Race to the Moon

The success of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the moon, ended the ‘space race’ between the United States and the Soviet Union. But few know just how close that mission was to disaster.

On the 16th July 1969, the day of the Apollo 11 launch, a Russian rocket was also standing by for takeoff. The two ships were in danger of colliding, yet Moscow refused to share the rocket’s intended trajectory with the USA. Even so, President Richard Nixon still gave the order for takeoff – one of the riskiest decisions taken in the race to be the first to make that giant leap for mankind.

This fascinating programme, produced by Russian Television, provides an incredible insight into the events that led to the first successful moon landing. Through the use of rarely-seen archive footage, interviews with those involved and expert analysis, Discovery takes you deep inside the Race to the Moon.