The Living Universe
From Tuesday 14 August at 9:30pm
The new space race has begun. The Living Universe brings to life the epic future journey of an autonomous spacecraft to a planet far beyond our Solar System, in search of alien life. We meet the greatest minds of today in the fields of space exploration, planetary science and astrobiology as they confront the overwhelming challenges that this future interstellar mission presents, driven by a need to solve the oldest human mystery: are we alone?
Just 25 years ago, the universe was changed forever. The discovery of the first exoplanet - a planet orbiting a star other than our sun - revolutionised astronomy. Since then we’ve learnt that every single star in the sky hosts at least one planet. And as many of a quarter of them could have the right conditions for life. There are literally billions of new worlds out there for us to explore within our own milky way. Could one of them host life?
The Living Universe brings to life, in breathtaking CGI, an epic future journey that our species has already begun: the voyage of an autonomous spacecraft to a planet beyond our Solar System in search of life. Join NASA planetary explorers Gentry Lee and Steve Squyres; and exo-planet hunters Sara Seager, Francois Forget and Natalie Batalha on their quest to find life beyond Earth.
Production details: A 4 x 1 hr documentary series. An Essential Media and Entertainment and Zed coproduction. Financed in association with Screen Australia and Create NSW.