112 minSeason 1 • Episode 3
LatestAfter the immediate celebration of 1968’s successful Apollo 8 mission, underlying questions about the space programme emerged with new intensity as politicized young Americans challenged the nation’s priorities. Nasa pushed brashly forward.
An unprecedented look at the decade-long odyssey to land a man on the moon. This documentary pulls back the curtain on the familiar narrative of the moonshot, revealing a fascinating stew of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle, visionary impulses and personal drama.
Editing
Seamless stitching of NASA, Soviet, and TV archive gold.
Direction
Stone lets ego and failure breathe, not just triumph.
Production
Rare Khrushchev family footage is absolutely wild.
Creator
Robert Stone
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sergei Khrushchev smuggled his father's secret memoirs out in a Soviet diplomatic pouch — while his dad was still premier.
The 'American Experience' platform commissioned this for Apollo 11's 50th, but Stone insisted on equal Soviet screen time — nearly unprecedented for PBS.
US
