When We Left Earth : The NASA Missions

Nine new astronauts arrive at NASA - their mission, to test all the procedures required to land men on the moon and bring them safely back to earth. Each Gemini mission launches two men into space, leading to some of NASAs greatest moments - Ed Whites spacewalk, the first orbital rendezvous of Gemini 6 and 7, and Neil Armstrongs first space docking.

Apollo 13 puts the astronauts to the ultimate test, returning a damaged spacecraft back safely to earth. Apollo 17 sends man for the longest mission yet to the surface of the moon, but its the last lunar mission for generations. Now, its time for a new phase in the program. Converting an unused Saturn V rocket, NASA launches Skylab, Americas first space-station.

One of the most complex instruments ever built, the Hubble Space Telescope is expected to transform our understanding of the Universe. But once it is in orbit NASA discovers a serious problem, a defective main mirror. NASA sends a team of astronauts to fix the problem in its greatest and highest profile mission since the Apollo era. It gives NASA the confidence to begin construction on the International Space Station.