Apollo 13

We have the crew crossing gantry

for capsule ingress.

Roger that.

Inspired by the late President Kennedy,

in only seven years, America has risen

to the challenge of what he called...

"the most hazardous and dangerous

and greatest adventure...

on which man has ever embarked."

After trailing the Russians for years

with our manned space program,

- We got a short!

- And after that sudden, horrible fire...

on the launchpad

during a routine test...

- that killed astronauts Gus Grissom...

- Fire in the cockpit!

- Ed White and Roger Chaffee...

- Get us outta here!

There were serious doubts that we

could beat the Russians to the moon.

But tonight, a mere 18 months

after the tragedy of Apollo 1...

the entire world watched in awe

as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin...

landed on the moon.

The big news came

just a moment ago.

Mission Control gave

the spacecraft permission...

to go for

the extravehicular activity...

that is, for the walk

on the moon...

far earlier than anticipated,

Important thing when you're penetrating

the lunar module is your attitude...

and your relative speed.

Let's say this is me in the command

module and this is you...

- All right.

- In the LEM.

This thing sticks out.

That's called a probe.

- Is that true?

- Absolutely.

Tracey, when you feel that thing

slide in, everything's clickin'...

it's like no other

feeling in the world.

- A little liquid propulsion.

- What's the big occasion?

How's it goin' at Mission Control?

It's a nervous time. They're pacin'

around, smokin' like chimneys.

Gene Kranz is gonna have puppies.

Jim Lovell.

- Hi.

- This is Tracey.

- How do ya do, Tracey?

- This is the man.

Gemini 7. Gemini 12. Apollo 8.

They were the first around the moon.

This guy did ten laps.

With one hand on the wheel.

Make yourselves at home.

- Hey, Marilyn.

- Where have you been?

This is the last champagne

in Houston.

- Very good. Very good.

- Everything else all right?

- Everything's on course.

- Looks okay. Hey! Cadet Lovell.

- Hey, Dad.

- Put this on ice. Make sure it's cold.

- You gonna get a haircut this week?

- I'm on vacation.

Oh, get a haircut.

Well, hello there.

- I wouldn't mind bein' up there tonight.

- God, who wouldn't.

Don't worry. Our day's comin'.

They're not gonna cut

the program before number 14.

- You know, my cousin called.

- Uh-huh.

Asked who we bribed

to get on Jim Lovell's crew.

Yeah.

I told him they wanted

to make sure he got the best.

Well, they got that right.

- What network do we want?

- Come on! Walt! Hey! Put on Walter!

- Walter!

- Jules Bergman!

John, turn it up!

...has completed putting on

the spacesuits and the boots.

I, uh... I really appreciate you all

coming to this dress rehearsal party...

for my Apollo 12 landing.

Sit down, Conrad.

I think we should all take

a moment to recognize...

the exemplary...

hell, damn near heroic...

effort displayed by Neil Armstrong's

backup for this historic moon walk...

and, of course, his crew.

Let's hear it for Jim Lovell,

Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise.

There he is! There he is!

Everybody quiet down!

Hey! Kids!

We had a good touchdown.

We can verify the position of the

opening I ought to have on the camera.

What?

- Think it's too late for him to abort?

- He still has time to get out.

He just needs somebody to wave him off.

Pull up, Neil!

Pull up! Pull up!

Okay, Neil, we can see you

coming down the ladder now.

Look at those pictures. Wow.

I'm, uh, at the foot of the ladder.

The LEM footpads are only depressed

in the surface about, uh...

one or two inches.

- It's almost like a powder.

- Armstrong is on the moon.

Neil Armstrong,

standing on the surface

of the moon...

on this July 20, 1969.

That's one small step for man...

one giant leap for mankind.

His quote was...

"That's one small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind."

Somewhere

Beyond the sea

Somewhere waitin' for me

- You're drunk, Lovell.

- Yeah.

I'm not used to the champagne.

Me neither.

I can't deal with cleaning up.

Let's sell the house.

All right, let's sell the house.

They're back inside now

lookin' up at us.

Isn't that somethin'?

I bet Jannie Armstrong doesn't

get a wink of sleep tonight.

When you were on the far side on 8,

I didn't sleep at all.

I just vacuumed

over and over again.

Christopher Columbus,

Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong.

From now on, we live in a world

where man has walked on the moon.

It's not a miracle.

We just decided to go.

On Apollo 8, we were so close...

just 60 nautical miles down and...

It was like I could just...

step out and walk

on the face of it.

I want to go back there.

Where's my mountain?

Well, it... Up there.

It's, uh, right up by the...

It's... Okay, do you see

where the shadow crosses...

the white area there?

That's the Sea of Tranquility...

and your mountain's right there

on the edge of that.

It's your mountain.

Your mountain, Marilyn. Mount Marilyn.

I don't see it.

Well, you gotta look harder.

You... You... You look harder...

- Jim.

- While I...

Jim!

Groovin'

Down a crowded avenue

The astronaut is only

the most visible member...

of a very large team, and all of us

down to the guy sweeping the floor...

are honored to be a part of it.

What did the man say? "Give me a lever

long enough and I'll move the world"?

That's what we're doing here.

This is divine inspiration.

It's the best part of each one of us,

the belief that anything is possible.

Things like a computer

that can fit into a single room...

and hold millions of pieces

of information...

or the Saturn 5 rocket.

This is the actual launch vehicle

that will be taking Alan Shepard...

and his crew on the first leg

of the Apollo 13 mission.

When are you

going up again, Jim?

I'm slated to be the commander

of Apollo 14 sometime late next year.

If there is an Apollo 14.

Jim, people in my state have been

asking why we're continuing...

to fund this program now that we've

beaten the Russians to the moon.

Imagine if Christopher Columbus

had come back from the new world...

and no one returned

in his footsteps.

Attention, all personnel.

Clear level three.

Are there any other questions?

How do you go

to the bathroom in space?

Well, I tell you,

it's a highly technical process...

of cranking down the window and

looking for a gas station, which, uh...

Oh, there's Deke Slayton.

Deke, you might be able

to answer this lady's question.

Deke is one of the original Mercury

seven astronauts, ladies and gentlemen.

Now he's our boss. He hands out

the astronauts' flight assignments...

so naturally we kick back

part of our salaries to Deke.

- How much this month?

- Can I have a minute?

Something's come up.

Sure, you b... Uh, Henry?

Hey!

- Anybody home?

- I'm not being a cheerleader, Mom!

You don't understand!

I worked so hard on this!

Maybe I don't understand...

but you are not wearing that

out in this neighborhood.

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