When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions

May 5, 1961, Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. pilots the Freedom 7 capsule to become the first American in space. Covering 300 miles and lasting just 15 minutes, this suborbital flight etched Shepard's name in our collective minds.

On February 20, 1962, Astronaut John Glenn pilots the Friendship 7 and becomes the first American to orbit the Earth. Relive launch footage from Cape Canaveral, including the exhilarating moments of re-entry, landing and recovery.

On December 15, 1965, NASA achieves a rendezvous in Earth orbit with two piloted spacecraft. Gemini 7, with Command Pilot Frank F. Borman II and Pilot James A. Lovell Jr., already in space for more than 10 days, meets with Gemini 6, guided by Command Pilot Walter M. Schirra and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford.

On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 blasts into space aboard a Saturn V rocket with Mission Commander Borman, Command Module Pilot Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders. Their mission: to embark on the first flight around the Moon, preparing for those who would later land on its surface.

Apollo 11, with Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, becomes the first mission to land humans on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The daring mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal expressed in his thrilling 1961 speech, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

A brief clip of Ed White - the first American to take a spacewalk as he exits the craft into space for the first time.

Interview from NASA's Archives: Michael Collins, Astronaut.

Interview from NASA's Archives: Joe Kosmo, Space Suit Engineer/Designer.

Mission Clip: Mercury Training

Mission Clip: Gemini 4

Mission Clip: Gemini 6 and 7

Mission Clip: Gemini 8

Mission Clip: Gemini 9

Highlights from the NASA film: Apollo 13: Houston, We've Got A Problem

Interview from NASA's Archives: Al Bean, Astronaut

Interview from NASA's Archives: Gene Kranz, Flight Director

Mission Clip: Apollo 8 Launch & Stage Separation Sequences

Mission Clip: Apollo 8 Lunar & Earth Orbit

Mission Clip: Apollo 9 LM in Earth Orbit

Mission Clip: Apollo 11 Astronauts Return & Parade

Mission Clip: Apollo 16 Rover Test Drive

Mission Clip: Apollo 17 Night Launch

Highlights from the NASA Film: Skylab: The 40 First Days

Interview from NASA's Archives: Shannon Lucid, Astronaut

Interview from NASA's Archives: James Crocker, Aerospace Engineer

Mission Clip: Skylab Tour

Mission Clip: Skylab Zero Gravity

Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-1 Launch

Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-1 Landing

Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-31 Hubble Deployment

Mission Clip: Shuttle STS-61 Hubble Repair