:04:18
For a long time about the only people
who gave much thought...
:04:21
of going to the moon
were science fiction writers.
:04:28
In October, 1957, the Soviets launched
Sputnik, and everything changed.
:04:38
Suddenly, going to the moon
was a possibility.
:04:41
The question was: How do you do it?
:04:44
Four months after Sputnik...
:04:46
Wernher Von Braun briefed the head
of the National Advisory Committee.
:04:50
He presented the two best options
for going to the moon.
:04:53
There are two methods.
:04:54
The first method we call Direct Ascent.
:04:58
You build an enormous rocket,
put a capsule on top.
:05:01
Boom, you go straight to the moon.
:05:05
The other method we call
Earth Orbit Rendezvous.
:05:07
Instead of using one huge rocket...
:05:09
we perform several launches
with somewhat smaller rockets...
:05:12
each carrying a component
of the spacecraft.
:05:17
We put the pieces together
in orbit...
:05:21
and off we go.
:05:22
These two methods... these are
the only ways of getting to moon?
:05:27
Yes.
:05:28
Actually, there were other ideas.
:05:30
So we started thinking:
"What can we do right now?"
:05:34
Then it hit us.
:05:38
The moon!
:05:39
You rendezvous
on the surface of the moon.
:05:43
The problem isn't getting
a man to the moon.
:05:45
- That's easy.
- It's not easy.
:05:46
- Relatively easy.
- Pretty easy.
:05:48
- The problem is getting him back.
- So we say...
:05:50
You send up some ships to the moon...
:05:52
with all the extra fuel
and supplies to get back.
:05:55
That way, when the astronauts arrive...
:05:57
everything they need to get home
is already there.