PREMIERES TUESDAY, JULY 14 at 8:00PM

As the world enters a new era of planetary science, ONCE UPON A TIME IN SPACE tells the human stories behind one of our most extraordinary endeavors: the exploration of space. Moving beyond scientific achievement, the series examines the personal experiences of astronauts, cosmonauts, ground-based participants, and the loved ones left on Earth. Across four episodes, it traces significant landmarks in spacefaring history, from the birth of the Shuttle and the pioneering Space Station Mir to the rise of commercial spaceflight. Through powerful firsthand testimony and intimate, unseen archival footage, a complex portrait of humanity emerges: one that lays bare both our fragility and boundless curiosity. Accounts of bravery, friendship and tragedy are told against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, connecting technical and geopolitical developments to those who experienced them.

Humankind’s journey into space began nearly 70 years ago as a competition between two opposing world views: capitalism and communism. Over the decades, it evolved into a collaborative and unifying endeavor, culminating in the creation of the International Space Station — a place where people from across the globe live and work together in orbit, united by a shared desire to push boundaries and explore beyond the horizon. Now, as a new space race dawns in a world once again rife with division, the testimony of these pioneers is more relevant than ever.

Featured in ONCE UPON A TIME IN SPACE are NASA astronauts including Charlie Bolden, Anna Lee Fisher, Bill Fisher, Michael Foale, Jerry Linenger, Mike Mullane, Dan Tani, and Terry Virts; cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Lazutkin; NASA officials; family members and more.

Space exploration is a major industry in Alabama and it is the central theme of PBS science and nature programming for July and August. NOVA presents encores of several outstanding episodes including the two-part “Black Hole Universe” and the five-part series “Universe Revealed” on Wednesday nights, and the recent hit “Operation Space Station” on Tuesdays, July 21 and 28. American Experience brings us the three-part series “Chasing the Moon” on Friday nights beginning July 24.  Other specials include Beyond a Year in Space, Missile to Moon, Reaching New Heights: Russellville’s Rocket Team and Discovering Alabama: Alabama in Space.