: Bicycles | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2016 | 58'59''

Gregg Wallace visits Britain's largest bicycle factory, which produces 150 folding bikes every day, and joins a production line to make...

S03E03: Rollercoaster | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

S03E03: Rollercoaster | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

BBC Two | 2025 | 59'26''

Hannah uncovers the wild origins of the modern-day rollercoaster and gets the inside story on the UK's newest, talle...

S06E07: Leather Boots | Inside the Factory

S06E07: Leather Boots | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2022 | 58'51''

Gregg Wallace visits a boot factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire to follow the production of a pair of Dr. Martens, while Cherry...

Episode 2 | Building Cars: Secrets of the Assembly Line

Episode 2 | Building Cars: Secrets of the Assembly Line

BBC Two | 2015 | 1'28'30''

James May, Kate Humble and Ant Anstead are back at one of the biggest and busiest car factories in Britain. Think you...

02: The Computer | Inventions That Changed the World

02: The Computer | Inventions That Changed the World

BBC Two | 2004 | 58'51''

In Victorian times, computing involved crunching numbers with a pencil and paper. A century later, we rely on computers ...

S07E02: Buses | Inside the Factory

S07E02: Buses | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2022 | 58'54''

Gregg Wallace gets exclusive access to a factory that builds red London buses, while Cherry Healey visits a bus windscreen factory and Rut...

Survivors | Short Circuit

Survivors | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 1993 | 19'19''

Aircraft crash investigators agree on measures to improve survival rates-but why have the authorities failed to act on these recommendations?

The Secrets of the Mary Rose | Timewatch

The Secrets of the Mary Rose | Timewatch

BBC Two | 2007 | 48'46''

Over 20 years after the Tudor warship Mary Rose was lifted from Portsmouth harbour, maritime archaeologists return to the wreck site.

Episode 6 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Episode 6 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'13''

The finalists head to the Shuttle Landing Facility on Florida's Space Coast for a tough test in weightlessness, and back i...

S01E06: Trainer | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

S01E06: Trainer | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

BBC Two | 2022 | 59'06''

Hannah Fry visits eBay's authentication centre, where they are waging war against fake high-value trainers. She discovers ...

Episode 4 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

Episode 4 | Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'18''

The competition becomes more intense as the remaining candidates are deprived of oxygen to see if they can recognise the s...

Melting metals | Inside the Factory

Melting metals | Inside the Factory

BBC Two | 2020 | 4'09''

Gregg Wallace explores the process of melting together the metals to the a cast iron pot.

S01E01: Bank Card | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

S01E01: Bank Card | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

BBC Two | 2022 | 59'20''

Hannah Fry takes a look at the bank card, the digital key to accessing cash, and finds out how its extraordinary innovat...

S02E03: Smartphone | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

S02E03: Smartphone | The Secret Genius of Modern Life

BBC Two | 2023 | 59'03''

With rare access to electronics giant Samsung, Hannah uncovers the technological game changers that have made the smart...

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03: Storm Worlds | Solar System

03: Storm Worlds | Solar System

BBC Two | 2024 | 58'57''

Professor Brian Cox explores the solar system's wildest weather, encountering powerful lightning, strange metallic frosts and monsoon rains o...

Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars

Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars

BBC Two | 2022 | 1'28'53''

With unique access to Nasa, Brian Cox follows Perseverance rover's search for life on Mars during a critical seven-day period as it undertakes ...

01: Space: How Far Can We Go? | Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time

01: Space: How Far Can We Go? | Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time

BBC Two | 2021 | 59'06''

Brian Cox explores the latest science and takes a new look at his old films and asks: how far can we...

02: Alien Worlds: The Search for Second Earth | Universe

02: Alien Worlds: The Search for Second Earth | Universe

BBC Two | 2021 | 58'48''

Professor Brian Cox questions whether we are alone in the universe. There might be more planets than stars in our ga...

02: The Two Sisters - Earth and Mars | The Planets

02: The Two Sisters - Earth and Mars | The Planets

BBC Two | 2019 | 59'16''

Professor Brian Cox continues his tour of the solar system revealing that it was once home to not one, but two blue planets.

01: Empire of the Sun | Wonders of the Solar System

01: Empire of the Sun | Wonders of the Solar System

BBC Two | 2019 | 58'29''

Professor Brian Cox describes how the laws of nature have carved natural wonders across the solar system. He explores the...

Moon Landing Special | Stargazing

Moon Landing Special | Stargazing

BBC Two | 2019 | 1'28'41''

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain travel to where the historic Apollo 11 ...

04: The Pale Blue Dot | Forces of Nature with Brian Cox

04: The Pale Blue Dot | Forces of Nature with Brian Cox

BBC One | 2016 | 58'35''

Professor Brian Cox reveals how Earth's beauty is created by just a handful of forces. In this episode Brian explains...

The Entire Universe

The Entire Universe

BBC Two | 2016 | 59'09''

Eric Idle persuades Professor Brian Cox to present a lecture on the birth of the entire universe. Brian soon realises Eric is actually hosting a comedy a...

04: A Place in Space and Time | Human Universe

04: A Place in Space and Time | Human Universe

BBC Two | 2014 | 58'58''

Professor Brian Cox explores mankind's place in the universe. He looks at how we came to understand that we are not at the cen...

Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape

Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape

BBC Four | 2014 | 59'13''

Professor Brian Cox is joined by two of his heroes, the actor Brian Blessed and Professor Alice Roberts. On the agenda are his TV idols fr...

Evolution of hearing and jaws in fish, reptiles and mammals | Wonders of Life

Evolution of hearing and jaws in fish, reptiles and mammals | Wonders of Life

BBC Two | 2013 | 4'12''

Spec references J247: B5.2c J250: B5.2c. Clip starts with a description of hearing and then goe...

The genetic modification debate | Science Britannica - Learning Zone

The genetic modification debate | Science Britannica - Learning Zone

BBC Two | 2013 | 6'12''

Brian Cox explores the science behind the genetic modification of plants, and the ongoing debate around ...

03: Clear Blue Skies | In Search of Science

03: Clear Blue Skies | In Search of Science

BBC Two | 2013 | 59'03''

Professor Brian Cox finishes the series by looking at the happy accidents that have led to scientific breakthroughs and consideri...

Evidence of the Big Bang | Wonders of the Universe

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BBC Two | 2011 | 4'26''

Brian Cox simply explains how light and colour are crucial evidence for the Big Bang.

A Night with the Stars

A Night with the Stars

BBC Two | 2011 | 58'39''

Professor Brian Cox takes an audience of famous faces, scientists and members of the public on a journey through some of the most challenging concepts...

Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon

Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon

BBC Four | 2009 | 59'05''

Brian Cox uses the BBC archive to examine the story of man's relationship with the moon, from James Burke testing out Nasa equipment to Neil Ar...

The Big Bang Machine

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BBC Four | 2008 | 58'57''

Brian Cox looks around Cern's LHC in Geneva before it is sealed off and the experiment to try and create conditions that existed a billionth of a second...