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NARRATOR:
As Apollo 11 embarked
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on mankind's bold adventure
to land on the Moon...
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...the world's hopes and dreams
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hung on the actions
of its three-man crew,
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especially commander
Neil Armstrong.
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With the skills
that had made him
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one of America's
finest aviators,
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Armstrong marked his place in
history with these famous words.
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NEIL ARMSTRONG:
That's one small step for Man,
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one giant leap for mankind.
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NARRATOR:
But what was it that had brought
him to this historic moment?
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Armstrong had climbed to the
pinnacle of his profession...
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Tested in combat
in the skies over Korea...
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Reaching to the limit
of the atmosphere
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as an elite test pilot,
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and on into space,
where his cool head saved lives.
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And finally, accepting
a life-long mantle of fame
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that didn't always
sit well with him.
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ANDREW CHAIKIN:
We ask a lot of our heroes.
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We put a burden on them.
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We put a burden on Neil
Armstrong that he didn't enjoy.
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NARRATOR:
So who was Neil Armstrong?
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His story now told by those
who lived, loved and worked
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with the "First Man
on the Moon,"
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up next on NOVA.
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Major funding for NOVA
is provided by the following:
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It's one of the most amazing
things we build,
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Supporting NOVA and promoting
public understanding of science.
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And the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting,
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and by PBS viewers like you.
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to achieving the goal
before this decade is out
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of landing a man on the Moon
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and returning him safely
to the Earth.
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NARRATOR:
When President John F. Kennedy
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articulated this bold vision
in 1961,
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he pinned American technological
supremacy and national pride
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on winning a race to the Moon.
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The stakes were huge.
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ANDREW CHAIKIN:
It staggers the imagination,
frankly,
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and there were plenty of people
even within NASA
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who thought that Kennedy
had lost his sanity.
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NARRATOR:
Incredibly,
just eight years later,
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three men were poised to achieve
the President's goal.
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In command was Neil Armstrong.
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ARMSTRONG:
We the crew of Apollo 11
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are privileged to represent
the United States
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in our first attempt to take man
to another heavenly body.
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NARRATOR:
At 38 years old,
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Armstrong was at the pinnacle
of an impressive flying career.
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An innate steadiness along with
exceptional aviation skills
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had seen him
through the Korean War,
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allowed him to master
the most unforgiving aircraft
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as a test pilot,
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and brought a crippled
spacecraft safely back to Earth.
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Now his ability as a pilot would
be put to the ultimate test:
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attempting a landing
on the Moon.
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NARRATOR:
As the world held its breath,
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and with only seconds
of fuel remaining,
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Neil Armstrong guided
his fragile craft
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towards the surface
of an alien world.
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He was about to complete
a journey
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that for him had begun
more than 30 years before,
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when he had first taken flight
as a young boy.
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Born here in Wapakoneta, Ohio,
on August 5, 1930,
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Neil Armstrong's love affair
with flying began early,
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as his childhood friend recalls.
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KOTCHO SOLACOFF:
When he was like five years old,
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his father took him
on an airplane ride,
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on a Trimotor.
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Dad got sick, but Neil
just absolutely loved it.
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NARRATOR:
The mid-1930s was a golden age
of flight in America,
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and like many other
young children,
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Neil's first taste
of being airborne
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left a lasting impression.
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DEAN ARMSTRONG:
This was the start,
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and the feeling
of being airborne,
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and actually flying
like a bird.
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It kindled his inspiration
to fly.
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He absolutely loved everything
about flight.
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He would have three or four
model airplane projects
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going on all the time:
mostly gliders,
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then he got into
the rubber band type,
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and he just kept building
bigger and bigger ones
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and better ones.
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We both made models early,
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and of course our desire then,
as it was later in our careers,
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was to make these things
go higher and faster.
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And my solution
to higher and faster was
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you took a couple of extra turns
on the rubber band.
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Neil's solution:
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he built a wind tunnel!
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DEAN ARMSTRONG:
When we were ready for the test,
he said, "Go get Mom."
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I said, "Neil wants you
to see something,"
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and he turned it on.
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And all of a sudden
the house shook,
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and I mean the house
really shook.
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(fan blowing loudly)
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COLLINS:
How many kids could build a wind
tunnel in their basement?
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Not any that I know,
except Neil.
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(bombs exploding)
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NARRATOR:
Neil's infatuation with flying
was fueled
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as America entered the Second
World War in December 1941.
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He devoured the daring exploits
of Allied pilots
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portrayed in popular
wartime magazines.
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ey inspired him,
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and at just 15 years old,
he learned to fly.
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DEAN ARMSTRONG:
He had his pilot's license
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before he had
his driver's license.
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NARRATOR:
During the war,
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developments in aviation
were moving fast.
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After 1945, propeller planes
were starting to be replaced
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by aircraft powered by jet
and rocket engines.
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Then came an event
that shook the aviation world.
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Chuck Yeager
breaking the speed of sound
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in his Bell X-1 Rocket plane
in 1947
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coincided with an ominous turn
in East-West relations.
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And the implications for
Armstrong would prove profound.
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Eager to pursue a career
in aeronautical engineering,
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Armstrong won a Navy scholarship
to study the subject
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and enrolled
at Purdue University.
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But his studies
were soon interrupted
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as the Cold War
began to heat up.
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SOLACOFF:
At the end of his second year,
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which would have been 1950,
the Korean War started.
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NARRATOR:
Backed by Communist China,
North Korea invaded South Korea.
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When America responded by
scrambling its armed forces,
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Armstrong found himself at war.
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He was 20 years old.
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He joined
Naval Fighter Squadron VF-51
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on the aircraft carrier
USS Essex.
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There was a lot to learn,
and fast,
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as he recalls
in this audio interview.
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ARMSTRONG:
We had to come carrier-qualified
in the jet aircraft.
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Doing a lot of practice
with weapons delivery,
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instrument flying and so on.
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I was very young, very green.
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NARRATOR:
But Armstrong quickly mastered
carrier flying,
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one of aviation's
most challenging jobs,
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and was soon showing his skill
in combat.
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SOLACOFF:
One of his jobs
was to dive-bomb
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and blow up bridges
and railroads.
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And he said that the North
Koreans strung up wires.
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NARRATOR:
For low-flying pilots,
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anti-aircraft cables
we an ever-present danger.
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They were hard to spot,
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00:10:01,368 --> 00:10:03,368
even for the sharp-eyed
Armstrong.
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(explosions)
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ARMSTRONG:
I actually ran through a cable,
an anti-aircraft cable,
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and knocked off about six
or eight feet of my right wing.
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NARRATOR:
Battling to keep control,
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Armstrong needed to think fast
and react quickly.
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SOLACOFF:
As long as he could keep
a certain speed,
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he could stay up,
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but as soon as he slowed down,
the plane would drop,
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so he knew that he could not
land on the aircraft carrier.
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He'd have to bail out.
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NARRATOR:
This close shave revealed
Armstrong's uncanny ability
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to always remain calm
under pressure.
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DEAN ARMSTRONG:
He never showed any fear
or anything
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involving his close calls.
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He really loved
what he was doing.
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It was a very meaningful time
for him.
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NARRATOR:
The Korean War
sharpened the skills
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of many young pilots,
including Armstrong.
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He'd flown 78 missions
by the age of 22.
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He returned to Purdue in 1952,
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where he received his degree
and found a wife.
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JANET ARMSTRONG:
Oh, I met him at Purdue.
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He told someone that I was
the one he was going to marry,
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but he never asked me out
until he had graduated.
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We were married in January 1956.
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And after that, in May,
we went up to the desert.
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NARRATOR:
Here at Edwards Air Force Base
in California,
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Armstrong would become
a test pilot.
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Edwards was the mecca
for America's elite aviators.
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But the work wasn't
for the faint-hearted.
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It required a cool head,
quick thinking
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and the ability to understand
how an untested machine
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would react
in an untried environment.
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Honing these skills
would make test pilots
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top contenders
for future space missions,
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and Armstrong was no exception.
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ARMSTRONG:
We were out at the edges
of the flight envelope
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all the time, testing limits.
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If memory serves,
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there were 17 aircraft,
pretty much all different.
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A lot of X airplanes
and fighters,
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a B-47, a couple of B-29s,
all kinds of exotic aircraft.
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Then as they became
more confident in my abilities,
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they gave me more and more jobs,
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and I did a lot of different
test programs in those days.
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CHAIKIN:
The kinds of flying
that he did at Edwards
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00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,054
really put him in the elite top
of the test-flying fraternity.
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NARRATOR:
But one machine at Edwards
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pushed Armstrong higher
and faster than any other...
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00:13:19,533 --> 00:13:21,332
the X-15.
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ARMSTRONG:
Heading uphill
at 33,000 feet...
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The X-15 was literally
crossing the boundary
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00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,040
from aviation into space flight,
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00:13:29,042 --> 00:13:34,145
and it was an incredibly
demanding vehicle to fly.
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NARRATOR:
Half-plane, half-spacecraft,
the rocket-powered X-15
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was the cutting edge
of aviation technology.
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It flew at hypersonic speeds,
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00:13:44,825 --> 00:13:47,492
more than six times faster
than sound,
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soaring over 50 miles
in altitude.
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00:13:51,298 --> 00:13:55,867
It still holds the record
of the fastest plane ever flown.
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COLLINS:
The X-15 was absolutely
the top of the line.
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It was a whole supersonic zone
above the rest of us,
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00:14:04,277 --> 00:14:07,278
and therefore,
all the people who flew the X-15
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00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:11,850
were held in the highest regard
by the rest of us peasants.
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00:14:11,852 --> 00:14:14,886
Neil of course
was one of that group.
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ARMSTRONG:
That was a very
exciting program.
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00:14:18,425 --> 00:14:20,725
Challenging goals.
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00:14:20,727 --> 00:14:22,360
I think it was certainly
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00:14:22,362 --> 00:14:26,097
one of the memorable parts
of my life.
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00:14:26,099 --> 00:14:28,433
NARRATOR:
One flight almost got
the better of him.
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00:14:35,041 --> 00:14:39,277
ARMSTRONG:
I got the nose
up above the horizon,
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00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:44,249
and I found I was actually,
you know,
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00:14:44,251 --> 00:14:46,251
skipping outside the atmosphere.
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I had no aerodynamic controls.
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NARRATOR:
Soaring out of the atmosphere
at almost a mile a second,
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00:14:53,827 --> 00:14:57,228
Armstrong was unable
to keep control.
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ARMSTRONG:
What I couldn't do is
get back down in the atmosphere.
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00:15:02,602 --> 00:15:05,737
I pulled over and pulled down,
but it wasn't going down
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00:15:05,739 --> 00:15:07,839
because there was no air
to bite into.
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00:15:07,841 --> 00:15:10,909
So I just had to wait
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00:15:10,911 --> 00:15:14,379
until I got back in
with enough air
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00:15:14,381 --> 00:15:19,817
to have aerodynamic control
and some lift on the wings
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00:15:19,819 --> 00:15:23,121
and immediately started
making a turn back.
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CHAIKIN:
He's the essence
of the engineering test pilot,
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00:15:27,260 --> 00:15:29,494
and what that carries with it
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00:15:29,496 --> 00:15:33,564
is an intensity,
a focus like you can't imagine.
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NARRATOR:
The X-15 further challenged
and sharpened
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00:15:43,843 --> 00:15:45,576
Armstrong's flying ability.
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00:15:45,578 --> 00:15:51,015
But his young family also
faced challenges at Edwards.
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00:15:53,453 --> 00:15:54,752
It was totally different,
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00:15:54,754 --> 00:15:56,654
foreign to anything
I'd ever known in my life.
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00:15:59,392 --> 00:16:01,859
That's where we lived
when Rick was born,
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00:16:01,861 --> 00:16:06,931
and then shortly thereafter,
Karen.
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00:16:06,933 --> 00:16:13,304
NARRATOR:
In 1961, aged two,
Karen fell seriously ill.
241
00:16:13,306 --> 00:16:15,073
Karen was a precious thing,
242
00:16:15,075 --> 00:16:18,476
and she developed a tumor
in her brain.
243
00:16:18,478 --> 00:16:22,113
And, um...
244
00:16:22,115 --> 00:16:24,615
We could not save her.
245
00:16:24,617 --> 00:16:29,253
DEAN ARMSTRONG:
The death of Karen
really hurt him.
246
00:16:29,255 --> 00:16:33,091
It was the only time
that I'd ever seen him
247
00:16:33,093 --> 00:16:35,026
really, really hurt.
248
00:16:35,028 --> 00:16:37,128
Couldn't talk about it.
249
00:16:37,130 --> 00:16:41,933
NARRATOR:
Despite his loss,
to all outward appearances,
250
00:16:41,935 --> 00:16:46,904
Armstrong remained focused
on his duties as a test pilot.
251
00:16:46,906 --> 00:16:50,308
But beyond the skies at Edwards,
the Space Race was on...
252
00:16:58,685 --> 00:17:01,686
Opening up an entirely new set
of opportunities.
253
00:17:03,223 --> 00:17:06,057
Liftoff,
and the clock has started!
254
00:17:06,059 --> 00:17:08,292
NARRATOR:
America's manned space program
255
00:17:08,294 --> 00:17:11,362
began with Project Mercury
in 1961:
256
00:17:11,364 --> 00:17:17,402
six short flights, each carrying
a single astronaut.
257
00:17:21,207 --> 00:17:24,409
But to meet
President Kennedy's challenge
258
00:17:24,411 --> 00:17:27,879
of landing a man on the Moon
by the end of the decade,
259
00:17:27,881 --> 00:17:30,915
NASA would require
more astronauts.
260
00:17:32,752 --> 00:17:34,819
CHAIKIN:
When NASA was looking,
261
00:17:34,821 --> 00:17:38,189
you know, Neil Armstrong
was at the top of their list
262
00:17:38,191 --> 00:17:39,424
because he'd had
263
00:17:39,426 --> 00:17:41,592
all of that flight test
experience at Edwards,
264
00:17:41,594 --> 00:17:43,561
and that just made him
incredibly attractive
265
00:17:43,563 --> 00:17:48,166
to the Astronaut
Selection Group.
266
00:17:48,168 --> 00:17:52,270
Curiously, the Milwaukee Journal
gave me a call.
267
00:17:52,272 --> 00:17:55,239
And they said,
268
00:17:55,241 --> 00:18:01,012
"I understand your brother is
one of the newest astronauts."
269
00:18:01,014 --> 00:18:02,213
I was...
270
00:18:02,215 --> 00:18:04,415
I think I was speechless.
271
00:18:08,922 --> 00:18:13,591
NARRATOR:
Along with Janet, Rick
and a new son, Mark,
272
00:18:13,593 --> 00:18:15,793
Neil began a new life
in Houston,
273
00:18:15,795 --> 00:18:19,931
the home of America's
manned space program.
274
00:18:19,933 --> 00:18:21,499
It was a nice house.
275
00:18:21,501 --> 00:18:22,867
You know, we had a pool.
276
00:18:22,869 --> 00:18:25,870
Because it was Houston,
because it was often very hot,
277
00:18:25,872 --> 00:18:27,939
there was a lot of swimming.
278
00:18:31,411 --> 00:18:35,279
NARRATOR:
The neighborhood was buzzing
with trainee astronauts.
279
00:18:35,281 --> 00:18:37,281
BUZZ ALDRIN:
There was this guy
280
00:18:37,283 --> 00:18:38,883
in the backyard,
281
00:18:38,885 --> 00:18:42,453
in front of the garage
where there's a lot of cement,
282
00:18:42,455 --> 00:18:46,424
and here's this guy
roller skating.
283
00:18:46,426 --> 00:18:49,260
I said, "Who's that?"
284
00:18:49,262 --> 00:18:51,863
They said, "Oh,
that's Neil Armstrong."
285
00:18:58,838 --> 00:19:03,274
NARRATOR:
By 1964, NASA's blueprint
to reach the Moon
286
00:19:03,276 --> 00:19:04,909
was taking shape,
287
00:19:04,911 --> 00:19:07,912
as this animated film
of the time shows.
288
00:19:07,914 --> 00:19:12,016
It was called Project Apollo.
289
00:19:12,018 --> 00:19:16,687
The plan went like this:
290
00:19:16,689 --> 00:19:20,024
guzzling 15 tons of fuel
a second at launch,
291
00:19:20,026 --> 00:19:22,627
the giant Saturn V rocket would
send the Apollo spacecraft,
292
00:19:22,629 --> 00:19:27,798
both the Command
and Lunar Module, into space.
293
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,200
After about 69 hours,
294
00:19:29,202 --> 00:19:31,669
they go into orbit
around the Moon.
295
00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:35,139
NARRATOR:
Once there,
the spacecraft undock.
296
00:19:35,141 --> 00:19:37,008
The command module
remains in orbit
297
00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:40,344
while the lunar module
attempts the landing.
298
00:19:42,015 --> 00:19:44,215
After exploring the surface,
299
00:19:44,217 --> 00:19:49,187
the two astronauts rejoin
their companion in lunar orbit.
300
00:19:49,189 --> 00:19:53,391
Finally, they leave lunar orbit
and make the trip back to Earth.
301
00:19:53,393 --> 00:19:55,526
And the mission ends
with the Command Module
302
00:19:55,528 --> 00:19:57,562
re-entering
the Earth's atmosphere
303
00:19:57,564 --> 00:19:59,664
and splashing down
in the Pacific.
304
00:19:59,666 --> 00:20:04,135
NARRATOR:
It looked great on paper,
but could it work?
305
00:20:04,137 --> 00:20:09,407
Finding out was the task
of Project Gemini.
306
00:20:12,111 --> 00:20:14,845
CHAIKIN:
The demands of a lunar mission
were so great.
307
00:20:14,847 --> 00:20:17,982
You had to learn
how to rendezvous in space,
308
00:20:17,984 --> 00:20:20,251
you had to keep people
happy and healthy
309
00:20:20,253 --> 00:20:22,820
for up to two weeks in space,
310
00:20:22,822 --> 00:20:26,090
they had to be able to work
in the vacuum of space
311
00:20:26,092 --> 00:20:29,160
in a spacesuit,
a pressurized suit.
312
00:20:33,366 --> 00:20:36,867
CHAIKIN:
So Gemini was really the way
that NASA could learn
313
00:20:36,869 --> 00:20:39,270
to master these complexies
314
00:20:39,272 --> 00:20:41,372
in the relative safety
of low-Earth orbit.
315
00:20:41,374 --> 00:20:47,578
NARRATOR:
Armstrong's first space flight
was Gemini 8 in 1966,
316
00:20:47,580 --> 00:20:50,615
a daring mission to attempt
the first docking in space
317
00:20:50,617 --> 00:20:55,553
with an unmanned spacecraft
called Agena.
318
00:20:55,555 --> 00:20:58,956
His co-pilot was Dave Scott.
319
00:20:58,958 --> 00:21:01,525
DAVE SCOTT:
Well, yes, I mean, the whole
program depended on docking.
320
00:21:01,527 --> 00:21:04,795
Docking had to be proven
or we couldn't go to the Moon.
321
00:21:04,797 --> 00:21:08,332
So it was a criticalission,
yes.
322
00:21:08,334 --> 00:21:12,203
NARRATOR:
Squeezed into their
tight-fitting Gemini capsule,
323
00:21:12,205 --> 00:21:14,572
the pair prepared for launch.
324
00:21:14,574 --> 00:21:19,210
Neither of them knew
what lay in store.
325
00:21:19,212 --> 00:21:21,746
MISSION CONTROL:
Three, two, one, zero.
326
00:21:21,748 --> 00:21:25,549
We have ignition.
327
00:21:25,551 --> 00:21:27,652
And we have a lift-off
at three seconds.
328
00:21:27,654 --> 00:21:30,454
Three seconds.
329
00:21:30,456 --> 00:21:32,456
Neil Armstrong reports
the clock has started.
330
00:21:35,228 --> 00:21:39,297
Roll program is in,
Armstrong says.
331
00:21:39,299 --> 00:21:41,999
JANET ARMSTRONG:
Well, in our homes
during the flight,
332
00:21:42,001 --> 00:21:43,501
we had air-to-ground
communications.
333
00:21:43,503 --> 00:21:44,869
We called them the squawk box
334
00:21:44,871 --> 00:21:46,270
because it squawked
all the time.
335
00:21:46,272 --> 00:21:49,073
MISSION CONTROL:
Roger, we have staging.
336
00:21:49,075 --> 00:21:54,779
JANET ARMSTRONG:
When they talked air-to-ground,
you could update yourself.
337
00:21:54,781 --> 00:21:56,747
They started out just great.
338
00:21:56,749 --> 00:22:02,820
ARMSTRONG:
Okay, we've got a visual
on the Agena at 76 miles.
339
00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:05,156
MISSION CONTROL:
Roger, understand,
visual on the Agena at 76 miles.
340
00:22:05,158 --> 00:22:09,393
NARRATOR:
Their docking target,
the Agena rocket,
341
00:22:09,395 --> 00:22:12,129
had been launched
earlier that day.
342
00:22:18,104 --> 00:22:20,938
NARRATOR:
As Armstrong and Scott
343
00:22:20,940 --> 00:22:23,307
passed into the night side
of the Earth,
344
00:22:23,309 --> 00:22:24,608
they prepared for docking.
345
00:22:24,610 --> 00:22:27,111
MISSION CONTROL:
Okay, Gemini 8,
346
00:22:27,113 --> 00:22:29,013
you're looking good
on the ground.
347
00:22:29,015 --> 00:22:30,681
Go ahead and dock.
348
00:22:30,683 --> 00:22:32,350
SCOTT:
Neil eased it forward,
349
00:22:32,352 --> 00:22:33,884
and we moved right in.
350
00:22:40,860 --> 00:22:42,927
NARRATOR:
But within half an hour,
351
00:22:42,929 --> 00:22:45,463
Scott realized
there was something wrong.
352
00:22:45,465 --> 00:22:47,732
You're supposed to fly straight
and level like an airplane,
353
00:22:47,734 --> 00:22:51,602
but all of a sudden,
I noticed that we were tilted.
354
00:22:51,604 --> 00:22:53,504
NARRATOR:
They didn't know it,
355
00:22:53,506 --> 00:22:56,774
but a small maneuvering thruster
on their Gemini spacecraft
356
00:22:56,776 --> 00:23:00,378
had become stuck and was firing.
357
00:23:00,380 --> 00:23:03,748
ARMSTRONG:
We first suspected that
the Agena was the culprit.
358
00:23:03,750 --> 00:23:06,150
We were on the dark side
of the Earth,
359
00:23:06,152 --> 00:23:09,620
so we really didn't have
any outside reference.
360
00:23:09,622 --> 00:23:11,722
NARRATOR:
Out of contact with the ground,
361
00:23:11,724 --> 00:23:14,892
the astronauts struggled
to regain control.
362
00:23:14,894 --> 00:23:17,561
SCOTT:
So I said, "Neil,
we'd better get off."
363
00:23:17,563 --> 00:23:20,231
He said, "Yeah, we'd better get
off, let's prepare to undock."
364
00:23:22,568 --> 00:23:24,168
And he says, "Ready?"
365
00:23:24,170 --> 00:23:26,337
And I put my hand on the switch.
366
00:23:26,339 --> 00:23:27,738
Neil says, "Undock."
367
00:23:30,176 --> 00:23:32,843
And then things start
really moving.
368
00:23:41,821 --> 00:23:44,789
SCOTT:
Then we go into
a very rapid roll
369
00:23:44,791 --> 00:23:46,557
which was almost a tumble,
370
00:23:46,559 --> 00:23:49,794
and at that point we realized
that it wasn't the Agena,
371
00:23:49,796 --> 00:23:51,529
it must be the Gemini.
372
00:23:51,531 --> 00:23:56,400
JANET ARMSTRONG:
They were spinning at maybe
a revolution per second.
373
00:23:56,402 --> 00:24:01,305
NARRATOR:
At home, a photographer from
Life magazine captured Janet
374
00:24:01,307 --> 00:24:04,508
as she listened
to the unfolding drama.
375
00:24:04,510 --> 00:24:07,211
JANET ARMSTRONG:
And there was
376
00:24:07,213 --> 00:24:09,780
a very strong concern
that they would black out.
377
00:24:09,782 --> 00:24:11,482
And that would be it.
378
00:24:11,484 --> 00:24:12,850
It woulde over.
379
00:24:16,155 --> 00:24:20,491
And then NASA
cut the squawk box.
380
00:24:20,493 --> 00:24:22,593
I didn't like that.
381
00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:26,363
So I went over to NASA,
382
00:24:26,365 --> 00:24:30,000
and I was refused entry.
383
00:24:34,607 --> 00:24:38,275
NARRATOR:
Back in orbit,
Armstrong kept his cool,
384
00:24:38,277 --> 00:24:40,978
figuring out his only
remaining option:
385
00:24:40,980 --> 00:24:42,980
disengage
all the maneuvering thrusters
386
00:24:42,982 --> 00:24:45,483
including the one that was stuck
387
00:24:45,485 --> 00:24:49,119
and use the re-entry thrusters
to counteract the tumbling
388
00:24:49,121 --> 00:24:53,190
and regain control
of the spacecraft.
389
00:24:53,192 --> 00:24:55,392
He had to reach
up above his head
390
00:24:55,394 --> 00:24:58,529
and throw switches
under this high-speed roll.
391
00:24:58,531 --> 00:25:00,431
That's amazing
that he was able to do that
392
00:25:00,433 --> 00:25:03,200
and he knew exactly
where the switches were,
393
00:25:03,202 --> 00:25:04,768
exactly which ones to throw.
394
00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:12,510
SCOTT:
I mean, the guy was brilliant.
395
00:25:12,512 --> 00:25:17,615
He knew the system so well
that he found the solution,
396
00:25:17,617 --> 00:25:21,118
he activated the solution
under extreme circumstances,
397
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:24,121
and I got to say
it was my lucky day
398
00:25:24,123 --> 00:25:27,725
to be flying
with Mr. Neil Armstrong.
399
00:25:33,032 --> 00:25:35,099
NARRATOR:
Activating
the re-entry thrusters
400
00:25:35,101 --> 00:25:38,369
meant aborting the mission,
401
00:25:38,371 --> 00:25:42,940
and a couple of hours later,
the crew splashed down
402
00:25:42,942 --> 00:25:44,375
in the South China Sea.
403
00:25:47,613 --> 00:25:49,847
Armstrong had cut short
the flight,
404
00:25:49,849 --> 00:25:53,083
but he'd saved their lives.
405
00:25:53,085 --> 00:25:55,319
JANET ARMSTRONG:
He landed and came home.
406
00:25:55,321 --> 00:25:58,088
You know, he's telling me
about the flight.
407
00:25:58,090 --> 00:26:00,658
We knew that they could have
lost their life,
408
00:26:00,660 --> 00:26:03,227
and you knew that anyway,
409
00:26:03,229 --> 00:26:05,896
so there's no point
in talking about it.
410
00:26:05,898 --> 00:26:07,965
You either do or you don't.
411
00:26:10,870 --> 00:26:14,538
That's the way it is, you know?
412
00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:19,677
CHAIKIN:
That was sort of NASA's
baptism of fire,
413
00:26:19,679 --> 00:26:22,246
because it was the first time
that astronauts
414
00:26:22,248 --> 00:26:26,917
had really come close to losing
their lives on a space flight.
415
00:26:26,919 --> 00:26:29,687
I don't think there's any doubt
416
00:26:29,689 --> 00:26:31,922
that the people who were running
the show in Houston
417
00:26:31,924 --> 00:26:34,925
saw Neil's performance
on Gemini 8
418
00:26:34,927 --> 00:26:37,928
as a real demonstration
419
00:26:37,930 --> 00:26:43,434
of what he was capable of
under pressure, in a crisis.
420
00:26:50,042 --> 00:26:53,210
NARRATOR:
The full risks
of the space program hit home
421
00:26:53,212 --> 00:26:55,946
less than a year later
in January 1967,
422
00:26:55,948 --> 00:26:59,316
when the Apollo 1 spacecraft
caught fire on the pad,
423
00:26:59,318 --> 00:27:02,152
killing its three-man crew:
424
00:27:02,154 --> 00:27:05,189
Gus Grissom, Ed White
and Roger Chaffee.
425
00:27:05,191 --> 00:27:08,292
Armstrong found himself
burying his friends.
426
00:27:10,663 --> 00:27:12,596
SCOTT:
Everybody's attitude
that I knew was,
427
00:27:12,598 --> 00:27:16,000
"This is a real disaster,
but we go on
428
00:27:16,002 --> 00:27:18,102
"because we know Gus
and Ed and Roger
429
00:27:18,104 --> 00:27:21,171
would want us to go on,
wouldn't want us to stop."
430
00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:38,389
NARRATOR:
Overhauling Apollo
took almost two years.
431
00:27:38,391 --> 00:27:41,291
Eager to make up for lost time,
432
00:27:41,293 --> 00:27:44,495
NASA launched
Apollos 7, 8, 9 and 10
433
00:27:44,497 --> 00:27:46,163
in quick succession.
434
00:27:50,269 --> 00:27:55,139
They were designed to rigorously
test every aspect of Apollo
435
00:27:55,141 --> 00:27:57,241
in Earth and lunar orbit.
436
00:28:02,114 --> 00:28:04,615
Armstrong's next trip into space
437
00:28:04,617 --> 00:28:07,451
hinged on the success
of these missions.
438
00:28:10,022 --> 00:28:11,689
NASA's flight roster
called for him
439
00:28:11,691 --> 00:28:14,158
to be back-up commander
of Apollo 8 in December 1968,
440
00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:19,029
and it placed him in line
to command Apollo 11.
441
00:28:19,031 --> 00:28:22,499
As it turned out,
this would be the first mission
442
00:28:22,501 --> 00:28:25,335
to attempt a landing
on the Moon.
443
00:28:25,337 --> 00:28:28,305
CHAIKIN:
Nobody thought that
all those preliminary flights
444
00:28:28,307 --> 00:28:30,374
would go as perfectly
as they did.
445
00:28:30,376 --> 00:28:32,409
And nobody would have predicted
446
00:28:32,411 --> 00:28:35,279
that you would arrive
at July 1969
447
00:28:35,281 --> 00:28:37,281
and Apollo 11 would actually be
448
00:28:37,283 --> 00:28:39,416
the first attempt
to land on the Moon.
449
00:28:42,254 --> 00:28:44,588
NARRATOR:
Joining Armstrong was Command
Module pilot Mike Collins.
450
00:28:44,590 --> 00:28:46,924
Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin
451
00:28:46,926 --> 00:28:51,028
would attempt the landing
with Neil.
452
00:28:51,030 --> 00:28:53,030
If all went well,
453
00:28:53,032 --> 00:28:56,633
Commander Armstrong
would be first out on the Moon.
454
00:28:56,635 --> 00:29:00,270
But in characteristic fashion,
he played it down.
455
00:29:02,908 --> 00:29:04,708
CHARLIE DUKE:
Neil's attitude is,
456
00:29:04,710 --> 00:29:06,877
"I'm not going to be number one
on the Moon."
457
00:29:06,879 --> 00:29:10,047
What I saw in his attitude was,
458
00:29:10,049 --> 00:29:11,949
"I'm training
to be the first one
459
00:29:11,951 --> 00:29:14,685
to attempt the landing
on the Moon."
460
00:29:14,687 --> 00:29:18,088
NARRATOR:
Landing on the Moon
461
00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:22,126
would be unlike anything
anyone had experienced.
462
00:29:22,128 --> 00:29:24,228
To get a feel of flying
in lunar gravity,
463
00:29:24,230 --> 00:29:27,231
Armstrong practiced in this--
464
00:29:27,233 --> 00:29:29,833
the Lunar Landing
Research Vehicle--
465
00:29:29,835 --> 00:29:34,772
affectionately called
the Flying Bedstead.
466
00:29:34,774 --> 00:29:37,341
CHAIKIN:
It was not the most stable
flying machine
467
00:29:37,343 --> 00:29:39,376
that you could ever step into.
468
00:29:39,378 --> 00:29:41,411
If you tilted too far over
469
00:29:41,413 --> 00:29:43,547
or if something happened
to the rocket engines,
470
00:29:43,549 --> 00:29:45,582
you'd fall out of the sky
and you'd be dead.
471
00:29:48,854 --> 00:29:51,155
SCOTT:
It was difficult to fly.
472
00:29:51,157 --> 00:29:52,856
But on the other hand,
473
00:29:52,858 --> 00:29:57,494
I think we all felt that
absolutely mandatory to be able
474
00:29:57,496 --> 00:30:00,230
to fly that type vehicle
before you go to the Moon.
475
00:30:00,232 --> 00:30:03,033
NARRATOR:
On one of Armstrong's flights,
476
00:30:03,035 --> 00:30:06,837
a failure of the fuel system
meant he lost control.
477
00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:10,874
He was lucky to escape
with his life.
478
00:30:16,582 --> 00:30:20,017
But he brushed it off
as if nothing had happened.
479
00:30:20,019 --> 00:30:23,453
CHAIKIN:
And that was so classic
Neil Armstrong,
480
00:30:23,455 --> 00:30:24,988
that he wasn't gonna let that
481
00:30:24,990 --> 00:30:26,657
get in the way
of the rest of his day.
482
00:30:26,659 --> 00:30:28,292
He said there was work to do,
and he did it.
483
00:30:31,197 --> 00:30:34,565
NARRATOR:
Cape Kennedy, Florida.
484
00:30:34,567 --> 00:30:36,300
Over a million people came
485
00:30:36,302 --> 00:30:42,172
to watch Apollo 11 leave
for the Moon on July 16, 1969.
486
00:30:42,174 --> 00:30:47,578
Among them was Armstrong's
childhood friend.
487
00:30:47,580 --> 00:30:49,680
SOLACOFF:
The day before the launch,
488
00:30:49,682 --> 00:30:54,151
we had a tour of the facilities
there at Cape Kennedy,
489
00:30:54,153 --> 00:30:56,053
and we stood
in front of the rocket
490
00:30:56,055 --> 00:30:58,121
while my wife took our picture,
491
00:30:58,123 --> 00:31:01,358
and we shook our hands
and we said congratulations
492
00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,795
that we finally got Neil
on a good job at last,
493
00:31:04,797 --> 00:31:07,764
and then we gave him a salute.
494
00:31:09,869 --> 00:31:11,368
We didn't say goode.
495
00:31:11,370 --> 00:31:13,470
It was more like good luck.
496
00:31:13,472 --> 00:31:18,008
And he leaned over and gave me
a little peck on the cheek,
497
00:31:18,010 --> 00:31:20,477
just a little bitty kiss.
498
00:31:20,479 --> 00:31:22,880
And then he turned around
and was gone.
499
00:31:22,882 --> 00:31:26,383
MISSION CONTROL:
Launch Operations Manager
Paul Donnelly
500
00:31:26,385 --> 00:31:28,652
wishes the crew
on the launch teams we have
501
00:31:28,654 --> 00:31:31,154
good luck and godspeed.
502
00:31:31,156 --> 00:31:32,356
Neil Armstrong reported back
503
00:31:32,358 --> 00:31:34,091
when he received
the good wishes,
504
00:31:34,093 --> 00:31:35,392
"Thank you very much.
505
00:31:35,394 --> 00:31:36,860
We know it will be
a good flight."
506
00:31:36,862 --> 00:31:40,898
SOLACOFF:
Actually, my wife
took the movies.
507
00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:42,900
I was taking 35mm shots.
508
00:31:42,902 --> 00:31:46,203
MISSION CONTROL:
Lift off, we have a lift-off,
509
00:31:46,205 --> 00:31:50,140
32 minutes past the hour,
lift-off on Apollo 11.
510
00:31:50,142 --> 00:31:52,743
RICK ARMSTRONG:
You feel it.
511
00:31:52,745 --> 00:31:54,444
Your body feels it inside.
512
00:31:54,446 --> 00:31:57,915
It shakes in a way
that nothing else does.
513
00:32:00,686 --> 00:32:02,286
SOLACOFF:
I kept saying, "Go Neil,
514
00:32:02,288 --> 00:32:05,155
go Neil, go Neil, go Neil!"
515
00:32:10,429 --> 00:32:12,529
NARRATOR:
Four days later,
516
00:32:12,531 --> 00:32:16,700
Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin
would arrive at the Moon.
517
00:32:16,702 --> 00:32:19,536
Then they'd attempt
one of the most daring exploits
518
00:32:19,538 --> 00:32:21,004
in human history.
519
00:32:23,108 --> 00:32:27,577
ARMSTRONG:
We were certainly aware
that the nation's hopes
520
00:32:27,579 --> 00:32:31,815
largely rested on us doing
the very best job we could.
521
00:32:39,858 --> 00:32:42,059
MISSION CONTROL:
And Armstrong and Aldrin
within the LM.
522
00:32:42,061 --> 00:32:45,529
That will be their home
for the next 30 hours or so.
523
00:32:45,531 --> 00:32:47,731
NARRATOR:
As they descended
towards the surface
524
00:32:47,733 --> 00:32:49,967
in the Lunar Module--
the Eagle--
525
00:32:49,969 --> 00:32:53,570
the world held its breath,
as did Mike Collins
526
00:32:53,572 --> 00:32:56,807
orbiting above in Columbia,
the Command Module.
527
00:32:56,809 --> 00:33:00,811
COLLINS:
I figured that our chances
of 100% success
528
00:33:00,813 --> 00:33:02,679
were about 50/50.
529
00:33:02,681 --> 00:33:06,516
There were just so many things
that could go wrong.
530
00:33:06,518 --> 00:33:10,287
NARRATOR:
Collins was soon proved right.
531
00:33:14,326 --> 00:33:16,660
DUKE:
As they went around the Moon,
the bottom fell out.
532
00:33:19,531 --> 00:33:22,699
We started having communication
problems and data dropout.
533
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:33,510
NARRATOR:
Then Eagle's computer began
to raise a series of alarms.
534
00:33:36,081 --> 00:33:38,248
NARRATOR:
With so many computations
to make,
535
00:33:38,250 --> 00:33:40,684
it had become overloaded.
536
00:33:40,686 --> 00:33:43,420
CHAIKIN:
The danger wasn't
the big worry, really.
537
00:33:43,422 --> 00:33:45,455
It was the complexity.
538
00:33:45,457 --> 00:33:50,027
I mean, nobody had ever tried
a manned rocket landing before.
539
00:33:53,465 --> 00:33:57,067
BUZZ ALDRIN:
Neither of us knew
what "1202" meant.
540
00:33:57,069 --> 00:33:59,302
We knew where we could find
the answer,
541
00:33:59,304 --> 00:34:02,139
but it was in a document
about that thick,
542
00:34:02,141 --> 00:34:04,207
and you'd have to leaf
through it,
543
00:34:04,209 --> 00:34:06,109
and here we are halfway down
544
00:34:06,111 --> 00:34:08,011
landing on the Moon.
545
00:34:08,013 --> 00:34:11,248
But there's a bunch of guys
back on Earth.
546
00:34:11,250 --> 00:34:12,749
They can look it up.
547
00:34:15,454 --> 00:34:17,187
NARRATOR:
In Mission Control,
548
00:34:17,189 --> 00:34:19,723
the team found an answer
in 23 seconds.
549
00:34:19,725 --> 00:34:21,758
"Ignore the alarm.
550
00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:25,328
It's a computer glitch
caused by overloading."
551
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:39,910
NARRATOR:
Now, just 3,000 feet
above the surface,
552
00:34:39,912 --> 00:34:43,613
everything hinged on the skill
of one man.
553
00:34:43,615 --> 00:34:45,682
Oh, I was in my bedroom.
554
00:34:45,684 --> 00:34:48,718
We were tracking it on a map
555
00:34:48,720 --> 00:34:52,956
as they pointed out verbally
where they were.
556
00:34:52,958 --> 00:34:58,795
NARRATOR:
Low on fuel, Armstrong still
needed a safe place to land.
557
00:34:58,797 --> 00:35:00,997
ARMSTRONG:
It was a fairly steep slope
558
00:35:00,999 --> 00:35:02,432
and it was covered
with very big rocks,
559
00:35:02,434 --> 00:35:04,334
and it just wasn't
a good place to land.
560
00:35:06,705 --> 00:35:08,371
The old Neil took over,
561
00:35:08,373 --> 00:35:11,408
and he was focused
on doing a landing.
562
00:35:11,410 --> 00:35:14,044
That was his one opportunity
in a lifetime
563
00:35:14,046 --> 00:35:15,645
to make a landing on the Moon.
564
00:35:17,850 --> 00:35:20,984
ARMSTRONG:
I wanted to make it as easy
for myself as I could.
565
00:35:22,955 --> 00:35:24,621
There was a lot of concern
566
00:35:24,623 --> 00:35:27,457
about coming close
to running out of fuel.
567
00:35:30,629 --> 00:35:33,163
NARRATOR:
Only 30 seconds of fuel
remained.
568
00:35:33,165 --> 00:35:35,332
Everything depended
on Armstrong.
569
00:35:46,345 --> 00:35:48,378
I just jumped up and down
570
00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:51,848
and screamed and cried
and yelled and everything.
571
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:57,754
COLLINS:
I was in orbit of course
when they landed,
572
00:35:57,756 --> 00:36:00,457
and I gave
a little sigh of relief.
573
00:36:02,861 --> 00:36:06,329
NARRATOR:
For Armstrong, this was
the culmination of a career
574
00:36:06,331 --> 00:36:10,100
that had constantly pushed
his flying skills and his nerve
575
00:36:10,102 --> 00:36:12,002
to the limit.
576
00:36:14,439 --> 00:36:16,339
CHAIKIN:
It's almost as if you...
577
00:36:16,341 --> 00:36:19,042
if you were going to design
the career of somebody
578
00:36:19,044 --> 00:36:21,211
who was going to do the first
landing on the Moon,
579
00:36:21,213 --> 00:36:24,281
I can't imagine
how you would put together
580
00:36:24,283 --> 00:36:28,952
a better mix of experiences than
the ones Neil Armstrong had.
581
00:36:28,954 --> 00:36:31,788
NARRATOR:
With the astronauts safely down,
582
00:36:31,790 --> 00:36:35,559
press attention turned
to their wives.
583
00:36:35,561 --> 00:36:37,994
From Janet,
everyone wanted to know
584
00:36:37,996 --> 00:36:40,530
what Neil would say
when he first stepped outside.
585
00:36:40,532 --> 00:36:43,266
REPORTER:
Do you have any inkling
what he's going to say?
586
00:36:43,268 --> 00:36:44,267
He wouldn't tell us.
587
00:36:44,269 --> 00:36:45,735
When he steps out
on the Moon.
588
00:36:45,737 --> 00:36:48,271
No, I have no idea
what he's going to say,
589
00:36:48,273 --> 00:36:50,540
but whatever he says,
I'm sure it will be worthwhile.
590
00:36:50,542 --> 00:36:52,442
ARMSTRONG:
You need more slack, Buzz?
591
00:36:52,444 --> 00:36:54,044
ALDRIN:
No-- hold it just a minute.
592
00:36:54,046 --> 00:36:57,147
NARRATOR:
But Armstrong had given it
some thought before,
593
00:36:57,149 --> 00:37:00,917
as his brother Dean remembers.
594
00:37:00,919 --> 00:37:02,986
DEAN ARMSTRONG:
Before he went to the Cape,
595
00:37:02,988 --> 00:37:06,156
he invited me down
to be with him
596
00:37:06,158 --> 00:37:07,991
and spend a little time
with him.
597
00:37:07,993 --> 00:37:11,995
He said, "Why don't you and I,
when the boys go to bed,
598
00:37:11,997 --> 00:37:14,064
why don't we play
a game of Risk?"
599
00:37:14,066 --> 00:37:17,701
And I said,
"Well, I'd enjoy that."
600
00:37:17,703 --> 00:37:21,738
We started playing Risk,
601
00:37:21,740 --> 00:37:24,908
and then he slipped me
a piece of paper
602
00:37:24,910 --> 00:37:27,811
and said, "Read that."
603
00:37:27,813 --> 00:37:30,046
And I did.
604
00:37:30,048 --> 00:37:32,716
And on that piece of paper,
there was,
605
00:37:32,718 --> 00:37:38,455
"That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind."
606
00:37:40,759 --> 00:37:43,593
He says,
"What do you think about that?"
607
00:37:43,595 --> 00:37:46,196
I said, "Fabulous."
608
00:37:46,198 --> 00:37:48,665
People have had
so many different versions
609
00:37:48,667 --> 00:37:52,235
of when and how Neil
thought up those words.
610
00:37:52,237 --> 00:37:57,641
It was, "That's one small step
for a man."
611
00:37:57,643 --> 00:38:00,644
What he said when he came back
from the flight was
612
00:38:00,646 --> 00:38:04,781
that he had given some thought
to it before the mission,
613
00:38:04,783 --> 00:38:08,218
but he didn't decide what to say
614
00:38:08,220 --> 00:38:11,154
until he and Buzz
were on the surface of the Moon
615
00:38:11,156 --> 00:38:12,555
in the Lunar Module
616
00:38:12,557 --> 00:38:14,858
before they got suited up
to go outside.
617
00:38:14,860 --> 00:38:16,426
ARMSTRONG:
I'm going to pull it now.
618
00:38:21,566 --> 00:38:23,967
MISSION CONTROL:
And we're getting a picture
on the TV.
619
00:38:23,969 --> 00:38:27,304
It was somewhat difficult
to see.
620
00:38:27,306 --> 00:38:31,941
I mean, we were watching
our sets like this
621
00:38:31,943 --> 00:38:37,113
because we weren't quite sure
if he was coming down the step.
622
00:38:40,018 --> 00:38:42,719
ARMSTRONG:
Okay, I'm going
to step off the LM now.
623
00:38:47,693 --> 00:38:52,529
That's one small step
for a man...
624
00:38:52,531 --> 00:38:56,032
one giant leap for mankind.
625
00:38:56,034 --> 00:38:57,834
DUKE:
Perfect!
626
00:39:00,305 --> 00:39:02,772
It was pure Neil.
627
00:39:02,774 --> 00:39:06,076
I was pretty close to him
when he said that.
628
00:39:08,013 --> 00:39:09,145
There you go.
629
00:39:11,350 --> 00:39:15,885
He was really surprising
in how he would say
630
00:39:15,887 --> 00:39:18,555
just the right thing
at the right time.
631
00:39:21,159 --> 00:39:23,259
Oh, I...
632
00:39:23,261 --> 00:39:24,961
It's overjoy, you know?
633
00:39:24,963 --> 00:39:26,363
Unbelievable.
634
00:39:26,365 --> 00:39:31,868
I've never had such great
feelings in my life.
635
00:39:31,870 --> 00:39:34,104
ARMSTRONG:
Ain't that something!
636
00:39:34,106 --> 00:39:37,707
Magnificent sight out here.
637
00:39:37,709 --> 00:39:40,377
ALDRIN:
Magnificent desolation.
638
00:39:40,379 --> 00:39:43,246
PAT COLLINS:
Finally, it began
to sink in with me.
639
00:39:43,248 --> 00:39:48,418
That really is another planet.
640
00:39:48,420 --> 00:39:51,755
MISSION CONTROL:
The EVA is progressing
beautifully.
641
00:39:51,757 --> 00:39:54,591
I believe they are setting up
the flag now.
642
00:39:54,593 --> 00:39:58,261
NARRATOR:
After years of preparation,
643
00:39:58,263 --> 00:40:00,730
the first two human beings
on the Moon
644
00:40:00,732 --> 00:40:03,967
simply marveled
at what they were seeing.
645
00:40:17,315 --> 00:40:19,916
NARRATOR:
Two and a half hours later,
646
00:40:19,918 --> 00:40:23,086
the pair had climbed
back inside the Eagle.
647
00:40:23,088 --> 00:40:25,588
MISSION CONTROL:
We'd like to say,
from all of us
648
00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,391
and all the countries
in the entire world,
649
00:40:28,393 --> 00:40:31,694
we think that you've done a
magnificent job up there today.
650
00:40:36,902 --> 00:40:38,802
BUZZ ALDRIN:
He got me there.
651
00:40:38,804 --> 00:40:41,671
He got me back safe.
652
00:40:41,673 --> 00:40:46,042
And I made a couple of mistakes.
653
00:40:46,044 --> 00:40:51,147
Fortunately, they...
they were not that crucial,
654
00:40:51,149 --> 00:40:53,683
and I'm not going
to tell you about them.
655
00:40:53,685 --> 00:40:55,251
(chuckling)
656
00:40:55,253 --> 00:40:59,456
(cheering)
657
00:40:59,458 --> 00:41:02,659
NARRATOR:
A brief period in quarantine
658
00:41:02,661 --> 00:41:07,163
would be the crew's only respite
before madness erupted.
659
00:41:07,165 --> 00:41:10,066
Armstrong, an aeronautical
engineer and test pilot
660
00:41:10,068 --> 00:41:14,370
from small-town America,
was suddenly a celebrity.
661
00:41:17,142 --> 00:41:20,810
We did New York, Chicago
and L.A. all in one day.
662
00:41:20,812 --> 00:41:22,846
There was thousands
and thousands of people,
663
00:41:22,848 --> 00:41:28,918
and people from windows above
and apartments and so on.
664
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:30,253
It was fabulous.
665
00:41:30,255 --> 00:41:33,189
It was like nothing
I'd ever seen before in my life
666
00:41:33,191 --> 00:41:35,925
or ever had done before
in my life.
667
00:41:35,927 --> 00:41:39,295
NARRATOR:
The schedule was punishing,
with the astronauts placed
668
00:41:39,297 --> 00:41:42,632
in the role
of international ambassadors.
669
00:41:46,037 --> 00:41:51,774
With their wives, they visited
23 countries in just 45 days.
670
00:41:51,776 --> 00:41:54,444
Their mission now was
to shake hands with the world,
671
00:41:54,446 --> 00:41:59,682
and everyone was eager to meet
the first man on the Moon.
672
00:41:59,684 --> 00:42:03,820
PAT COLLINS:
We went to each country,
673
00:42:03,822 --> 00:42:07,790
and it would be of course
a huge welcome at the airport,
674
00:42:07,792 --> 00:42:10,894
which called for a speech,
675
00:42:10,896 --> 00:42:13,630
a huge luncheon or something,
which called for a speech,
676
00:42:13,632 --> 00:42:18,034
and then there would be
the major state dinner,
677
00:42:18,036 --> 00:42:19,736
which called for a speech!
678
00:42:19,738 --> 00:42:25,742
And I always felt that Neil
had the responsibility--
679
00:42:25,744 --> 00:42:27,710
the burden, if you will--
680
00:42:27,712 --> 00:42:31,347
of always saying
the perfect thing.
681
00:42:31,349 --> 00:42:34,517
He was the star,
but I have to say
682
00:42:34,519 --> 00:42:39,088
he had a pretty darn good
supporting cast.
683
00:42:39,090 --> 00:42:42,425
JANET ARMSTRONG:
This was the beginning.
684
00:42:42,427 --> 00:42:44,294
This was the beginning
of it all.
685
00:42:44,296 --> 00:42:46,129
But there was nothing
you could do.
686
00:42:46,131 --> 00:42:47,697
I mean, these people
were just happy to see you!
687
00:42:50,602 --> 00:42:53,169
One of the other
Apollo astronauts told me
688
00:42:53,171 --> 00:42:55,605
that when it comes to fame,
689
00:42:55,607 --> 00:42:57,941
it's like they're all
a college football team
690
00:42:57,943 --> 00:43:00,209
and Neil is the only guy
in the NFL.
691
00:43:00,211 --> 00:43:02,545
I mean, he was on another plane.
692
00:43:06,885 --> 00:43:09,819
HOFFMAN:
People wanted a piece of him.
693
00:43:09,821 --> 00:43:11,955
"I either want your autograph
694
00:43:11,957 --> 00:43:15,191
or I want my picture
taken with you."
695
00:43:15,193 --> 00:43:20,163
And I think that
it wasn't just anyone;
696
00:43:20,165 --> 00:43:22,398
it was everyone.
697
00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:28,137
NARRATOR:
The intense level of intrusion
into Armstrong's life
698
00:43:28,139 --> 00:43:32,208
would eventually take its toll
on him and his family.
699
00:43:32,210 --> 00:43:36,045
RICK ARMSTRONG:
To be out to dinner and sort of
minding your own business
700
00:43:36,047 --> 00:43:37,780
and to have people, you know,
looking at you and going,
701
00:43:37,782 --> 00:43:39,782
"Oh, do you know who that is?"
702
00:43:39,784 --> 00:43:41,985
and coming over and, "May I
have your autograph please?"
703
00:43:41,987 --> 00:43:43,319
After a while,
704
00:43:43,321 --> 00:43:46,155
even if they do it
in the nicest possible way,
705
00:43:46,157 --> 00:43:47,657
which many of them did,
706
00:43:47,659 --> 00:43:50,727
still, it just wears you out
after a while.
707
00:43:50,729 --> 00:43:56,332
And he really didn't know
what he wanted to do, also.
708
00:43:56,334 --> 00:43:57,934
That was a problem.
709
00:43:57,936 --> 00:44:02,005
"What am I going to do now?"
710
00:44:02,007 --> 00:44:06,042
NARRATOR:
In 1971, Armstrong
resigned from NASA.
711
00:44:15,186 --> 00:44:19,122
He chose instead to pursue
his first love, aircraft design,
712
00:44:19,124 --> 00:44:23,292
and accepted a professorship
at the University of Cincinnati,
713
00:44:23,294 --> 00:44:25,728
back in his home state.
714
00:44:25,730 --> 00:44:28,097
JANET ARMSTRONG:
Well, we were looking
for a place to live,
715
00:44:28,099 --> 00:44:30,733
and he wanted to live
out in the country.
716
00:44:30,735 --> 00:44:33,503
I guess he wanted
to escape people.
717
00:44:33,505 --> 00:44:35,171
He wanted privacy.
718
00:44:35,173 --> 00:44:40,643
NARRATOR:
The Armstrongs bought
this secluded farm in Ohio.
719
00:44:40,645 --> 00:44:42,545
It was a radical change
of lifestyle,
720
00:44:42,547 --> 00:44:44,647
and not just for Neil.
721
00:44:44,649 --> 00:44:47,483
MARK ARMSTRONG:
I'm not sure that Mom
722
00:44:47,485 --> 00:44:52,021
really wanted the farm life,
but she did very well,
723
00:44:52,023 --> 00:44:54,757
and she was a trooper.
724
00:44:54,759 --> 00:44:57,794
NARRATOR:
Janet found herself
managing the farm
725
00:44:57,796 --> 00:45:00,563
as Neil concentrated
oneaching.
726
00:45:00,565 --> 00:45:03,766
But escaping his fame
was never going to be easy.
727
00:45:03,768 --> 00:45:05,868
RON HUSTON:
Whenever Neil Armstrong
came onto the campus,
728
00:45:05,870 --> 00:45:11,040
there was a number of rather
interesting reactions.
729
00:45:11,042 --> 00:45:14,844
Well, the first day
was rather chaotic.
730
00:45:14,846 --> 00:45:17,313
As class was letting out,
731
00:45:17,315 --> 00:45:20,783
the media was massed
outside the classroom,
732
00:45:20,785 --> 00:45:23,586
and he did in fact push the
students out of the classroom
733
00:45:23,588 --> 00:45:25,588
and then quickly closed the door
734
00:45:25,590 --> 00:45:27,857
with himself
inside the classroom.
735
00:45:27,859 --> 00:45:31,627
NARRATOR:
Eventually, behind
the closed doors of academia,
736
00:45:31,629 --> 00:45:35,865
Armstrong found refuge from
the constant public spotlight.
737
00:45:35,867 --> 00:45:39,035
HUSTON:
I began to think of him
as simply "Neil,"
738
00:45:39,037 --> 00:45:42,672
not as "Neil Armstrong,
first man on the Moon."
739
00:45:42,674 --> 00:45:44,407
I just thought of him as Neil.
740
00:45:44,409 --> 00:45:47,176
NARRATOR:
But outside the university,
741
00:45:47,178 --> 00:45:51,247
the burden of celebrity still
sat uncomfortably with him.
742
00:45:51,249 --> 00:45:53,950
JANET ARMSTRONG:
He was given the credit
743
00:45:53,952 --> 00:45:56,185
and he didn't think
he deserved it all.
744
00:45:56,187 --> 00:46:00,723
NARRATOR:
Armstrong eventually opted
to ration interview requests,
745
00:46:00,725 --> 00:46:04,460
creating the mistaken impression
that he was a recluse.
746
00:46:07,265 --> 00:46:09,332
He just didn't feel the need
to notify the media
747
00:46:09,334 --> 00:46:11,033
about what he was doing,
you know?
748
00:46:11,035 --> 00:46:13,202
So a media recluse maybe,
749
00:46:13,204 --> 00:46:14,804
but that's a completely
different thing.
750
00:46:18,610 --> 00:46:22,311
NARRATOR:
In 1979, Armstrong
left the university,
751
00:46:22,313 --> 00:46:25,081
becoming involved
as a business spokesman
752
00:46:25,083 --> 00:46:29,118
and serving on many corporate
and philanthropic boards.
753
00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,754
He was doing so many
different things with his time,
754
00:46:31,756 --> 00:46:33,523
but they were the things
that he chose to do,
755
00:46:33,525 --> 00:46:35,625
and that didn't include
living out his life
756
00:46:35,627 --> 00:46:37,226
in front of a television camera.
757
00:46:37,228 --> 00:46:39,395
Challenger,
go at throttle up.
758
00:46:39,397 --> 00:46:40,596
ASTRONAUT:
Roger, go at throttle up.
759
00:46:46,304 --> 00:46:48,237
NARRATOR:
And in 1986,
he was appointed vice chair
760
00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:49,739
of the Rogers Commission,
761
00:46:49,741 --> 00:46:53,142
the committee that investigated
the tragic events
762
00:46:53,144 --> 00:46:58,848
that led to the destruction
of the space shuttle Challenger.
763
00:46:58,850 --> 00:47:01,117
His calendar was double-parked
all the time.
764
00:47:01,119 --> 00:47:07,356
He was a workaholic,
and that was just in his DNA.
765
00:47:07,358 --> 00:47:12,895
So it was, I think,
Dad's strong work ethic
766
00:47:12,897 --> 00:47:17,867
and Mom's isolation on the farm
767
00:47:17,869 --> 00:47:21,571
that eventually
came between them.
768
00:47:33,384 --> 00:47:36,652
NARRATOR:
Janet and Neil
separated in 1990,
769
00:47:36,654 --> 00:47:39,755
divorcing four years later.
770
00:47:39,757 --> 00:47:43,192
MARK ARMSTRONG:
I just think it sort of
opened his eyes a little bit
771
00:47:43,194 --> 00:47:45,862
and made him aware that...
772
00:47:45,864 --> 00:47:49,432
that he didn't have to work
all the time.
773
00:47:49,434 --> 00:47:52,168
And that was very good for him.
774
00:47:52,170 --> 00:47:55,705
It put him in a great position
to meet other people.
775
00:47:59,010 --> 00:48:03,179
PAT COLLINS:
All the men have certainly,
as we say quietly, mellowed
776
00:48:03,181 --> 00:48:09,218
so that they are more relaxed,
they are more ready
777
00:48:09,220 --> 00:48:17,660
to just spend time
doing something just for fun.
778
00:48:17,662 --> 00:48:22,031
Dr. Neil Armstrong,
ladies and gentlemen.
779
00:48:22,033 --> 00:48:25,401
(applause)
780
00:48:25,403 --> 00:48:28,204
ARMSTRONG:
Thank you so much!
781
00:48:28,206 --> 00:48:31,641
The method we used
to descend from orbit
782
00:48:31,643 --> 00:48:33,910
to the surface
of an alien world,
783
00:48:33,912 --> 00:48:35,711
uh...
784
00:48:35,713 --> 00:48:37,647
"worked."
785
00:48:37,649 --> 00:48:40,683
(crowd laughs)
786
00:48:40,685 --> 00:48:44,820
But it would have been
far more efficient
787
00:48:44,822 --> 00:48:47,390
and far less traumatic
788
00:48:47,392 --> 00:48:49,959
if we could just be
beamed down.
789
00:48:49,961 --> 00:48:53,329
(applause)
790
00:48:55,733 --> 00:48:58,367
NARRATOR:
But Armstrong
was far less sanguine
791
00:48:58,369 --> 00:49:01,537
about the direction the real
space program was taking,
792
00:49:01,539 --> 00:49:05,074
and testified before Congress
in 2010.
793
00:49:05,076 --> 00:49:09,345
If the leadership we have
acquired through our investment
794
00:49:09,347 --> 00:49:13,149
is simply allowed to fade away,
795
00:49:13,151 --> 00:49:17,219
other nations will surely
step in where we have faltered.
796
00:49:17,221 --> 00:49:19,455
CHAIKIN:
I saw in him
797
00:49:19,457 --> 00:49:23,492
and in the other Apollo
astronauts a frustration
798
00:49:23,494 --> 00:49:26,095
that here we are in the second
decade of the 21st century,
799
00:49:26,097 --> 00:49:28,030
and we're still confined
800
00:49:28,032 --> 00:49:29,966
to those first couple of hundred
miles above the Earth,
801
00:49:29,968 --> 00:49:35,471
and I think it was a source
of frustration to him.
802
00:49:37,976 --> 00:49:42,878
NARRATOR:
Armstrong turned 80 in 2010,
and to mark the occasion,
803
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:45,948
his second wife, Carol Knight,
planned a celebration.
804
00:49:45,950 --> 00:49:48,184
CAROL ARMSTRONG:
I thought we could have
a surprise party
805
00:49:48,186 --> 00:49:50,186
and it would be a lot of fun.
806
00:49:50,188 --> 00:49:53,556
And I had about 250 people
on the list.
807
00:49:56,928 --> 00:49:59,695
I think he was surprised.
808
00:49:59,697 --> 00:50:02,965
He put on a good act
if he wasn't.
809
00:50:04,869 --> 00:50:06,802
SOLACOFF:
After almost everybody had left,
810
00:50:06,804 --> 00:50:10,072
you know, I went up to him
and congratulated him
811
00:50:10,074 --> 00:50:12,174
on his birthday and everything,
812
00:50:12,176 --> 00:50:18,014
and he hugged me and he says,
"You know I love you,"
813
00:50:18,016 --> 00:50:21,217
and I said, "I do too, Neil.
814
00:50:21,219 --> 00:50:22,651
We go back a long ways."
815
00:50:22,653 --> 00:50:24,620
He said, "Yeah, we do."
816
00:50:24,622 --> 00:50:27,256
And that was the last time.
817
00:50:31,696 --> 00:50:34,563
NARRATOR:
On the 7th of August, 2012,
818
00:50:34,565 --> 00:50:36,866
Neil Armstrong was admitted
to the hospital
819
00:50:36,868 --> 00:50:39,001
for heart surgery.
820
00:50:39,003 --> 00:50:43,973
He remained there
until his death on August 25.
821
00:50:43,975 --> 00:50:48,210
MARK ARMSTRONG:
If there's a legacy, I think
he may have left it already.
822
00:50:48,212 --> 00:50:54,683
He very much wanted
the exploration of space
823
00:50:54,685 --> 00:50:58,921
to be an accomplishment
that was important
824
00:50:58,923 --> 00:51:01,090
for this planet
and everyone on it.
825
00:51:01,092 --> 00:51:05,594
His inspiration
826
00:51:05,596 --> 00:51:10,900
to the generations
that will follow
827
00:51:10,902 --> 00:51:16,272
is incalculable, I believe.
828
00:51:16,274 --> 00:51:19,508
RICK ARMSTRONG:
It's overwhelming to think
about how much has come
829
00:51:19,510 --> 00:51:21,410
from that inspiration.
830
00:51:23,347 --> 00:51:26,115
If there was something
that he could pass along
831
00:51:26,117 --> 00:51:30,052
to, you know,
future generations,
832
00:51:30,054 --> 00:51:31,787
I think it would be
833
00:51:31,789 --> 00:51:36,425
the conviction
to do the right thing.
834
00:51:36,427 --> 00:51:39,195
CHAIKIN:
I mean, he went to the Moon.
835
00:51:39,197 --> 00:51:42,264
He risked his life
for the nation,
836
00:51:42,266 --> 00:51:45,634
and that would be reason enough
to call Neil Armstrong a hero,
837
00:51:45,636 --> 00:51:49,638
but for me, the thing
that really stands out
838
00:51:49,640 --> 00:51:53,209
is how he handled this role
that fate gave him
839
00:51:53,211 --> 00:51:55,911
of being a world icon.
840
00:51:58,549 --> 00:52:02,318
One thing,
he was true to himself.
841
00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:07,857
He was the man that you saw.
842
00:52:07,859 --> 00:52:10,926
That was him.
843
00:52:25,710 --> 00:52:30,880
The exploration
continues online,
844
00:52:42,860 --> 00:52:46,462
This NOVA program
is available on DVD.
845
00:52:46,464 --> 00:52:51,300
To order, visit shopPBS.org
or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
846
00:52:51,302 --> 00:52:53,903
NOVA is also available
for download on iTunes.
847
00:53:06,083 --> 00:52:53,903
Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH
access.wgbh.org