Original subtitles

Narrator: WE'VE ALWAYS YEARNED TO VENTURE BEYOND EARTH.

IN OUR EARLY ATTEMPTS INTO SPACE,

WE MADE CATASTROPHIC ERRORS

AND WILDLY SUCCESSFUL STRIDES.

Neil Armstrong: TRANQUILITY BASE HERE.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.

Narrator: APOLLO WAS ELECTRIFYING.

OUR TECHNICAL PROWESS SEEMED TO CATCH UP

WITH OUR MOST ANCIENT DREAMS.

Armstrong: THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN...

Narrator: SENDING PEOPLE BACK TO THE MOON, AND BEYOND,

WILL TAKE MORE THAN JUST ONE GIANT LEAP.

WE'LL NEED TO LEARN FROM THE PIONEERS

WHO VENTURED INTO DEEP SPACE BEFORE US.

Man: IT IS A VERY, VERY AMBITIOUS GOAL.

I THINK WE CAN DO IT, THOUGH.

Narrator: AT NASA,

RETURNING ASTRONAUTS TO DEEP SPACE

IS MORE THAN JUST PIE IN THE SKY.

IT'S HARDWARE IN THE FACTORY.

THE FUTURE IS BEING FORGED RIGHT NOW.

Man: THE NEW ROCKET LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE GREAT.

Narrator: AND IF WE DO SET OFF FOR MARS, ASTEROIDS, OR BEYOND,

IT WILL BE THANKS TO THE RISKS TAKEN

AND THE ADVANCES MADE DECADES EARLIER.

Man: WE'RE INNOVATORS AND WE'RE EXPLORERS.

OUR CURIOSITY WILL DRIVE US CRAZY

IF WE DON'T HAVE A VIEW OF WHAT'S OUT THERE.

Narrator: FOR 40 YEARS, HUMANS HAVEN'T LEFT EARTH ORBIT

SINCE OUR LAST TRIP TO THE MOON IN 1972.

IN THAT TIME, WE'VE PERFECTED THE ART OF CIRCLING THE EARTH

WITH VEHICLES LIKE THE SPACE SHUTTLE

AND THE SPACE STATION.

ONLY OUR ROBOTS HAVE BEEN BOLDLY GOING

BEYOND THE REACHES OF EARTH'S GRAVITY,

EXPLORING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM AND LANDING ON OTHER PLANETS.

BUT CHANGE IS IN THE AIR.

HUMANS COULD SOON BE VOYAGING TO DESTINATIONS BEYOND EARTH ORBIT,

AND THAT UNLEASHES A WHOLE NEW SET OF CHALLENGES.

Gene Kranz: EXPLORATION CHANGES DRAMATICALLY

WHEN YOU MOVE FROM THAT WHICH IS PERFORMED BY ROBOTS

TO THAT WHERE HUMANS ARE INVOLVED.

Man: ROBOTS DO NOT HAVE TO BE CARED FOR IN THE SAME WAY.

QUITE FRANKLY,

"CURIOSITY" ON MARS IS NOT COMING HOME.

HE IS ON A SUICIDE MISSION.

AND THAT'S OKAY.

BUT WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT WITH ASTRONAUTS.

Narrator: THIS IS THE STORY

OF THE FORMIDABLE NEW SPACECRAFT NASA IS BUILDING

TO SEND US, ITS MOST FRAGILE CARGO,

FARTHER THAN WE'VE EVER GONE BEFORE...

AND BRING US BACK AGAIN.

THE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

BEHIND NASA'S GREAT MANNED MISSIONS OF THE PAST

HAVE NOW GIVEN US THE BLUEPRINTS

TO ACHIEVE THESE INCREDIBLE 21st-CENTURY GOALS.

THE MOST POWERFUL-EVER MANNED ROCKET

THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MOON,

AND THEN VOYAGE FAR BEYOND IT.

A ROBUST STATE-OF-THE-ART CREW CAPSULE

TO KEEP OUR ASTRONAUTS ALIVE FOR YEARS

AS THEY EXPLORE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

AND A RADICAL NEW LANDING MODULE,

WHICH CAN TAKE HUMANS ON AND OFF MANY ASTEROIDS AND PLANETS

DURING THE COURSE OF A SINGLE VOYAGE.

John Casper: WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT,

BUT IT IS A VERY, VERY AMBITIOUS GOAL.

I THINK WE CAN DO IT, THOUGH.

Narrator: NASA IS NO STRANGER TO CHALLENGES.

BACK IN THE 1960s,

SPACE WAS A BATTLEGROUND IN THE COLD WAR

BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND THE UNITED STATES.

RUSSIA TOOK THE LEAD

WITH YURI GAGARIN'S FIRST MANNED SPACEFLIGHT IN 1961.

AMERICA'S ANSWER WAS PROJECT APOLLO.

Man: THE OBJECT OF APOLLO WAS TO GO TO THE MOON

AND DEMONSTRATE THAT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY

AND AMERICAN ENGINEERING AND AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

WAS SUPERIOR TO THAT OF OUR RIVALS, THE SOVIET UNION.

Narrator: AT THIS POINT,

NO HUMAN HAD EVER LEFT LOW EARTH ORBIT,

1,200 MILES ABOVE OUR PLANET.

NOW NASA HAD TO WORK OUT HOW TO PROPEL AN EXTRA 80,000 POUNDS

OF MEN, MACHINES, FOOD, AND FUEL

NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION MILES FARTHER,

AND BRING THEM HOME AGAIN.

Man: WE NEEDED A MAJOR ROCKET, A SUPER ROCKET, IF YOU WILL.

THE MOST WE HAD AT THAT TIME WERE THE ICBMs,

THE ATLAS, AND THE TITAN.

BUT YOU NEEDED SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER WITH MUCH MORE THRUST

IN ORDER TO GET TO THE MOON,

AND THAT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SATURN V.

Wernher Von Braun: WITH THIS VEHICLE,

THE FLIGHT TO THE MOON WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED.

THE SATURN V IS TALLER THAN THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.

Narrator: ANY ROCKET

IS BASICALLY JUST AN AERODYNAMIC FUEL TANK.

THE BIGGER THE ROCKET,

THE MORE FUEL, THRUST, AND DISTANCE.

AND THE SATURN V WAS THE BIGGEST ROCKET EVER BUILT,

PACKED WITH TECHNOLOGICAL MUSCLE.

Von Braun: THE FIRST STAGE PRODUCES A TOTAL THRUST

OF 7.5 MILLION POUNDS.

Narrator: A POWERFUL NEW ENGINE WAS DESIGNED

TO GENERATE THIS HUGE THRUST:

THE F-1.

Launius: THE F-1 ENGINE

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SATURN V

GENERATED MUCH MORE POWER

THAN ANY ROCKET ENGINE EVER BEFORE OR SINCE.

Narrator: BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM.

EACH OF THE FIVE F-1 ENGINES

NEEDED A LARGE COMBUSTION CHAMBER

TO CREATE THIS THRUST,

AND THE LARGER THE CHAMBER,

THE GREATER THE RISK OF COMBUSTION INSTABILITY,

WHICH COULD LITERALLY RIP THE ROCKET THRUSTERS APART.

NO HUMAN CREW WOULD SURVIVE THE EXPLOSION.

THE SOVIETS FACED THE SAME PROBLEM

WITH THEIR N1 MOON ROCKET

AND TRIED TO SOLVE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

Launius: THEY INSTEAD USED 30 MUCH SMALLER ENGINES,

AND THEY COULD NEVER GET THEM TO WORK AS A UNIT.

AND THAT WAS ULTIMATELY ONE OF THE FAILURES

OF THEIR N1 MOON ROCKET

AND WHY THEY NEVER GOT TO THE MOON THEMSELVES.

Narrator: UNLIKE THE RUSSIANS,

NASA MANAGED TO SORT THEIR PROBLEMS OUT

AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF TESTS.

THE SOLUTION LAY IN CHANGING THE ANGLE OF FUEL MERGER

IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER.

THAT COULD LIFT THE SATURN V OFF THE EARTH.

NEXT, THEY NEEDED A NEW ENGINE

TO TAKE THE ASTRONAUTS FROM THERE TO THE MOON.

THE ANSWER WAS THE J-2.

Todd May: THE J-2 ENGINE,

THAT IS THE WORLD'S ONLY LARGE ENGINE

TO EVER BE RESTARTED IN SPACE.

Narrator: THE J-2 WAS THE LARGEST ENGINE

EVER DESIGNED TO STOP AND BE REIGNITED IN SPACE.

CRUCIALLY,

THIS ALLOWED A SPACECRAFT COASTING IN EARTH ORBIT

TO ACCELERATE BEYOND IT TO THE MOON.

IT WAS THE BREAKTHROUGH NASA NEEDED.

BUT THE SOVIETS WERE RIGHT ON AMERICA'S HEELS.

SO, IN A RISKY MOVE,

THE SATURN V WAS TEST-LAUNCHED JUST TWICE

BEFORE NASA PUT THREE MEN ON TOP OF IT

FOR HUMANITY'S FIRST JOURNEY TO THE MOON,

APOLLO 8.

Chris Kraft: FIRST TIME YOU DO ANYTHING,

IT'S BOUND TO BE RISKY, DON'T YOU THINK?

WE...[LAUGHS]

WE HAD NEVER LEFT EARTH ORBIT.

WE HAD NEVER SPENT THREE DAYS NAVIGATING TO THE MOON.

WE HAD NEVER FIRED A ROCKET IN DEEP SPACE.

WE HAD NEVER GONE INTO ORBIT AROUND ANOTHER PLANET.

IS THAT ENOUGH FIRSTS?

Narrator: APOLLO 8 ASTRONAUTS

FRANK BORMAN, BILL ANDERS, AND JIM LOVELL

ARE WELL AWARE OF THE RISK THEY'RE TAKING.

James Lovell: THE CHANCES OF COMING BACK?

I THOUGHT THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN 50-50.

Narrator: EARLY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, 1968.

IT'S THE MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR THE SATURN V... AND NASA.

Lovell: FROM INSIDE OF THE CAPSULE

IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WATCHING THE LAUNCH FROM OUTSIDE

AS AN OBSERVER.

INSIDE THE SPACECRAFT, VERY, VERY QUIET,

VERY, VERY QUIET.

AND ABOUT, OH, FIVE OR SIX SECONDS BEFORE LAUNCH,

WE COULD HEAR THE FUEL STARTING TO RUMBLE DOWN INTO THE ENGINES,

SO THEN WE COULD HEAR THE ENGINES START.

Man: 5, 4, 3, 2...

LAUNCH COMMENCED.

LIFTOFF.

Lovell: THERE'S A GREAT SHAKING AND A ROCKING

AS THE VEHICLE TAKES OFF.

Narrator: THE SATURN V'S FORCE IS LITERALLY BREATHTAKING.

Kraft: SEVEN MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST

BURNING 8,000 POUNDS OF PROPELLANT PER SECOND.

THE TURBINE IS SPINNING UP AT 20,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE.

Jay Barbree: MY SHIRT IS BEATING,

AND IT'S POUNDING ME LIKE THIS,

AND MY CHANGE IS JINGLING IN MY POCKET.

NOW, THAT WAS WHAT THE SOUND WAVES DID

ROLLING INTO YOU.

Narrator: SATURN V'S KEROSENE-POWERED F-1 ENGINES

THRUST THE ASTRONAUTS 42 MILES TOWARDS SPACE

IN ONLY TWO MINUTES.

Lovell: AS YOU TAKE OFF, IT'S VERY SLOW,

SO ACTUALLY THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A FORCE BACK IN THE SEAT.

IT GOES FASTER AND FASTER AND FASTER,

AND YOU'RE PULLED BACK MORE AND MORE.

Narrator: BY THE TIME THE FIRST STAGE HAS BURNED OUT ITS FUEL,

THE SATURN V, THE SIZE OF A NAVY DESTROYER,

IS MOVING AT SEVEN TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.

Lovell: YOU'RE PRESSED INTO THE SEAT ABOUT 4 Gs,

FOUR TIMES YOUR NORMAL WEIGHT,

AND THEN SUDDENLY, THE ENGINES STOP,

AND YOU GO FORWARD

AND THEN THE SECOND STAGE LIGHTS.

Man: GOOD IGNITION ON THE SECOND STAGE.

Narrator: STAGE TWO CONTINUES UPWARDS FOR SIX MORE MINUTES

USING J-2 ROCKETS.

AND THEN STAGE THREE, ALSO J-2 POWERED,

TAKES APOLLO 8 TO A HEIGHT OF 118 MILES.

THE CREW ARE NOW IN EARTH ORBIT.

THEN, AT AROUND 9:40 A.M. IN HOUSTON,

APOLLO 8 IS ORDERED TO RE-IGNITE ITS STAGE THREE J-2 ENGINE

AND SHOOT FOR THE MOON.

ACCELERATING TO 23,000 MILES PER HOUR,

THE THREE MEN ON BOARD APOLLO 8

BECOME THE FIRST HUMAN BEINGS TO LEAVE EARTH ORBIT.

THE CREW SETTLES IN

FOR A THREE-DAY JOURNEY TO THE MOON.

Lovell: WE SAW NOTHING AT ALL AS WE APPROACHED THE MOON

UNTIL WE ROLLED THE SPACECRAFT 180 DEGREES,

AND THEN WE LOOKED DOWN,

AND THERE WAS THE SURFACE ABOUT 60 MILES BELOW.

Narrator: 69 HOURS INTO THE MISSION,

THE ASTRONAUTS BECOME THE FIRST PEOPLE

TO SET EYES ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.

Lovell: WE WERE LIKE THREE SCHOOL KIDS

LOOKING INTO A CANDY STORE WINDOW...

FORGOT THE FLIGHT PLAN RIGHT AWAY,

NOSE PRESSED TO THE WINDOW,

AND LOOKING AT THOSE CRATERS GOING BY.

IT'S STARK AND SORT OF FORBIDDEN.

Narrator: AS THE CREW FIRST ROUND THE MOON

THEY GET THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE MISSION...

PERHAPS OF THE ENTIRE APOLLO PROGRAM.

Lovell: THE FIRST THING WE SAW OF COURSE WAS THE EARTH...

PROBABLY THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SIGHT

THE THREE OF US HAD LOOKED AT.

WE ALL SAID, "WE OUGHT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS THING,"

AND BILL HAD THE COLOR CAMERA.

Narrator: BILL ANDERS' PHOTO "EARTHRISE"

WOULD BECOME AN ICONIC IMAGE FROM THE 20th CENTURY,

ADORNING POSTERS AND BOOK COVERS

AS A SYMBOL OF OUR SMALL, FRAGILE PLANET,

HANGING ALONE IN AN ENDLESS VACUUM.

Launius: THE ONE IMAGE THAT THEY TOOK OF EARTHRISE

IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING PICTURES MADE

THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY.

IT REALLY DID SIGNAL TO US, THIS IS OUR HOME,

WE ARE INDEED LIVING ON A LITTLE SHIP OURSELVES,

A LITTLE SPACESHIP.

WE NEED TO UNDERTAKE ACTIONS

TO PRESERVE THIS PLANET AS OUR ABODE.

Narrator: THE PHOTO IS CREDITED

WITH INSPIRING A NASCENT ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT.

Lovell: THE EARTH, IN REALITY,

IF YOU PUT YOUR THUMB UP, YOU CAN HIDE IT,

AND YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A WHILE.

IF YOU CAN HIDE THE EARTH BEHIND YOUR THUMB,

THEN EVERYTHING YOU EVER KNEW...

EXISTENCE AND LIVELIHOOD AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES

AND ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT THE EARTH HAS

IS BEHIND YOUR THUMB.

HOW INSIGNIFICANT WE REALLY ALL ARE.

Narrator: AS APOLLO 8 CONTINUES THEIR ORBIT AROUND THE MOON

ON CHRISTMAS EVE,

THEY BROADCAST A CAREFULLY SELECTED READING

TO THOSE BACK ON EARTH.

Glynn Lunney: 1968 HAD BEEN A BAD YEAR IN OUR COUNTRY.

LOTS OF STUFF, BAD STUFF HAD HAPPENED.

WE HAD TWO ASSASSINATIONS...

MARTIN LUTHER KING AND BOBBY KENNEDY...

RIOTS AT THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.

THERE WAS A LOT OF REACTION TO THE VIETNAM WAR,

AND ALL THIS STUFF WAS SORT OF BOILING.

AND THEN ON CHRISTMAS EVE,

THE CREW IS IN ORBIT AROUND THE MOON,

AND THEY COME ON AND READ FROM GENESIS.

Bill Anders: IN THE BEGINNING,

GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH.

AND THE EARTH WAS WITHOUT FORM AND VOID,

AND DARKNESS WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP.

AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS.

AND GOD SAID, "LET THERE BE LIGHT,"

AND THERE WAS LIGHT.

Narrator: IT WAS THE MOST WATCHED BROADCAST OF THE TIME.

Lunney: IT WAS AN EXTREMELY MOVING THING.

HUMAN BEINGS AWAY FROM THE EARTH,

WAY OUT HERE BY THEMSELVES, CHRISTMAS EVE,

READING FROM THE BIBLE.

AND IT WAS VERY POWERFUL.

Narrator: APOLLO 8 ORBITS THE MOON 10 TIMES.

THEY SEE THE SUN RISE AND SET EVERY TWO HOURS.

BUT THE RISKIEST MANEUVER OF THE MISSION LIES AHEAD:

THE TRANS-EARTH INJECTION.

THE CREW MUST IGNITE

A 20,000-POUND THRUST OF THEIR SERVICE PROPULSION ENGINE

FOR 203 SECONDS

TO SEND APOLLO 8 ON A TRAJECTORY BACK TO OUR PLANET.

IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG,

THE CREW WILL BE LEFT ORBITING THE MOON FOR ETERNITY.

SEASONED MISSION CONTROL DIRECTOR CHRIS KRAFT

HAS WITNESSED 16 MANNED MISSIONS

AND KNOWS THE KNIFE EDGE THE CREW IS ON.

Kraft: I DON'T BELIEVE I'VE EVER BEEN THAT CONCERNED,

THAT WORRIED IN THE WHOLE TIME OF THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHEN THAT THING DISAPPEARED ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE MOON

AND THEY HAD TO FIRE THAT ROCKET VERY PRECISELY

IN ORDER TO GET BACK TO THE EARTH,

THAT WAS THE LONGEST 30 MINUTES OF MY LIFE.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL

MUST WAIT THROUGH 30 MINUTES OF RADIO BLACKOUT

TO FIND OUT IF THE BURN HAS WORKED.

Lovell: ENGINE STARTED, AND AS WE CAME AROUND,

WE KNEW THAT WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME.

Lovell, recording: ROGER.

PLEASE BE INFORMED THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS.

Kraft: JIM LOVELL SAID, "THERE REALLY IS A SANTA CLAUS."

HE WAS RIGHT.

Narrator: APOLLO 8'S FINAL ROCKET

WORKS EXACTLY AS PLANNED.

THE SPACECRAFT SPEEDS BACK TOWARD HOME.

BUT THREE DAYS LATER,

ANOTHER LIFE-THREATENING ORDEAL LIES AHEAD.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,

A CREW MUST RE-ENTER THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

FROM DEEP SPACE AT 24,000 MILES PER HOUR...

MORE THAN 6,000 MILES PER HOUR FASTER

THAN ANY PREVIOUS RE-ENTRY.

Paul Ceruzzi: YOU THINK OF THE ATMOSPHERE AS THIS THIN THING,

BUT IF YOU HIT IT AT THE WRONG ANGLE,

IT'D BE LIKE DOING A BELLY FLOP FROM THE HIGH DIVING BOARD

INTO A SWIMMING POOL OR SOMETHING.

YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

BUT IF YOU GO TOO SHALLOW,

YOU BOUNCE OFF AND HEAD OFF INTO DEEP SPACE,

AND NOBODY WILL EVER SEE YOU AGAIN.

SO APOLLO 8 HAD TO COME BACK IN THIS VERY, VERY NARROW CORRIDOR,

A LITTLE WEDGE A FEW DEGREES WIDE,

AND THEY HAD TO WITHSTAND THE HEAT.

Kraft: THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEAT SHIELD'S

HIGHER THAN THE SURFACE OF THE SUN,

SO THAT'S THE REASON WE CAME IN, SKIPPED OUT,

TO KILL OFF PART OF THE ENERGY,

AND THEN COME BACK IN AGAIN.

Lovell: IT STARTS TO GLOW BEFORE WE FEEL ANYTHING.

THEN WE SEE FLAKES OF THE HEAT SHIELD

COMING OFF AS SPARKS AS WE COME ON IN.

Narrator: BUT THE COMMAND MODULE'S HEAT SHIELD HOLDS UP.

THE CREW SPLASH DOWN SAFELY IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN,

NEAR CHRISTMAS ISLAND.

Kraft: FANTASTIC ADVENTURE

AND FANTASTIC RESULTS IN THE APOLLO PROGRAM.

IT WAS THE KEY, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

AND IT TOOK A LOT OF GUTS TO DO WHAT WE DID.

Narrator: APOLLO 8 IS A TECHNICAL TOUR-DE-FORCE

FROM START TO FINISH,

FORGING IMPORTANT MILESTONES FOR HUMAN SPACE TRAVEL.

THE FIRST ROCKET FIRED IN DEEP SPACE.

THE FIRST TIME WE'D NAVIGATED A MANNED SPACESHIP

TO ORBIT ANOTHER WORLD.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE FIRST TIME WE HAD TRULY LEFT EARTH.

AND NONE OF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE

WITHOUT THE BRAVERY OF APOLLO'S CREW

AND THE MUSCULAR MIGHT OF THE SATURN V.

May: YOU CAN THANK SATURN V FOR ENABLING HUMANKIND TO PROVE

THAT WE CAN GO TO ANOTHER CELESTIAL BODY,

LAND SAFELY, AND RETURN SAFELY.

Narrator: IN 1972,

A SATURN V CARRIED HUMANS TO THE MOON

FOR THE LAST TIME.

NOW, 40 YEARS LATER,

NASA WANTS TO GET PEOPLE BACK INTO DEEP SPACE.

AND THIS TIME, THE MOON IS JUST ONE OF THE STOPS

ON A VERY AMBITIOUS SPACE ITINERARY.

THE FIRST STOP:

A LUNAR FLYBY IN THE 2020s,

FOLLOWED BY AN ATTEMPT TO RENDEZVOUS

WITH ONE OF THE 9,000 NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS.

Casper: WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT TO BE LEARNED

BY BRINGING BACK A SOIL SAMPLE, FOR EXAMPLE,

FROM AN ASTEROID.

WE'VE GOT TEAMS LOOKING AT HOW WE WOULD PERFORM THAT MISSION.

Launius: WE HAVE ASTEROIDS

THAT COME NEAR THIS PARTICULAR PLANET

ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS,

AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND LAND A VEHICLE ON IT,

MAYBE MINE IT EVEN.

Narrator: THE NEXT STOP COULD BE A LAGRANGE POINT...

AN AMAZING PLACE, A MILLION MILES FROM HOME,

WHERE THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL BETWEEN THE EARTH, MOON, AND SUN

REACH EQUILIBRIUM,

ESSENTIALLY ENABLING SPACECRAFT TO PARK THERE.

Ceruzzi: ONCE YOU GET TO A LAGRANGE POINT,

YOU CAN GO ALMOST ANYWHERE WITH VERY LITTLE FUEL,

SO IF YOU BUILD A STATION THERE,

IT SORT OF BECOMES A REAL BASE CAMP IN SPACE

THAT COULD HAVE A LOT OF PRACTICAL USES.

Narrator: AND FINALLY,

ASTRONAUTS COULD BEGIN EXPLORING OTHER PLANETS BY THE 2030s.

MARS IS FIRST ON THE LIST...

A MISSION OF SUCH SCALE AND AMBITION,

IT MAKES A TRIP TO THE MOON LOOK EASY.

May: THE MOON IS ONLY DAYS AWAY.

MARS IS A MUCH FURTHER PLACE,

A MUCH HARDER PROPOSITION,

AND SO A CHALLENGE TO GO TO MARS

IS, TO ME, ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES WE CAN IMAGINE

IN SPACE EXPLORATION.

Narrator: YET AGAIN,

NASA NEEDS TO BUILD A ROCKET WITH ENOUGH THRUST

TO SEND HUMANS AND ALL OUR SURVIVAL NEEDS

INTO DEEP SPACE.

THE SATURN V HAD JUST ONE TARGET.

BUT THE NEW ROCKET

NEEDS TO TRAVEL TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS

ALL IN THE SAME MISSION,

AND TO GET FARTHER FASTER.

NASA'S SOLUTION

IS THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM, OR SLS.

FULLY FORMED, IT WILL STAND AT 403 FEET...

40 FEET TALLER THAN THE SATURN V...

FIRING 2 MILLION POUNDS MORE THRUST

AND CAPABLE OF LIFTING 130 TONS, OR 75 SUVs, INTO SPACE.

Charlie Duke: THE NEW ROCKET LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE GREAT.

IT'LL BE GOOD TO GET BACK TO THAT KIND OF VEHICLE

THAT CAN EXPAND IN SIZE

AND LIFT MORE AND MORE TONNAGE INTO SPACE.

Narrator: THE SLS IS A SUBLIME HYBRID,

FORMED FROM THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST PARTS

OF NASA'S EARLIER ROCKETS.

ITS BOTTOM HALF, THE FIRST STAGE,

USES OLD SPACE SHUTTLE PARTS.

IT'S POWERED BY TWO SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS

AND FOUR RS-25 ENGINES...

BOTH KEY ELEMENTS

THAT LAUNCHED 30 YEARS OF SHUTTLE MISSIONS...

WHILE THE SLS'S TOP HALF, THE EVENTUAL UPPER STAGE,

STEMS FROM THE SATURN V.

IT'S POWERED BY THE J-2X ENGINES,

WHOSE ANCESTOR, THE J-2,

MOTORED THE SATURN V ROCKET FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON.

Garry Lyles: THE CAPABILITY OF THE SLS

AND ITS FLEXIBILITY OWES A LOT TO THE SATURN V,

AND IT OWES A LOT TO SHUTTLE.

Narrator: LATE AFTERNOON.

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, MISSISSIPPI.

NASA IS ABOUT TO RUN A VITAL TEST

OF ITS J-2X POWER PACK,

THE ENGINE WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO MANEUVER OUTSIDE EARTH ORBIT.

CAN IT FIRE FOR 500 SECONDS,

THE TIME NEEDED FOR EACH BURN IN SPACE?

THIS IS TWICE AS LONG AS IT'S EVER BEEN FIRED PREVIOUSLY,

AND THERE'S A DANGER THE ENGINE COULD EXPLODE.

Gary Benton: A BAD DAY WOULD BE ONE

WHERE THE ENGINE WASN'T IN THE TEST STAND AFTER A TEST.

Justin Junell: BEFORE EVERY TEST, THE FACILITY IS CLEARED

BACK BEYOND A CERTAIN LIMIT, AND THE GATES ARE CLOSED.

Narrator: TODAY'S TEST COSTS $350,000,

FOR ONLY 500 SECONDS.

EXPENSIVE,

FOR THE ASTRONAUTS' SAFETY IN DEEP SPACE.

Announcer: FINAL SEQUENCE START.

TIME IS 1504.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

6, 7, 8, 9...

Narrator: THE CONTROLLED EXPLOSION IGNITES,

GENERATING EXTREME TEMPERATURE SWINGS

AND CLOUDS OF HOT GAS.

Benton: THE ROCKET ENGINE HAS THESE SUPER-COLD PROPELLANTS

THAT ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED DEGREES BELOW ZERO

COMING IN AT THE TOP.

AND A SPLIT SECOND LATER,

YOU'VE GOT THOUSANDS OF DEGREES OF HOT GAS

COMING OUT THE BACK END.

Narrator: AT FULL THROTTLE,

THE J-2X WILL SCREAM 290,000 POUNDS OF THRUST

AND BURN AN OLYMPIC-SIZE SWIMMING POOL WORTH OF FUEL

A SECOND.

Announcer: 7, 8, 9... 300.

Narrator: THIS MUSCULAR PROPULSION SYSTEM

SHAKES THE EARTH AT 200 DECIBELS.

[ROARING]

THEY CAN HEAR IT 15 MILES AWAY.

Woman: IF YOU WERE TO STAND OUT AT ONE OF THE VIEWING AREAS,

YOUR CLOTHES WOULD BE VIBRATING, YOU'D FEEL IT IN YOUR CHEST.

WE ALL WEAR EARPLUGS FOR A VERY GOOD REASON.

IT'S AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.

Announcer: 495, 6, 7, 8, 9.

ENGINE RUN TIME 499.97.

Narrator: THE ENGINE FIRES

FOR 500 SECONDS AT THE VERY FIRST ATTEMPT,

AND IT'S STILL IN THE TEST STAND.

Announcer: WE HAVE ENGINE CUT-OFF.

Narrator: CRUCIALLY, THIS PROVES THE J-2X

CAN FIRE LONG ENOUGH AND POWERFULLY ENOUGH

FOR ASTRONAUTS TO SET A NEW COURSE IN SPACE.

WHEN ALL THE GROUNDBREAKING NEW COMPONENTS FOR THE SLS

HAVE BEEN SAFETY-TESTED,

THEY'LL BE BROUGHT TO FLORIDA,

TO THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

ORIGINALLY BUILT TO HOLD THE SATURN V,

AT 500 FEET HIGH,

IT'S THE LARGEST SINGLE-STORY BUILDING IN THE WORLD...

SO BIG, IN FACT,

THAT RAIN CLOUDS GATHER UNDER THE CEILING.

IT'S A FITTING HOME FOR THE SATURN'S SUCCESSOR,

AND WHEN THE SLS IS READY,

IT, TOO, WILL BE MOUNTED ONTO A CRAWLER

TO MAKE THE 3 1/2-MILE JOURNEY TO LAUNCH PAD 39B.

THE SLS MIGHT BE MAKING THIS TRIP AS EARLY AS THE 2020s.

CHIEF ENGINEER GARRY LYLES OFFERS A SNEAK PREVIEW

OF WHAT WILL SURELY BE

THE MOST DRAMATIC LAUNCH IN GENERATIONS.

Lyles: THOSE 4 RS-25s START AT ABOUT MINUS 6 SECONDS.

WHEN THEY POWER UP AT WHAT WE CALL T ZERO,

WE WILL IGNITE THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS.

AT ABOUT 9 SECONDS WE WILL CLEAR THE TOWER.

WE'LL DO A NICE ROLL MANEUVER LIKE SHUTTLE DOES,

WHERE WE'LL ROLL 90 DEGREES TO FLY EAST.

PUTS THE ASTRONAUT'S HEAD DOWN

BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO SEE THE HORIZON AS THEY GO UP.

WHEN THAT STAGE SHUTS OFF,

WE WILL BE BASICALLY AT ORBITAL VELOCITY.

Narrator: THE J-2X ENGINES TAKE OVER,

POWERING THE CREW INTO AN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH.

Lyles: AT THAT SAME STAGE WE'LL DO WHAT WE CALL A TLI BURN,

A TRANS LUNAR INJECTION.

Narrator: TRANS LUNAR INJECTION:

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "SHOOT FOR THE MOON."

RETURNING TO THE MOON WILL BE A NOSTALGIC MILESTONE.

WE WON'T BE TREADING ON NEW TERRITORY,

BUT WE WILL BE BUILDING THE FIRST LINK

OF A MUCH LONGER BRIDGE...

TO A DISTANT ASTEROID...

OR EVEN ANOTHER PLANET.

IT WON'T JUST BE THE ROCKET THAT'S BREAKING NEW GROUND.

ATOP THE SLS WILL BE A NEW GENERATION OF ASTRONAUT

RIDING IN A NEW GENERATION OF SPACE CAPSULE.

THE TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING,

BUT THE THRILLS AND RISKS OF SPACE EXPLORATION

HAVEN'T CHANGED.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM,

GERALD CARR REUNITES WITH THE APOLLO COMMAND MODULE

THAT FERRIED HIM SAFELY INTO SPACE AND BACK.

Gerald Carr: THE APOLLO COMMAND MODULE

IS A REMARKABLE PIECE OF MACHINERY...

VERY, VERY VERSATILE.

HAD A GOOD NAVIGATION SYSTEM

AND IT WAS REASONABLY EASY TO FLY

AND REASONABLY EASY TO DOCK.

Narrator: PLANNING FOR APOLLO'S COMMAND MODULE BEGAN IN 1961.

THE SMALL CAPSULE HAD TO PLAY SEVERAL VITAL ROLES:

A CREW CABIN; A VEHICLE TO ORBIT THE MOON;

AND A LIFEBOAT TO PROTECT THE ASTRONAUTS

DURING RE-ENTRY AND SPLASHDOWN.

BY 1967, FINAL MODIFICATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE.

BUT TRAGEDY WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE.

THAT JANUARY, THE APOLLO 1 CREW

OF ED WHITE, GUS GRISSOM AND ROGER CHAFFEE

ARE CONDUCTING A GROUND TEST ON THE LAUNCH PAD,

INSIDE THE COMMAND MODULE.

THEY ARE BREATHING PRESSURIZED OXYGEN,

SIMULATING THE SCENARIO OF SPACE TRAVEL.

AN ELECTRICAL FAULT THROWS A SPARK,

AND THE PRESSURIZED OXYGEN RAPIDLY FEEDS THE FLAMES.

THE ASTRONAUTS ARE CONSUMED IN SECONDS.

NASA'S FIRST TRAGEDY WAS A TREMENDOUS SETBACK,

BUT THE LESSONS MAY HAVE SAVED THE REST OF THE PROGRAM.

Carr: AFTER WE RECOVERED FROM THE PAD FIRE

THAT HAD COST US THE LIVES

OF THE THREE EARLY APOLLO CREWMEN,

WE MANAGED TO FIX ALL OF THE PROBLEMS

AND REDESIGN THINGS

SO THAT IT WAS A MUCH MORE SAFE VEHICLE TO FLY.

Narrator: ENGINEERS CHANGED THE CAPSULE'S LAUNCH ATMOSPHERE

FROM 100% OXYGEN TO 60%;

MINIMIZED FLAMMABLE MATERIALS;

AND MADE THE HATCH EASIER TO OPEN IN AN EMERGENCY.

EVERY CAPSULE DID ITS JOB.

FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS, OVER 15 MISSIONS,

THIS WORKHORSE DESIGN SAFELY CARRIED 45 ASTRONAUTS

TO SPACE AND BACK AGAIN.

Carr: IT FLEW ALL OF THE LUNAR MISSIONS,

AND IT FLEW THREE SKYLAB MISSIONS,

AND IT FLEW ONE APOLLO-SOYUZ RUSSIAN-AMERICAN MISSION.

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.

Narrator: FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, NASA HAS BEEN CONCENTRATING

ON SUCCESSFULLY EXPLORING EARTH ORBIT

USING THE PLANE-LIKE SPACE SHUTTLE.

BUT NOW THAT WE'RE HEADING FOR DEEP SPACE AGAIN,

NASA IS GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE

WITH AN APOLLO-LIKE CAPSULE DESIGN.

ITS OFFICIAL NAME IS THE MULTIPURPOSE CREW VEHICLE,

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ORION.

IT'S A $500 MILLION 24-TON SPACESHIP,

CAPABLE OF CARRYING FOUR ASTRONAUTS

TO THE MOON AND BEYOND.

Duke: THE ORION CAPSULE...

IT'S APOLLO ON STEROIDS,

AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE A RETURN TO THAT KIND OF SPACECRAFT.

FIRST OFF, WE HAVE AN ESCAPE SYSTEM.

PLUS WE CAN LAND ANYWHERE.

AND THAT'S A VERY BIG MARGIN OF SAFETY.

Narrator: AND LIKE APOLLO,

ORION HAS THREE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS:

A LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM TO FERRY THE CREW TO SAFETY

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY ON THE PAD OR DURING ASCENT;

A CONICAL MODULE TO CARRY THE CREW;

AND FINALLY, A SERVICE MODULE

THAT HOUSES THE PROPULSION TO MANEUVER ORION,

WHILE THE J-2X PROPELS IT THROUGH SPACE.

BUT THOUGH ORION AND ITS APOLLO ANCESTOR

MAY LOOK THE SAME FROM THE OUTSIDE,

THE SIMILARITY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP.

Casper: WE'RE NOT GOING BACK AND BUILDING JUST A LARGER APOLLO.

WE ARE BUILDING A NEW VEHICLE

USING ALL THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'VE GOT.

Narrator: ORION'S INTERIOR IS TRULY AVANT GARDE,

WITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY UNHEARD OF IN THE APOLLO ERA.

THE TOUCH-SCREEN CONTROL SYSTEM IS DERIVED FROM A BOEING 787.

Casper: IN THE APOLLO DAYS, IT WAS ALL ANALOG,

LOTS OF ROUND DIALS AND GAUGES

LIKE YOU MIGHT SEE IN AN AUTOMOBILE, FOR EXAMPLE.

WHAT WE'VE GOT NOW IS FLAT SCREEN DISPLAYS.

EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER DRIVEN,

SO IT'S ALL DIGITAL INSTEAD OF ANALOG.

Narrator: THE COMPUTER GUIDANCE SYSTEM

HAS ALSO EVOLVED CONSIDERABLY SINCE APOLLO.

Man: WHEN THE THREE ASTRONAUTS

WENT TO THE MOON IN THE APOLLO DAYS,

UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THEM HAD TO STAY BEHIND,

WITH THE COMMAND MODULE CIRCLING, ORBITING THE MOON.

THIS VEHICLE CAN MAINTAIN ITSELF AUTONOMOUSLY IN AN ORBIT.

NO ONE HAS TO STAY BEHIND AND MAINTAIN IT.

IT CAN DO ALL THAT ITSELF.

THAT'S A HIGH-LEVEL EXAMPLE OF HOW FAR WE'VE COME

SINCE THE APOLLO DAYS.

Narrator: THE FIRST ORION CAPSULE BOUND FOR SPACE

WAS BUILT IN LOUISIANA

AND BROUGHT TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

IN JULY 2012.

TECHNICIANS ARE APPLYING THE FINISHING TOUCHES

SO THAT IT'S READY FOR ITS FIRST UNMANNED FLIGHT IN EARTH ORBIT

IN 2014.

Man: WE'RE VERY EXCITED

BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE US A GOOD DEMONSTRATION

OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF DESIGN

AND HOW FAR OR HOW CLOSE WE ARE

TO GETTING TO THE NEXT HUMAN MISSION.

Narrator: THE SLS WON'T BE READY BY 2014,

SO THE FIRST FLIGHT WILL LAUNCH ON A DELTA IV ROCKET.

THEN, ORION'S ONBOARD PROPULSION SYSTEMS

WILL FIRE IT INTO AN ELLIPTICAL ORBIT

AND TAKE IT 3,500 MILES OUT.

Casper: WE'RE GONNA GO OUT

TO TAKE THAT VEHICLE 15 TIMES FARTHER

THAN THE ALTITUDE WHERE SPACE STATION IS FLYING TODAY,

AND THEN COME BACK IN AT A RE-ENTRY VELOCITY

THAT VERY CLOSELY APPROXIMATES THE RE-ENTRY FROM DEEP SPACE.

WE'LL GET A GOOD TEST FOR THE HEAT SHIELD,

THE RE-ENTRY PARACHUTES,

AND THE THRUSTERS THAT FIRE THE GUIDANCE NAVIGATION CONTROL.

SO THAT'S 2014.

Narrator: EVERY DAY WORKERS AT KENNEDY

BRING THE ORION CAPSULE CLOSER TO ITS FINAL FINISHED FORM.

BUT THE COMMAND MODULE IS ONLY HALF THE STORY.

EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO LAND AGAIN...

ON THE MOON, AN ASTEROID,

OR SOMEDAY MARS.

EACH ENVIRONMENT WILL REQUIRE DIFFERENT LANDER CAPABILITIES,

MAKING NASA'S JOB MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE APOLLO ERA.

THE APOLLO LUNAR LANDING MODULE, OR LM,

WAS ONLY DESIGNED FOR A SINGLE PURPOSE:

TO LAND AND TAKE OFF FROM THE MOON.

BY MARCH 1969, IT WAS READY FOR ITS FIRST CREW.

IT DID NOT MAKE A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION.

Man: THE LUNAR MODULE

WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPACECRAFT.

THE COMMAND MODULE AND THE GEMINI SPACECRAFT

WERE PRETTY STURDY.

THE LUNAR MODULE WAS JUST A BUNCH OF THERMAL STUFF

HELD TOGETHER WITH STAPLES AND SCOTCH TAPE.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS IT'S JUST OUT THERE IN A VACUUM.

ALL YOU WANNA DO IS PROTECT IT FROM THE HEAT OF THE SUN

OR THE COLD OF THE BLACK SKY.

Narrator: NO MATTER HOW FLIMSY,

APOLLO 9'S MISSION IS TO TEST THE LANDER IN SPACE...

A NECESSARY STEP TOWARDS REACHING THE MOON

BY THE END OF 1969.

Kranz: APOLLO 9 WAS THE LAST APOLLO MISSION

THAT WAS FLOWN IN EARTH ORBIT.

AND THE OBJECTIVE OF THE MISSION

IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY OF THE LUNAR MODULE

AS WE WOULD USE IT GOING DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

McDivitt: WE HAD TO MAKE SURE

THAT THE ALL THE SYSTEMS ON THE LUNAR MODULE WORKED,

WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DESCENT ENGINE WORKED,

THAT IT COULD BE THROTTLED, AS AN ENGINE WORK,

THAT THE DOCKING SYSTEMS WORK.

EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS IS IMPORTANT.

Narrator: MARCH 7, 1969.

JIM McDIVITT AND HIS CO-PILOT RUSTY SCHWEICKART

PREPARE TO UNDOCK.

IT'S A RISKY MANEUVER.

THE LM IS NOT DESIGNED TO SURVIVE

THE BRUTAL FORCE OF RE-ENTRY.

IF McDIVITT AND SCHWEICKART

FAIL TO GET BACK TO THE COMMAND MODULE,

THEIR PROSPECTS ARE DIRE.

McDivitt: ULTIMATELY YOU'D COME DOWN, AND THEN YOU'D BURN UP,

SO YOU HAD TO GET BACK.

THAT MOTIVATES YOU.

Narrator: KEY TO THEIR SAFE RETURN:

THE LUNAR MODULE'S COMPUTER GUIDANCE SYSTEM.

McDivitt: YOU'D LAUGH AT IT TODAY, BUT THE COMPUTERS WE HAD,

I THINK THEY HAD 12,000 WORDS OF MEMORY IN EACH ONE,

IT WAS WIRED IN SO YOU HAD THESE LITTLE DOUGHNUTS

THAT THE WIRES RAN THROUGH,

AND THEY WERE EITHER ONES OR ZEROES.

AND THEN WE HAD 2,000 WORDS OF ERASABLE,

SO WE DID THE WHOLE APOLLO MISSION

WITH THESE THINGS THAT...

MY WATCH HAS A GREATER CAPABILITY

THAN WE HAD ON BOARD.

Narrator: McDIVITT AND SCHWEICKART

TRAVEL 111 MILES FROM THE COMMAND MODULE

AND THEN JETTISON THEIR BOTTOM DESCENT STAGE.

McDivitt: WE HAD A LIGHT ON OUR SPACECRAFT,

AND DAVE SCOTT WAS IN THE COMMAND MODULE

TRACKING US WITH THE TELESCOPE

SO THAT IF OUR RADARS AND COMPUTERS FAILED,

WE HAD SOME CHANCE OF GETTING BACK.

AND WHEN WE BLEW THE BOTTOM STAGE OFF,

THE LIGHT WENT OUT.

AND SO DAVE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER WE ALL DISAPPEARED,

BLEW UP, OR WHAT.

McDivitt: AND HE SAYS, "SPIDER, ARE YOU OUT THERE?"

"YEAH." HE SAYS, "WELL, I LOST YOUR LIGHT.

I JUST WONDERED IF YOU'RE STILL THERE."

McDivitt: WE GOT BACK UNDER OUR OWN GUIDANCE.

Narrator: THE LUNAR MODULE'S COMPUTER,

NO MATTER HOW ARCHAIC,

HAD TRIUMPHED.

Ceruzzi: THE APOLLO COMPUTER WAS PRIMITIVE BY TODAY'S STANDARDS.

AT THE TIME, IT WAS REALLY STATE-OF-THE-ART, ABSOLUTELY.

AND IT DID THE JOB.

IT HAD TO DO NAVIGATION,

VECTOR ARITHMETIC, THINGS LIKE THAT...

REAL TIME CONTROL OF ROCKETS.

THAT'S PRETTY COOL STUFF.

Narrator: APOLLO COMPUTING

SPAWNED A MOUNTAIN OF INNOVATIVE SPIN-OFFS

BACK ON EARTH.

BY FORCING COMPUTERS TO BE FAR SMALLER

THAN THE ROOM-SIZED MACHINES AT THE TIME,

NASA HELPED GIVE BIRTH TO THE MINIATURE COMPUTER CHIP.

NOW THEY ARE FOUND IN NEARLY EVERY ELECTRONIC GADGET,

FROM CELL PHONES TO LAPTOPS TO TELEVISIONS.

Ceruzzi: THE APOLLO PROGRAM

ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST USES

OF THE SILICON CHIP.

IT WAS A NEW INVENTION,

AND THEY TOOK A GAMBLE BY ORDERING THEM IN QUANTITY.

TODAY THERE'S MORE CHIPS THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD,

BUT AT THAT TIME,

THEY WERE NUMBERED IN THE FEW HUNDREDS MAYBE.

Narrator: BY THE SUMMER OF 1969,

NASA WAS WORKING AT FEVER PITCH.

MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE

HAD BEEN MOBILIZED AROUND THE COUNTRY

WITH ONE GOAL:

TO LAND A MAN ON THE MOON BEFORE THE END OF THE DECADE.

BUT BEFORE LAUNCHING APOLLO 11 TOWARDS THE GOAL,

NASA HAD TO SORT OUT

SOMETHING POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE IMPORTANT

THAN THE LANDING ITSELF.

Farouk El-Baz: THE PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION OF NASA

WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ONE THING...

THE VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE VIDEO CAMERA

THAT WILL SHOW PICTURES TO THE WORLD.

THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE.

Narrator: NASA WANTED TV STATIONS WORLDWIDE

TO BROADCAST THE IMAGES IN REAL TIME.

BUT HOW COULD LIVE IMAGES FROM THE MOON REACH THE EARTH?

El-Baz: AT THE TIME, THERE WERE NO COMMUNICATION SATELLITE

AND THERE WERE NO WAYS OF DOING ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

Narrator: NASA'S SOLUTION WAS RADICAL.

USING A SERIES OF INTERNATIONAL RECEIVING STATIONS

IN AUSTRALIA, EUROPE, AND AMERICA,

SIMILAR TO THOSE THEY USED TO MONITOR SATELLITES,

THEY COULD CONTINUOUSLY RECEIVE LIVE IMAGES FROM THE MOON

EVEN AS THE EARTH ROTATED.

El-Baz: SO ALL OF THESE NETWORK OF RECEIVING STATIONS

MADE IT POSSIBLE,

AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY MADE COMMUNICATIONS OF TODAY

AND THE TELEVISION... ALL OF THESE VIABLE TODAY.

Narrator: JULY 16, 1969.

NEARLY A DECADE OF INNOVATION AT BREAK-NECK SPEED

COMES TOGETHER FOR ONE DEFINING MISSION...

THE DREAMS OF MILLIONS AND THE WORK OF THOUSANDS

ARE NOW IN THE HANDS OF THREE MEN,

LED BY NEIL ARMSTRONG.

Buzz Aldrin: NEIL WAS CLEARLY

THE MOST QUALIFIED TEST PILOT WITH EXPERIENCE,

DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE OF PROBLEM SOLVING,

OF ANYBODY IN THE ASTRONAUT GROUP.

El-Baz: ARMSTRONG WAS ALWAYS A QUIET MAN.

HE WOULD LOOK AND HE WOULD SAY,

"WELL, WE'LL DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO."

NO SMILES, NO DISCUSSION, NO COMMENT.

AND BUZZ ALDRIN WOULD ARGUE WITH YOU

AND WOULD SAY, "WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOVE

FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SPACECRAFT TO THE NEXT?"

AND MICHAEL COLLINS WAS THE ONE

THAT HAD THE LIGHTER SIDE TO HIM.

Narrator: AS THE CREW SAY THEIR FAREWELLS TO GROUND STAFF AT KENNEDY,

HOUSTON STANDS BY TO TAKE OVER MISSION CONTROL

WHEN THE SATURN V CLEARS THE TOWER.

Kranz: YOU HAVE A FEELING OF INTENSE RELIEF.

THERE'S NO MORE TRAINING.

THERE'S NO MORE RE-WORKING THESE PROCEDURES.

WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH,

AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON,

AND WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT CREW BACK.

Buzz Aldrin: THE SUN IS JUST BEGINNING TO COME UP

OVER THE HORIZON,

AND THE WAVES ARE COMING IN,

AND IT'S SO PEACEFUL AND SERENE.

AND I LOOK OUT THIS SIDE,

AND NOW THERE ARE JUST SCADS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Announcer: 17 SECONDS AND COUNTING.

GUIDANCE INTERNAL...

Narrator: THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS.

King: FOR US IN THE LAUNCH CONTROL CENTER,

IT WAS OUR MOMENT OF TRUTH.

THE ATMOSPHERE, AS I SAY, WAS REALLY TIGHT.

I'M A LIFETIME RED SOX FAN, BOSTON RED SOX FAN,

AND I'M ALWAYS READY FOR SOMETHING TO GO WRONG,

BUT NOTHING WENT WRONG THAT MORNING.

IT JUST WENT BEAUTIFULLY.

Narrator: AFTER THREE DAYS OF TRAVELING ALMOST 5 MILES PER SECOND,

THE EARTH IS JUST A DISTANT MARBLE.

THE MOON LOOMS BELOW, COLD AND GRAY.

ARMSTRONG AND ALDRIN ENTER THE LUNAR MODULE,

SEPARATE FROM COLLINS IN THE COMMAND MODULE,

AND APPROACH THE SURFACE.

GENE KRANZ ADDRESSES HIS YOUNG CREW

IN MISSION CONTROL.

Kranz: I SAY, "WE CAME INTO THIS ROOM AS A TEAM,

AND WE WILL LEAVE AS A TEAM.

WHEN THESE DOORS ARE LOCKED, THEY WILL NOT BE RE-OPENED

UNTIL ONE OF THREE THINGS HAS HAPPENED.

WE'VE EITHER LANDED THE MOON,

WE'VE CRASHED,

OR WE HAVE ABORTED THE MISSION."

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE GET A CALL,

"FLIGHT, WE'VE HAD ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL,"

AND NOW THE BATTLE BEGINS TO GET THE CREW TO THE SURFACE.

Narrator: BUT ONCE THE CREW IS 50,000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE,

ALL MISSION CONTROL HEARS BACK FROM THE LUNAR MODULE IS STATIC.

Kranz: LITERALLY WITHIN SECONDS WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS,

AND THAT'S THE ONE THING WE NEED

IN ORDER TO GO DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL

HAS TO RELAY MESSAGES TO ALDRIN AND ARMSTRONG

VIA MIKE COLLINS IN THE COMMAND MODULE.

Narrator: ARMSTRONG SPINS THE LUNAR MODULE AROUND

TO SEE IF THAT ENABLES THEM

TO HEAR THE VITAL MESSAGE THEY'RE WAITING FOR:

GO FOR LANDING.

Aldrin: WE FINALLY GOT A LOCK ON THROUGH ALL THE STATIC,

AND THIS WAS CRUCIAL

BECAUSE THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT MISSION CONTROL

IS GETTING DATA ON OUR ORBIT

BEFORE WE START MAKING THE MANEUVER POWER DESCENT.

Kranz: SO WE GIVE THE CREW THE GO FOR POWER DESCENT.

JUST ABOUT THE TIME THEY GIVE A GO,

WE LOST COMMUNICATIONS AGAIN.

SO WE'RE FIGHTING THIS COMMUNICATIONS BATTLE

ALL THE WAY DOWN.

Narrator: THEN AT 6,000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE,

ALARMS RING FROM THE LANDER'S GUIDANCE SYSTEM.

THE SIMPLE COMPUTER APPEARS TO BE OVERWHELMED.

Duke: WE STARTED HAVING THESE COMPUTER ALARMS...

YOU KNOW, 1201, 1202.

AND I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE REALLY WHAT THEY WERE.

Kranz: THE LM GUIDANCE COMPUTER

IS TOO BUSY TO GET ALL THE WORK DONE IT NEEDS TO,

AND THE KEY THING IS

IS TO PREVENT THESE RAPID SEQUENCE OF THESE ALARMS

WHERE WE MIGHT GO TO WHAT WE CALL PROGRAM ZERO ZERO,

AND IF THAT HAPPENS,

WE GO TO HALT, AND THE MISSION'S OVER.

Aldrin: FORTUNATELY,

THERE WAS STEVE BAILS IN MISSION CONTROL

WHO UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM,

UNDERSTOOD THE COMPUTER SO WELL

THAT HE KNEW WHAT THAT PROGRAM ALARM WAS,

OR HE LOOKED IT UP QUICKLY.

SO HE SAID, "WE'RE A GO ON THAT ONE."

Narrator: BUT THEN THE LUNAR MODULE STARTS GUIDING THE CREW

TO THE WRONG LANDING SITE.

ARMSTRONG TAKES MANUAL CONTROL,

SEEKING LEVEL GROUND.

El-Baz: WE REALIZED

THAT ARMSTRONG HAS TAKEN OVER THE CONTROL

AND HE'S MOVING THE SPACECRAFT AWAY FROM THE LANDING POINT.

AND WE WERE ALL TERRIFIED.

"WHAT IS THIS? WHERE IS HE GOING?

WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

AND THE BIG BOSSES OF NASA WERE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER.

EVERYBODY WAS JUST BEWILDERED.

Kraft: WE DIDN'T REALIZE

THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO LAND IN A BOULDER FIELD.

WELL, IT TURNS OUT THE COMPUTER WAS OFF BY A LITTLE BIT...

A MILE AND A HALF, TWO MILES...

PUT US INTO A CRATER.

Narrator: WITH ARMSTRONG FLYING FARTHER THAN PLANNED

TO AVOID A CALAMITOUS LANDING,

FUEL LEVELS START DIPPING DANGEROUSLY LOW.

Duke: HE HAD TO LEVEL OFF, FLY ACROSS THIS BOULDER FIELD,

PITCH UP, SLOW DOWN,

AND THEN START DOWN ON THE FINAL STAGES OF DESCENT.

WELL, THAT TAKES A LOT OF GAS,

AND SO WE WERE GETTING VERY LOW ON FUEL.

WE HAD A MINIMUM FOR AN ABORT.

SO I CALLED EAGLE "60 SECONDS," AND HE WOULD HAVE AN ABORT CALL.

Duke, recording: 60 SECONDS.

LIGHTS ON.

Aldrin: WE'RE STILL A HUNDRED FEET OFF THE GROUND,

AND WE'VE GOT A WAYS TO GO,

AND I'M GETTING A LITTLE NER...

BUT I'M NOT ABOUT TO INTERRUPT NEIL.

HE SAW THE LIGHT, HE HEARD THE COMMAND,

HE'S IN CONTROL.

Duke: AND THEN I CALL, "EAGLE 30 SECONDS."

THEY WERE CLOSE, BUT NOT ON THE GROUND,

SO THE TENSION WAS REALLY EXTREME IN MISSION CONTROL.

IT WAS, AS I RECALL, DEAD SILENCE,

AND EVERYBODY WAS GLUED TO THEIR MONITOR.

Aldrin: FORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME 30 SECONDS CAME,

WE WERE ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND,

AND I'M BEGINNING TO SEE A SHADOW,

AND IN A FEW MORE SECONDS WE'RE PICKING UP THE DUST,

AND THEN THE PROBE COMING DOWN FROM THE LANDING GEAR

TOUCHES THE GROUND

AND IT SENDS A SIGNAL THAT SAYS "CONTACT."

SO I CALL OUT "CONTACT LIGHT."

Aldrin, recording: CONTACT LIGHT.

OK, ENGINE STOP.

Armstrong: TRANQUILITY BASE HERE.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.

Duke: I WAS SO EXCITED.

I COULDN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE "TRANQUILITY."

IT CAME OUT "TWANG" AT FIRST.

I CORRECTED MYSELF AND FINISHED UP,

"TRANQUILITY, WE COPY YOU ON THE GROUND,

YOU'VE GOT A BUNCH OF GUYS ABOUT TO TURN BLUE.

WE'RE BREATHING AGAIN."

Narrator: ARMSTRONG AND ALDRIN TOUCH DOWN IN THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY,

A BASALT BASIN FOUR MILES EAST OF THEIR PLANNED LANDING SITE.

Kranz: FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS, WE'RE TOTALLY WRAPPED UP

IN THIS BUSINESS OF MAKING SURE IT'S SAFE TO STAY ON THE MOON,

AND IF NOT, ADDRESSING THE SYSTEM,

FIGURING OUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

THE REST OF THE WORLD'S CELEBRATING BEHIND US.

Narrator: SIX HOURS AFTER LANDING,

ARMSTRONG STEPS INTO HIS PLACE IN HISTORY.

Armstrong, recording: I'M GONNA STEP OFF THE LM NOW.

THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN...

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.

Narrator: 20 MINUTES LATER, ALDRIN MAKES HIS SMALL STEP.

Aldrin: IT'S NOT LIKE ANYTHING HERE ON EARTH...

THE BLACK SKY,

THE STILLNESS THAT YOU CAN JUST SENSE.

IT'S NOT A GOOD PLACE TO SET UP HOUSEKEEPING.

Man: AND WE'RE GETTING A PICTURE ON THE TV.

Narrator: 600 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD

WATCH THE FIRST HUMANS WALK ON THE MOON...

THE LARGEST GLOBAL TELEVISION AUDIENCE IN HISTORY.

Launius: THE APOLLO 11 LANDING WAS UNIQUE IN HUMAN HISTORY.

LITERALLY EVERYBODY STOPPED AND PAID ATTENTION.

IT WASN'T NECESSARILY THAT AMERICANS SET FOOT ON THE MOON;

IT WAS WE HUMANS SET FOOT ON THE MOON.

Duke: FIRST TIME WE LEFT THE EARTH

AND LANDED ON ANOTHER SOLAR BODY,

AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA TRANSPIRE

INTO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE

THAT WILL TAKE US TO MARS.

Narrator: NASA IS CURRENTLY SENDING

SOPHISTICATED ROBOT SYSTEMS INTO DEEP SPACE

TO TEST DIFFERENT LANDING SITES WE MAY ONE DAY USE.

THIS INFORMATION IS FEEDING INTO THE DESIGN

OF A NEW GENERATION OF MANNED LANDERS.

Man: WE KNOW THAT MARS CAN THROW THINGS OUR WAY,

LIKE WINDS OR WHATEVER, AS YOU'RE TRYING TO LAND

THAT COULD THROW YOU OFF,

SO YOU TRY TO DESIGN AROUND THAT.

Narrator: THE NEW LANDERS WILL BE MORE SOPHISTICATED

THAN ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IMAGINED

DURING APOLLO.

AND THIS TIME,

NASA WILL BE WORKING WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

TO ACHIEVE THE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS.

Casper: SO IT COULD BE THAT THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY

WOULD BUILD A LANDER.

WE MAY BUILD IT.

THAT HAS YET TO BE DECIDED.

Narrator: A HUMAN MISSION BACK INTO DEEP SPACE

IS THE NEXT GIANT LEAP.

AND BY LEARNING FROM THE ORIGINAL SPACE PIONEERS,

WE'RE GETTING EVEN CLOSER TO MAKING IT A REALITY.

THIS FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION

WILL SURELY REVOLUTIONIZE OUR LIVES BACK HERE.

Duke: THAT LEADERSHIP THAT TAKES US TO DEVELOP

THAT FLYBY OR THE MARS MISSION

IS GOING TO RESULT IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES

THAT WILL NOW SPREAD OUT ACROSS OUR ECONOMY AND THE WORLD,

AND THAT'S, I THINK, VERY IMPORTANT.

Casper: WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA LEARN,

JUST LIKE WE LEARNED WITH APOLLO.

BUT THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE QUESTIONS COME UP,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT.

WE'RE ALL ABOUT FINDING OUT WHAT'S OUT THERE

AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS

AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT OUR AMAZING UNIVERSE.

Lyles: OUR CURIOSITY JUST WILL DRIVE US CRAZY

IF WE DON'T HAVE A VIEW OF WHAT'S OUT THERE

AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING USEFUL.

WE'RE INNOVATORS AND WE'RE EXPLORERS,

AND SOMEHOW THAT GOT INTO OUR DNA.

IT'LL NEVER GO AWAY,

AND SO WE'D BETTER JUST GO DO IT AND GET THAT OUT OF OUR SYSTEM.