On July 20, 1969, billions of people watched or listened as Mission Control in Houston gave the thumbs up for the final phase of America’s attempt to land the first men on the moon. In the last 13 minutes before touchdown, two astronauts aboard a craft named the Eagle descended 50,000 feet to the lunar surface — the culmination of eight challenging years of disaster, chaos, brilliant scientific development and triumph in space exploration.
To mark the 50th anniversary of this extraordinary moment in history, the BBC World Service launched a new podcast series that celebrates the people and technology that took humanity to the moon. In the series finale, recorded in front of a live audience at the Baker Institute, the BBC joined members of the original Apollo team for a look back at the major events of Project Apollo. More than five decades after President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “we choose to go to the moon” speech at Rice Stadium, the panelists will also reflect on the prospects for a return to human space exploration.
View video and photos from the event below, and click here to listen to the podcast.
Featured Speakers
John Aaron
Former Flight Controller, Apollo Program, NASA
Walter Cunningham
Former Astronaut, Apollo Program, NASA
Kevin Fong, M.D.
Host, 13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service
Gerald D. Griffin
Former Flight Director, Apollo Program, NASA
Peggy Whitson, Ph.D.
Former Chief Astronaut, NASA
This event was co-hosted by the Baker Institute and BBC World Service. Follow @BakerInstitute and @BBCWorldService on Twitter and join the conversation online with #13MinutestotheMoon and #BakerSpace.