Moonshot: The Inside Story of Mankind's Greatest Adventure (14 page)

The crew of Apollo 1 (left to right) Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, in front of Launch Complex 34, housing their Saturn IB launch vehicle. When a fire broke out during tests the complicated hatch left them unable to escape.

The crew of Apollo 11. From left: Commander, Neil Armstrong; Command Module Pilot, Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin.

The crews of Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 in a debriefing session.

Armstrong in the lunar module simulator at the Kennedy Space Center.

Collins (left) and Deke Slayton, walk away from a T-38 jet, July 1969. As the Director of Flight Crew Operations Slayton was responsible for selecting the crew of each mission.

A million sight-seers descended on Florida, camping out on beaches and roads to get a glimpse of the lift-off.

Slayton (right front) reviews charts with Collins (left), Armstrong, and Aldrin (next to Slayton) during breakfast before the launch.

Armstrong checks his communications system before boarding Apollo 11.

Collins prior to launch.

Aldrin prepares himself for the mission.

Armstrong waves to well-wishers in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building, Kennedy Space Center.

High above the Florida landscape, the crew enter the spacecraft through the tiny white room resting against the command module.

The swing arms move away and a plume of flame signals the liftoff of Apollo 11.