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Space Mission Special

What are the criteria for deciding which missions make it into space? The Sky at Night meets the British teams vying to have their ideas selected for the European Space Agency's next F-class mission.

Only a handful of missions are sent into space every decade, but how do we decide which missions are cleared for launch and which are grounded?

This month the Sky at Night goes behind the scenes as the European Space Agency select their next F-class mission, scheduled to be launched in 2028. And we meet the British teams vying to have their ideas selected, including a revolutionary mission to a comet.

29 minutes

Last on

Thu 15 Aug 2019 19:30
BBC Four

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Clips

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:04

    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Beecham

    At The Castle Gate From Pelleas and Melisande (The Sky At Night) (1955)

  • 00:11

    Glenn Heaton, Geoff McGarvey

    Into Orbit

Credits

Presenter Chris Lintott
Presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Presenter Pete Lawrence
Executive Producer Steve Crabtree
Producer Michael Lachmann
Producer Ross Kirby

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