A miniseries documenting American human spaceflight, spanning from the first Mercury flights through the Gemini program to the Apollo moon landings, the Space Shuttle, and the construction of the International Space Station. It was created in association with NASA to commemorate the agency's fiftieth anniversary in 2008.
28m
May 5, 1961, Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. pilots the Freedom 7 capsule to become the first American in space. Covering 300 miles and lasting just 15 minutes, this suborbital flight etched Shepard's name in our collective minds.
58m
On February 20, 1962, Astronaut John Glenn pilots the Friendship 7 and becomes the first American to orbit the Earth. Relive launch footage from Cape Canaveral, including the exhilarating moments of re-entry, landing and recovery.
29m
On December 15, 1965, NASA achieves a rendezvous in Earth orbit with two piloted spacecraft. Gemini 7, with Command Pilot Frank F. Borman II and Pilot James A. Lovell Jr., already in space for more than 10 days, meets with Gemini 6, guided by Command Pilot Walter M. Schirra and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford.
27m
On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 blasts into space aboard a Saturn V rocket with Mission Commander Borman, Command Module Pilot Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders. Their mission: to embark on the first flight around the Moon, preparing for those who would later land on its surface.
28m
Apollo 11, with Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, becomes the first mission to land humans on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The daring mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal expressed in his thrilling 1961 speech, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."
7m
A brief clip of Ed White - the first American to take a spacewalk as he exits the craft into space for the first time.
4m
Interview from NASA's Archives: Michael Collins, Astronaut.
2m
Interview from NASA's Archives: Joe Kosmo, Space Suit Engineer/Designer.
3m
Mission Clip: Mercury Training
3m
Mission Clip: Gemini 4
2m
Mission Clip: Gemini 6 and 7
1m
Mission Clip: Gemini 8
1m
Mission Clip: Gemini 9
9m
Highlights from the NASA film: Apollo 13: Houston, We've Got A Problem
3m
Interview from NASA's Archives: Al Bean, Astronaut
5m
Interview from NASA's Archives: Gene Kranz, Flight Director
2m
Mission Clip: Apollo 8 Launch & Stage Separation Sequences
2m
Mission Clip: Apollo 8 Lunar & Earth Orbit
1m
Mission Clip: Apollo 9 LM in Earth Orbit
2m
Mission Clip: Apollo 11 Astronauts Return & Parade
2m
Mission Clip: Apollo 16 Rover Test Drive
1m
Mission Clip: Apollo 17 Night Launch
8m
Highlights from the NASA Film: Skylab: The 40 First Days
3m
Interview from NASA's Archives: Shannon Lucid, Astronaut
2m
Interview from NASA's Archives: James Crocker, Aerospace Engineer
2m
Mission Clip: Skylab Tour
2m
Mission Clip: Skylab Zero Gravity
2m
Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-1 Launch
1m
Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-1 Landing
1m
Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-31 Hubble Deployment
1m
Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-61 Hubble Repair
