Rocket Science

The history of the X series of aircraft, with emphasis on the Bell X-1 and on the North American X-15 spaceplanes, and on Chuck Yeager's role in breaking the sound barrier.

The development of the rocket: 1920 to 1957. The episode mentions Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Hermann Oberth, Robert Goddard, Wernher von Braun, and Sergey Korolyov as the key figures in development of multistage liquid-fueled rockets.

The first artificial satellite and the first humans in space. The episode mentions Soviet Sputnik program, the R-7 rocket, the American Vanguard, Redstone and Atlas rockets and the project Mercury.

Project Mercury and first American astronauts.

John F. Kennedy issues the challenge. America prepares to compete with the Soviets by declaring a landing on the Moon before the end of the decade.

NASA invents space travel with Project Gemini, learning docking, space walking and rendezvous.

The disaster of Apollo 1 puts NASA on track for the Moon. Go Fever takes over.

The birth of the Saturn V.

The slow and painful birth of the first true spaceship and the Apollo 8 Christmas voyage around the Moon.

Apollo 11 and the first steps on the Moon.

Apollo 11 had been a near miss. Apollo 12 and Apollo 13 were near disasters.

The era of the space cowboy comes to an end.