1 00:00:04,467 --> 00:00:10,467 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:18,701 --> 00:00:20,901 - HI, FOLKS. WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD." 3 00:00:20,901 --> 00:00:22,734 I'M YOUR HOST, VINCE WHITFIELD. 4 00:00:22,734 --> 00:00:24,601 THE YEAR WAS 1969. 5 00:00:24,601 --> 00:00:26,133 THE ANTICIPATION WAS HIGH. 6 00:00:26,133 --> 00:00:28,334 THE IMPOSSIBLE HAD BECOME POSSIBLE. 7 00:00:28,334 --> 00:00:32,033 THE WORLD WAS UNITED WITH A FOOTSTEP AND A SINGLE PHRASE. 8 00:00:32,033 --> 00:00:34,901 - THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, 9 00:00:34,901 --> 00:00:38,734 ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND. 10 00:00:38,734 --> 00:00:41,200 - ON JULY 16, 1969, 11 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,000 THE APOLLO 11 MISSION LIFTED OFF 12 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,601 FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 13 00:00:44,601 --> 00:00:46,734 CARRYING ASTRONAUTS NEIL ARMSTRONG, 14 00:00:46,734 --> 00:00:48,334 EDWIN "BUZZ" ALDRIN, 15 00:00:48,334 --> 00:00:49,934 AND MICHAEL COLLINS ON WHAT WOULD BECOME 16 00:00:49,934 --> 00:00:53,100 ONE OF THE BIGGEST ENGINEERING FEATS OF ALL TIME, 17 00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:55,567 HUMANS SETTING FOOT ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. 18 00:00:55,567 --> 00:00:59,033 ON JULY 20, 1969, JUST FOUR DAYS LATER, 19 00:00:59,033 --> 00:01:01,701 THE LUNAR MODULE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE EAGLE, 20 00:01:01,701 --> 00:01:03,567 BEGAN ITS DESCENT ONTO THE MOON. 21 00:01:03,567 --> 00:01:06,367 ASTRONAUTS ARMSTRONG AND ALDRIN QUICKLY REALIZED 22 00:01:06,367 --> 00:01:07,901 THEY WERE PASSING LUNAR LANDMARKS 23 00:01:07,901 --> 00:01:09,534 ABOUT FOUR SECONDS EARLY, 24 00:01:09,534 --> 00:01:10,834 WHICH MEANT THE EAGLE WOULD LAND 25 00:01:10,834 --> 00:01:13,400 KILOMETERS WEST OF ITS TARGETED LANDING POINT. 26 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,667 THE NEW LANDING SPOT WAS GOING TO PUT THEM ON THE EDGE 27 00:01:15,667 --> 00:01:17,267 OF A HUGE CRATER. 28 00:01:17,267 --> 00:01:18,467 TO COMPLICATE THINGS, 29 00:01:18,467 --> 00:01:20,367 THE LUNAR MODULE'S NAVIGATION COMPUTER 30 00:01:20,367 --> 00:01:23,968 SOUNDED SEVERAL UNUSUAL ALARMS, DISTRACTING THE CREW. 31 00:01:23,968 --> 00:01:25,200 AN OVERLOAD HAD OCCURRED 32 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,367 WHEN TWO RADAR SYSTEMS WERE POWERED UP, 33 00:01:27,367 --> 00:01:29,767 CAUSING THE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO GO HAYWIRE. 34 00:01:29,767 --> 00:01:32,367 SO NEIL ARMSTRONG TOOK SEMIAUTOMATIC CONTROL 35 00:01:32,367 --> 00:01:34,067 OF THE MODULE'S AUTO-DESCENT. 36 00:01:34,067 --> 00:01:37,334 WITH BUZZ ALDRIN CALLING OUT VELOCITY DATA AND ALTITUDE, 37 00:01:37,334 --> 00:01:39,501 THE EAGLE SAFELY LANDED ON THE MOON'S SURFACE, 38 00:01:39,501 --> 00:01:42,067 WITH A MERE 25 SECONDS OF FUEL LEFT. 39 00:01:42,067 --> 00:01:45,367 THE APOLLO 11 CREW TOUCHED DOWN IN THE SEA OF TRANQUILLITY, 40 00:01:45,367 --> 00:01:47,968 A RELATIVELY SMOOTH AND LEVEL AREA-- 41 00:01:47,968 --> 00:01:50,601 AT LEAST FOR THE MOON-- ON THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. 42 00:01:50,601 --> 00:01:52,968 I CAN SEE THE PUZZLED LOOKS ON SOME OF YOUR FACES: 43 00:01:52,968 --> 00:01:54,934 "SEA" OF TRANQUILITY? 44 00:01:54,934 --> 00:01:57,033 ACTUALLY, THE NAME IS TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN 45 00:01:57,033 --> 00:01:58,701 "MARE TRANQUILLITATIS." 46 00:01:58,701 --> 00:02:00,133 THESE LARGE DARK AREAS OF THE MOON 47 00:02:00,133 --> 00:02:02,167 HAD MISTAKENLY BEEN NAMED SEAS 48 00:02:02,167 --> 00:02:05,133 BECAUSE THEY LOOKED LIKE LARGE BODIES OF WATER FROM EARTH. 49 00:02:05,133 --> 00:02:07,567 THE NAME STUCK, EVEN AFTER EARLY PICTURES OF THE MOON 50 00:02:07,567 --> 00:02:09,701 SHOWED NO WATER ON THE ROCKY SURFACE. 51 00:02:09,701 --> 00:02:13,200 A MARE IS KIND OF LIKE A FLAT PLAIN HERE ON EARTH. 52 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,767 AND THIS SITE HAD BEEN CAREFULLY CHOSEN 53 00:02:14,767 --> 00:02:16,667 OVER A HOST OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES. 54 00:02:16,667 --> 00:02:18,868 WITH RELATIVELY FEW CRATERS AND BOULDERS, 55 00:02:18,868 --> 00:02:20,267 ALLOWING FOR AN EASY DESCENT, 56 00:02:20,267 --> 00:02:23,033 AND NO LARGE HILLS, HIGH CLIFFS, OR DEEP CRATERS 57 00:02:23,033 --> 00:02:25,767 THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE LUNAR MODULE LANDING RADAR, 58 00:02:25,767 --> 00:02:27,667 THE SITE SEEMED A GOOD CHOICE. 59 00:02:27,667 --> 00:02:30,400 AND THE RESULTING IMAGES WERE BREATHTAKING. 60 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,834 AFTER THE MOON LANDING CAME THE MOST EXCITING MOMENT, 61 00:02:36,834 --> 00:02:38,334 WHEN NEIL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN 62 00:02:38,334 --> 00:02:40,667 BECAME THE FIRST HUMANS TO WALK ON A PLANETARY BODY 63 00:02:40,667 --> 00:02:42,167 OTHER THAN EARTH. 64 00:02:42,167 --> 00:02:44,300 ALTHOUGH THE FIRST MOON WALK WASN'T SCHEDULED TO OCCUR 65 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:46,567 UNTIL JULY 21, 1969, 66 00:02:46,567 --> 00:02:49,000 A DAY AFTER THE ASTRONAUTS HAD LANDED ON THE MOON, 67 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,834 THE EXCITED TEAM, UNABLE TO SLEEP 68 00:02:50,834 --> 00:02:52,801 AND FEELING NO ILL EFFECTS FROM THEIR LANDING, 69 00:02:52,801 --> 00:02:55,334 TOOK THAT FIRST LEAP OF FAITH ON JULY 20th 70 00:02:55,334 --> 00:02:58,434 AT 10:56 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME. 71 00:02:58,434 --> 00:02:59,868 IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE IMAGES 72 00:02:59,868 --> 00:03:01,834 OF MANKIND'S FIRST STEP ON THE MOON, 73 00:03:01,834 --> 00:03:05,000 ARMSTRONG PULLED A SPECIAL RING THAT AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOYED 74 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,501 THE TELEVISION CAMERA. 75 00:03:06,501 --> 00:03:09,400 ARMSTRONG LATER REPORTED THAT THEY HAD VERY LITTLE TROUBLE, 76 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,934 IN FACT, MUCH LESS TROUBLE THAN THEY EXPECTED AFTER LANDING. 77 00:03:11,934 --> 00:03:14,634 BECAUSE LITTLE WAS KNOWN ABOUT THE SURFACE OF THE MOON, 78 00:03:14,634 --> 00:03:16,801 THE ASTRONAUTS DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT 79 00:03:16,801 --> 00:03:18,367 WHEN THEY MADE THAT FIRST STEP. 80 00:03:18,367 --> 00:03:20,968 WOULD THEY SINK IN SOFT DIRT UP TO THEIR KNEES? 81 00:03:20,968 --> 00:03:22,667 WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO MOVE EASILY? 82 00:03:22,667 --> 00:03:23,968 THEY WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED 83 00:03:23,968 --> 00:03:26,367 TO FIND ONLY A FEW CENTIMETERS OF DUSTY SOIL 84 00:03:26,367 --> 00:03:28,267 ON TOP OF A HARD SURFACE. 85 00:03:28,267 --> 00:03:30,534 AND BY LEARNING TO USE WHAT ALDRIN WOULD LATER CALL 86 00:03:30,534 --> 00:03:33,634 A "STANDARD LOPING TECHNIQUE OF ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER" 87 00:03:33,634 --> 00:03:36,234 AND PLANNING THEIR STEPS BEFORE ACTUALLY TAKING THEM, 88 00:03:36,234 --> 00:03:38,000 MOVING ACROSS THE LUNAR LANDSCAPE 89 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,534 WASN'T AS HARD AS THEY HAD ANTICIPATED EITHER. 90 00:03:40,534 --> 00:03:42,934 BUT IT WASN'T JUST A CASUAL STROLL THROUGH IN THE PARK-- 91 00:03:42,934 --> 00:03:44,300 OR RATHER, THE MOON. 92 00:03:44,300 --> 00:03:45,534 THE CREW HAD A TIMELINE 93 00:03:45,534 --> 00:03:48,033 AND SEVERAL IMPORTANT TASKS TO COMPLETE. 94 00:03:48,033 --> 00:03:49,567 ONE OF THEIR MOON-WALKING MISSIONS 95 00:03:49,567 --> 00:03:51,367 INCLUDED COLLECTING LUNAR SAMPLES, 96 00:03:51,367 --> 00:03:54,300 AND THE CREW COLLECTED ABOUT 21 KILOGRAMS' WORTH. 97 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:56,100 ANOTHER MISSION FOR THE APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS 98 00:03:56,100 --> 00:03:57,634 WAS TO PERFORM EXPERIMENTS, 99 00:03:57,634 --> 00:03:59,601 SO THEY DUG THEIR HEELS INTO THE MOON DUST 100 00:03:59,601 --> 00:04:01,868 AND GOT STARTED ON SOME SCIENCE. 101 00:04:01,868 --> 00:04:03,367 THE SOIL MECHANICS INVESTIGATION 102 00:04:03,367 --> 00:04:05,868 STUDIED THE PROPERTIES OF LUNAR SOIL INFORMATION, 103 00:04:05,868 --> 00:04:08,234 WHICH AIDED IN FUTURE APOLLO MISSIONS. 104 00:04:08,234 --> 00:04:10,968 THE CREW HAD A LIMITED TIME TO WORK ON THE LUNAR SURFACE, 105 00:04:10,968 --> 00:04:12,767 SO SOME EXPERIMENTS WERE SIMPLY DEPLOYED 106 00:04:12,767 --> 00:04:15,701 AND THEN LATER MONITORED FROM EARTH BY RADIO TELEMETRY. 107 00:04:15,701 --> 00:04:18,434 THE LASER RANGING RETROREFLECTOR WAS ANOTHER EXPERIMENT 108 00:04:18,434 --> 00:04:20,534 THAT ENABLED SCIENTISTS TO ACCURATELY MEASURE 109 00:04:20,534 --> 00:04:22,667 THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EARTH AND MOON, 110 00:04:22,667 --> 00:04:27,601 WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS AN AVERAGE OF 384,403 KILOMETERS 111 00:04:27,601 --> 00:04:30,267 FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH TO THE CENTER OF THE MOON. 112 00:04:30,267 --> 00:04:32,167 THE LUNAR DUST DETECTOR WAS AN EXPERIMENT 113 00:04:32,167 --> 00:04:34,701 THAT WAS DEPLOYED TO SEE HOW MUCH LUNAR DUST ACCUMULATED 114 00:04:34,701 --> 00:04:36,701 ON THE OTHER EXPERIMENTS OVER TIME 115 00:04:36,701 --> 00:04:38,801 AND HOW RADIATION AFFECTED THEM. 116 00:04:38,801 --> 00:04:40,968 THIS WAS CONSIDERED MORE OF AN ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT 117 00:04:40,968 --> 00:04:42,634 RATHER THAN A SCIENCE ONE. 118 00:04:42,634 --> 00:04:46,801 DURING THEIR 21 HOUR, 38 MINUTE, AND 21 SECOND VISIT TO THE MOON, 119 00:04:46,801 --> 00:04:48,968 THE TWO MEN SPENT JUST 2 1/2 HOURS 120 00:04:48,968 --> 00:04:50,667 WALKING ON THE LUNAR SURFACE, 121 00:04:50,667 --> 00:04:53,601 AND WHEN THEIR TIME WAS UP, IT WAS TIME FOR A LUNAR LIFTOFF. 122 00:04:53,601 --> 00:04:55,334 BEFORE LEAVING THE LUNAR SURFACE, 123 00:04:55,334 --> 00:04:57,400 BUZZ ALDRIN TOSSED INTO THE MOON DUST 124 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,968 A TINY CLOTH SACK CONTAINING A GOLD REPLICA 125 00:04:59,968 --> 00:05:02,968 OF AN OLIVE BRANCH, AN APOLLO 1 MISSION PATCH, 126 00:05:02,968 --> 00:05:06,033 AND A SILICON DISC INSIDE AN ALUMINUM CAPSULE. 127 00:05:06,033 --> 00:05:07,868 ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR, 128 00:05:07,868 --> 00:05:10,567 THE DISC CONTAINED MESSAGES OF PEACE AND GOODWILL 129 00:05:10,567 --> 00:05:13,801 FROM LEADERS AND RESPECTED PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. 130 00:05:13,801 --> 00:05:15,434 ALSO LEFT BEHIND, 131 00:05:15,434 --> 00:05:17,734 AN AMERICAN FLAG AND THIS PLAQUE. 132 00:05:17,734 --> 00:05:20,701 IT SAYS, "HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH 133 00:05:20,701 --> 00:05:24,734 "FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON JULY 1969 A.D. 134 00:05:24,734 --> 00:05:27,000 WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND." 135 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,167 AND SO HISTORY WAS MADE. 136 00:05:29,167 --> 00:05:30,734 THANKS FOR WATCHING "NASA LAUNCHPAD." 137 00:05:30,734 --> 00:05:32,000 I'M VINCE WHITFIELD. 138 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,133 UNTIL NEXT TIME, CHEERS.