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America’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven.
Courtesy of © NASA 1959
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America’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven. From left to right: M. Scott Carpenter, Leroy Gordon Cooper, John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. Gus Grissom, Jr., Walter M. Wally Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Donald K. Deke Slayton.
Courtesy of © NASA 1959
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America’s first astronaut Al Shepard after his 1961 Mercury flight.
Courtesy of © NASA 1961
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John Glenn boards his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7, February 1962.
Courtesy of © NASA 1962
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Launch of Friendship 7, (a Mercury spacecraft carrying John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Moon, February 1962).
Courtesy of © NASA 1962
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Mercury capsule Faith 7 on top of its Atlas rocket, May 1963.
Courtesy of © NASA 1963
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Gemini spacecraft, photographed from a second spacecraft during the first rendezvous in space (Gemini 6 and Gemini 7, December 1965).
Courtesy of © NASA 1965
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Ed White, during America’s first spacewalk – Gemini 4, June 1965.
Courtesy of © NASA 1965
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Ed White and Jim McDivitt aboard Gemini 4, June 1965.
Courtesy of © NASA 1965
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Historic Earthrise picture taken by William Anders during Apollo 8, 1968.
Courtesy of © NASA 1968
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Neil Armstrong leads the Apollo 11 crew out prior to launch.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Saturn V ‘space vehicle’ at dawn prior to the Apollo 11 launch.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Apollo 11 at lift-off, July 16th, 1969.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Buzz Aldrin descends to the lunar surface, Apollo 11, 1969.
Couresy of © NASA 1969
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Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the Moon near the leg of the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" during the Apollo 11 exravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Lunar module footpad, Apollo 11, 1969.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Buzz Aldrin beside the US flag, Apollo 11.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Buzz Aldrin’s boot print, Apollo 11.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Aldrin, Collins and Armstrong in New York, August, 1969.
Courtesy of © NASA 1969
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Gene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, aboard the lunar rover.
Courtesy of © NASA 1972
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Harrison Schmitt, beneath the Earth, during Apollo 17.
Courtesy of © NASA 1972
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Skylab
Courtesy of © NASA 1973
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The crew members of Skylab 3: astronaut Alan L. Bean, foreground, commander; scientist astronaut Owen K. Garriott, left, science pilot; and astronaut Jack R. Lousma, pilot. This crew spent 59 days and 11 hours in orbit.
Courtesy of © NASA 1973
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Bruce McCandless floating freely, 1984.
Courtesy of © NASA 1984
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Space shuttle launch.
Courtesy of © NASA 1984
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Challenger disaster, 1986.
Courtesy of © NASA 1986
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Vapor plume, following space shuttle launch.
Courtesy of © Dangerous Films 2008
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Space shuttle payload bay.
Courtesy of © NASA
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Space shuttle stack from above.
Courtesy of © NASA
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Hubble image, Eagle Nebula.
Courtesy of © NASA
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Hubble image, galaxy.
Courtesy of © NASA
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Hubble image, Messier 82 galaxy.
Courtesy of © NASA
This is the story of man's giant leap into the unknown. "Rocket Men" is an inspirational portrayal of the triumphs and tragedies punctuating the first 50 years of NASA's manned missions. From the pioneering Mercury launches to the daring Gemini project, the program reveals the epic behind the scenes struggle that ultimately carried men to the moon.
Charting an adventure that culminates in the majestic space shuttle and the missions of today, "Rocket Men" goes beyond the hardware to focus on the men and women who are prepared to lay their lives on the line in the name of exploration. Beautiful sequences capturing the thrilling magic and mystery of a journey into space give audiences an astronaut's view of a rocket ride into orbit.
A Dangerous Films production in association with BBC Worldwide for Sony Pictures. Producers Michael Robins, Mike Kemp, Tim Goodchild, Peter Parnham. Writer/Director/Executive Producer Richard Dale.
