NOVA

How Do You Get a Rocket to Land Back on Earth?

Clip: Season 46 Episode 5 | 2m 23s

Returning a rocket safely back to the launch site involves a series of complex steps which begin on the edge of space, when still traveling at over 3,500 miles per hour.

Aired: 02/13/19 | Rating: NR

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

More Extras

• Rise of the Rockets Preview

  Preview: S46 Ep5 | 29s

More Episodes

• Decoding da Vinci

  S46 Ep21 | 53m 31s

• Rise of the Mammals

  S46 Ep17 | 53m 27s

• Why Bridges Collapse

  S46 Ep18 | 53m 9s | WETA Passport

More Science and Nature Shows

• Nature

  Capturing the splendor of the natural world, from the African plains to the Antarctic ice.

• Changing Planet

  Changing Planet revisits six of our planet's most vulnerable ecosystems.

• America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

  Explore our passionate relationship with outdoor spaces.

• The Green Planet

  Sir David Attenborough travels the globe to reveal the secret, incredible world of plants.

• Expedition

  Join Steve Backshall in uncharted territory to uncover the world’s last unknown places.

• Wild Scandinavia

  See Scandinavia’s epic landscapes full of fjords, magical forests and fiery volcanoes.