NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BRINGS THE WORLD BACK TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF SPACE IN JULY 2019

Two-Hour Feature Documentary, From Emmy- and Peabody Award-Winning Filmmaker Tom Jennings, Apollo: Missions to the Moon, Premieres 1 July 2019 at 21:00 featuring Never-Before-Heard Mission Recordings, Newly Transferred Footage and Rare Photographs of All 12 Crewed Missions to Tell the Complete Story of NASA’s Historic Apollo Space Program.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong climbed down a small ladder to place a foot onto the moon’s surface and proclaimed, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” On that fateful day, with more than half a billion people worldwide watching on television, Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight to land man on the moon. Led by astronauts Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, the mission effectively ended the Space Race and fulfilled an American goal set by President John F. Kennedy. This historic feat changed the world forever.

“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard …
because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”
President John F. Kennedy, 1962

To commemorate the 50th anniversary, National Geographic kicks off its Space Month programming event with the epic two-hour feature documentary APOLLO: MISSIONS TO THE MOON on Monday 1 July at 21:00 CAT. The film is executive produced and directed by acclaimed Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Tom Jennings (“Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes,” “Diana: In Her Own Words”).

The film weaves together more than 500 hours of footage, 800 hours of audio and 10,000 photos, using Jennings’ signature style of first-person storytelling to take viewers behind the scenes. This intimate, immersive account spans the full sweep of NASA’s Apollo Space Program — from the ill-fated Apollo 1 mission, which claimed the lives of three astronauts, to the final flight that brought the program to a close.

“Beyond audio and footage of the brave astronauts, APOLLO: MISSIONS TO THE MOON creates a tapestry of the collective sights and sounds that brings us back to the golden age of space,” says Jennings. The film features newly transferred film and never-before-heard audio to recount the ground-breaking, key moments of America’s goal to land on the moon before 1970. With no narration nor modern-day talking heads, the missions are experienced entirely through archival TV footage, never-before-heard radio broadcasts, home movies, NASA film and mission-control audio to create an eyewitness-like experience. The film includes several firsts, including the combination of NASA footage with “black-box” recordings from Apollo capsules and the synchronization of 30-track audio from mission control.

“APOLLO: MISSIONS TO THE MOON unveils what was happening not only on the ground at mission control but also in the homes of the families and friends who stood by as their loved ones took to the skies,” says Jennings. “The whole world stopped for a moment to rejoice and take pride in the boundless sense of courage and optimism that Apollo made possible.”

“APOLLO: MISSIONS TO THE MOON is not just a show; it’s an experience,” says Geoff Daniels, executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment at National Geographic. “It’s filled with intimate, exquisite moments that put you on the edge of your seat and reveal the human face of heroism at a time when our country — and the world — was deeply divided. Apollo renewed our purpose and passion for space exploration, which is deeply woven into our human DNA and at the core of National Geographic. Now, 50 years later, this film could not be more relevant; it reminds us what we can achieve together and has the power to transform us all.”

The following week, the one hour documentary, THE ARMSTRONG TAPES, provides a personal and in-depth look at Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Armstrong’s sole authorized biographer, family members and colleagues sit down with National Geographic to reveal an intimate look at one of the world’s greatest and least-known heroes on 8 July at 21:00 CAT.

Using a fresh perspective and driven by the production processes and techniques that have evolved rapidly, APOLLO: BACK TO THE MOON, describes the epic adventure to the moon in two parts on 15 and 22 July at 21:00. Against the backdrop of the Cold War, follow the Apollo program from the disaster of Apollo 1 to humanity’s ultimate triumph. This immersive account details the journey of those who contributed to the Apollo 11 mission. The final secrets of Apollo 11 are revealed, bringing to life the last stages of a program that embraced tragic setbacks and historic success.

Additional content dedicated to National Geographic’s Space Month includes MARS: INSIDE SPACEX at 13:00 CAT on 7 July. The special goes inside SpaceX’s plan to get humanity to Mars and provides an unprecedented glimpse into one of the world’s most revolutionary companies. Taking us behind the scenes with Elon Musk and his engineers, we get an inside look as they persevere amid both disheartening setbacks and huge triumphs.

Still on the topic of the fourth planet from the sun, EXPEDITION MARS: SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY will broadcast on 14 July at 20:50 CAT. NASA lost contact with ‘Spirit’ in 2011. Now, ‘Opportunity’, has been out of touch with Earth since June 2018. In this documentary, NASA says good bye to these two intrepid explorers of the Red Planet.

Europa — an icy moon of Jupiter 780 million kilometres away from Earth — may be our best hope for finding alien life in our solar system. Today, an innovative class of explorers and scientists is planning a trip to Europa to answer the question — could there be life? The documentary EXPLORER: JOURNEY TO EUROPA attempts to answer this question on 21 July at 19:05 CAT. Later that evening, CHALLENGER DISASTER: THE FINAL MISSION follows the tragic story of the historic space shuttle Challenger and its crew at 20:50. The events of the days leading up to the disaster are detailed using no narration or new interviews. Instead, the story is told through journalists’ reports, rarely seen images, extensive recordings from NASA and interviews with those who were part of the one-of-a-kind mission.

With unprecedented access to NASA’s spacecraft New Horizons team, the landmark film, MISSION PLUTO AND BEYOND takes viewers inside the daring mission of reaching the last great uncharted realm of our solar system — Pluto, on 28 July at 19:05 CAT.

“The first manned lunar landing was one of humanity’s greatest achievements and we can’t wait to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this incredible moment with a month packed with awe-inspiring content dedicated to man’s journeys to space. South African audiences have a lot to look forward to this July, as we look back on the trials and tribulations of the space race and relive the day a flag was planted on the moon” said Evert Van Der Veer, General Manager, Fox Networks Group: Africa.

National Geographic DStv Channel 181