National Geographic (DStv 181 / StarSat 220 / Cell C black 261) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moonlanding in July with a 2-hour documentary, Apollo: Missions to the Moon.
The film that will showcase never-before-heard mission recordings, newly transferred footage and rare photographs of all 12 crewed missions to tell the complete story of Nasa's historic Apollo space programme.
On 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong climbed down a small ladder to place a foot onto the moon's surface and proclaimed, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
On that fateful day, with more than half a billion people worldwide watching on television, Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight to land man on the moon, led by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. This historic feat changed the world forever.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary, National Geographic will do a Space Week programming event starting with the Apollo: Missions to the Moon film.
It's executive produced and directed by Tom Jennings and weaves together more than 500 hours of footage, 800 hours of audio and 10 000 photos to take viewers behind the scenes.
It's produced by 1895 Films for National Geographic Documentary Films with Hans Zimmer and Russell Emanuel doing the music score.
The predominantly orchestral score features electronically manipulated sounds from the 1960's heyday of Nasa space explorations, including the Apollo mission open radio frequencies, the Kepler Star and Sputnik's telemetry beacon.
The film spans the full sweep of Nasa's Apollo space programme - from the ill-fated Apollo 1 mission, which claimed the lives of three astronauts, to the final flight that brought the programme to a close.
"Beyond audio and footage of the brave astronauts, Apollo: Missions to the Moon creates a tapestry of the collective sights and sounds that brings us back to the golden age of space," says Tom Jennings.
The film features newly transferred film and never-before-heard audio to recount the groundbreaking, key moments of America's goal to land on the moon before 1970. With no narration nor modern-day talking heads, the missions are experienced entirely through archival TV footage, never-before-heard radio broadcasts, home movies, Nasa film and mission-control audio to create an eyewitness-like experience.
The film includes several firsts, including the combination of Nasa footage with "black-box" recordings from Apollo capsules and the synchronization of 30-track audio from mission control.
"Apollo: Missions to the Moon unveils what was happening not only on the ground at mission control but also in the homes of the families and friends who stood by as their loved ones took to the skies," says Tom Jennings.
"The whole world stopped for a moment to rejoice and take pride in the boundless sense of courage and optimism that Apollo made possible."
Geoff Daniels, executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment at National Geographic, says "Apollo: Missions to the Moon is not just a show; it's an experience".
"It's filled with intimate, exquisite moments that put you on the edge of your seat and reveal the human face of heroism at a time when our country - and the world - was deeply divided. Apollo renewed our purpose and passion for space exploration, which is deeply woven into our human DNA and at the core of National Geographic."
"Now, 50 years later, this film could not be more relevant; it reminds us what we can achieve together and has the power to transform us all."
It's executive produced and directed by Tom Jennings and weaves together more than 500 hours of footage, 800 hours of audio and 10 000 photos to take viewers behind the scenes.
It's produced by 1895 Films for National Geographic Documentary Films with Hans Zimmer and Russell Emanuel doing the music score.
The predominantly orchestral score features electronically manipulated sounds from the 1960's heyday of Nasa space explorations, including the Apollo mission open radio frequencies, the Kepler Star and Sputnik's telemetry beacon.
The film spans the full sweep of Nasa's Apollo space programme - from the ill-fated Apollo 1 mission, which claimed the lives of three astronauts, to the final flight that brought the programme to a close.
"Beyond audio and footage of the brave astronauts, Apollo: Missions to the Moon creates a tapestry of the collective sights and sounds that brings us back to the golden age of space," says Tom Jennings.
The film features newly transferred film and never-before-heard audio to recount the groundbreaking, key moments of America's goal to land on the moon before 1970. With no narration nor modern-day talking heads, the missions are experienced entirely through archival TV footage, never-before-heard radio broadcasts, home movies, Nasa film and mission-control audio to create an eyewitness-like experience.
The film includes several firsts, including the combination of Nasa footage with "black-box" recordings from Apollo capsules and the synchronization of 30-track audio from mission control.
"Apollo: Missions to the Moon unveils what was happening not only on the ground at mission control but also in the homes of the families and friends who stood by as their loved ones took to the skies," says Tom Jennings.
"The whole world stopped for a moment to rejoice and take pride in the boundless sense of courage and optimism that Apollo made possible."
Geoff Daniels, executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment at National Geographic, says "Apollo: Missions to the Moon is not just a show; it's an experience".
"It's filled with intimate, exquisite moments that put you on the edge of your seat and reveal the human face of heroism at a time when our country - and the world - was deeply divided. Apollo renewed our purpose and passion for space exploration, which is deeply woven into our human DNA and at the core of National Geographic."
"Now, 50 years later, this film could not be more relevant; it reminds us what we can achieve together and has the power to transform us all."
