All language subtitles for space.voyages.s01e02.the.moon.and.beyond.web.h264-underbelly

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.