Many consider man's single greatest achievement to be the discovery of time. With out this discovery our ability to navigate space ships in and out of the Earth's orbit would be non - existent. It is our discovery of time and our understanding of orbital variations that has and will continue to mark the upward surge of mankind. With the Soviet Sputnik success in October 1957, Werner von Braun and his team successfully launched America's first spacecraft, the satellite Explorer 1. With the birth of NASA, the U.S. space program had the dedicated resources it needed for the next great achievement: getting a human being into space. Mankind has watched over the years with bated breath, as various space exploits have taken place. On the morning of July 16th, 1969, almost the whole world was watching the Kennedy Space Centre where Apollo 11 was due to lift off. This had been John Kennedy's dream. Now was the moment of reckoning. As the incredible might of Saturn Five lifted Apollo 11 clear of the tower and pierced the deep blue sky, it was a moment of pure awe. Right now, the hopes of millions of people rested on just three men - Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin Jr. It would take them four days, travelling a quarter of a million miles, to reach their destination. 8 Come on a journey into the unknown, amazing world of space as we explore these and many more exciting space missions man has been brave enough to venture into.
