james-burke 45 years ago
science-historian, author #Space and Time

James Burke | Project Apollo | How to Land On The Moon

James Burke looks back on the Apollo Moon landings. Now that ten years have passed, the full story of how and why the United States sent men to the Moon 'for all mankind' can be told.

Featuring exclusive interviews with many of the people directly involved, and access to hitherto unheard NASA audio communications from Mission Control in Houston, the dramatic real-life adventure story of the Moon landings is told more frankly than ever before.


Among other things, it is revealed that the pinnacle of the Apollo program's achievements - the famous Apollo 11 Moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin - was far closer to disaster than was admitted at the time.


James explains some of the most challenging technical aspects of spaceflight, with contributions from Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell, Apollo flight director Gene Krantz, Apollo 11 guidance officer Steve Bales, and Apollo 11 Capcom Charlie Duke.


Clip taken from Project Apollo: The Men Who Walked on the Moon, originally broadcast on BBC One, 20 July, 1979.


James Burke
1936 - present