Mumbai, 1 July 2009. This July, a special season of programming will broadcast on BBC World News to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the extraordinary 1969 moon landings. The programmes will explore the history and geology of the moon, how those initial steps have impacted on our lives today and the future of space tourism.
Programme line-up
The Sky at Night – Special Edition
This special edition of The Sky at Night features an exclusive interview with Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon. Sir Patrick Moore and guests take a nostalgic look at the achievements and impact of the Apollo missions and using a sample of genuine moon dust, discuss what has been learnt about our moon.
The Sky at Night broadcast times (IST) 18 July at 1500 and 2300 IST, 19 July at 0700 and 2000 IST
The Moon
Our ancient ancestors were fascinated by the moon and used its changing phases as a way of telling the time, before calendars or the written word. The Moon revisits ancient societies, who saw the moon as its pantheon, looks back at the monumental moon landings in the 1960’s and investigates the concept of space tourism in the modern day.
The Moon broadcast times (IST): 11 July at 1440 and 2240 IST, 12 July at 0640, 1940 IST
fast:track – Special Edition
BBC World News’ flagship travel programme fast:track heads to New Mexico to look at the reality of space tourism. The fast:track team begin their journey at the planned site for the world’s first commercial spaceport with a flypast by Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo aircraft. Karen Bowerman speaks to the designer of a lunar landscape in the US, where NASA created a replica of the 1960’s moon landing site. Plus, Carmen Roberts reports from New South Wales on why many experts consider Australia to be the best place in the world to view the stars.
