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Tech

The Space Race in Colour

2026Series

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The space programme as technological and ideological competition

The Space Race in Colour follows the rivalry between two superpowers through their efforts to reach beyond Earth. The two-part documentary connects technical achievement with competing political systems, treating rockets and spacecraft as symbols of national ambition as well as engineering projects. Astronaut Tim Peake appears among its contributors.

The first chapter begins with rocket expertise emerging from the Second World War, including Wernher von Braun's work for the Americans. It then follows the Soviet achievements that put pressure on their rival. The movement from wartime development to spectacular firsts establishes the competitive setting for the later lunar programme.

The 1960s drive towards a lunar landing

The second chapter follows the successes and losses of the 1960s space effort, culminating in Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. The series therefore places the familiar endpoint inside the longer sequence of rival programmes, technical hurdles and risks that preceded it.

Colour footage supplies the programme's visual frame, while the two-chapter structure moves from the origins of the rivalry to the achievement of a lunar landing. Its recurring subject is the pressure generated when engineering projects are asked to demonstrate the strength of an entire political system.

Episodes

S01 · E01

Episode 1

The first episode explores the origins of the space race with the fearsome V2 German rocket from the Second World War. Its creator Wernher von Braun gave his secrets to the Americans and became a key part of NASA's space programmes.

S01 · E02

Episode 2

This concluding episode examines how the space dreamers defied the odds and reached the moon. On 25 May 1961, President John F Kennedy publicly committed the US to putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade, giving NASA a major challenge to rise to. Colour footage reveals the triumphs and tragedies of those years, culminating in Apollo 11 and Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the moon.

Episode descriptions: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0

Film details

Format
Documentary series
Release year
2026
Premiere date
2026-09-26
Production companies
Woodcut Media
Country of production
UK
Language
English
Narrator
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Episode runtime
60 min

Catalogue information: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0