Space: the last frontier. Humanity has been fascinated by it since time immemorial, both captivated and frightened by its beautiful scale and vastness. Public broadcaster PBS has long been home to excellent documentaries on the subject, from films by famous directors to in-depth investigations and stories as part of its NOVA and American Experience franchises. And as science advances rapidly, so does our understanding of our solar system, our galaxy, and even the worlds beyond. Sometimes space can be exhilarating, like when NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a 10-day translunar flight earlier this summer. And sometimes it can be terrifying, as shown in NOVA’s upcoming special, “Space Wars,” which illustrates the growing military struggle to control Earth’s orbit and who, precisely, can weaponize it for their own benefit. But while we’re sure “Space Wars” will be as excellent as most NOVA entries tend to be, given the increasingly encroaching horrors of real life, it’s understandable to like its space programming a little more aspirational. To that end, we have some recommendations from the other end of the scale: some of the most wonderful and inspiring PBS shows about space and humanity’s journey to the stars. The Planets / The Solar System A pair of wide-ranging five-part documentary series co-produced in association with the BBC, The Planets and its sequel, The Solar System, are visually stunning deep dives into the many wonders of humanity’s little corner of the universe. The Planets, which originally aired in 2019, uses a combination of images and data collected from space missions, as well as some impressive computer-generated imagery, to chronologically document the origins and history of each of the major planets, with episodes focusing on “Inner Worlds,” “Mars,” “Jupiter,” “Saturn,” and “Ice Worlds.” The Solar System, which premiered in 2024, takes a slightly broader focus, exploring the dynamic forces at work on and between planets, from storms, volcanoes, and other extreme planetary weather to strange gravity, superionic ice, hidden oceans, asteroids, and more. NOVA: “Black Hole Apocalypse” Even those who aren’t necessarily regular viewers of science documentaries will love NOVA’s careful exploration of one of the most fascinating cosmic objects in existence. Much studied but not fully understood, black holes are both mysterious and vaguely terrifying. But don’t be fooled by the overly sensational title: this installment of NOVA offers an in-depth introduction to what we know about black holes, their origins, and what they can tell us about cosmic evolution. It also includes interviews with scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Paul Murdin, who helped discover the first confirmed black hole. American Experience: “Chasing The Moon” This three-part American Experience film, which is both a history lesson and a celebration, was released in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Using previously overlooked archival material (most of which had never been seen by the public), director Robert Stone successfully analyzes the race to the moon in a broader context, incorporating the combination of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle, and social upheaval. Even for people who think they “know” the history of the space race, this is fascinating stuff. The Farthest: Voyager In Space In 2017, PBS released the documentary The Farthest: Voyager In Space to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Voyager mission. Launched in 1977, the probe, which was initially intended for a five-year mission to document Jupiter and Saturn, is still flying and officially crossed into interstellar space in August 2012. Now 24 billion kilometers from Earth, it is the most distant man-made object in history and continues to send data home. (A feat that now requires 22 hours per broadcast.) The film is both a historical record of how Voyager came to be and a deeply satisfying and heartfelt reminder of the best that humanity is capable of. Both Voyager I and Voyager II contain Gold Records with greetings in 55 different languages and a variety of music ranging from Beethoven to Chuck Berry, bringing human voices to the vastness of our universe. NOVA: “Chasing Pluto” / “Pluto And Beyond” While these two NOVA episodes are a bit dated (they aired in 2015 and 2019 respectively), the story of NASA’s New Horizons mission is still fascinating and wonderful to behold. “Chasing Pluto” aired the night after New Horizons’ historic flyby (a pretty amazing technical achievement in itself) and gave the public immediate access to the stunning photographs that made us all fall in love all over again with the wonder of the universe. (Plus, it revealed that surprising little heart structure visible on the surface of Pluto.) “Pluto and Beyond” continues three years later, as New Horizons aims to shed light on one of the least understood regions of our solar system: the Kuiper Belt. Now four billion miles from Earth, it is the most distant flyby in NASA history. Whether you’re still upset that Pluto was demoted from its full-fledged planet status or are curious about what lies beyond the boundaries of our own star system, these episodes are accessible and deeply interesting. Once Upon a Time in Space This four-part 2026 documentary, created in collaboration with the BBC, is not so much about space itself, but about the people who helped make space exploration possible. Directed by James Bluemel and the filmmaking team behind Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, the series is filled with personal anecdotes and insights from astronauts, cosmonauts, scientists, ground support personnel and family members addressing everything from key milestones in the history of the space program to geopolitical space rivalries. Focusing primarily on the space shuttle and space station eras, it is more grounded and restrained than some of the longer documents on this list. However, exposed human vulnerability is a powerful thing. These people are amazing and we should say it more often. NOVA: “Star Chasers Of Senegal” One of the most unique episodes of NOVA, “Star Chasers of Senegal,” revolves around Maram Kaire, a Senegalese astronomer who dreams of establishing a space agency in his home country. Meanwhile, he’s working with NASA from abroad, helping with preparations for the deep-space probe Lucy’s (yes, like the Beatles song) flyby of the Trojan asteroids in 2028. Trapped in Jupiter’s orbit, some of these rocks predate the creation of the Sun and Earth, and are time capsules that may contain answers about the formation of our solar system. The episode has interesting science (the extremely technical details required for this probe to gather as much information as possible in its short observation window are fascinating) and an unbiased exploration of the way such study intersects with and can inform faith. Kaire works tirelessly to convince some of his more skeptical and/or religious compatriots that the study of space not only has deep roots and a connection to Islam, but that its lessons can benefit Senegal as an emerging nation. There are also fascinating details about the history of astronomy and stargazing in West Africa, such as the potential uses of the Sine Ngayène and Wanar megalithic stone circles.
