All language subtitles for From the Earth to the Moon - S01E01 - Can We Do This (1080p x265 EDGE2020).eng

JOHN F. KENNEDY: We choose
to go to the moon.

We choose to go to the moon...

(CROWD CHEERING)

We choose to go to the moon

in this decade
and do the other things,

not because they are easy
but because they are hard.

♪ (MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

-ASTRONAUT 1: Look at that.
-ASTRONAUT 2: That's beautiful.

It's gotta be one of the most
proud moments of my life.

I guarantee you.

TOM HANKS:
For most of human history,

a voyage to the moon
was the fantasy

of the addle-brained
or foolhardy,

for only divine beings
and supermen

could make the journey.

But then humans went aloft
on mechanical wings,

defying gravity and redefining
the realm of possibility,

and the moon
was within the grasp

of whoever would build
the machine to take them there.

The main requirement
for making the fantasy a fact?

Perseverance.

The wherewithal
to solve the problems one by one

over the long course
of the endeavor.

Problems such as how to make
that first exploratory leap

into the lifeless void
of outer space.

For without surviving that,

no one would ever dare make
the foolhardy, yet divine voyage

from the Earth to the Moon.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

COMEDIAN 1: What do you do
here at the base, sir?

-COMEDIAN 2: I'm an astronaut.
-(AUDIENCE CONTINUES LAUGHING)

COMEDIAN 1: Uh, are you--

are you sir, one of
the seven astronauts

that have been chosen?

COMEDIAN 2: That's right.
I'm one of the seven.

They're gonna shoot me out
into-- into space,

into the blue.

-COMEDIAN 1: Now wait--
-COMEDIAN 2: Up above buildings!

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

COMEDIAN 1: Now, sir,
just one moment. One moment.

COMEDIAN 2: Uh-huh?
Uh-huh, uh-huh.

-COMEDIAN 1: I seem to have--
-COMEDIAN 2: Sure.

I'm a little nervous. I'm
afraid I'm gonna lose my life,

that's why, I'm here, yes.

COMEDIAN 1: Well, sir,
may I ask you something?

COMEDIAN 2: Sure.

COMEDIAN 1: I saw the pictures
of the seven astronauts

that appeared in
Life Magazine--

COMEDIAN 2: Oh, yeah.
You saw those pictures, yeah.

COMEDIAN:
You are not among them.

COMEDIAN 2:
None of them are them.

COMEDIAN 1: You mean
those are not the real...

COMEDIAN 2: No,
those are models.

You see, they--
they can't take pictures of us.

We're monkeys, man.

COMEDIAN 1: What do you mean,
you're monkeys?

COMEDIAN 2: Well,
let me explain something.

COMEDIAN 1: Those are
seven handsome men.

COMEDIAN 2: See,
they're beautiful.
They take pictures of them

so that we're not ashamed
for Russia to show

-such ugly little astronauts.
-(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

COMEDIAN 1: You're not a very
good-looking man--

-COMEDIAN 2: No, I'm a monkey!
-COMEDIAN 1: Sir,

I'm a little disturbed
that they're sending you up

-to be the first man in space.
-COMEDIAN 2: Well.

COMEDIAN: You don't seem--
You seem ill-equipped

-to be an astronaut.
-COMEDIAN 2: What do you mean?
I got gloves and everything.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING,
APPLAUDING)

♪ (PATRIOTIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

There is a historic news
from behind the iron curtain.

Man has traversed
the reaches of outer space,

and that man is a communist.

Soviet pilot, Yuri Gagarin,
in the spacecraft Vostok I

successfully lifted off
the face of the Earth,

flew his craft around the globe
in approximately 90 minutes,

and landed safely
in the Soviet Union.

As with the flight of Sputnik
four years ago,

this latest Russian achievement

has caught those
in the American Space Program

by surprise.

The seven American astronauts
of the Mercury Space Program

suddenly find themselves
jockeying for second place.

It has been reported
that either Gus Grissom,

John Glenn or Alan B. Shepard
will be the first to fly

the one-man
Mercury space capsule.

Just when the flight
will take place

has been the subject
of much speculation.

Tonight President Kennedy
is meeting with officials

of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

to discuss not just why
we are losing the space race

but perhaps
if it has already been lost.

♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

The Russian went into the orbit.

One orbit, yes.

We can't even match that.

Not yet.

Gentlemen...

The President
has been keeping up

with your hearings
before Congress and committees.

For the purposes
of tonight's meeting,

we can dispense
with all the small talk.

He will want to know
how we can catch the Russians,

or better yet, leapfrog them.

We can put a man on the moon
before the Russians.

How about that?

It will take
concerted national effort.

Something along the lines
of the Manhattan Project.

-How much would it cost?
-Somewhere between uh...

ten and 20 billion dollars.

Oh, pumping that much cash
into the private sector

could be very popular.

I'm just going to ask
if there's anything we can do

for less
of the taxpayers' dollars.

What if we put up a...

-space laboratory of some kind?
-DRYDEN: They'll beat us.

If we get into a race with them
over heavy-lifting capabilities,

which is all that putting up
a space station

will demonstrate,

we're going to lose
for at least

the next five years.

Hugh, were you as sure
about this when you were working

under Eisenhower?

No, but the Soviets hadn't put
a man in space then.

Most assuredly,

the moon
is their ultimate objective.

Red moon, huh?

Who wants that hanging
over our heads?

As head of the President's
Science Advisory,

I've gotta tell him
that politics aside,

there's no reason...

to put a man on the moon.

The only thing we'll get
for our money is some rocks.

So, put a probe up,
scoop some out, bring 'em back

and tour the world with them
for propaganda purposes.

You don't need to send a man
a quarter of a million miles

away to do that.

And it sure as hell won't cost
20 billion dollars.

Well, certainly
the President realizes

that the moment a man steps
on the moon

will be a definitive one...

in the history of the world.

Especially when he sticks
Old Glory in it and salutes.

He's ready for us.

Can the President count
on anything

-in the immediate future?
-Yes. (CLEARS THROAT)

Second of May.
We'll have an American

up on the second of May.

(DRUM ROLL)

MAN 1: TRO Command Carrier on.

MAN 2: Roger TC.
Command carrier on.

MAN 3: Safety C, turn up GFC
to run the two transmitters,

separate and complete.

MAN 2: Roger, Flight GFC
TM transmitters are on full.

Station support systems are on.

MAN 3: Flight Controller
summary stats check.

MAN 4: Select, check AOL
switch positions for launch.

MAN 2: Roger,
AOL switch position to launch.

MAN 5: Recorders are on.
Liftoff is armed.

MAN 2: Pilot
to transport internal power.

CTC Mercury controls center
is go.

MAN 6: Roger, Flight MCC is go.

MAN 2:
Powering technical support

as flight take off. Support.

MAN 7: Go.

-MAN 2: Surge.
-MAN 8: Go flight.

MAN 8: And fire. Go.

-MAN 2: Systems.
-MAN 9: Systems go.

-MAN 2: Retro?
-MAN 10: Go.

-MAN 2: FIDO.
-MAN 11: Go flight.

-MAN 2: Missile?
-MAN 12: Go.

POWERS: We have ignition.

♪ (ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

We have liftoff.

DEKE SLAYTON:
You're on your way, José.

Roger, liftoff,
and the clock has started.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

SHEPARD: This is Freedom 7.
The fuel is go. 1.2 G,

cabin pressure is 14 psi.
Oxygen is go.

-Freedom 7, it is still go.
-Roger. Copy.

SHEPARD: This is 7.
Fuel is go! 1.8 G.

8 psi in cabin
and the oxygen is go.

Cabin pressure holding at 5.5.
Cabin holding at 5.5.

Cabin valves remain sealed.

-The environment's holding.
-I understand.

Cabin holding at 5.5.

We are still go, CapCom.

SHEPARD: Fuel is go! 2.5 G.
Cabin 5.5.

Oxygen is go.

The main vessel's 24
and the isolated battery is 29.

♪ (ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
CONTINUES PLAYING) ♪

Okay, it's a lot smoother now.
A lot smoother.

-MAN: Roger. We are at Max-Q.
-SHEPARD: Fuel is go.

5.5 Cabin. Oxygen is go.

-All systems are go.
-DEKE: All systems are go.

The trajectory is okay.

Tower Jettison. Cap sep green.

MAN: Flight will be coming up
on zero G.

Very good.

SHEPARD: Retro jet off, and the
turn-around has started.

ASCS is okay. No movement.

Roger.

Okay.

I have got a visual
on the periscope.

-What a beautiful view.
-DEKE: I'll bet it is.

SHEPARD: Cloud cover
over Florida.

Three to four tenths
near the Eastern Coast.

I can see Okeechobee,

identify Andrus Island,
identify the reefs.

Manual flight control.
Fuel and yaw are okay.

Feels great to fly.
Starting Retro sequence.

And Retro attitude.

-Control is smooth.
-DEKE: Roger.

Down to Retro.
Five, four, three, two, one.

Retro fire.

-Retro one, very smooth.
-DEKE: Roger. Roger. Retro two.

Retro two. Retro three.
All three retros are fired.

-DEKE: All right on the button.
-Okay.

Retro Jettison is back to arm.

CapCom, go. Fly by wire.

You're switching to fly by wire.
Fly by wire.

-Roger! All is okay.
-DEKE: Roger.

Roger. I do not have a light.

Understand
that you do not have a light.

SHEPARD: I saw the straps
falling away. I heard a noise.

-I will use override.
-DEKE: Roger.

SHEPARD: Okay, buster,
re-entry Jettison.

-Switching to ASCS normal.
-DEKE: Roger.

SHEPARD: Periscope
is retracting.

-ASCS is okay.
-DEKE: Understand.

SHEPARD: Switching to HF
for radio check.

On UHF. Back to UHF.

Okay, this is Freedom 7.
G-buildup.

Three...

Six...

Nine!

(HEAVY BREATHING)

Eleven!

Okay!

Okay.

(SHEPARD GRUNTS) 11.5 max G.

-This is 7. I'm okay.
-Coming through loud and clear.

SHEPARD:
Thirty thousand feet.

Okay.

DEKE: Freedom 7, your impact
will be right on the button.

Control is green at 21,000 feet.

I've got 7-0 percent auto,
9-0 percent manual.

Oxygen is still okay.

CapCom, can you read?

CapCom, can you read?

-I read.
-DEKE: How do you read now?

CapCom, glad to be here aboard.
The main chute is green.

Main chute is green.
Main chute is good!

ALL: Yeah!

KRAFT: All right. All right.

All right.

Rate of descent is about
35 feet per second.

I'm at 7,000 feet.

Landing bag is on green.
My peroxide is dumped.

My condition is good.

♪ ("SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA"
BY FRANK SINATRA PLAYING) ♪

♪ Somewhere beyond the sea ♪

♪ Somewhere waiting for me ♪

♪ My lover stands
On golden sands ♪

♪ And watches the ships
That go sailing ♪

SERGEANT: Mr. Speaker.

The President
of the United States.

♪ She's there watching for me ♪

♪ If I could fly like birds
On high ♪

♪ Then straight to her arms
I'd go sailing ♪

Mr. Webb, Dr. Gilruth is here.

-WEBB: Bob.
-Hey.

He's just getting into it now.

-(KENNEDY SPEAKING OVER RADIO)
-Good.

Uh, can you, uh, turn it up,
please, Jim?

KENNEDY:
"...their large rocket engines,

which gives them many months
of lead time

and recognizing the likelihood

that they will exploit this
lead for some time to come

in still more
impressive success.

We, nevertheless, are required
to make new efforts on our own.

For while we cannot guarantee
that we shall one day be first,

we can guarantee
that any failure

to make this effort
will make us last.

I therefore ask the Congress

above and beyond the increases

I have earlier requested
for space activities

to provide the funds
which are needed to meet

the following national goals.

First,

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."

(PEOPLE CHEERING)

KENNEDY: "No space project
in this period

will be more impressive
to mankind or more important

for the long-range exploration
of space

and none will be so difficult
or expensive to accomplish."

(APPLAUSE)

Whoa, buster.

WEBB: They sure didn't
waste any time.

If we had gotten Shepard
into space before Gagarin,

it'd be over.

If we'd have beaten them.
That would have been that.

We wouldn't be talking about
going to the moon

for another 20 years.

Between this
and the Bay of Pigs...

(CHUCKLES)

(SIGHS SHARPLY)
Does anybody want my job?

That five-page memo from LBJ...
pressing us to do it by 1967.

(WEBB SCOFFS)

Before we get anywhere
near the moon, we'll need to put

thousands of man-hours
into space.

So far we got 15 minutes
and 22 seconds.

I'm serious now.
Who here wants my job?

(SIGHS)

Bob...

can we do this?

We'll need thousands of people,
special facilities,

technology and material
that haven't been invented yet.

Yeah.

Can we do it?

Put a man on the moon
in nine years.

Yes.

Absolutely.

We have to.

Damn.

All right, here's what
we're gonna have to do folks,

to get a man to the moon
ahead of the Soviets.

We've all been planning,
meeting, talking, dreaming,

but here is the brass tacks

so we're all on the same page.

To get a man to the moon,

we first have to get him
into orbit.

Our friends from Russia
already did that.

Good for them.

The pop gun shot with Al Shepard
was a nice start

but we all know we don't get
cigars for that one.

The Mercury flights coming up
will get us into orbit

long enough for us
to figure out

how to stay up there for a bit.

We do that, we'd have objective
number one... made.

EVA, spacewalk.

Objective number two.
Once in orbit,

we get out of the spacecraft.
Go for a walk.

See if we can build a suit
to protect a man outside.

See if he can maneuver,
see if he can get back in.

Now we-- we need this
for emergencies of course,

but we ain't going to the moon
to sit inside and take pictures.

We're gonna walk around
up there.

And we'll need the equipment
to allow a man to do that.

Rendezvous.
Two spacecrafts

meeting up in orbit.

You wanna have fun?
Come over to my house.

You stand in the back yard.
I'll stand in the front yard.

You throw a tennis ball
over my roof.

I'll try to hit it with a rock
as it comes sailing over.

That's what
we're going to have to do.

Two spacecraft flying
at five miles a second,

hundreds of miles up
with a communication system

spread all over the...
over the world

like so many trading stamps.
Then...

we're gonna have to dock.

Join up.

Develop the specs and hardware
for two spacecraft

to first rendezvous,

then to come together all safe
and stable.

Objective five,
long duration space flight.

Take two weeks to fly
to the moon and back.

What is being in zero G

that long gonna do
to the human body?

Will the crews' hearts
stop beating?

Will they be able
to take a crap

without fouling up
the flight controls?

I'm betting they can.

Still, we need to prove it.
We need to... prove them all.

Proficiently,
over and over again.

We have to get so good at it,

that we bet the lives
of our crews without flinching.

We get 'em up there.

We accomplish
the mission objectives

and we get them back home
every time.

Oh, there's one more thing.

You know those daring,
dashing young throttle jockeys

who call themselves astronauts?

Well, we're gonna need
a whole bunch of new ones.

♪ ("MAGIC MOMENTS"
BY PERRY COMO PLAYING) ♪

My name is Max Peck.

I believe you've got a room
for me.

Yes, Mr. Peck.
We've been expecting you.

♪ When two hearts are carin' ♪

Howdy, I'm Max Peck
and I need a room.

Of course, Mr. Peck,

and we've been holding one
for you.

Uh, Peck. Max Peck.

Good afternoon. I'm Max Peck.

Mr. Peck, of course.

♪ ...To try to keep warm ♪

Hi, I have a reservation
for a single room.

My name is Max Peck.

You're who?

Mr. Max Peck. Max Peck.

I don't think so.

Uh, no, really.

♪ ...Hearts are carin' ♪

Yep, that's me. Yeah.
Good old Max Peck.

I'll handle this one, Sheila.

Mr. Peck, how nice to see you.

I believe you're expected
in the Corral Room

up in the mezzanine.

♪ ...Moments filled with love ♪

(LAUGHING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

MAN: Oh, come on.

You guys are drinking
in bad company

if Pete Conrad's buying.

Good God, not Jim Lovell.

Space program isn't safe
if shaky here can pass muster.

-Good to see you, Pete.
-Jim, come on in.

-Hi, Jim Lovell.
-Ed White.

-CONRAD: Here's Jim McDivitt.
-Hello, Jim.

-It's a pleasure.
-CONRAD: Elliott See.

-Pleasure.
-LOVELL: Nice to meet you.

CONRAD: That's uh,
Frank Borman.

-Hi.
-Hello, Frank.

CONRAD: Tom Stafford,
John Young.

Nice to meet you.

Max Peck.

What's the point of having
top-secret code names, fellas,

if we ain't gonna use 'em?

Well, heck, what'd I say,
Jim Lovell?

-I meant Max Peck.
-(LAUGHING)

-Max Peck.
-STAFFORD: Max Peck.

Max Peck,
makes a lot more sense.

-Nice to meet you.
-So I say, "Who is it?"

She says, "Oh, nah,
he won't say."

I say, "Well, ask again."
She says, "I did."

Pete was sure it was
Dialing For Dollars.

CONRAD: Yeah...

Well, I get to the phone
and it's uh...

"Jim, this is Deke Slaton.

Would you be interested
in flying for us?"

I said, "Well, Deke,
let me think about that. Yes."

"Yeah, how-- how--
how soon do you want me?"

-LOVELL: Exactly.
-MCDIVITT: And he said
"Think about it."

He's in training
for his Mercury mission.

Yanked from the flight line.

Boom, just like that
he's grounded.

WHITE: Yeah, well,

some doctor had a piece
of paper saying,

"Deke Slaton shouldn't fly
because of something

called heart fibrillations."

I mean doesn't everybody's heart
fibrillate?

I'm guessing
it'll be a variation

on military rotation for Gemini.

You know,
you back up prime crew.

You skip a couple of flights
and end up prime yourself.

Getting on that rotation
in the first place?

That's the trick.

The original seven's gonna fly
way before any of us new nine.

So now, Deke Slaton's
running the office.

Carpenter's history.
John Glenn's leaving NASA.

He's gonna-- He's gonna run
for president someday I think.

If he leaves, he's got my vote.

LOVELL: Oh, I don't know.
What do you think?

Will Glenn be satisfied
with just president?

Let's ask Armstrong.

Hey, Neil, would you vote
for John Glenn for President?

Glenn for President, huh?

Well, that would depend.
Who'd be running for king?

(LAUGHING)

JOHNSON: A great leader is dead.

A great nation must move on.

And as we bow our heads
in submission

to divine providence,

let us also thank God

for the years
that he gave us inspiration

through his servant
John F. Kennedy.

And to honor his memory
and the future

of the works that he started,

I have today determined
that Station Number One

of the Atlantic Missile Range

and the NASA Launch
Operation Center in Florida

shall hereafter be known

as the John F. Kennedy
Space Center.

(MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN)

(MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN)

NEWSCASTER: If there is a word
that expresses

the Washington reaction
to the Russian space

spectacular today, the word
is admiration.

The actual getting out
of the capsule itself

was more or less

uh, the next thing to happen.

More accurate word
might be envy.

Soviet scientists
are talking now

in terms of landing a man
on the moon.

It was going to happen
sooner or later.

-It was just a question of when.
-The Russians started

ahead of us in space ventures.
They have been ahead.

What they did today proves
they are still ahead.

The Gemini capsule
would certainly be equipped

to perform the same type
of feat.

On the fourth flight,
which could come late this year,

one of the American pilots
will step outside.

Extravehicular activity!

That's just a fancy way
of saying,

let's go outside for a walk.

The trouble is,
it's cold out in space.

See? Even chilly. Freezing!

And there is no air
to breathe out here.

NARRATOR: That's right, Woody.

If Americans are ever to walk
on the moon,

the deadly vacuum of space
must first be conquered.

-Captain See?
-Captain's not necessary.

I'm a civilian.

We're having our PTA book fair
on the 22nd.

And we would love it if NASA
could arrange

another astronaut visit.

Well, I'd be happy
to pass this along

to the Public Affairs Office.

Well, when I told the kids

that astronaut
Elliott See was coming,

they all said, "Who?"

They think every astronaut
is John Glenn.

Um, but I'm sure
they will be glued to the TV

when you make your space shot.

NARRATOR: With such a suit,
why, anyone could take

a walk in space or even a walk
on the moon.

There you are,
snug as a bug in a rug.

For a penguin, I mean.

Hey, where are you going?

My suit's at 3.5 psi
and holding.

Great.

Yeah, mine's just about
the same.

All right, you dirty dog,
you ready to go ahead

and finish off
with the cabin depress?

-Yeah, I'm ready.
-MCDIVITT: All right. Let's go.

-Hawaii, Houston Flight.
-MAN: Control Flight.

Tell him we're ready
to have him come out when he is.

MAN: Roger. Understand.

KRAFT: Tell him to give us
a mark.

WHITE: Gemini 4, CapCom.

Come on out, Ed.
Make us all look good.

MAN: Gemini 4, CapCom.

You are good for EVA
on your mark.

WHITE: Okay, I'm separating
from the spacecraft.

Okay, my feet are out.

I think I'm dragging
a little bit

but I don't wanna fire
the gun yet.

Okay,
I put a little roll in there.

It took me right out.

Am I in your view, Jimbo?

You know, Ed, I can't see
through the window.

WHITE: Don't sweat it.
I'm coming over to you.

There goes what looks
like a thermal glove.

MCDIVITT: That's what it is, Ed.

All right.

WHITE: I'm coming
above the spacecraft now.

It looks like we're coming up
on the coast of California.

I'm under my own control.

There's no disorientation
associated with it, none.

Okay, I'm kicking down
underneath the spacecraft.

It's all very soft.

Particularly as long as
you move nice and slow.

I feel very thankful to have
the experience to be doing this.

MCDIVITT:
You look beautiful, Ed.

Yeah, I feel like
a million dollars.

Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

Just for the record flight,

he's been out
twice as long as Leonov.

Very good.

They're running out of daylight
up there, CapCom,

let's get him back in now.

Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

MCDIVITT: Ed, I don't know
exactly where we are

but it looks like we're back
over Texas again.

Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

MCDIVITT: As a matter of fact,

yeah, you know that looks a lot
like Houston down there.

GUS: Gemini 4,
Houston CapCom.

MCDIVITT: Hey Gus,
I don't know if you read,

but, uh, we're over Houston.

Why don't you run out
and take a look?

Yeah, that's Galveston Bay
right there.

GUS: Gemini 4, Houston CapCom.

WHITE: Hell,
I could stay out here all day.

MCDIVITT: Well, let's see
what Flight Director says.

Flight Director says
get back in.

Tell that son of a bitch
to get back in.

GUS: Gemini 4, Houston.

MCDIVITT: Gus, this is Jim.
You got any message for us?

-Gemini 4, get back in.
-MCDIVITT: Okay.

Ed, Houston wants you
to come back in.

WHITE: Back in? Roger that.

GUS: Been talking for a while.

Coming in.

WHITE: This is
the saddest moment of my life.

All right. All right. All right.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Commander Roger Chaffee

is from the third class
of brand new astronauts.

And he's flown in special
from Houston

to tell us all how America,

is gonna beat the Russians
to the moon.

Roger Chaffee.

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

Who the hell is Roger Chaffee?

-I came to see a real astronaut.
-He's an astronaut.

He just hasn't been up yet.

He ain't flown outer space yet.
He ain't no astronaut.

Thank you very much.

Ed White's extravehicular
activity cleared a major hurdle.

Man can work in the vacuum
of outer space,

and in a few years,
on the surface of the moon.

Just last December,

Borman and Lovell in Gemini 7
were met in orbit

by Tom Stafford
and Wally Schirra of Gemini 6.

But what they didn't do was
literally link up or dock.

This NASA has yet to accomplish.

To do that, we have to, um,

develop a--
a special docking mechanism,

which we have here,
in, um, diagram form.

Uh, you know, I...

I brought along someone
who I-- I think can explain

all of this

one heck of a lot better
than I can.

Blastoff!

(LAUGHING)

That's good.

I just remembered,
I'm allergic to cheese.

Now comes the hard part,
getting back home.

The lunar lander will fly up
from the moon

and have to not only find
the orbiting capsule,

but actually grab on to it.

-Howdy, fuzz!
-Hey! Hello!

And home we go!

(LAUGHING)

SEABORN: This is Emmett Seaborn

with a special bulletin
from St. Louis.

American astronauts Elliott See
and Charles Bassett

have died in a crash
of their T-38 jet aircraft.

The Gemini astronauts
were flying to Lambert Field

to inspect their space capsule

at the McDonnell Aircraft
Corporation

when the plane carrying
the two astronauts

smashed into the roof
of the assembly plant.

As crew of Gemini 9,

the pair were to have flown
into space in early June.

They tried to keep the field
in view...

Fellas give us a second,
would you?

...while doing a turnaround
under the cloud ceiling
and overshot the runway.

Elliott tried to land BFR
under that low overcast.

He hit the building
and smashed into the barn

GILRUTH: Of the plant
where the spacecraft

was being assembled.

-Good God!
-It's a miracle

more people weren't killed.

Does that mean we're pushing
too hard with our guys

flying all over the country
in bad weather?

Jet pilots have to fly through
a lot worse than overcast skies,

Jim. It was an accident.

Two astronauts who hadn't
even been in space yet are dead.

You don't think Congress
is gonna ask me

how something like that
could have happened?

They'll slow us down,
cancel missions,

just so they can look good.

GILRUTH: This is the first time
a backup crew

is gonna be going into space.

Are Stafford and Cernan
gonna be ready

-for Gemini 9?
-Oh, this is exactly

why we have backup crews.
Gene and Tom will be ready.

There are gonna be two
very public funerals.

After which the press
is gonna have a field day

about NASA wasting
not just tax dollars

but human lives.

Just tell them,
we dodged a bullet.

If See and Bassett
had been killed

during an actual space mission?

Congress would
all but shut NASA down

and Russia gets to the moon
in a cakewalk.

Now, wait a minute, we have
Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott

going up in Gemini 8
in two weeks, Jim.

There is no reason, none,
to slip the launch.

We have to rendezvous and dock
with Agena,

otherwise we are way behind,
where we should be.

All right.

All right, we go on
just as we have to.

And I'll fight it out
with whoever tries

to close us down in Washington.

If for no other reason
than to buy time,

time to rack up
a couple of successful missions

so no one has anything
to complain about.

But at the same time, gentlemen,
let's all say some prayers

for nothing else to go wrong.

SCOTT: Bus arm to dock.

Eight to Tananarive, CapCom,
We copy.

SCOTT:
CDA Control, both switches off.

Agena docking light is green.
Agena power light is green.

CapCom: Gemini 8,
we have telemetry solid.

Looking good on the ground.
You're still go for docking.

SCOTT: Okay, contact light.
We have capture and rigidizing.

Flight, we are docked
with the Agena.

It's...
it was really a smoothie.

CapCom: Uh, roger, Dave.

Hey, congratulations.
This is real good.

You can't have the thrill down
there that we have up here.

CapCom: We have you at loss
of signal in ten seconds.

-We'll acquire over CSQ.
-SCOTT: Very good.

PRESS REPRESENTATIVE:
All right, the letters LOS

stand for loss of signal.

Armstrong and Scott
are going to be

out of communication,
as Gemini travels

from the Tananarive
tracking station

toward the one on board
the ship, Coastal Sentry Quebec,

or CSQ.

Well, where are they now,
Armstrong and Scott?

Well, it looks as if they're
just below the coast of India,

crossing over.

(THRUSTERS BLOWING)

Neil, we're rolling.
We're in a bank.

Plus 30 degrees.
What the hell is this?

We shouldn't be moving
like this.

I don't get it,
I can't control it.

-Shut down the Agena.
-I did. Command 400.

It's down.

Then what the hell is this?

Our rate is picking up.
It's just getting worse.

Let's hope it's something wrong
with the Agena.

We better disengage.

You ready?

-Yes, sir.
-Undock.

(THRUSTERS BLOWING)

-Hey, Deke!
-Hey Pete,

you better get in here
and do some work.

Yeah work. I heard of that.
Spelled with a W, isn't it?

NEIL: I can't stop it, Dave.
You wanna give it a try?

SCOTT: I got it.

Man, what is this?

Gemini 8, CSQ CapCom,
how do you--

NEIL: We have
serious problems here.

We're tumbling end over end.

We've separated from the Agena.

We're rolling up
and we can't turn anything off.

We are continuously increasing
left roll.

-CSQ, Flight.
-CSQ: Go ahead, Flight.

HODGES: Did he say he could not
turn the Agena off?

CSQ: No, he said
that he separated

from the Agena and is in a roll
and he can't stop it.

His reg pressure
is down to zero.

Gemini 8, CSQ.

We are in a violent
left roll here.

We can't turn the OAMS off
and we can't fire them.

One of the OAMS thrusters
gotta be stuck on.

I'm isolating
the attitude system.

I'm shutting it down.

Did I hear
a stuck hand controller?

CSQ: That's affirmative, Flight.
We can't seem

to get any valid data here.

They're in a violent tumble.

-What about the Agena?
-Flight Surgeon!

-Go ahead.
-Their roll's too violent.

There's a danger
of tunnel vision

with a possibility
of blacking out.

(THRUSTERS BLOWING)

NEIL: We can't take
much more of this.

Not it.

All we have left
is the re-entry control system,

Dave.

SCOTT: We bring up the RCS,
they'll abort the mission.

NEIL: Not much choice here.

(THRUSTERS BLOWING)

Okay.

SCOTT: Good, Neil.
You're bringing it down.

Okay, we're regaining control
of the spacecraft slowly

on RCS direct.

-CSQ: Roger. copy.
-We're pulsing the RCS

pretty slowly here,
trying to kill our roll rate.

CSQ: Understand, Gemini.

We show you maneuvering
on your RCS, that's affirmative.

All right, if they've brought up
the RCS, then the flight's over.

That's mission rules.
We gotta bring them in.

CSQ: Gemini 8, CSQ.

How much RCS have you used
and are you just on one ring?

NEIL: We are on one ring,
trying to save the other ring.

We started out on two rings
but we are now on one ring.

-And the RCS?
-Doesn't matter. End of story.

We bring 'em in.

CSQ: What about the RCS,
Houston?

NEIL: We're down to about
1700 pounds...

Recovery,
are you getting all this?

-Roger.
-CSQ, Flight.

Let's get that spacecraft
sea band beacon on.

Re-entry sea band beacon on.

CSQ: We've lost contact
with the spacecraft, Flight.

Okay. We'll get 'em over Hawaii.

Let's hope so.

The re-entry guidance program
isn't in the computer.

So they will have to manually
enter the pad

then verify
the self-tests with us.

They can't do that
and get secure in one orbit.

They need some time.

-All right. All right.
-Right?

Uh, two passes
over Rose Knot Victor, then.

Alert the secondary
recovery zones.

Let's bring them down
in 7-dash-3.

SCOTT: Naha rescue 1,
Gemini 8.

Naha rescue 1, Gemini 8.

They ain't out there.

SCOTT: Three-to five-foot waves,
sure.

(RADIO STATIC)

They didn't say anything
about these swells.

The fumes from the heat shield
really help.

You think they even,
know we're here, Neil?

Not to worry, Dave.

If nothing else,
we'll just float along to China.

Oh, God, give me that bag.

Naha rescue 1,
this is Gemini 8.

Naha rescue 1,
this is Gemini 8.

DEKE:
Neil Armstrong did everything

a pilot should.

He probably saved
the space program

in the process.

But I want a Mercury veteran

to fly the first Apollo mission,
Gus.

It's simple as that.
A brand-new spacecraft.

Wally will back you up.

Who'd be the choices
for my crew?

I want the best, Deke.

I was thinking of Donn Eisele

but then he went
and broke his shoulder

in the Vomit Comet, so...

What about Ed White?

Eddie? Sure, I'll take him.
Who else you got?

Well, I'm mighty impressed
with Roger Chaffee.

He flew photo missions over Cuba
during the Missile Crisis.

He's smart too.

-Wears down the engineers...
-(VOICES OVERLAPPING)

...when he starts talking
about their systems.

And there's,
there's one last thing, Gus,

about the rotation.

We won't know
the flight schedule

for some time.

But I'd sure like to have one
of the original

Mercury astronauts still flying
when Apollo

makes that first moon landing.

♪ (AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Interesting you should say that,
Deke.

Just so happens,

I'm one of the original
Mercury astronauts.

WEBB: Roger Chaffee
is a rookie astronaut

chosen out of a field
literally of thousands.

Ed White is
a veteran astronaut.

He's made our first spacewalk
back on Gemini 4.

Gus Grissom,
the Apollo 1 commander,

has already flown both Mercury
and Gemini spacecraft.

And this three-man crew
and the engineers

are well into the development
and training phase

of Apollo procedures
and hardware.

Therefore, I can say yes,
we are winning

the so-called space race.

We have not only caught up
with the Soviets,

we have surpassed them
in many areas.

We have kept men
in space longer,

we have achieved
orbital rendezvous

of two spacecraft
and the docking of two vehicles

in orbit.
Now, these are not only firsts

in their own right,

but important steps
to our long-range goal

of landing on the moon
with the Apollo program

Miss Hedges, a follow-up.

Should the Russians beat us
to the moon, Mr. Webb,

will the costly
Apollo program be continued?

Landing the first man
on the moon

is the priority of NASA
and the American taxpayers

who are footing the bill.
I do not see their support

wavering until we do so.

Gavin O'Rourke.

Mr. Webb, uh, NASA achievements
and taxpayer will aside,

are we gonna beat the Russians
in this contest?

Will the United States
put the first man on the moon?

It is my job and the job
of 400,000 men and women

around the country
to see to it that we do.

(CHATTER IN THE CONTROL ROOM)

LOVELL: We have ignition.

We have liftoff.

♪ (AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

RADIO ANNOUNCER: And liftoff!

MAN: There you go!

WOMAN: Hurry up! Wait.

There it is!

NEWS ANCHOR:
America is one step closer

to the moon with the launch
of Gemini 12.

Flight Commander Jim Lovell
is a veteran astronaut.

Pilot Edwin Aldrin
makes his first journey

into space.

From Houston,
Science Editor Emmett Seaborn.

In one of the luckiest
coincidences

of this space program

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin,
who had worked

on orbital rendezvous
for his doctoral thesis at MIT,

was seated in the right-hand
seat of Gemini 12

when the on-board computer
suddenly refused to accept data

from the rendezvous radar.

Using an 8-power sextant and
charts developed in the case

of just such a malfunction,

Aldrin guided
Commander Jim Lovell

to a successful rendezvous
and docking

with the Agena target vehicle.

This was an important moment
for NASA,

as it proves the skills honed
during the ten Gemini missions

can overcome potentially
catastrophic problems.

Problems that could arise
on a flight

as crammed as Gemini 12.

In four days,
the crew is expected to dock

twice more with the Agena,

using its rocket engine
to send them

into an even higher orbit
around the Earth.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

SEABORN: Three spacewalks,

Dr. Rendezvous himself,
Buzz Aldrin,

will perform experiments,
photograph star fields

and remain outside the capsule

longer than any astronaut
to date.

Using modified handrails
and equipment

specifically designed
for work in zero gravity.

♪ (ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

SEABORN: For Lovell,

who'll remain
inside the spacecraft,

these four days
of orbiting the Earth,

together with the 14 days
aboard Gemini 7,

will make him the most
travelled man in history.

ALDRIN: Jim, I'm gonna
clean your windshield.

Hey, Buzz, check the oil too,
would you?

SEABORN: And so,
the curtain rings down

on this second act
of man's voyage to the moon.

NASA officials are confident
that the third act,

Project Apollo,

will place a human being,

in the form
of an American astronaut,

on the moon

sometime before midnight
New Year's Eve, 1969.

From Houston,
I'm Emmett Seaborn.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

-Morning, Deke.
-How you doing?

-Some crowd, huh?
-They all think

you're gonna announcing
your return

to the flight rotation.

You can announce mine
while you're at it.

At least I can teach
a couple of 'em.

Yes, you could.

-(PEOPLE LAUGHING)
-(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Owen Maynard

and the Mission Operations
Division has laid out a plan

for the series of Apollo flights
that will lead up to landing

on the moon.

Each of these missions
has a letter.

The A and B missions
will be unmanned tests.

The C mission
will be the first manned flight

of the command
and service module,

uh, Gus, Ed and Roger,
in Apollo 1.

The D mission
will be the first dual flight

of the CSM with the lunar module
in low-Earth orbit

to test it out.

The E mission will do the same

in high-Earth orbit
for re-entry procedures.

The F mission
will go all the way

to lunar orbit
with the LM but will not land.

That will be the objective

of whoever
takes the first G mission.

Now, each of these missions
must be successfully completed

before we can move on
to the next type of mission.

If we have problems
with the, uh, rendezvous radar

or the pliss backpacks
or the retracting probe,

we will go to a D-1 or a D-2
or even a D-3 mission

before we attempt
the first E mission.

So, even though,

there are only five manned
missions laid out,

it does not necessarily mean
that the fifth group

will make the first landing,

which brings me to the point
of this meeting.

Assembled here are those
of you that are left

from the original seven
Mercury astronauts,

as well as the new nine
or the next nine

or whatever you guys
call yourselves.

And some of the third group.

The crew assignments
that will be made concern you

in the following manner.

The men in this room
will be making moon landings.

Two of you will be first.

I don't know
which two that will be.

But I do know that the first man
to walk on the moon

walked into this room today,
and is looking at me right now.

As well as the second,

the third and the fourth
and so on.

Just thought
you might wanna know that.

-(WHISTLES)
-(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(CLEARS THROAT)
That is all, gentlemen.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

MAN: That's good.

♪ (MUSIC PLAYING) ♪