History Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing with New Documentary

Approaching the 50th anniversary of NASA's most audacious achievement to be the first to land a man on the moon, HISTORY's new one hour documentary "Moon Landing: The Lost Tapes," premiering Sunday, July 14th at 10PM ET/PT, tells the incredible true story of mankind's greatest leap. Packed with newly uncovered footage, rare photographs and previously untelevised audio interviews, the documentary captures the Apollo 11 astronauts' hidden doubts and fears as they stand on the brink of making history. Each moment revealing the unfolding drama, dangers, and decisions leading up to the successful July 16, 1969 launch during Richard Nixon's first term as president.

Knowing the weight of the United States of America's reputation lay on their shoulders, Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins attempt the impossible. The fate of the mission relies on these three men riding a controlled explosion off planet Earth, landing on another celestial body and returning home safely. This documentary unveils THE TIMELINE of events and impending challenges as the country's newly formed space agency rallies to become the first to the moon's surface. Nearly aborted twice when a mysterious alarm sounded in the spacecraft and fuel levels ran dangerously low, viewers will further understand why the nine-day mission proceeds with alarming caution. Thanks to the bravery of these three astronauts and the ingenuity of the young men manning the consoles at Mission Control, viewers around the world tune in on July 20, 1969, as the country is the first to land a man on the moon - leaving the Soviet Union a distant second in the space race.

"Moon Landing: The Lost Tape" is produced for HISTORY by A+E Originals. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Jessica Conway serve as executive producers for A+E Originals. Mike Stiller serves as executive producer for HISTORY. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "Moon Landing: The Lost Tapes."