Skip to Main Content
NOVA

The Rocket-Less Future of Space Travel

Space elevators? Nuclear rockets? The future of space travel could look radically different.

Aired 03/13/2025

NOVA

The Rocket-Less Future of Space Travel

Clip: Season 52 | 5m 17sVideo has Closed Captions

Space elevators? Nuclear rockets? The future of space travel could look radically different.

Imagine taking an elevator to space. Or blasting off in a nuclear rocket. That might sound like science fiction, but scientists are racing to develop new, more efficient methods of space travel - and some pretty wild ideas are on the table. Discover the rocket-less future of space travel and the quest to make it happen.

Aired 03/13/2025

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Support provided by:

Carlisle

The Rocket-Less Future of Space Travel

Video has Closed Captions

Space elevators? Nuclear rockets? The future of space travel could look radically different. (5m 17s)

Do Aliens Exist? This Famous Equation Offers a Clue

Video has Closed Captions

The Drake Equation helps scientists estimate the odds of finding intelligent alien civilizations. (5m 4s)

4 Ways the Universe Could End

Video has Closed Captions

If the universe as we know it started with the Big Bang, will it also have an end? (5m 7s)

Building Blocks of Life Discovered on Distant Asteroid

Video has Closed Captions

Scientists have discovered the building blocks of life in samples retrieved from a distant asteroid. (6m 3s)

This Asteroid Might Make Impact With Earth in 2032

Video has Closed Captions

An asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, possibly making impact in 2032. (3m 33s)

Revolutionary War Weapons Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom. (30s)

What Went Wrong on the Dali Before the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Video has Closed Captions

The container ship Dali lost power causing it to crash into Baltimore’s Key Bridge. (2m 57s)

What Caused Baltimore’s Key Bridge to Collapse?

Video has Closed Captions

Engineers explain how a vulnerability made the bridge open to catastrophe. (2m 57s)

Baltimore Bridge Collapse Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Follow the investigation into the deadly container ship collision that closed the Port of Baltimore. (30s)

This Pompeii Priest Had an Unexpected Rise to Power

Video has Closed Captions

In a recently discovered tomb in Pompeii, archeologists made a startling discovery. (2m 58s)

Pompeii's Secret Underworld Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Archaeologists uncover new truths about Pompeii, a wealthy Roman playground with dark secrets. (30s)

A Brutal Gladiator Fight in Ancient Pompeii

Video has Closed Captions

At a gladiator match in ancient Pompeii, tensions exploded and spectators became fighters in a riot. (2m 37s)

Opening a Sealed Egyptian Tomb

Video has Closed Captions

Archaeologists remove the mud brick seal of an unopened Egyptian tomb. (2m 38s)

How the Afterlife Shaped Ancient Egypt

Video has Closed Captions

Discover why the ancient Egyptians invested so much in life after death. (1m 15s)

The God’s Wife of Amun: Powerful Women in Ancient Egypt

Video has Closed Captions

Discover a time in Ancient Egypt when women held a role with extraordinary power. (3m 3s)

Egypt's Tombs of Amun Preview

Video has Closed Captions

A long lost ancient cemetery opens the door to a unique period in Egyptian history. (30s)

How Birds Survived the Dinosaur Apocalypse

Video has Closed Captions

Birds are today’s only living dinosaurs, but how did they survive the asteroid? (2m 48s)

How Birds Evolved to Fly (feat. Slow-Mo Baby Birds)

Video has Closed Captions

Slow-motion footage of baby birds helps scientists uncover how their ancestors took to the skies. (2m 56s)

Dino Birds Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Fossils reveal how birds survived the killer asteroid and became today’s only living dinosaurs. (29s)

What You’re Probably Seeing If You Spot a UFO

Video has Closed Captions

Our skies are full of objects, natural and manmade, that are not as strange as you might think. (2m 17s)

What Are UFOs? Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Can science reveal the secrets of mysterious objects seen in our skies? (30s)

Is the Government Hiding Information on UFOs?

Video has Closed Captions

What does the government know about UFOs? Experts weigh in on the need to identify these objects. (1m 3s)

Area 51: UFO Sightings and an Infamous Government Cover-Up

Video has Closed Captions

Area 51’s UFO myths became a cover for secret testing of cutting-edge military technology. (2m 35s)

What Happens to Your Checked Bag at the Airport?

Video has Closed Captions

Getting the right bag to the right plane requires an ingenious system. Here’s how it works. (2m 34s)

Extreme Airport Engineering Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Follow the race to build a world-class airport on the site of one of America’s busiest flying hubs. (30s)

The $8 Billion Overhaul of LaGuardia Airport: Engineering a New Era

Video has Closed Captions

Discover how an $8 billion transformation turned LaGuardia into a state-of-the-art facility. (2m 12s)

Providing Support for PBS.org

Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Sign in with Email

or

Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookContinue with Apple

By creating an account, you acknowledge that PBS may share your information with our member stations and our respective service providers, and that you have read and understand the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Are you sure you want to remove null from My List?