What’s out there?
Learn more about the “final frontier” in this curated list of KET and national programs.
Tune in
Our Journey to the Stars
Drawing on intimate, unseen archival and powerful first-hand testimony, the landmark series, Once Upon a Time in Space, tells the stories behind our quest to explore space, offering a unique perspective on our changing world and where we are headed.
- America First | Premiered: KET Tuesday, July 14 • 9/8 pm
With the dawn of the Space Shuttle, the U.S. gained on its Cold War rivals. A pioneering class of astronauts takes flight, but a tragedy leaves NASA reeling. - The Russian Thing | Premieres: KET Tuesday, July 21 • 9/8 pm
When the Soviet Union falls, Russia welcomes U.S. astronauts to their space station, Mir, but cooperation between former Cold War enemies is threatened by a run of disasters on board. - Politics Always Wins | Premieres: KET Tuesday, July 28 • 9/8 pm
The Mir’s reign in space comes to an end with the arrival of the International Space Station. A new dawn of cooperation awaits, offering hope for a divided world. - Friends Forever| Premieres: KET Tuesday, August 4 • 9/8 pm
Relationships aboard the ISS are tested when war breaks out on Earth.
This award-winning documentary series focuses on science – the speculation, history and researchers associated with it and its many applications. Don’t miss these episodes:
- Black Hole Universe | Premiered: KET Wednesday, July 15 • 9/8 pm
Join astrophysicist Janna Levin on a mind-bending journey to the frontiers of black hole research. Discover how scientists may soon be able to “see” a black hole and are revealing new clues to the strangest and most extreme objects in the universe. - Chasing Pluto | Premieres: KET Wednesday, July 22 • 9/8 pm
The New Horizon’s spacecraft will fly by and take the first detailed images of Pluto. It is the culmination of the spacecraft’s nine-year, three-billion-mile journey. - Pluto and Beyond | Premieres: KET Wednesday, July 29 • 9/8 pm
Join the mission as the New Horizons spacecraft attempts to fly by NASA’s most distant target yet. Since it explored Pluto in 2015, New Horizons is zooming toward Ultima Thule, an object four billion miles from Earth. - Return to the Moon | Premieres: KET Wednesday, August 5 • 9/8 pm
Follow the Artemis II engineers and crew on a perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon.
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Full-length programs
Learn about the Earth’s core, strange stars, galaxies older than the universe, dark energy, black holes and more with host Dr. Matt O’Dowd in this series.
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the first successful landing on the Mars polar region and the ongoing search for signs of life on Earth’s neighboring planets. The film documents the 422-million-mile journey through space exclusively through the eyes of principal investigator Peter H. Smith and the Phoenix Lander Team.
For thousands of years, total solar eclipses have captivated humanity and they continue to bring communities together to experience these celestial events. They are also great for science. The CATE 2024 project brought community and professional scientists into partnership to gather solar data during the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in an eclipse relay race to deepen our understanding of our Sun.
Eclipse 2024: A KET Special Report
Come along on our trip to Paducah to be in the path of totality for the 2024 total solar eclipse.
Follow along on photographer Noah David Wetzel’s 250-hour project to create a singular image: a western outlaw chase scene with five horseback riders equipped with pistols and rifles riding full gallop beneath the Total Solar Eclipse at 1:34 pm on April 8th, 2024 – the last in America until 2044, and the first to grace Texas’ Hill Country since July 29th, 1878.
Short videos
Kentucky Edition: Kentuckian Among Newest Class of NASA Astronauts
NASA announced its newest class of astronaut candidates and it includes Erin Overcash, a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander from Oldham County. KET spoke with Overcash, who shared how growing up in Kentucky helped put her on the path to becoming an astronaut.
Kentucky Life: Kentucky Astronaut
In this episode, retired NASA astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave talks about his incredible career. [Clip runs from 00:50 to 8:50]
PBS News Hour: First Black Astronaut Flies in Space After 63-year Wait
More than 60 years after he was selected but ultimately passed over to become this country’s first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight finally made it to space. He flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as it skimmed space on a roughly ten-minute flight. Geoff Bennett sat down with Dwight to discuss his long journey.
A trip through 12,000 years of development, the film shows how seemingly small flashes of innovation have changed the course of civilization. The program considers the challenges humanity will face in order to survive as our global population soars.
Kentucky Life: 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing
July 20, 2019, marked the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and Kentucky Life took a trip through its history to celebrate this achievement. Past segments include retired NASA astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave, EKU’s Hummel Planetarium, an interactive space exploration experience for 6th graders at the Challenger Center at Hazard Community College and the famous Moonbow at Cumberland Falls.
Watch clips from The Farthest, the epic story of NASA’s Voyager mission to the outer planets and into interstellar space. Learn the captivating tales of the people and events.
Kentucky Life: Astronaut Terry Wilcutt
Tales from space and thoughts on the future of the space program from Terry Wilcutt, a Logan County native who has flown three missions. [Clip runs from 01:22 – 10:15]
This six-episode PBS Digital Studios miniseries explores the frontiers of space science and astrophysics.
PBS News Hour: Astronaut Hadfield Shares ‘Unbeatable Point of Inspiration’
Col. Chris Hadfield captured the world’s curiosity when he tweeted videos of everyday life on the space station and covered David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity.” Science correspondent Miles O’Brien talks to the retired Canadian astronaut, author of “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth,” about the importance of space exploration.
This series of clips from this acclaimed nature documentary series explores Earth from the unique vantage point of space.
Craft in America: Astronaut Turns Space Photographs into Quilts
Learn about retired NASA astronaut and quilter Karen Nyberg’s space textiles. Bonus video from SCIENCE episode.
PBS News Hour: What NASA’s Twin Tests Will Teach Us About Life in Space
What are the long-term effects of living in space? Astronaut Scott Kelly talks about his experience when he was halfway through a year-long mission. NASA offers a progress report, comparing Scott with his twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who remained on Earth.
Kentucky Life: 2017 Eclipse; Man o’ War; Native Peoples at Mammoth Cave
The community of Hopkinsville came together for 2017’s Great American Eclipse. [Clip runs from 00:50 to 8:50]
Antiques Roadshow: Appraisal: Astronaut Autograph Book
In RECUT: Out of This World, Part 2, Elyse Luray Appraises an Astronaut Autograph Book.
PBS News Hour: Cady Coleman on the Joys and Challenges of Life in Space
Fewer than 300 human beings have visited the International Space Station, and an even smaller number have spent more than 150 days living there. John Yang speaks with Cady Coleman, one of those select few astronauts, about her new book, ‘Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.’
Star Gazers: Goodbye to the International Space Station
Did you know the ISS is scheduled to be deorbited in 2030? Commercial astronaut Sirisha Bandla joins Star Gazers to explain the amazing scientific advancements that have come from the ISS program, why they’re retiring it, and what this means for the future of low Earth orbit technology.
Kentucky Life: String Mountain Music, Appalachian Astronauts, and More
Travel to the International Space Station with the Middlesboro School System and astronaut John Shoffner.[Clip runs from 09:16 to 15:45]
Watch a series of clips to learn how centuries of knowledge, experimentation and engineering helped our ancestors understand the mysteries of space.
Passport
This documentary explores the human and social history of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, focusing on the workers of Florida’s Space Coast.
Astronaut Scott Kelly’s last day in space, his return to Earth, and the next generation of astronauts training to leave Earth’s orbit are featured.
Shocking Exposures: Episode One
Edwin Hubble’s photo that provided the first clue in calculating the size of the universe; the Apollo program’s photos from the Moon’s surface; Martellus’ world map, which helped convince the Spanish crown to finance Columbus’ expedition; Copernicus’ diagram of the solar system with the Sun, not the Earth, in the center; Arthur Eddington’s photo of the solar eclipse of 1919.
Independent Lens: Space: The Longest Goodbye
NASA psychologists prepare astronauts for the extreme isolation of a Mars mission.
For Kids
Check out the programs below and find more on our Families page.
This KET-produced current-events program is aimed at upper-elementary and middle school students. The series features a fast-paced roundup of headlines for the week and presents a series of questions to test students’ understanding. Space was featured on the show at least 14 times in 2025/2026 alone!
This episode of News Quiz features stories about the upcoming total solar eclipse, the United Nations’ future weather report, the situation in Haiti, the recent Indonesian election, presidential rematches, a new World War II exhibit, tulips and artificial intelligence, girls’ high school wrestling and more!
This episode of News Quiz features stories about the total solar eclipse, the upcoming cicada invasion, seasonal allergies, the Taiwan earthquake, the Baltimore bridge collapse, cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin, a new dog study, a record-holding tortoise and more!
This animated series for kids ages 3-8 takes viewers on a journey into outer space. Join Sean, who has an all-consuming drive for science facts, and Sydney, who has a passion for science fiction and imagination. They befriend the new kid on their street, Jet Propulsion, whose family members happen to be aliens!
Need more space?
Search for other programs on our site using keywords like “space” and “astronauts“.