NOVA

S45E17 Apollo's Daring Mission

In this gripping narrative, Apollo astronauts and engineers share the untold story behind Apollo 8, the inaugural crewed mission to the moon. Following the tragic Apollo 1 fire during a pre-launch rehearsal, NASA faced turmoil and the looming threat of Soviet dominance in the space race. In a bold move, they transformed Apollo 8 from a mission aimed at orbiting Earth to an audacious journey to the moon, employing untested technologies. A half-century later, the brave astronauts and engineers reflect on the innovative engineering triumphs that made this monumental achievement possible.