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When We Left Earth: Ordinary Supermen

Millions watch John Glenn's flawless launch, but a grave malfunction arises after Friendship 7's second orbit.

Playlists

(1 - 4 of 6)
  • Play Mercury
    5 Clips Playlist Mercury Missions

    When We Left Earth (16:18)

    NASA's Mercury program sets the stage for America's ambitious space program with the first manned missions.
  • Play Gemini
    9 Clips Playlist Gemini Missions

    When We Left Earth (22:51)

    NASA's Gemini missions successfully complete spacewalks, docking and extended orbits to pave the way for lunar journeys.
  • Play Apollo
    12 Clips Playlist Apollo Missions

    When We Left Earth (33:06)

    Digitally-enhanced highlights from NASA's archives take you back to mankind's conquest of the moon and the follow-up Apollo-Soyuz and Skylab missions.
  • Play Space Shuttle
    9 Clips Playlist Space Shuttle Missions

    When We Left Earth (20:39)

    From the first orbiter launch in 1981 to shepherding the Hubble Space Telescope, the early years of NASA's Space Shuttle paved new frontiers in space exploration.

Discovery Channel Clips

  • Play When We Left Earth: First Shuttle Launch
    First Shuttle Launch

    When We Left Earth (02:53)

    Highlights from a NASA film on the flight of STS-1 Columbia featuring the first launch of a manned Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981.
  • Play When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions: Ordinary Supermen
    The NASA Missions: Ordinary...

    When We Left Earth (06:07)

    On October 7, 1958, Project Mercury began, creating with it America's first astronauts. This sneak peek explores the challenges and triumphs of NASA's first forays into space.
  • Play When We Left Earth: First Shuttle Landing
    First Shuttle Landing

    When We Left Earth (02:31)

    Highlights from a NASA film on the flight of STS-1 Columbia featuring the reentry and successful landing of NASA's new space vehicle after a two-day test flight.
  • Play When We Left Earth: Inside the Shuttle - #4
    Inside the Shuttle - #4

    When We Left Earth (01:26)

    Explore the main components and compartments of the Space Shuttle.
  • Play When We Left Earth: The Shuttle
    The Shuttle

    When We Left Earth (03:04)

    NASA leaps ahead to the next phase of space exploration with the maiden voyage of Columbia in 1981.
  • Play When We Left Earth: Inside The Shuttle - #1
    Inside The Shuttle - #1

    When We Left Earth (01:32)

    The shuttle's uses the world's most powerful rockets to propel it into Earth orbit.
  • Play When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions: Landing the Eagle
    The NASA Missions: Landing...

    When We Left Earth (06:00)

    This sneak peek tracks the Apollo Missions. See historic images captured by Apollo 8, and relive the exciting moments of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon.
  • Play When We Left Earth - Space Shuttle: Hubble Missions
    Hubble Missions

    When We Left Earth - Space... (02:50)

    Highlights of a NASA film chronicling the April 1990 Shuttle mission to deploy Hubble and the December, 1993 mission of STS-61 to correct the telescope's faulty lens.
  • Play When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions: The Explorers
    The NASA Missions: The...

    When We Left Earth (04:02)

    Before Apollo 11, space was a destination. Now, it's a scientific opportunity. This sneak peek watches astronauts transform from pilots to explorers, and relives the drama of Apollo 13.
  • Play When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions: Shuttle: Triumph ...
    The NASA Missions: Shuttle:...

    When We Left Earth (04:02)

    NASA experiences great success with Columbia. Then tragedy strikes with the explosion of the Challenger. Take a sneak peek at the design and development of the first winged space shuttle.
  • Play When We Left Earth: Landing the Eagle
    Landing the Eagle

    When We Left Earth (03:45)

    Flight controllers and the Apollo 11 crew remember the tension-filled moments just before the first lunar landing.
  • Play When We Left Earth: Walt Cunningham
    Walt Cunningham

    When We Left Earth (03:12)

    An Apollo 7 astronaut recounts the greatest moments of NASA's history, especially the legacy of the Space Shuttle program.
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When We Left Earth celebrates NASA's 50th Anniversary with never-before-seen film from the NASA archives plus interviews with astronauts and mission scientists.

 
 

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