Original subtitles

\h\h\h\hInterviewer: YOU FLEW ON MERCURY,

\h\h\h\hYOU FLEW ON GEMINI, NOW YOU’RE FLYING ON APOLLO.

DOES THE LAW OF AVERAGES

SO FAR AS THE POSSIBILITY OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE

BOTHER YOU AT ALL, SIR?

Gus Grissom: NO, YOU SORT OF \h\h\h\h\h\hHAVE TO PUT THAT

OUT OF YOUR MIND.

THERE’S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY

THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, OF COURSE;

THIS CAN HAPPEN ON ANY FLIGHT,

IT CAN HAPPEN ON THE LAST ONE \h\hAS WELL AS THE FIRST ONE.

SO, YOU JUST PLAN \hAS BEST YOU CAN

\h\hTO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THESE EVENTUALITIES,

AND YOU GET A WELL-TRAINED CREW, AND YOU GO FLY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: GUS GRISSOM WILL COMMAND

THE FIRST APOLLO MISSION,

BUT NOT BEFORE THE GROWING PAINS OF PROJECT GEMINI.

Bill Barry: IT WAS NOT WITHOUT SOME MISSTEPS.

Man on radio: WE’VE GOT \hA VISUAL ON THE AGENA.

Narrator: NEIL ARMSTRONG \hSPINS OUT OF CONTROL.

Neil Armstrong: I WAS AFRAID WE MIGHT LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.

Narrator: GENE CERNAN FLOATS OUT OF CONTROL.

\h\h\h\h\h\hGene Cernan: I HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS

THAT WE DIDN’T ANTICIPATE.

Narrator: YET THERE’S ALSO \h\hDANGER ON THE GROUND.

Reporter: AMERICA’S FIRST THREE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS

WERE TRAPPED...

\h\hAndrew Chaikin: THEY WERE PUTTING THOSE THREE ASTRONAUTS

INTO A BOMB THAT WAS \hWAITING TO GO OFF.

Narrator: SMITHSONIAN HAS THE STUFF AND THE STORIES.

Michael Neufeld: IT COULD \h\h\hCREATE AN EXPLOSION

THE SIZE OF A SMALL \h\h\hNUCLEAR BOMB.

Narrator: NASA HITS ROCK BOTTOM

BEFORE EMPTYING THE TANK \h\hON A DARING GAMBLE.

\h\h\hWalter Cronkite: LOOK AT THAT ROCKET GO

INTO THE CLOUDS AT 3,000 FEET!

Narrator: IN 1961,

\h\h\hHOUSTON, TEXAS, IS A FREEWHEELING OIL TOWN.

IT’S NOT YET A SPACE TOWN.

Margaret Weitekamp: \hAS NASA’S MISSIONS

WERE GETTING MORE COMPLICATED,

THEY KNEW THAT THEY NEEDED \h\h\h\h\hNEW FACILITIES,

SO THEY STARTED THINKING ABOUT \h\h\h\h\hWHERE THEY COULD PUT

WHAT THEY WERE GONNA CALL THEIR MANNED SPACE FLIGHT CENTER.

Narrator: IDEAS INCLUDE \h\h\h\h\hSAN FRANCISCO,

BOSTON,

ST. LOUIS,

AND TEXAS.

Weitekamp: IT REALLY BECOMES \hA VERY POLITICAL DECISION,

\hAND IT’S NO COINCIDENCE THAT SAM RAYBURN AND LYNDON JOHNSON

\hWERE VERY PROMINENT TEXANS WHO HAD A LOT OF PULL IN WASHINGTON.

Narrator: THE PRACTICAL CHOICE, SEALED BY POLITICS, IS HOUSTON.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTeasel Muir-Harmony: LYNDON JOHNSON THOUGHT THAT NASA

COULD BE ONE OF THESE \h\h\h\hDRIVING FORCES

\h\hTO BRING ADVANCED SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING TO THE SOUTH.

Narrator: HOUSTON IS ECSTATIC.

SOME NASA EMPLOYEES ARE NOT.

\hArnold Aldrich: THEY PICKED IT WITHIN WEEKS OF HURRICANE CARLA,

AND THIS PLACE WAS DEVASTATED.

\h\hNewsreel announcer: THIS WAS HURRICANE CARLA

WHEN IT REACHED THE PEAK \h\h\h\h\h\hOF ITS FURY.

\h\h170-MILE-AN-HOUR WINDS SEND THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

CRASHING INTO THE TEXAS COAST.

Aldrich: THIS SPECIFIC LOCATION FOR THE MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER

\hWAS THE CENTROID OF THIS HURRICANE,

\hAND THERE WERE BOATS IN TREES, AND PICTURES OF SNAKES CRAWLING.

\hBarry: SO THIS SWAMPY AREA SOUTHEAST OF HOUSTON, TEXAS,

SUDDENLY BECOMES SPACE CENTRAL \h\h\h\hFOR THE UNITED STATES.

Narrator: THOUSANDS STREAM \h\hINTO THE OPEN PASTURES

\h\hNEAR THE TEXAS GULF COAST TO BUILD A BRIDGE TO THE MOON.

PLANS CALL FOR 14 BUILDINGS

THAT CAN HOUSE MORE THAN \h\h\h\h\h3,000 WORKERS.

AUTHOR NORMAN MAILER \h\hDESCRIBES IT AS

"A MARVELOUSLY UP-TO-DATE MINIMUM SECURITY PRISON."

BUT FOR NASA, IT’S HOME.

\hASTRONAUTS BUILD HOUSES NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THE SUBURBS.

\h\hArmstrong: ED WHITE AND I BOUGHT SOME PROPERTY TOGETHER

AND SPLIT IT.

\hI BUILT MY HOUSE ON ONE HALF OF IT,

AND HE BUILT HIS HOUSE \h\h\h\hON THE OTHER.

WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS.

Narrator: FOR ASTRONAUTS LIKE \hNEIL ARMSTRONG AND ED WHITE,

\h\hHOUSTON WILL SOON BECOME SHORTHAND FOR PLANET EARTH.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: HOUSTON CAPCOM, HAS HE EGRESSED?

Man on radio: HE’S OUT, GUS, \h\h\hAND IT’S REALLY NIFTY.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT LOOKS \hLIKE HOUSTON DOWN BELOW US.

Narrator: THE SPACE PROGRAM \h\h\h\h\hIS CHANGING GEARS.

PROJECT MERCURY ALREADY \h\hTOOK THE FIRST STEP.

\h\h\hMan on radio: THIS IS FREEDOM 7...

Narrator: ONE-MAN MISSIONS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO PROVE

HUMANS COULD SURVIVE IN SPACE.

\h\h\h\hMan on radio: GODSPEED, JOHN GLENN.

Narrator: NOW THERE’S A MANDATE TO REACH THE MOON

BY THE END OF THE 1960s.

\h\h\hIN EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN EXPLORATION,

IT WOULD BE A GIANT LEAP.

IN EARLY 1964, PROJECT GEMINI \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS UNDER WAY--

A SERIES OF MISSIONS TO TEST \h\h\hALL THE NUTS AND BOLTS

OF A MOON SHOT.

Weitekamp: THEY NEEDED A CERTAIN SET OF APTITUDES IN SPACE,

AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THOSE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAS TO DO THEM.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: THE COUNT, T-MINUS 27 MINUTES...

Narrator: TWO-PERSON CREWS \h\h\hIN BIGGER CAPSULES.

\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: THIS IS GEMINI CONTROL.

BOLTS AND LIFT-OFF.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: BOOSTER CLOCK HAS STARTED.

Narrator: LONGER MISSIONS.

Man on radio: GEMINI 7, HOUSTON, YOU HAVE JUST EXCEEDED

THE WORLD’S MANNED SPACE FLIGHT ENDURANCE RECORD.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING.

Man on radio: OK, GEMINI 8, \h\h\h\hYOU’RE LOOKING GOOD

\h\hON THE GROUND, GO AHEAD AND DOCK.

Narrator: SURVIVAL OUTSIDE \h\h\h\h\hTHE SPACECRAFT.

Man on radio: RATES MUST HAVE \h\hDAMPED OUT RATHER NICELY,

I THINK WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD \h\h\h\h\hCHANCE THIS TIME.

Muir-Harmony: TESTING ALL \h\hOF THESE CAPABILITIES,

\hANSWERING ALL THESE QUESTIONS, WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE NEXT STEP,

WHICH WAS GOING TO THE MOON.

Narrator: FROM THE OTHER SIDE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE WORLD,

THE SOVIET UNION IS RACING \h\h\hTO GET THERE FIRST.

\h\h\hTHE TWO NATIONS, LOCKED IN A COLD WAR,

TAKE THE RIVALRY INTO SPACE.

Weitekamp: THE UNITED STATES \h\h\h\hAND THE SOVIET UNION

ARE TRYING TO SOLVE THE SAME \h\h\hTECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

\h\h\h\hSIMULTANEOUSLY WITH NO COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER,

AND WITH THE SOLUTIONS BEING \h\hENTIRELY STATE SECRETS.

[RUMBLING]

Narrator: NASA’S NEXT STEP \h\hIS NO SECRET--EXPAND.

\hMuir-Harmony: THERE’S A HUGE NECESSARY BUILDUP OF PERSONNEL

\h\hAND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

\h\h\hAND ALSO NASA JUST SWELLED IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

\h\hNarrator: SO HAS THE ASTRONAUT CORPS.

AT FIRST THERE WERE JUST SEVEN.

NOW THERE ARE 30.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWeitekamp: EACH OF THE ASTRONAUTS

TOOK SOME INDIVIDUAL \h\h\hRESPONSIBILITY

FOR DIFFERENT SYSTEMS.

Narrator: GUS GRISSOM \h\hIS THE TASKMASTER

FOR THE GEMINI CAPSULE.

\h\h\hBarry: GUS WAS EXTREMELY WELL RESPECTED AS AN ENGINEER

AND AS A GUY WHO WAS REALLY \h\h\h\hFOCUSED ON DETAILS,

AND SO THE ASTRONAUTS REFERRED \h\h\h\hTO THE GEMINI CAPSULE

AS THE GUS-MOBILE.

Narrator: FOR ASTRONAUTS,

\hSPACE TRAVEL IS A DIFFICULT TASK.

\h\hFOR TOYMAKERS, IT’S AN EASY SELL.

Announcer: HERE’S A SPECIAL

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD FREE OFFER!

THIS MOON ROCKET KIT!

BOTH A TOY AND AN EXCITING GAME.

Barry: COMMERCIAL COMPANIES SAW THAT SPACE WAS POPULAR,

SO YOU’D SEE THINGS LIKE \h\hTHE SATELLITE MOTEL.

IT MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE \hOF WISCONSIN SOMEPLACE,

BUT THEY PUT UP A SIGN \hTHAT LOOKED SPACEY,

AND IT BECAME PART \h\hOF THE CULTURE

WHERE EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED ABOUT SPACE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AMERICA HAS MOON MANIA.

AND MANY WANT A PIECE OF IT.

Weitekamp: COMMERCIAL COMPANIES

RESPONDED BY CREATING TOYS,

GAMES, HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS,

WAYS FOR CONSUMERS TO REALLY

BRING THE SPACE AGE HOME.

SO THIS KIND OF A BOX MODEL KIT IS A RATHER UNIQUE PIECE,

\hBECAUSE IT ALLOWED YOU TO HAVE FIGURES OF THE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS

AND ALSO TO BUILD THE KIND OF \h\h\h\h\hLUNAR ROVING VEHICLE

THAT THEY WOULD’VE ACTUALLY \h\h\h\h\h\hHAD ON THE MOON.

YOU COULD BREAK THEM OFF \h\hOF THE LITTLE TREES,

\h\h\h\hSAND THEM, PAINT THEM, AND THEN ADD THEM TO A DIORAMA

\hTHAT YOU MIGHT BE CREATING OF THE ACTUAL MOON LANDINGS.

\hBUT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE OBJECTS

\h\hFROM THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE FIRST HUMAN SPACEFLIGHTS.

THIS IS A McCOY POTTERY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOOKIE JAR

THAT WAS CREATED IN THE SHAPE

\h\h\h\hOF JOHN GLENN’S FRIENDSHIP 7 SPACECRAFT.

AND THIS CAME TO THE MUSEUM \h\h\hFROM DR. DAVID McMAHON

WHO TOLD ME THIS WAS SOMETHING \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT WAS PURCHASED

BY HIS MOTHER AT A WOOLWORTH’S.

\h\hHIS WHOLE FAMILY HAD SPACE FEVER, AS HE SAID.

AND HE REMEMBERS AS A CHILD \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOMING IN

AND HAVING THIS FULL OF HER \hWARM COOKIES AFTER SCHOOL.

AND SO IT REALLY MAKES IT \h\h\hA WONDERFUL EXAMPLE

\h\hIN ITS WEAR AND TEAR THAT THIS HAS BEEN USED

\h\hAND WAS ACTIVELY A PART OF ONE FAMILY’S CELEBRATION

OF THE SPACE AGE.

Narrator: HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD,

\h\hSOVIET CHILDREN WERE JUST AS EXCITED

ABOUT THEIR SPACE PROGRAM.

Cathy Lewis: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SOVIET TOY.

IT’S A SOVIET LUNOKHOD.

IT’S A LUNAR ROVER,

\h\hAND IT’S MODELED ON THE ACTUAL LUNAR ROVERS

THAT THE SOVIET UNION SENT TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON

DURING THE EARLY 1970s.

WE ALL THINK ABOUT THEM \h\hNOT SENDING A HUMAN

TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, \h\h\hBUT THEY SENT ROVERS,

\h\h\hAND THEY RETURNED SAMPLES WITHOUT THE AID OF HUMAN BEINGS.

\hWE THINK THAT THE DESIGNERS OF THE TOY WORKED VERY CLOSELY

\h\h\hWITH THE DESIGNERS OF THE ACTUAL LUNOKHODS,

BECAUSE THEY HAVE DETAILS

IN TERMS OF THE GEARING \h\hAND THE PROPORTIONS

THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN MADE \h\h\h\hPUBLIC AT THE TIME.

Narrator: THIS AIRPLANE \hHAS THE LOOK OF A TOY.

BUT IT’S REAL AND INGENIOUS.

NICKNAMED "THE PREGNANT GUPPY,"

IT’S WIDE ENOUGH TO CARRY \h\h\h\h\hSPACE HARDWARE.

\h\hAND COMES APART TO GET THAT HARDWARE IN AND OUT.

FIRST, THE STAGES OF A ROCKET.

THEY’LL HAVE TO PUT IT TOGETHER LIKE BUILDING BLOCKS.

THEN, A GEMINI CAPSULE.

EVERYTHING LOOKS RIGHT OUT \h\h\hOF A KID’S TOY BOX.

BUT THIS IS FULL-SCALE.

EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLEX.

UNCOMMONLY EXPENSIVE.

AND GUS GRISSOM IS ABOUT \hTO MAKE IT REALLY FLY.

GRISSOM JOINS ROOKIE JOHN YOUNG

AS AMERICA’S FIRST \hTWO-PERSON CREW

FOR THE MAIDEN VOYAGE \h\hOF PROJECT GEMINI.

\h\hMan on radio: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.

IGNITION.

[RUMBLING]

Narrator: GEMINI 3 PIERCES \h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THE SKY,

FLYING STRAIGHT AND TRUE.

Grissom: THE POWERED FLIGHT \h\h\h\h\h\hWAS VERY SMOOTH,

\hSMOOTHER THAN WE HAD ANY REASON TO EXPECT,

AND THERE ISN’T A JIGGLE \h\h\h\hOR A BUMP IN IT

IN THE WHOLE FIRST STAGE FLIGHT.

\hGordon Cooper on radio: I HAVE YOUR BACKUP TIMES ON BANK ANGLES

AND TIMED REVERSE BANK ANGLES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ASTRONAUT GORDON COOPER,

ONE OF GRISSOM’S BEST FRIENDS, GUIDES THEM AROUND THE GLOBE.

Cooper: HELLO THERE.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Narrator: THEN THEY LAND \h\h52 MILES OFF TARGET.

Man on radio: IT WAS 50 MILES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM THE SPOT...

Narrator: BY THE TIME \hTHE NAVY FINDS THEM,

\h\hTHEY’VE BEEN PITCHING IN DEEP SWELLS FOR 30 MINUTES,

COSTING GRISSOM HIS BREAKFAST.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: THIS IS RECOVERY, GO AHEAD.

Man on radio: MONITOR, WE HAVE \h\h\hBOTH ASTROS IN THE HELO

AT THIS TIME, RETURNING \h\h\h\hTO THE CARRIER.

Man on radio: ROGER.

Man on radio: THE DOCTOR ABOARD THE HELO REPORTS ALL WELL.

Man on radio: VERY GOOD.

Narrator: THE CAPSULE SHOWS \h\h\hTHE SCARS OF RE-ENTRY,

BUT PASSES THE FLIGHT TEST.

IT’S AIRWORTHY AND AIRTIGHT.

FEW KNOW THAT ON THE NEXT \h\h\h\h\h\hGEMINI FLIGHT,

THEY’LL OPEN THE HATCH-- \hON PURPOSE--IN SPACE.

Chaikin: IT WAS ACTUALLY A KIND OF SECRET EFFORT.

AND THE REST IS ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY EPISODES

IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF NASA.

Narrator: ASTRONAUTS ARE ALREADY TRAINING TO WALK ON THE MOON,

WHERE GRAVITY IS ONLY \hONE-SIXTH OF EARTH.

Weitekamp: IF YOU WERE \hHEADING TO THE MOON,

YOU WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND WALK AROUND.

YOU DIDN’T WANT TO JUST \h\h\h\h\hSIT IN THE CAR

AND LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS \h\h\hON YOUR VACATION.

YOU WANTED TO GET OUT AND \hBE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.

Narrator: BUT NO ONE KNOWS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIF SOMEONE

COULD EVEN LEAVE THE CAPSULE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND SURVIVE.

\h\h\h\hPROJECT GEMINI WILL TEST THE CONCEPT.

IT’S CALLED EXTRA VEHICULAR \h\h\h\hACTIVITY, OR E.V.A.

COMMON TRANSLATION--SPACEWALK.

NASA ANOINTS ED WHITE, \h\h\hA NEW ASTRONAUT,

TO BE THE WORLD’S FIRST SPACEWALKER.

ON THE GROUND, HE SPINS LIKE \h\h\h\hA CIRCUS PERFORMER.

IN A LAB, HE TESTS A NEW IDEA-- A PROPULSION GUN.

Chaikin: SO THEY PUT HIM ON \h\h\hA SPECIAL CONTRAPTION

THAT RODE AROUND ON A VERY SMOOTH FLOOR

ON A CUSHION ON AIR.

\h\h\hNarrator: IN A PLANE ON A ROLLER COASTER FLIGHT PATH,

HE GETS A FEEL FOR ZERO GRAVITY.

IT LOOKS LIKE ED WHITE WILL FLOAT INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

\hAS THE FIRST HUMAN TO WALK IN SPACE...

UNTIL THE SOVIETS PUNCTURE THE PLAN.

IN MARCH OF 1965,

COSMONAUT ALEXEY LEONOV \h\h\h\hBEATS HIM TO IT.

\h\hChaikin: THAT FEAT WAS SUCH A P.R. VICTORY FOR THE SOVIETS.

\h\hIT WAS SUCH A-- IT HAD SUCH IMPACT.

I MEAN, HERE WAS A HUMAN BEING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFLOATING AROUND

\h\h\h\hOUTSIDE HIS SPACECRAFT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY.

Narrator: THE SOVIETS NOTCH \h\h\h\hANOTHER SPACE FIRST.

[RUMBLING]

A FEW MONTHS LATER,

GEMINI 4 RISES TO TRY TO EVEN \h\h\hTHE SCORE ON SPACEWALKS.

ED WHITE IS PAIRED WITH OLD FRIEND JIM McDIVITT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hJim McDivitt: MY RELATIONSHIP WITH ED WAS,

\hCOULDN’T HAVE BEEN BETTER, HE WAS THE BEST FRIEND I EVER HAD.

WE LIVED JUST DOWN THE STREET \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM EACH OTHER.

Narrator: NOW THEIR LIVES \h\hDEPEND ON EACH OTHER.

THIS IS THE FIRST FLIGHT

RUN OUT OF HOUSTON’S NEW MISSION CONTROL CENTER.

Man on radio: TELL HIM WE’RE \hREADY TO HAVE HIM GET OUT

WHEN HE IS.

Narrator: AND THE FIRST TIME \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAN AMERICAN

WILL TRY TO EXIT A SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SPACE.

Neufeld: THIS IS GEMINI 4,

THIS IS THE ACTUAL SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\hFROM WHICH ED WHITE

MADE THE FIRST SPACEWALK \h\h\h\hBY AN AMERICAN.

\h\hTO DO THAT, THEY HAD TO DEPRESSURIZE THE SPACECRAFT.

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT MEANT LETTING ALL THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE SPACECRAFT

AND THEN UNCRANKING THE DOOR \h\h\h\hAND PUSHING IT OPEN.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: OK, WE’RE GIVING YOU A GO

FOR YOUR E.V.A. AT THIS TIME.

Neufeld: NOW THEY CAN \hPUSH OPEN THE HATCH,

BUT FIRST THEY HAD TO UNLOCK IT.

AND THE LOCKING MECHANISM JAMMED, IT WOULD NOT MOVE.

Man on radio: GEMINI 4, WHAT IS YOUR STATUS NOW?

Neufeld: McDIVITT, HOWEVER, HAD STUDIED THIS MECHANISM,

\hBECAUSE THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN A VACUUM CHAMBER

ON THE GROUND WHEN THEY HAD \hSIMULATED THE WHOLE E.V.A.

AND HE WAS ABLE TO HELP WHITE \hUNJAM THE LOCKING MECHANISM.

FINALLY WHITE COULD \hPUSH THE DOOR OPEN

AND FLOAT UP OUT OF HIS SEAT.

Ed White on radio: \h\h\hOK, I’M OUT.

I WAS COMFORTABLE OUT THERE.

THERE WASN’T ANYTHING TO BE \h\h\h\hFIGHTING OUT THERE.

I WAS JUST FLOATING FREE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SPACE.

[on radio] OK, I ROLLED OUT, AND I’M ROLLING TO THE RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: WHITE ISN’T THE ONLY \hTHING TO ESCAPE THE CAPSULE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWhite: THERE GOES, LOOKS LIKE A THERMAL GLOVE, JIM.

Narrator: THE PROPULSION GUN \h\hWORKS FOR BASIC THRUST,

BUT NOT FINE-TUNED MOTIONS.

\h\h\h\hWhite: OK, I THINK I’VE EXHAUSTED MY AIR NOW.

I HAD VERY GOOD CONTROL WITH IT, I JUST NEEDED MORE AIR.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: NOW, HE’S JUST FLOATING.

\h\h\h\hWhite: RIGHT NOW I’M STANDING ON MY HEAD,

AND I’M LOOKING RIGHT DOWN,

\hLOOKS LIKE WE’RE COMING UP ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGrissom: GEMINI 4, HOUSTON CAPCOM.

\hNarrator: GUS GRISSOM KEEPS TRYING TO GET THEIR ATTENTION,

TO NO AVAIL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGrissom: GEMINI 4, HOUSTON CAPCOM.

Narrator: THEY’RE HAVING \h\h\h\h\hTOO MUCH FUN.

White: I FEEL LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS.

Grissom: GEMINI 4?

\h\h\h\h\hWhite: THIS IS THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE,

IT’S JUST TREMENDOUS.

\h\hMcDivitt: LET ME TAKE A CLOSE-UP PICTURE THERE.

HEY, ED, SMILE!

\hI FEEL VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF DOING THIS.

Grissom: GEMINI 4, HOUSTON?

IS HE TAKING PICTURES?

Narrator: FINALLY, GRISSOM \h\h\hBREAKS THEIR SPELL,

LIKE AN IMPATIENT PARENT CALLING HIS KIDS INSIDE FOR DINNER.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGrissom: GEMINI 4, GET BACK IN!

\hWhite: BACK IN? McDivitt: BACK IN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGrissom: ROGER, WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO TALK TO YOU

FOR A WHILE HERE.

White: I’M COMING BACK DOWN \h\h\h\h\hON THE SPACECRAFT.

\h\h\hMcDivitt: YOU SMEARED UP MY WINDSHIELD, YOU DIRTY DOG!

Neufeld: McDIVITT HEARS \h\h\h\h\hBOOTS BANGING

\h\hON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SPACECRAFT.

IT’S MUCH HARDER TO GET IN \h\hTHAN IT IS TO GET OUT,

BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SPACESUIT \h\h\hTHAT’S INFLATED IN SPACE

IT’S NOW HARD,

AND FORCING YOUR BODY TO BEND \hTO GET YOURSELF IN POSITION

IS A LOT OF HARD WORK.

McDIVITT HAD TO HELP HIM GET HIS FEET UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

\hAND SORT TO WEDGE HIMSELF BACK INSIDE THE SPACECRAFT.

Narrator: WHITE AND McDIVITT \h\h\h\h\h\hRETURN TO EARTH

FOR A VICTORY LAP.

THEY MAKE SPACEWALKS LOOK EASY.

THEY PAUSE TO RECEIVE \h\h\hTHEIR ACCOLADES.

BUT NASA RACES AHEAD.

THEY TABLE SPACEWALKS \h\h\h\h\hFOR A WHILE

AND PIVOT TO ANOTHER \h\h\hGEMINI GOAL--

RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING.

THEY WON’T LAND ON THE MOON \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITHOUT IT.

\hFilm narrator: IN ORBIT, THE ASTRONAUTS WILL DETACH

THE LUNAR EXCURSION MODULE

AND WILL RENDEZVOUS \hAND DOCK WITH IT.

Narrator: GETTING ONE SHIP INTO SPACE IS HARD ENOUGH.

GETTING TWO TO CONNECT \h\hIS JUST A THEORY.

ON OCTOBER 25th, THAT THEORY \h\h\h\h\hGETS A MAJOR TEST.

WALLY SCHIRRA AND TOM STAFFORD CLIMB ABOARD A LOADED ROCKET.

BEHIND THEM, ANOTHER ROCKET \h\h\h\h\h\hLAUNCHES FIRST.

Chaikin: THE PLAN WAS TO LAUNCH AN UNMANNED TARGET ROCKET

CALLED THE AGENA FIRST, AND THEN HAVE THE ASTRONAUTS LAUNCH

AND CHASE IT IN ORBIT AND CATCH UP WITH IT,

\hAND THEN FINALLY MOVE IN AND DOCK.

Narrator: INSTEAD, THE AGENA \h\h\h\hBREAKS UP ON ASCENT.

\h\h\hNOW GEMINI 6 HAS NO RENDEZVOUS TARGET.

THEY STAND DOWN.

Chaikin: SCHIRRA AND STAFFORD \hWERE OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED,

\h\hBUT VERY QUICKLY A NEW PLAN EMERGED.

Narrator: NASA WILL DO SOMETHING OUT OF CHARACTER

FOR ITS 1960s CREW-CUT AND WHITE-SHIRT CROWD.

IT WILL GET RADICAL.

NASA HAS NEVER PUT TWO CREWS IN SPACE AT THE SAME TIME...

\h\h\h\h\hUNTIL THE FAILED AGENA ROCKET LAUNCH FORCES A NEW PLAN.

Chaikin: AND THE PLAN WAS, LOOK, WHY NOT USE GEMINI 6

TO RENDEZVOUS WITH THE MISSION

THAT’S GONNA FLY AFTER IT, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGEMINI 7?

Narrator: TWO CREWS, TWO SHIPS, ONE MISSION--

FIND EACH OTHER IN SPACE.

GEMINI 7 WILL GO FIRST.

FRANK BORMAN AND JIM LOVELL

\h\h\h\h\h\hWILL TRY TO BREAK THE ENDURANCE RECORD IN SPACE.

A TWO-WEEK MARATHON, STUCK INSIDE THEIR TINY CAPSULE.

Chaikin: JIM LOVELL CALLED IT \h\hTWO WEEKS IN A MEN’S ROOM.

Narrator: NOW THEY JUST SIT, \h\h\h\hSKIMMING THE GLOBE,

WAITING FOR GEMINI 6.

Frank Borman: IT WAS BORING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE \h\h\h\hJUST DRIFTING,

TUMBLING THROUGH SPACE, \h\h\h\hTIME GOES SLOW.

\hNarrator: IT DOESN’T HELP THAT BORMAN CAN’T CHANGE HIS CLOTHES.

Lewis: THIS IS THE SPACESUIT \h\h\hTHAT FRANK BORMAN WORE

DURING THE GEMINI 7 MISSION.

HE WORE IT FOR 14 DAYS.

THIS SUIT WAS DESIGNED WITH THE IDEA IN MIND

\h\hTHAT THEY HAD TO MAKE THE ASTRONAUTS COMFORTABLE

\h\h\h\h\h\hIN ORDER TO DO MEANINGFUL WORK IN SPACE.

PROBABLY THE MOST REMARKABLE \h\h\hDESIGN CHARACTERISTIC

\h\hABOUT THE SUIT IS THIS CONSTRUCTION OF THE HELMET

AS PART OF THE SUIT.

\hAND IT WOULD LIFT UP OVER THE ASTRONAUT’S HEAD LIKE A HOODIE,

AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE \h\h\hTO WORK IN SPACE

\h\hJUST WITH THE HELMET HANGING ON THEIR BACKS.

\h\h\h\hAND THAT HELMET GAVE AN IMPRESSION OF AN INSECT.

\hTHE SUIT BECAME KNOWN AS THE GRASSHOPPER SUIT.

Narrator: THE GRASSHOPPER SUIT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS MORE FLEXIBLE

THAN A STANDARD SPACEWALK SUIT.

BUT NOTHING IS COMFORTABLE \hFOR TWO STRAIGHT WEEKS.

Borman: LOVELL AND I HAD BEEN \hUP THERE FOR 11 OR 12 DAYS,

I DON’T REMEMBER HOW LONG.

WE WERE TIRED.

\hIT WAS A REAL HIGH POINT TO SEE THIS BRIGHT LIGHT,

LOOKED LIKE A STAR CAME UP,

AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE COULD SEE IT WAS A GEMINI VEHICLE.

Jim Lovell: THEY CAME UP, \hAND WE STAYED TOGETHER,

WE EACH TOOK TURNS FLYING \h\h\h\hAROUND EACH OTHER

TO SEE HOW NICELY THE SPACECRAFT WOULD CONTROL

ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Narrator: WALLY SCHIRRA,

PILOTING THE NEWLY ARRIVED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGEMINI 6,

CAN MEASURE HIS MOVES IN INCHES.

Wally Schirra: AGAIN, IT WAS LITTLE, TINY, TINY THRUSTS.

I CALLED IT A MICRO MOUSE FART.

[LAUGHS]

\h\h\hYOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THESE VERY SLOW CHANGES,

WHERE YOU DON’T WASTE \h\h\h\hA LOT OF FUEL.

Narrator: THEY EVEN GET \h\h\h\h\h\hCLOSE ENOUGH

FOR THE FORMER SERVICEMEN \h\hTO HECKLE EACH OTHER.

SPACEFLIGHT’S FIRST RENDEZVOUS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS A WIN.

THE JOINT MISSION ALSO PROVES \hTHAT ASTRONAUTS CAN SURVIVE

A MOON-LENGTH MARATHON--

TWO WEEKS OF SPACE CAMPING.

\h\h\hBorman: I DON’T KNOW HOW IN THE WORLD WE COULD,

BUT IN THAT SMALL AREA, SOMEHOW, WE LOST A TOOTHBRUSH.

SO WE ENDED UP SHARING \h\h\h\hA TOOTHBRUSH!

[LAUGHS]

Narrator: NEXT STEP, \h\h\hLEARN TO DOCK.

GEMINI 8 SENDS UP TWO ROOKIES-- DAVE SCOTT AND NEIL ARMSTRONG.

Armstrong: I REALLY BELIEVED \h\h\hTHAT WE WOULDN’T HAVE

\hANY TROUBLE WITH THE DOCKING, BASED ON THE SIMULATIONS WE DID.

\hMan on radio: THIS IS GEMINI CONTROL, HOUSTON,

\hABOUT TWO MINUTES AGO NEIL ARMSTRONG CALLED IN

AND HE WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT RADAR LOCK HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED.

Narrator: THE SCENE UNFOLDS \h\h\hAS IF IN SLOW MOTION.

Man on radio: WE’VE GOT \hA VISUAL ON THE AGENA.

Narrator: EVEN THOUGH \h\h\hBOTH SPACECRAFT

ARE FLYING 10 TIMES FASTER \h\h\h\h\h\hTHAN A BULLET.

Man on radio: OK, GEMINI 8, \h\h\h\hYOU’RE LOOKING GOOD

\h\hON THE GROUND, GO AHEAD AND DOCK.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ARMSTRONG AND SCOTT NAIL IT.

\h\h\h\hMan on radio: FLIGHT, WE ARE DOCKED.

\h\hMan on radio: ROGER, BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING.

I BET THOSE LUCKY GUYS ARE JUST JUMPING UP AND DOWN.

Narrator: MISSION CONTROL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCELEBRATES

THE FIRST DOCKING IN SPACE,

\h\h\hA NECESSARY SKILL FOR APOLLO’S MOON SHOT.

THEN GEMINI 8 DRIFTS \hAROUND THE EARTH,

OUT OF CONTACT WITH HOUSTON.

Armstrong: MURPHY’S LAW SAYS \h\hBAD THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN

AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.

Narrator: WITHOUT WARNING,

THE TWO DOCKED SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\hBEGIN TO SPIN.

\hArmstrong: WE FIRST SUSPECTED THAT THE AGENA WAS THE CULPRIT.

\h\hNarrator: THEY SHUT DOWN THE AGENA’S CONTROL SYSTEM.

BUT THE SPINNING GETS WORSE,

AND THE ASTRONAUTS GET \h\hDANGEROUSLY DIZZY.

Armstrong: WHEN THE RATES BECAME QUITE VIOLENT,

\h\h\hI CONCLUDED THAT WE COULDN’T CONTINUE,

\h\h\hWE HAD TO GET OURSELVES SEPARATE.

I WAS AFRAID WE MIGHT \hLOSE CONSCIOUSNESS.

Narrator: WITH BLURRY EYESIGHT,

\h\h\hTHEY DITCH THE AGENA, THINKING THAT’S THE CULPRIT.

Barry: SO THEY BACK OFF \h\h\h\hFROM THE AGENA,

AND RATHER THAN THE SPINNING SLOWING DOWN, IT SPEEDS UP.

♪

Narrator: WHEN HOUSTON \hGETS BACK IN RANGE,

THEY FIND THE CREW IN CRISIS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hArmstrong on radio: WE’VE GOT SERIOUS PROBLEMS HERE.

WE’RE TUMBLING END OVER END \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hUP HERE.

WE’RE DISENGAGED FROM THE AGENA.

Narrator: THE PROBLEM \h\h\hISN’T THE AGENA.

ONE OF THE CAPSULE’S OWN THRUSTERS IS STUCK OPEN,

AND THEY DON’T KNOW IT.

IT’S NOW SPINNING \hONCE PER SECOND,

AND THE CREW IS IN DANGER \h\h\h\h\hOF BLACKING OUT.

Barry: NEIL REALIZES \hTHAT THE ONLY WAY

HE’S GONNA STOP THE SPINNING IS TO USE THE BIG THRUSTERS.

Narrator: THE BIG THRUSTERS ARE MEANT ONLY FOR RE-ENTRY.

BUT ARMSTRONG HAS TO ENGAGE THEM

TO WRESTLE GEMINI 8 BACK FROM THE BRINK.

\h\hArmstrong on radio: WE ARE REGAINING CONTROL

OF THE SPACECRAFT SLOWLY.

Man on radio: ROGER, COPY.

Barry: THE MISSION RULES WERE

\hTHAT IF YOU ENGAGE THE RE-ENTRY SYSTEM,

THAT’S THE END OF THE MISSION.

Narrator: SO THEY HAVE \h\h\h\hTO COME HOME,

MAKING THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM’S FIRST EMERGENCY LANDING.

Armstrong: A LOT OF UNEXPECTED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHINGS HAPPEN,

AND USUALLY THEY’RE NOT \hTHE ONES YOU PRACTICE.

\h\h\h\hMan on radio: ONE MINUTE TO LEVEL...

Narrator: FOR THE NEXT \h\h\h\hFOUR MISSIONS,

\hCREWS KEEP PRACTICING RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: IT’S GOING BACK AND FORTH,

BUT WE HAVEN’T HAD ANY LOCK ON.

Man on radio: OK.

Narrator: CHASE IT DOWN.

Man on radio: OK, YOU’RE \h\h\h\hCOMING UP ON...

Man on radio: OK, I GOT IT.

Narrator: LINE IT UP.

\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: NOW BRING IT HARD LEFT.

Man on radio: THREE...

Narrator: AND STICK THE LANDING.

Man on radio: ONE. MARK IT.

\h\h\hNarrator: IT BECOMES A WELL-CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE

IN SPACE.

BUT NASA IS ABOUT TO RESUME \h\h\hTHE SPACEWALK PROGRAM

WITH TWO LEFT FEET.

\h\h\hMan on radio: GEMINI, HOUSTON, GO.

\hNarrator: A YEAR AFTER ED WHITE’S EASY E.V.A.,

\hGENE CERNAN TRIES IT WITH A LIST OF CHORES.

Man on radio: 22 AND 23 VOLTS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hRESPECTIVELY.

Chaikin: BUT HE BECAME \h\h\h\hSO OVERHEATED,

\h\hHIS VISOR FOGGED OVER TO WHERE HE COULDN’T SEE.

\hAND HE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, MARK OUT A LITTLE SPOT WITH HIS NOSE

\h\h\hON THE VISOR TO KIND OF WIPE IT CLEAN,

SO HE HAD TO MAKE HIS WAY BACK \h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE SPACECRAFT.

Man on radio: THE PILOT’S VISOR IS COMPLETELY FOGGED OVER,

IT’S REALLY FROZEN OVER.

Narrator: HE’S FLYING \h\h\h\hNEARLY BLIND,

SO THEY CUT THE SPACEWALK SHORT.

Cernan: I HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT WE DIDN’T ANTICIPATE.

THEY SURPRISED ME ON GEMINI 9.

THEY SURPRISED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

\hNarrator: ON ANOTHER MISSION, DICK GORDON TRIES TYING A TETHER

\h\hFROM THE AGENA TO GEMINI’S DOCKING BAR.

\h\h\hIT BECOMES ANOTHER HARROWING HIGH-WIRE ACT.

Dick Gordon: IF SOMEBODY WANTS \h\h\h\h\hTO KNOW HOW IT FELT,

JUST TIE YOUR SHOELACE \h\h\h\hWITH ONE HAND.

Pete on radio: HOW YOU DOING?

Gordon on radio: TIRED, PETE.

Pete: ALRIGHT, JUST REST.

Gordon: I NEEDED BOTH HANDS \h\h\hTO PUT THE TETHER ON.

WHEN I LET GO OF THE DOCKING BAR TO DO THAT SORT OF THING,

\hI WAS FLOATING AWAY AND HAD TO GRAB THE DOCKING BAR AGAIN.

Man on radio: HOW YOU DOING?

\h\hGordon on radio: I’M BREATHING HARD.

Man on radio: YEAH.

\hChaikin: AND NASA WAS SLOWLY GETTING THE REALIZATION THAT,

\h\h\hHEY, MAYBE THIS SPACEWALK BUSINESS ISN’T WHAT WE THOUGHT.

Narrator: WITH THE SPACEWALK \h\h\h\h\hPROGRAM FALTERING,

\h\h\hASTRONAUTS VISIT A POOL IN BALTIMORE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW--

UNDERWATER TRAINING.

[RADIO CHATTER]

\h\h\hONE OF ITS PIONEERS IS ASTRONAUT BUZZ ALDRIN,

A VETERAN SCUBA DIVER.

\hBuzz Aldrin: I THINK IT’S VERY IDEAL FOR ZERO GRAVITY.

\h\hWHEN YOU GET SOMEWHERE, YOU’RE DOING IT REAL SLOWLY,

AND WHEN YOU GET THERE, THEN YOU WANT TO ANCHOR YOURSELF.

Narrator: THE BOTTOM OF A POOL \hBECOMES THE TRAINING GROUND

FOR THE TOP OF THE WORLD.

Man on radio: ROGER, CARNARVON, WE BURNED OUT...

\hNarrator: ON GEMINI 12, BUZZ ALDRIN AND JIM LOVELL

TRY TO CONQUER SPACEWALKING.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLovell on radio: THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO, BUZZ,

I CAN ALMOST NOT SEE \h\h\hOUT OF THIS...

Lovell: THEY SAID, "LET’S DEVOTE A LOT OF TIME ON 12

TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN REALLY WORK OUTSIDE THE SPACECRAFT."

Narrator: LOVELL WATCHES ALDRIN REWRITE THE RULES.

Man on radio: LET ME KNOW \h\h\h\hWHEN YOU’RE READY.

Narrator: DON’T TRY \h\hTO DO TOO MUCH.

Lovell on radio: READY? Aldrin on radio: READY.

\hNarrator: USE SLOW, DELIBERATE MOVEMENTS.

STAY GROUNDED WITH THE NEW \hHANDHOLDS AND FOOTHOLDS

INSTALLED ON THE SPACECRAFT.

\h\hLovell: SO, IT WAS A MAJOR TURNING POINT

IN THE ABILITY TO WORK OUTSIDE A SPACECRAFT.

Man on radio: WHAT KIND \h\hOF A DAY DO WE HAVE?

Man on radio: IT LOOKS PRETTY CLEAR UP HERE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: OVER A FOUR-DAY MISSION,

ALDRIN GIVES A MASTER CLASS \h\h\h\h\h\hIN SPACEWALKING.

THEN HE SAYS GOODBYE \hTO SPACE, FOR NOW,

AND FILMS PROJECT GEMINI’S \h\hFINAL RETURN TO EARTH.

\h\hAldrin: I HAD A CAMERA, AND I FELT THAT IT WAS PERFECTLY OK

AND SAFE TO HOLD THAT CAMERA \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN MY HANDS

\h\hAND TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE RE-ENTRY OUT THE WINDOW.

Narrator: STRAPPED IN \hFOR THE ROUGH RIDE,

\hALDRIN CAPTURES THE END OF AN UNSUNG CHAPTER OF SPACE HISTORY.

Man on radio: OK, YOU’RE A LITTLE HIGH ON YOUR...

\hChaikin: IT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE STRING OF SUCCESSES.

IT WAS 10 MISSIONS IN 20 MONTHS,

EACH ONE MORE AMBITIOUS \h\h\h\h\hTHAN THE LAST.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Muir-Harmony: WITHIN JUST \h\h\h\hA FEW SHORT YEARS,

THE U.S. WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP \h\h\hESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES

FOR LUNAR EXPLORATION.

Barry: CHECK THE BOX, AND WE’RE READY TO MOVE ON TO APOLLO.

Narrator: NEXT STOP, THE MOON.

BUT A MILLION THINGS \hHAVE TO GO RIGHT;

ONLY ONE HAS TO GO WRONG.

Man on radio: ONE, RETRO FIRE.

Narrator: AFTER SIX YEARS \h\hON THE LEARNING CURVE

WITH MERCURY AND GEMINI,

\h\h\hTHE APOLLO PROGRAM NEARS ITS FIRST FLIGHT.

VETERAN GUS GRISSOM WILL LEAD

THE FIRST APOLLO CREW \h\h\h\h\hINTO SPACE.

Grissom: WE’VE BEEN WORKING \h\h\hVERY CLOSELY TOGETHER

FOR SOME TIME, AND WE ALL \h\h\hGET ALONG VERY WELL.

Narrator: JOINING GRISSOM \h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS ED WHITE,

AMERICA’S FIRST SPACEWALKER.

White: THEN I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS GOING TO BE

ON THE FIRST APOLLO FLIGHT CREW.

\h\hNarrator: ROGER CHAFFEE IS A ROOKIE ON HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT.

\h\h\h\hRoger Chaffee: I’M 31, I’LL BE 32 HERE IN A FEW DAYS.

\h\h\hI GUESS I’M PRETTY NEAR THE JUNIOR MAN IN OUR OFFICE.

Narrator: THEY’VE BEEN GETTING \h\h\h\h\h\hTHEIR ARMS AROUND

THE MOST COMPLICATED SPACECRAFT TO DATE.

Grissom: THE APOLLO SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\hIS BEING DESIGNED

TO GO TO THE MOON AND BACK, AND THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB.

THE VEHICLES ARE VERY COMPLEX.

Narrator: THE COMMAND MODULE HAS NEARLY TWO MILLION PARTS

AND MILES OF WIRING.

BUT NO ONE WANTS TO BE \h\h\h\hTHE SLOW LINK

IN THE PRODUCTION CHAIN

\h\h\h\hBETWEEN NASA AND ITS CONTRACTORS.

THE DEADLINE TO REACH THE MOON \h\hIS ONLY THREE YEARS AWAY.

\hChaikin: YOU CAN BECOME SO FOCUSED ON THE SCHEDULE

\h\h\hTHAT EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE

\h\h\h\hTO SAFEGUARD THE PEOPLE INVOLVED,

\hYOU’RE ACTUALLY MISSING THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.

\hNarrator: IT’S A FRIDAY IN CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA.

\h\h\h\h\hWhite: WE’VE TAKEN THE SPACECRAFT NOW DOWN TO THE CAPE

AND WE’RE IN THE PREPARATION \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR LAUNCH.

Narrator: THE APOLLO 1 CREW \h\h\h\h\h\hENDS A LONG WEEK

\h\h\h\h\hWITH A TEST OF THE COMMAND MODULE.

A WEEKEND WITH FAMILY \h\hIS ON THEIR MINDS.

Grissom: I SEEM TO GET BUSIER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hALL THE TIME,

AND I FIND THAT I’M HOME \h\h\h\h\hLESS AND LESS.

THAT’S ABOUT THE WAY \h\hIT’S BEEN GOING.

Narrator: THIS IS FOOTAGE \h\h\h\hFROM ANOTHER TEST

A FEW MONTHS EARLIER.

THEY WILL SIMULATE SPACE-FLYING CONDITIONS INSIDE THE CAPSULE.

\h\h\h\hTHE MISSION IS LESS THAN A MONTH OFF.

\hAS FRIDAY MORNING TURNS TO AFTERNOON,

THEY ASCEND THE LAUNCH TOWER.

\hWhite: WE’VE RUN ONE ALTITUDE CHAMBER TEST ON THE SPACECRAFT,

WE’LL BE RUNNING ANOTHER ONE,

\h\h\hAND THEN WE’LL START OUR FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR LAUNCH.

Narrator: THEY ENTER THE CAPSULE ON TOP OF THE ROCKET.

IT’S NOT FUELED YET, SO THE TEST IS CONSIDERED NON-HAZARDOUS.

THEY CLOSE THE HATCH,

AND PRESSURIZE THE SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\hWITH PURE OXYGEN,

EXACTLY HOW IT WILL BE IN SPACE.

[RADIO CHATTER]

Man on radio: UH, DON, \hWE’RE GETTING READY

TO PICK UP ON A COUNT HERE. \h\h\hARE YOU READY, DONNY?

[RADIO CHATTER]

Narrator: THE TEST \hGETS UNDER WAY.

\h\h\h\hGROUND CONTROL AND THE APOLLO 1 CREW

BEGIN A LONG CHECKLIST.

Man on radio: ROGER, PANEL 25, \h\h\h\hEDS 1, BAT "A" CLOSED.

Man on radio: EDS 1, BAT "A," \h\h\h\h\hIT’S ALREADY CLOSED.

\h\h\h\hMan on radio: ROGER, YOU DO NOT HAVE

A LAUNCH VEHICLE GUIDANCE LIGHT AT THIS TIME?

Man on radio: THAT’S RIGHT, I DON’T HAVE THE RATE LIGHT.

Man on radio: NEGATIVE, LAUNCH VEHICLE GUIDANCE.

Man on radio: ROGER.

Narrator: COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS CAUSE DELAYS AND FRUSTRATION.

Man on radio: OK, GUS, YOU’RE PRETTY GARBLED.

Narrator: MORE THAN TWO HOURS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THE TEST,

\hGRISSOM GOES OFF-SCRIPT TO EXPRESS HIS ANNOYANCE.

Grissom: HOW ARE WE GOING \h\h\h\hTO GET TO THE MOON

IF WE CAN’T TALK BETWEEN TWO OR THREE BUILDINGS?

Narrator: THEN, THERE’S \h\h\hA SURGE OF VOLTAGE

\h\h\h\h\hSOMEWHERE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

SPOTTY COMMUNICATION REVEALS \h\hTHE CAPSULE IS ON FIRE.

Man on radio: HEY!

GOT A FIRE IN THE COCKPIT!

[RADIO CUTS OFF]

[STATIC]

OH, THERE’S A BAD FIRE!

[BEEP]

Narrator: GROUND CONTROL TRIES \h\h\hTO HAIL THE ASTRONAUTS.

Man on radio: CREW, CAN YOU \h\h\h\hEGRESS AT THIS TIME?

Narrator: THEY CALL THE WORKERS ON THE LAUNCH PAD.

\hMan on radio: PAD LEADER, GET IN THERE AND HELP THEM.

Narrator: IT’S ONLY 17 SECONDS \hFROM THE FIRST CALL OF ALARM

TO RADIO SILENCE.

\h\h\h\hMan on radio: GUS, CAN YOU READ US?

PAD LEADER.

CAN YOU GET THEM OUT OF THERE?

Narrator: IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE.

[STATIC]

♪

Chaikin: THAT FIRE ERUPTED.

IT DIDN’T JUST SPREAD.

IT WAS AN EXPLOSIVE COMBUSTION.

THE HULL OF THE SPACECRAFT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hHAD RUPTURED

FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE FIRE.

THE TEMPERATURE GOT UP TO 1,200 DEGREES.

\hTHERE WERE PUDDLES OF ALUMINUM THAT HAD MELTED DURING THE FIRE.

\hNarrator: IT WAS SPARKED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT...

FED BY PURE OXYGEN...

AND CONTAINED BY THE HEAVY HATCH DESIGNED TO LOCK OUT SPACE.

INSTEAD, IT LOCKED IN FIRE.

Chaikin: NOBODY AT NASA REALIZED

THAT THEY WERE PUTTING THOSE THREE ASTRONAUTS

INTO A BOMB THAT WAS \hWAITING TO GO OFF.

Announcer: THIS IS A CBS NEWS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hSPECIAL REPORT.

\h\h\hMike Wallace: THIS IS MIKE WALLACE

AT THE CBS NEWSROOM IN NEW YORK.

AMERICA’S FIRST THREE \h\hAPOLLO ASTRONAUTS

WERE TRAPPED AND KILLED \h\h\h\hBY A FLASH FIRE

THAT SWEPT THEIR MOON SHIP \h\h\h\h\h\hEARLY TONIGHT

\h\hDURING A LAUNCH PAD TEST AT CAPE KENNEDY IN FLORIDA.

Narrator: NASA LAYS OUT \h\h\h\h\hTHE EVIDENCE.

THEY FIND ITS DESIGN FLAWED,

\h\hWITH FLAMMABLE MATERIAL IN A PURE OXYGEN ATMOSPHERE.

Weitekamp: YOU LOST THE CREW \hAND VEHICLE ON THE GROUND

\h\hWITH PEOPLE ONLY FEET AWAY BUT PUSHED BACK BY THE FLAMES.

\h\hNarrator: THEY FIND ITS CONSTRUCTION RUSHED.

Chaikin: THERE WERE PROBLEMS \h\hTHAT PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT,

BUT THEY HADN’T BEEN ABLE \h\h\h\hTO SLOW THE TRAIN

THAT WAS BARRELING \hDOWN THE TRACK.

\hNarrator: AND THEY FIND NASA AND ITS CONTRACTORS CULPABLE.

Chaikin: AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS

\hWHEN YOU HAVE SUDDEN CLARITY ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING,

THIS IS WHAT ACCIDENTS DO.

YOU HAVE THIS MOMENT \h\h\hWHEN YOU SAY,

\h"MY GOD, HOW COULD WE HAVE DONE THIS?"

[RIFLES FIRE]

[TRUMPETER PLAYING "TAPS"]

Narrator: THREE WEEKS BEFORE

THEY WERE TO LAUNCH \h\h\hINTO SPACE...

[TRUMPETER PLAYING "TAPS"]

\hTHE FIRST THREE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS

ARE LOWERED INTO THE EARTH.

Barry: THEY WERE THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR NEIGHBORS.

[PLAYING "TAPS"]

THEY WERE PUBLIC FIGURES \h\hTHAT EVERYBODY KNEW.

IT WAS A REALLY TOUGH TIME.

[PLAYING "TAPS"]

♪

Narrator: MOST ASTRONAUTS ARE IN FULL MILITARY DRESS

FOR A DUTY THEY WISH \hTHEY DIDN’T HAVE--

BURYING THEIR BROTHERS.

\h\hArmstrong: ED WHITE AND I WERE GOOD FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS.

YOU’RE MUCH MORE LIKELY \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO ACCEPT

LOSS OF A FRIEND IN FLIGHT,

BUT IT REALLY HURT TO LOSE THEM IN A GROUND TEST.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWE DIDN’T DO THE RIGHT THING SOMEHOW.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ASTRONAUT GORDON COOPER

STANDS BEHIND THE MINISTER, \h\h\hMOURNING GUS GRISSOM.

Gordon Cooper: GUS, OF COURSE, WAS PROBABLY MY CLOSEST FRIEND

OF ALL OF THEM, BECAUSE \h\hI HAD BEEN WITH HIM

FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS PREVIOUS,

AND WE HAD DONE A LOT \hOF FLYING TOGETHER.

WE’D BEEN IN SCHOOL TOGETHER.

SO WERE OLD, LONG-TIME FRIENDS.

\hNarrator: OUT OF THE SOLEMN QUIET COMES A ROAR OF SALUTE.

[ENGINES ROARING]

PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON \h\h\h\hTRIES TO COMFORT

\h\hGRISSOM’S WIDOW AND TWO YOUNG SONS.

THEN HE DRIVES AWAY TO FACE \h\h\h\hA CRUCIAL DECISION.

SHOULD APOLLO CONTINUE?

\h\h\h\hAS VICE PRESIDENT, JOHNSON WAS THE MAN BEHIND

THE ORIGINAL MISSION OUTLINED BY PRESIDENT KENNEDY IN 1961.

John F. Kennedy: ...OF LANDING \h\h\h\h\h\hA MAN ON THE MOON

AND RETURNING HIM SAFELY \h\h\h\h\hTO THE EARTH.

\hNarrator: WHEN KENNEDY WAS KILLED, JOHNSON TOOK OFFICE,

AND HIS SUPPORT FOR NASA \h\h\h\h\hNEVER WAVERED.

Muir-Harmony: JOHNSON LOOKED \h\h\h\hAT THE SPACE PROGRAM

AS PART OF THE LAUNCH PAD \h\hTO HIS GREAT SOCIETY--

\hIMPROVING RACE RELATIONS AND IMPROVING HEALTH CARE

AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

\h\h\h\hHE SAW SPACE EXPLORATION AS PART OF THAT LARGER MISSION,

AND DRIVING IT IN A WAY.

Narrator: NOW HE’LL HAVE \h\hTO STEER THE NATION

THROUGH THE WRECKAGE \h\h\h\hOF APOLLO 1.

\h\hWeitekamp: I DON’T KNOW THAT THERE WAS EVER A MOMENT

WHERE THEY THOUGHT THE PROGRAM \h\h\h\h\hCOULDN’T GO FORWARD,

BUT THERE CERTAINLY \hWAS A REALIZATION

THAT IT COULD NOT GO FORWARD \h\h\h\hIN THE FORM IT WAS.

Narrator: NASA’S NEW FORM \h\hBEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE.

MORE INSPECTIONS.

MORE FOLLOW-THROUGH.

MORE DILIGENCE.

NEIL ARMSTRONG REMEMBERS \h\h\h\hTHE DEDICATION.

Armstrong: YOU COULD STAND \h\h\h\hACROSS THE STREET

\hAND YOU COULD NOT TELL WHEN QUITTING TIME WAS,

\h\hBECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN’T LEAVE AT QUITTING TIME IN THOSE DAYS.

PEOPLE JUST WORKED.

\h\hNarrator: BUT NASA HAS ONLY THREE YEARS TO RECOVER, REBUILD,

\h\h\h\hAND REACH THE MOON BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

\hA REDESIGN SLOWS DOWN SPACECRAFT CONSTRUCTION.

BUT THE ROCKET IS ON THE FAST TRACK.

[ROARING]

\h\h\hTHE MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR ANY NEW LAUNCH VEHICLE

IS THE FLIGHT TEST.

IN THE SHORT HISTORY \h\h\h\hOF ROCKETRY,

SOME HAVE GONE BETTER \h\h\h\h\hTHAN OTHERS.

♪

THE BIGGER THE ROCKET, \hTHE BIGGER THE RISK.

THE MERCURY ROCKETS COULD TAKE

ONE ASTRONAUT INTO SPACE.

PROJECT GEMINI DEMANDED \h\h\h\hA BIGGER ROCKET

TO TAKE TWO MEN AND MORE PAYLOAD AROUND THE EARTH.

GETTING ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON WITH THREE MEN

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWILL TAKE A THREE-STAGE POWERHOUSE...

THE SATURN V.

IT IS SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING.

THERE’S NO TIME TO TEST IT \h\h\h\h\h\hSTAGE BY STAGE

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND STILL MAKE THE MOON LANDING DEADLINE.

\h\hWeitekamp: THERE WERE A FEW AUDACIOUS DECISIONS

\h\h\h\h\hTHAT LEAPFROG THE U.S. PROGRAM AHEAD.

ONE OF THOSE WAS THE DECISION TO HAVE THAT VEHICLE REALLY TESTED

IN ITS ENTIRETY AT ONE TIME.

\hNarrator: IT’S AS TALL AS A 36-STORY BUILDING,

\h\hAND LOADED WITH NEARLY A MILLION GALLONS OF FUEL.

ON TOP IS AN EMPTY, REDESIGNED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOMMAND MODULE;

ITS FIRST TEST FLIGHT SINCE \h\h\hTHE APOLLO 1 TRAGEDY.

ON THE BOTTOM ARE THE ENGINES \h\hTHAT HAVE TO LIFT IT ALL.

Neufeld: SO THIS IS \h\h\hTHE F1 ENGINE,

\h\h\h\h\hFIVE OF THESE GIGANTIC ROCKET ENGINES

POWERED THE SATURN V’S \h\h\h\h\hFIRST STAGE.

EACH ONE PRODUCED A MILLION AND A HALF POUNDS OF THRUST.

TOGETHER 7.5 MILLION \h\hPOUNDS OF THRUST

\h\hWAS NEEDED TO LIFT A VEHICLE THAT WAS OVER 6.2 MILLION POUNDS

OFF THE LAUNCH PAD.

\h\h\h\hTHAT’S A BIG, CONTROLLED EXPLOSION.

IF ONE OF THOSE ENGINES FAILED

OR IF IT RAN INTO THE LAUNCH TOWER,

THE SATURN V COULD BLOW UP WITH A FORCE OF A SMALL NUCLEAR BOMB.

IT WAS THE FIRST LAUNCH

SINCE THE ASTRONAUTS DIED \h\hIN A LAUNCH PAD FIRE,

AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL \h\hTHAT EVERYTHING GO RIGHT.

Narrator: ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT \h\h\h\hIS CALLED APOLLO 4.

THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ARE THOUGHT TO BE SAFE, THREE MILES AWAY.

\h\h\h\h\h\hMan on radio: T-MINUS 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Narrator: WATER SHOOTS \hONTO THE LAUNCH PAD.

Barry: IF THEY DIDN’T POUR WATER OVER THE CONCRETE

ON THE LAUNCH PAD,

THE SOUND WAVES FROM THE ENGINE

WOULD HAVE REFLECTED \hOFF THE CONCRETE,

BOUNCED BACK UP,

AND DESTROYED THE BOTTOM OF THE ROCKET AND BLOWN IT UP.

Man on radio: IGNITION.

[ROARING]

[ROARING]

Narrator: THE FORCE OF FIRE \h\h\hRIPS THROUGH THE AIR.

\h\h\h\h\hBarry: AS THE ROCKET’S ACCELERATING OFF THE LAUNCH PAD,

IT’S BASICALLY TEARING \h\h\h\hTHE AIR APART.

YOU KIND OF HEAR THIS SORT OF RIPPING SOUND.

[ROARING]

Narrator: THE F1 ENGINES \h\h\h\h\h\hARE GUZZLING

15 TONS OF LIQUID FUEL \h\h\h\h\hPER SECOND.

[RUMBLING]

Weitekamp: IT LUMBERED OFF \h\h\h\hOF THE LAUNCH PAD

\h\hBECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH MASS THERE.

[ROARING]

Narrator: THREE MILES AWAY,

THE PRESS TRAILERS SHAKE \h\hAS IF BY EARTHQUAKE.

Man: WE HAVE LIFT-OFF, \h\hWE HAVE LIFT-OFF.

Narrator: CEILING TILES FALL \h\hAROUND WALTER CRONKITE.

Cronkite: MY GOD, OUR BUILDING’S SHAKING HERE.

OUR BUILDING’S SHAKING!

\h\h\hOH, IT’S TERRIFIC, THE BUILDING’S SHAKING!

THIS BIG GLASS WINDOW \h\h\h\h\hIS SHAKING.

\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE SATURN V PICKS UP SPEED, STAYS ON TRACK,

AND LIFTS THE HOPES OF APOLLO \h\h\h\hINTO THE STRATOSPHERE.

Cronkite: LOOK AT THAT ROCKET GO INTO THE CLOUDS AT 3,000 FEET!

[ROARING]

THE ROAR IS TERRIFIC!

LOOK AT IT GOING!

Narrator: SPECTATORS SQUINT \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THE SKY

AS THE ROAR STILL RESONATES.

Weitekamp: SEEING SOMETHING \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT BIG GO UP

WAS AN ABSOLUTELY TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE.

Narrator: THE SATURN V SHEDS THE SPENT STAGES

HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE TEST IS A THUNDERING SUCCESS.

Chaikin: IT WAS A TREMENDOUS \hSHOT IN THE ARM FOR NASA.

IT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY \h\hFLAWLESS LAUNCH.

\h\hNarrator: WHEN THE COMMAND MODULE REACHES ITS HIGH POINT,

IT SENDS BACK A FEW POSTCARDS.

\hTHIS IS PLANET EARTH FROM MORE THAN 11,000 MILES AWAY,

THE FIRST COLOR SHOTS \hFROM THIS DISTANCE.

A FILM CAMERA ROLLS \h\h\hON AUTOMATIC.

NO HUMAN IS IN THE CAPSULE.

\hNO HUMAN HAS YET VENTURED THIS FAR.

\h\hBUT THE PLAN IS TO GO EVEN FARTHER.

PROJECT GEMINI SET THE STAGE.

\hBarry: AND WE GO FROM VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN SPACE

TO BEING VERY EXPERIENCED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN SPACE

\h\h\hAND BEING ABLE TO GET TO THE MOON.

Narrator: APOLLO 1 \h\hSET THEM BACK.

Weitekamp: IT REALLY WAS \h\hA DEVASTATING BLOW.

Narrator: BUT THE SATURN V

BEGINS TO DIG NASA OUT OF THE ASHES.

\h\hChaikin: IT WAS A REALLY BRIGHT SPOT

AT THE END OF A VERY DARK YEAR.

THE CALENDAR NOW TURNS TO 1968.

[GUNFIRE]

IT WILL BE DIVISIVE.

[JET ROARING]

TUMULTUOUS.

[SHOUTING]

RIOTOUS.

[SHOUTING]

AND THREE MEN WILL EMBARK \hON A VOYAGE FOR THE AGES

AND PUT IT ALL IN THEIR \h\h\hREAR VIEW MIRROR.

APOLLO’S MOON SHOT IS ON THE HORIZON.