From the Earth to the Moon (1998): Season 1, Episode 6 - Mare Tranquilitatis - full transcript

[John F. Kennedy]
We choose to go to the moon.

We choose to go to the moon.

We choose to go to the moon
in this decade and do the other things,

not because they are easy,
but because they are hard.

Look at that.

That's beautiful.

It's got to be one of the most proud
moments of my life. I guarantee you.

[man] Apollo 11
might never have happened

were it not
for three very specific people.

You've probably never heard of
Sergei Korolev.

But without him, the Soviet Union
might never have put a man into space



nor stirred the competitive juices
of his American counterparts.

Wernher Von Braun was
the German rocket scientist,

who turned the weapons of World War II

into the giant Saturn boosters
of the space race 20 years later.

John F. Kennedy brashly vowed to send
a man to the moon and return him safely

long before it was known to be possible.

Korolev, Von Braun, and Kennedy,

working at a time when politics,
economics, and technology

were being defined by mankind's
breaching of outer space,

were the keystones in the bridge
that carried another celebrated trio

on their historic voyage
from the Earth to the moon.

[man 1 ] Now, you fellas all know
what we're doing here, right?

- [man 2] Think so.
- [man 1 ] Yeah, just shooting the shit.

Informal, no big deal.



Coffee klatch,
kind of stuff we can cut into

anytime during our broadcast
of the mission.

[man 2]
Are we underdressed here, Emmett?

No, not at all, boys.
I'm just a creature of habit.

I can't go on the air
without putting on my tie.

Now, we'll be on the air from the moment
you cross through the equigravisphere

right up through the big moment.

To tell the truth,
I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

[man 3] Emmett,
Cronkite worked us over.

I don't know how much
we have left to give you.

[Emmett] Let me worry about Cronkite.
I've got good stuff for each of you.

Don't get too formal about it.

Say anything damn thing you please,
any damn thing you want.

Now, Neil, I'll start with you.
Then you, Buzz.

And, Mike, you'll be Tail End Charlie.

That's all right. I'm always
Tail End Charlie on these things.

Forget what I just said.
We'll start with you.

Now, Mike, you have a role unlike
any other human being in the world.

So, are we beginning now?

Yeah, they started rolling
when I sat down.

We are having an informal chat
with three men who need no introduction.

[man on radio]
This is Apollo-Saturn Launch Control.

We're gonna count down for Apollo 11,

the flight to land
the first men on the moon.

We're on time at the present time

for our planned liftoff
of 32 minutes past the hour.

T-minus 60 seconds and counting,
we passed T-minus 60.

Fifty-five seconds and counting.

Neil Armstrong reported back
when he received the good wishes,

"Thank you very much.
We know it will be a good flight."

Good luck and Godspeed.

Forty seconds away
from the Apollo 11 liftoff.

All the second-stage tanks
now pressurized,

35 seconds and counting.

We are still go with Apollo 11.

Thirty seconds and counting.

Astronauts report, "It feels good. ''
T-minus 25 seconds."

Twenty seconds and counting.

T-minus 15 seconds,
guidance is internal.

Twelve, eleven, ten, nine.

Ignition sequence starts.

Six, five, four, three, two, one...

[engines roar]

Liftoff. We have a liftoff.

[Emmett] That was four days ago.

It was witnessed in person
by over a million people in Florida

and billions of people
on television around the world.

It was history.

I'm Emmett Seaborn.

You are watching NTC's
special coverage of Apollo 11

to the Sea of Tranquility.

The date is July 20th, the year, 1969.

If everything goes according to plan,
an event will take place today

that will forever mark the 20th day
of the seventh month of the year.

I can guarantee
that you'll remember this day,

where you are and what you are doing.

This is a day mankind has anticipated

ever since we first lifted our eyes
unto the nighttime sky

and wondered what marvels
wait for us up there

on the face of our beautiful,
mysterious companion in the cosmos.

Today is the day we find out.

Today is the day
we set foot on the moon.

[reporter] There is a mood

of intense anticipation
here for very many reasons...

a worldwide viewing audience
estimated at 400 million...

the French press
is dominated by Apollo 11.

journey of Apollo 11 will continue...

I hope they don't bring germs
down on this Earth.

- [reporter] You want to go to the moon?
- Yes, if possible, I'd very like...

The beginning of the landing
on the moon...

- Man's first step...
- The programming...

being watched by our world,
united in a way...

It's a groovy trip, but there are
a lot more important things to do first.

It will be a revelation to all mankind

that the universe and the creation is so
much greater than anybody ever realized.

[Seaborn]
Just how do you land on the moon?

That is the task at hand today
for the crew of Apollo 11.

And it has been the subject
and preoccupation

of a great many people
for a great many months,

including Jay Honeycutt,
NASA flight simulation supervisor.

Tell me, Jay, the simulation facilities
are all computer-driven,

but just how lifelike are they, really?

Well, all the problems that we create
in a simulator can happen in the flight.

And the crew sees the moon
as it would be outside the window.

The simulator performs
just as the LEM would.

- The lunar module?
- Right.

Under whatever circumstances
we can create.

So, if things go south
in the simulator...

The crew has to take whatever steps
necessary to save the mission.

Or theoretically, their lives.

Yes.

The landing begins at 50,000 feet
above the lunar surface,

when Armstrong and Aldrin
are given the go for powered descent.

At 46,000 feet, Armstrong will roll
the LEM onto its back.

At 7,500 feet, the computer's final
landing program P-64 will commence,

pitching the LEM forward from face up
to about 30 degrees from vertical,

allowing Armstrong and Aldrin
to see the lunar surface.

As they approach the landing site,
the most crucial information will be

altitude, rate of descent, horizontal
velocity, and propellant remaining.

If they get below about 80 seconds
of fuel remaining,

the quantity light will illuminate.

At that point, they've got
60 seconds until they have to decide

whether or not to land,
leaving them 20 seconds of fuel

to either get down
or to level off their descent and abort.

At six feet, if all goes well,
probes extending from the landing gear

will touch the surface,
and they'll get the contact light.

Armstrong will then shut off
the descent engine,

and they will drop gently
to the surface,

and mankind will never be
the same again, blah, blah, blah.

The landing is by far
the most difficult part of this mission.

Getting to the moon isn't easy.
Neither is walking on It.

Or blasting off,
docking, and going home.

But the landing, that's the thing.

One shot, no second approaches,

a quarter of a million miles from home.

- [chalk clatters]
- For the next three months,

you and I will do everything
in our power to see

that these men are able to land safely,
which means for the next three months,

we must do everything
in our power to kill them.

So, how many times have you "killed"
the crew of Apollo 11?

Oh... Well, many times.

- Hundreds of times? Thousands?
- It's all for their own good, of course.

I understand the crew
kept training in the simulators

right up to the last minutes.

Armstrong and Aldrin were
in the simulator at the Cape

right up to the day before the launch.

Well, how did they do?
Did they make a good landing?

Emmett, they were absolutely perfect.

[Seaborn laughs]

Jay, I appreciate you coming by.
Thanks for putting up with me.

Now, sometime ago,
well before they entered

the flight crew
health stabilization program

prior to last Wednesday's launch,

I had the special opportunity,
well, honor, really,

to chat with Michael Collins as well
as Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

We are having an informal chat

with three men who need no introduction.

Starting with you, Michael Collins.

While your crewmates walk around
in the Sea of Tranquility,

you'll be all alone,
the only member of the human race

completely cut off from Mother Earth.

Won't it get terribly lonely?

Well, Emmett, I'll be plenty busy
with some interesting mission objectives

and of course,
I'll have a great view to look at.

- I'm taking along a few good books.
- [laughs]

- Just in case.
- Okay, okay.

Now, Mr. Neil Armstrong.

Uh... The moon.

Lot of cockamamie theories
about landing on it

and how it would be impossible.

But the point is,
being the first to do it,

you don't know exactly
what's gonna happen, do you?

I mean, how do you physically train
for such a thing?

Well, Emmett...

one way is to climb into an aircraft
we call the Flying Bedstead.

The LLRV,
the lunar landing research vehicle.

- Right.
- Essentially,

a big jet engine turned on its end.

Yeah, it's a tricky machine,
and the demands it places on a pilot

are similar to the demands
I'll be facing making the moon landing.

[air pressure hisses]

- Okay, Neil, you're clear to start.
- Roger.

Five hundred feet.

Winds are a little gusty.

You are go for lunar sim.

Roger, go for lunar sim.

Computer to sim mode.

Beginning descent.

I've got a touchdown point.

Sixty seconds of fuel coming down
through 200 feet.

[bang]

[beeping]

I've got a light. Attitude control.

- I've lost thrusters.
- [beeping continues]

[siren wailing]

[shouting]

- [siren wailing]
- [shouting]

Hey, are you all right?

[panting]

[Seaborn] So, you walked away
in one piece to fly another day.

Pretty much. I did bite
my tongue pretty bad, but...

[laughs]

Incredible.

But, Neil, let me wax
a little philosophic here.

You've lifted off, flown to the moon
without biting your tongue,

you're finally climbing down
the Eagle's ladder,

about to set foot on the moon.

What do you think will be going
through your mind then?

Emmett...

I just hope I don't trip.

[chuckling]

Will there be something said?
Some act performed?

Do you have something ready to say?

I want to say, Frank,
I was inspired by what you guys did.

Reading from Genesis, that was great.

Yeah, well, you know
we're being sued by an atheist.

So, with all these kings and queens
and presidents, who was your favorite?

The Pope. He's the best.

Oh! Listen to me,
"The Pope. He's the best."

[laughing]

When did you decide to say that?

After a PAO up in Washington
took me aside and told me

more people were gonna be watching us

than ever watched anyone
in human history.

We'd better have
something appropriate to say.

What are you guys gonna say?

If you have any balls,

you'll say,
"Oh, my God, what is that thing?"

Then scream and cut your mic.

[laughs]

[laughing]

[Seaborn] Seriously now.

A verse? Quotes?

A dedication?

Truthfully, I'm concentrating
pretty much on the landing.

But I do have faith that if everything
goes well, something appropriate will...

occur.

Why don't you surprise us?

Now on to you, Buzz.

Your official position on the crew,
Buzz, is listed as Lunar Module Pilot,

which is something of a misnomer,
since you don't actually pilot the LEM

as much as safeguard it.

Is that fair to say?

Yes. Uh...

It'll be my job to see to it that
the LEM is a healthy machine.

All systems are running smoothly...

feeding Neil the data that he needs.

If anything requires a special course
of action, I will take that action.

Buzz, there are a lot of things
we know about you.

We know that you were a combat pilot
in the Korean War.

That you earned a PhD at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

in orbital mechanics.

We know that you're a spiritual man.

Your wife is named Joan,

and your life has been chronicled
and featured and photographed

ever since the mission of Apollo 11
placed you in the world spotlight.

We also know you're going
to be the second man

to walk on the face of the moon.

But shoot, Buzz.

Wouldn't you like to be the guy
that gets out first?

Well, Emmett, the important thing
to remember here is

that Neil and I will be landing
on the moon at the same time.

Who gets out first
is relatively insignificant.

[Armstrong] So, we'll review
all this with Deke later.

- Okay?
- Neil?

I've been reviewing the flight plan,

both the current one
and the one last year,

as well as the Gemini flight plans,

and there's something that could bear
some scrutiny as we head into the Sims.

Mm-hmm.

Neil, it's this question about
which one of us should get out first.

Have you given that any thought?

To be honest with you, Buzz, I've been
more concerned with the landing.

In Gemini, the pilot did the EVA
while the commander stayed on board.

Buzz, look...

I appreciate the historical significance
of this thing.

And I'm not gonna
rule anything out right now.

But I think that whatever we decide,

it should be
what's best for the mission.

Mmm.

Have you given it any thought?

I wish it wasn't even an issue.

I'd rather be
on the second landing or the third,

so we could just worry about the science
and not the eyes of history or whatever.

Well, have you thought about asking
for another mission?

Yeah. But you can't.

No, I go on 11 or I don't go at all.

Do you want to get out first?

Well, might as well be me.

Don't you think?

Yes. [laughs]

I do.

Walking on the moon
will be a tangible achievement,

but what it will represent
is where all of mankind is right now.

And what we can do and where we can go

if we put to use the great gifts
that we've been given.

God love Neil, he's a good man.

But I'm afraid he's so consumed
by the physical task of landing,

I don't know how much attention he's
prepared to give to the larger issue

of what we're doing
and what it means to the world.

Some measure of attention should be paid
to the meaning of the task

by whichever one of us
takes that first step.

Since the mission parameters
are still in the planning stage,

and the order of the crew egress
is yet to be determined,

I took the liberty
of calling George Low.

He's one of the administrators.

I told him
that for the good of the mission,

a decision should be made
as to which of us should get out first.

Neil or myself.

- [man] Hey, guys.
- Hey.

[sighs] Buzz,
I got a call from George Low.

He told me that you felt
that a decision had to be made,

that it was bad for morale.

Okay, so here's the decision.

Neil gets out first.

He's the commander.
He's the senior astronaut.

And besides that, I mean,
the way that hatch opens,

it'd be damn difficult
for the LMP to get out first.

Unless you two switch places,

and you're both gonna be wearing
hard suits and backpacks,

so that's not gonna happen.

I see what you mean.

Okay.

So the issue's settled.

So, were it not for a decision
in the design phase of the lunar module,

a fifty-fifty coin toss
of which way the hatch opens,

you might have ended up to be the first
man to walk on the moon instead of Neil.

Possibly.

[Seaborn] Possibly?

Michael Collins, last time we left you,

you were still flying around the moon
in the command module.

- Catching up on my reading.
- Catching up on your reading.

Well, let me be pragmatic and deal
with a hard issue here for a minute.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Have you trained to come back to Earth
as the sole survivor of Apollo 11?

Well, Emmett... [clears throat]
nobody likes to dwell on such things,

but that is one of the scenarios
that we practice in flight simulation.

Well, in fact, all three of you

train constantly
for things going wrong, don't you?

Neil, Buzz, you even practice crashing,
don't you?

Well, actually, Emmett,
we practice avoiding crashes.

All right, we're going to pick up
a pitch over minus 30.

- Everybody ready?
- [all] Ready, Flight.

Okay, gents.

And here we go.

Eagle, this is Houston.

We are ready to commence full-up sim
beginning at pitch over minus 30.

Pitch over in five, four,
three, two, one...

- Mark, pitch over.
- [Armstrong] We're in P-64.

Showing 6,000 feet,
down at 100 feet per second, looks good.

LPD: 40 degrees.

Forty degrees. That's good. I like that.

Five thousand feet, Flight.

- Gonna check my manual attitude control.
- Roger.

- Manual attitude control is good.
- We copy.

Looks good from here.

How you looking, Guidance?

Looks good, Flight.
They're right on the marks.

3,500, still at 60, looking good.

Oops.

We've lost our AGS.

We're still getting that.

Houston, should I cycle an AGS breaker?

Yeah. Flight, tell him to cycle
the DEDA breaker.

Eagle, this is Houston.
Cycle the DEDA breaker.

Roger, Houston.

Cycling the DEDA breaker.

And while they're looking at that...

Okay, Houston, we've got the AGS back.

Houston, is your...

We copy.

Disregard.

Neil, H-Dot, we're dropping.

I think we got 'em, gents.

Neil?

We're coming down too fast.

Neil, abort.

Uh... They've exceeded H-Dot max.

Eagle, this is Houston. We, uh...

We recommend you abort.

[door bangs]

Don't be afraid to call an abort.

We can't afford to hesitate.

- That goes for you, too, Neil.
- I was waiting for your read.

Well, don't forget the delay.
1 .3 seconds can be a long time.

You might not want to wait for our read.

- Roger that.
- Anybody got anything else?

- Buzz? Anything to add?
-No, it's all been covered.

Okay, that's it, guys.

Okay, thanks, Gene. We'll see you.

- Neil, are we finished?
- Yeah.

The loop was wide open.
Everyone was listening.

Here, Houston, Marshall, Washington,
they were all listening.

It was... it was a disaster.

He should've aborted.
There was no reason not to.

Maybe he was waiting on Houston.

Mike, it wasn't a situation
we needed a lot of advice about.

We crashed the damn thing so hard,
we broke the simulator,

and it's going down as a crew failure!

You fellas want to keep it down?

You should've aborted.

I think I'm gonna call it a night.

Neil, we crashed.

Buzz, Sims are for learning.

We had four successful aborts
before that one.

I wanted to see what would happen
if we waited for Houston.

I wanted to see what MOCR would do.

If it was anyone's failure,
it was theirs, not ours.

If you're worried we'll catch some hell
for it, I'll tell everyone the score.

But I don't think there's any point
in rubbing Gene's nose in it.

He knows what happened.

Hey, you know, I've been going through
the mission plan.

They've given us a good block of time
after we land

to fix any problems that we might have,

but they've scheduled a four-hour
rest period before we do the EVA.

What do you say we move
the rest period to after the EVA?

That way, if everything's shipshape,
we'll get out there as soon as possible.

- Get some sleep.
- Yeah.

[Seaborn] Okay, let's shift gears here.

Michael, tell me about your design
for the patch.

You're the artist. What does it mean?

[laughs]

I cheated a bit by copying the eagle
from a National Geographic.

Well, now, we're not gonna
hold that against you.

Thank you. Um...

We all talked about it.
The eagle, it's obvious, is the LEM.

It's also a symbol of America
without being too overt.

As you can see,
it carries an olive branch

to show we go to the moon in peace.

But your names aren't on it.
Why none of your names?

Because going to the moon
is larger than us as individuals.

The Earth represents everyone because

the mission
is bigger than nations or politics.

What is significant is that...

for the first time
in the history of our civilization...

a man is going to set foot on the moon.

Not that man's name.

So, the only word in English
is "Apollo,"

that way the whole world can read it
and maybe claim it as their own.

Well, if that's the case, why don't
we just let history record the rest?

Good luck to you
and Godspeed, Apollo 11.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

At this moment, the crew is preparing
for the challenges of the hours to come,

more than likely with the attitudes
of professional men anywhere

who have a long workday ahead of them.

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins,
and Buzz Aldrin are mortal men.

And yet, their talents,
their disciplines, and their choices

have placed them here
in the third week of July 1969

at a place and time
unique in the cosmos.

These three men are on their way
to a distant place

where no man has gone before.

With them go our dreams,
our desires, and our good wishes.

But not only for
their safe passage in return.

We hope, too, for their efforts
to signal a transformation

of our common globe into a braver,
bolder, better world for us all.

[Aldrin] Okay...

Done.

Everything looks good in here.

[man on radio] You're front-page news
pretty much everywhere in the world.

Oh, Neil, you'll be happy to know
the Russian newspaper Pravda

is calling you the czar of the mission.

Well, the czar is brushing his teeth
right now, but I'll pass that along. Ha!

Roger that.

Among the large headlines
concerning Apollo this morning,

there's one asking that you watch out
for a lovely girl with a big rabbit.

An ancient Chinese legend says that
a beautiful girl named Ch'ang O

has been living up there
for 4,000 years.

It seems she was banished to the moon

because she stole the pill
for immortality from her husband.

Her companion, a large rabbit,
should be standing on his hind feet

under the shade of a cinnamon tree.

Okay, I'll be sure to tell 'em
to keep an eye out for the bunny girl.

Okay, go, no-go for undocking.

- FIDO.
- Go, Flight.

- GUIDO?
- Go.

- RETRO?
- We're a go, Flight.

- BOOSTER?
- Go, Flight.

- TELEMU?
- That's affirm, Flight.

- GNC?
- Go, Flight.

- EECOMM?
- Go, Flight.

- SURGEON?
- Go, Flight.

Go for undocking.

Columbia, Houston.
You are go for undocking.

Roger, Houston. Go for undocking.

You cats take it easy
on the lunar surface.

I hear you huffing and puffing,
I'm going to start bitching at you.

Roger that, Michael.

Okay, here you go.

Probe...

Extend, release.

Beautiful.

Neil, you got four down on lock.

Houston, the Eagle has wings.

Think you got
a fine-looking flying machine, Eagle.

Despite the fact you're upside down.

Somebody's upside down.

You guys take care now.

[Richard Nixon] For every American,
for people all over the world,

this has to be
the proudest day of our lives...

[reporter]
by far the greatest audience...

feel the tension
on the streets of London...

[reporter 2] ...the audience
is estimated at 12 million...

The LEM began to disappear
behind the moon.

have been traveling on
the far side of the moon,

beyond radio contact
with Mission Control.

A go for the descent orbit insertion...

A 30-second burn that drops the Eagle to
a mere 10 miles above the lunar surface

and prepares them
for their final descent.

We're only moments away from a flurry
of activity that will, if all goes well,

find Armstrong and Aldrin
safely on the moon.

Eagle, Houston, do you read?

Eagle, this is Houston.

Eagle, Houston, do you read?

Eagle, Houston, do you copy?

[Aldrin] Rog, we copy.

Eagle, Houston.

Can we get a status on your burn?

A good burn, Houston.
On time, no residuals.

Ten minutes to powered descent.

Let's get their sun check
and then go around the horn.

Eagle, this is Houston.
We're ready for that sun check.

Roger, Houston.

Sun check to three marks.

NOUN 20 minus NOUN 22,

plus 0.19.

Plus 0.16.

1-1. Over.

Eagle, Houston.
We only copied three of the marks.

Please repeat the sun check. Over.

Houston, Eagle, how do you read now?

Eagle, we're getting oscillations
in your high gain. Over.

[crackling]

[Aldrin]
Say again, Houston. We didn't copy.

[beeping]

- Flight, TELEMU, we've lost MSFN.
- Roger, we've lost MSFN.

- Flight, Guidance. I've lost data.
- We keep losing them, Flight.

Clock's running, fellas.
I want a go, no-go for powered descent.

Columbia, this is Houston.
We've lost all data with Eagle.

Please have them
reacquire on high gain. Over.

Eagle, this is Columbia.

Houston would like you
to reacquire on a high gain.

- They've lost data with you. Over.
- [radio signals whine]

Rog, we copy.

Houston, Eagle, how do you read me now?

- You got us locked up, TELEMU?
- We're just real weak, Flight.

How are you looking?
All your systems go?

- That's affirm, Flight.
- Guidance, you happy?

- Go, Flight.
- FIDO, how about you?

We're go. We're low, Flight,
but no problem.

- Rog. EECOMM?
- Go, Flight.

- GNC?
- Go.

- SURGEON?
- We're go.

CAPCOM, we are go for powered descent.

Eagle, Houston. If you read,
you are go for powered descent.

Roger, understand.

Stabilization and control circuit
breakers, DECA gimbal AC closed.

- DECA gimbal AC closed.
- Command override off.

Command override is off.

- Gimbal enable?
- Gimbal enable.

- Rate scale, 25.
- Twenty-five.

- Thrust translation, four jets.
- Four jets.

- Balance couple on.
- Balance couple is on.

- TCA throttle, minimum.
- Throttle's at minimum.

- Throttle, auto CDR.
- Auto CDR.

- Stop button reset.
- Stop button is reset.

- Abort, abort stage, reset.
- Abort, abort stage, reset.

Engine arm descent, seven seconds.

- Yes, proceed.
- Proceed.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Zero, ignition.

Throttle up.

Burn looks good.

Eagle, your burn looks good.

Okay, rate of descent looks good.

AGS and PGNS agree very closely.

RCS is good, no flags.
DPS pressure is good.

Eagle, you are still looking good
and coming up on three minutes. Over.

We went by our three-minute point early.
We're going to land alone.

Houston, our position checks downrange
show us to be a little long.

We are going to roll over
and have you check our altitude.

Roger, we copy.

Rolling over.

Houston, you're looking at our Delta H.

Flight, radar looks good.
2,000 feet Delta H.

Rog, 2,000-foot Delta H. Let me know
when he accepts it, Guidance.

[chirping]

[beeping]

- Program alarm. It's a 1202.
- 1202.

1202? Jack, is that radar?

1202? That's in the software.
We didn't have this in the sim.

What is it?

Give us a reading
on that 1202 program alarm.

[beeping]

It's...

We had it with the 12 crew.

It's a temporary overload.
It's not fatal.

We're okay as long as it's intermittent.

- We're go on that, Flight.
- We're go on that alarm?

If it's only intermittent, we'll be go.

[CAPCOM] Eagle,
Houston, we are go on that alarm.

Roger.

AGS and PGNS look real close.

Give us a pitch over time, Houston.

Eagle, you are 30 seconds to P-64.

Roger. I've got the window.

Roger. We have got good data.

You are looking good
and coming up at 8-30. Over.

P-64.

[thrusters fire]

Okay, 5,000 feet is good.
One hundred feet per second is good.

Okay, I want a go, no-go on landing.

- GUIDO?
- Go, Flight.

- RETRO?
- Go, Flight.

- BOOSTER?
- Go, Fight.

- TELEMU?
- That's affirm, Flight.

- GNC?
- Go.

- EECOMM?
- Go, Flight.

SURGEON?

- Go, Flight.
- CAPCOM, go.

Eagle, Houston. You are go for landing.
Go for landing. Over.

Roger, understand. Go for landing.

- 3,000 feet.
- Give me an LPD.

Forty-seven degrees.

Pretty rocky area.

I'm going to manual.

[CAPCOM] Roger, Eagle.

Fifty-eight forward.

No problem.

Six hundred feet, down at 19.

[chirping]

Program alarm, 1201.

- [beeping]
- Guidance, all your systems go?

Same type. We're go, Flight.

- Go.
- We are go. Same type.

We are go.

You're pegged on horizontal velocity.

[Aldrin] Three hundred feet,
down three and a half.

Forty-seven forward, slow it up.

One and a half down.

- Ease her down.
- Two-fifty. How's the fuel?

Seven percent fuel remaining.

Down at two and a half, 19 forward.

[beeping]

Altitude velocity lights are on.
We lost our radar.

Three and a half down.

220 feet, 13 forward.

It'll be right over that crater.

160 feet, five and a half down.

[beeps]

Quantity light.
Sixty seconds to go, no-go.

Looks like a good area here.

Take it down.

Sixty feet, down two and a half.

Two forward, two forward.

Forty feet, down two and a half.

Thirty seconds of fuel.

Four forward, four forward.

Drifting to the right a little.

Twenty feet, down a half.

Picking up some dust.

I can't see it.

- Contact light.
- Shut down.

Okay, engine off.

- ACA out of detent.
- Out of detent. Auto.

- Mode control, both auto.
- Both auto.

- Descent engine command override off.
- Command override off.

- Engine arm off.
- Engine arm off.

413 is in.

[CAPCOM] We copy you down, Eagle.

Houston, Tranquility Base here.
The Eagle has landed.

[applause]

[CAPCOM] Roger, Tranquility.
We copy you on the ground.

You got a bunch of guys about
to turn blue. We're breathing again.

Be advised, there are
lots of smiling faces in this room

and all over the world.

Well, there's two of them up here.

[Collins]
And one in the command module.

Sounded great from up here.
You guys did a fantastic job.

All right, flight controllers.

Going around the horn for stay, no-stay.

- All right, FIDO?
- Stay, Flight.

- GUIDO?
- Stay, Flight.

- RETRO?
- Stay.

- TELEMU?
- Stay.

- BOOSTER.
- Stay.

- GNC?
- Stay, Flight.

[Armstrong] Houston, Tranquility.

[CAPCOM] Go, Tranquility. Over.

Our recommendation at this point
is an EVA with your concurrence

starting at about 8:00
this evening Houston time.

That is about three hours from now.

Stand by.

Well, we'll let you think
about that one.

Tranquility Base, Houston. We thought
about it and we'll support it.

We are go for an early EVA. Over.

Roger.

Neil, there's something
I'd like to do if you don't mind.

I cleared it with Deke.

After all the grief that Frank and the
others got for reading from Genesis...

I can't be specific, but...

it's something I want to do.

Okay.

[clears throat]

Houston, Tranquility. Over.

Tranquility, Houston. Go ahead.

Roger, this is the LEM pilot.

I'd like to take this opportunity
to ask every person listening in...

whoever or wherever they may be...

to pause a moment and contemplate
the events of the past few hours.

And to give thanks,
in his or her own way.

Over.

Roger, Tranquility Base.

"I am the vine and you are the branches."

Whoever remains in me, and I in him,
will bear much fruit.

"For you can do nothing without me."

[air hisses]

[Aldrin] Now you're even. That's good.

You got plenty of room on your left.
You're close on the right.

Back down a little bit. Back down.

That's it.

You're doing fine.

You've got it.

[Armstrong]
Okay, Houston, I'm on the porch.

[CAPCOM] Roger, Neil.
Standing by for your TV.

We're getting a picture on the TV.

[Armstrong]
Okay, I just checked this.

To get back up
to that first step, it's, uh...

It's not even collapsed too far,
but it's adequate to get back up.

I'm at the foot of the ladder.

The LEM footpads are only depressed
on the surface about one or two inches,

although the surface appears to be very
fine-grained when you get close to it.

It's almost like a powder.

I'm gonna step off the LEM now.

That's one small step for man...

one giant leap for mankind.

[Aldrin] Okay, I'm on the top step.

I can look down over
the RCU and landing gear pads.

[Armstrong] You got three more steps
and then a long one.

[Aldrin] It's a very simple matter
to hop down from one step to the next.

[Armstrong] Yes, I found
that can be very comfortable.

Walking is also very comfortable.

There, you got it.

[Aldrin] That's a good last step.

Beautiful view.

Magnificent desolation.

Isn't that something?

[Armstrong] Magnificent sight out here.