Channel basin, where the spacecraft is brought from the manufacturer in huntsville, alabama. And here, there is an interesting sight, too. Byond our press site, over the Vehicle Assembly building, there are scores of workers out, permitted for the first time to bring binoculars and cameras of their own to the base. Theres a holiday atmosphere. While normally during these launches work goes on the cape buteep things on schedule, indeed, in the Vehicle Assembly building, they have already erected apollo 12. It is ready to be rolled out as soon as apollo 11 is on its way for a launch. [beeping] it will be rolled out to launch within two months to me still try to meet president kennedys goal of landing on the moon in this decade. If apollo 11 goes as well as planned, they will take an extra couple of months to get a good reading on the rocks and so forth that are brought back. And then send apollo 12. We have an announcement coming up from Launch Control. This is apollo seven Launch Control. We are now less than 16 minutes away from the planned liftoff of the apollo 11 space vehicle. All is going well with the countdown at this time. The astronauts aboard the spacecraft have had a little chance to rest over the last few minutes or so, at least they havent been busy with procedures with the spacecraft. In the meantime, we have been performing final checks on the tracking beacons of the instrument unit, used as the Guidance System during the flight. Once we get down to the three minute, 10 second mark, we will go on an automatic sequence. As far as the launch vehicle is concerned, all aspects from there on down will be automatic, run by the ground master computer here in the firing room. This will lead up to the 8. 9 minute mark in the countdown, when the ignition sequence will begin in the five engines of the first stage, the s1c stage of the saturn v. At the two second mark, we will get information and a signal that all engines are running. At the zero mark in the countdown, once we get the commence signal, the signal that says the thrust is proper and acceptable, we will then get a commit and liftoff as the arms release the vehicle. We have some 7. 6 Million Pounds of thrust pushing the vehicle upward, a vehicle that weighs close to 6. 5 Million Pounds. We are now 14 minutes, 30 seconds and counting. This is kennedy Launch Control. We will be hearing a great deal from jack king as the morning goes on. Youve got a good view there from one of the 66 cameras around the launch site by which the National Space people in Launch Control monitor every one of the functions, the critical functions of the launch. With me here at our cbs News Space Center at Merritt Island , overlooking the launch site out there, is one of the most distinguished of the Science Fiction writers, people who have predicted long before scientists were ready to put down the final plan just how we would go to the moon. This is arthur c. Clarke who, among his other distinguished Science Fiction includes 2001, the great movie which recently came out. Incidentally, arthur, i just read that they showed it with Great Success in moscow last night. At a film festival. Apparently got great applause there, as it has everywhere around the world. You first wrote of going to the moon back in 1930s. At a time when nobody dreamed we it would come this soon. Did you . Mr. Clark. No, i didnt imagine it would be in my lifetime in those days. Walter how do you feel this morning . Andclarke very excited, and i have i came in feeling excited yet its familiar. Now im thinking about the next thing. Mars and beyond. Walter you are already thinking of mars and beyond we have not gotten to the moon yet, arthur. That is the nature of you Science Fiction writers, i suppose. Does this about match the way you thought we would do it . Mr. Clarke as far as the Technical Details are concerned, yes. This is precisely the way it was imagined, but what we never imagined was the scale and the cost and complexity of the enterprise. In fact, if we realized how difficult and complex it would be, we would probably be pretty discouraged back in the 1930s. Walter we thought you could build a spaceship for a few Million Dollars . Mr. Clarke it costs a few Million Dollars just to launch it. Theres been inflation since then. I think the figure they give now for just the launch alone is 69 million. That is no equipment, just launching. Arthur all this money will come back many times over for generations to come. This has been part of the best investment the United States has ever made. In another 20 years, people will be unable to imagine why we questioned this expenditure. Walter how do you see it coming back . Mr. Clarke the Space Industries of the next generation, it will move up to for the end of the century. There are many things on this earth we can only do with airplanes and helicopters. At one time it seemed to be of no practical importance. This is going to happen in space. Theyr do you expect will find any surprises out there . Mr. Clarke im sure they will. Nature is more complex and interesting that we can anticipate. We are going to find surprises on the moon. Maybe not on this first flight, but they will eventually. I do not know if we will find a large black monolith waiting for them. [laughter] walter a reference to 2001. Tell me what thats all about. [laughter] walter for those of us who have seen 2001, there is a lot of mystery about that far out closing for the picture. We all like, but we still argue in our family about. Maybe before this whole thing is over, arthur, i expect to have you sitting beside me many times over the next few days. In the flight of apollo 11, as we were so delighted to have you in previous flights. You will tell me the real secret of the monolith. Mr. Clarke ok, thats a promise. [laughter] walter i think ive got something there. Hold on, arthur. We will have many more talks about the moon, how we get there, in the future. And your ideas of how we will get beyond the moon. Jack king in Launch Control now. Rotational hand controllers, the controllers they use in flight, and we have now gone to the automatic system with the emergency detection system. That system that would queue the astronauts if theres trouble down below with the saturn v rocket during the powered flight. We are now coming up on the 10 minute mark, 10 minutes away from our planned liftoff. T 10 minutes and counting. We are aiming for our planned liftoff at 32 minutes past the hour. This is kennedy Launch Control. Walter let us tell you now, some of the things you will be is no here, because there time in the excitement and the reports of the launch itself. Indeed, you can scarcely be heard over the roar of the saturn v engine, the most powerful engine as far as we know, a series of engine that has ever been used to get man off of the surface or to move them anywhere on the surface of the earth, for that matter. The russians, we believe, are developing a rocket larger than this. But we have no evidence that they have used it as yet. About 40 seconds before launch, the water deluge begins. You will see some evidence of it perhaps on your picture. 8at eight and nine 10 and 9 10 seconds before the actual liftoff, ignition takes place. That is when those five f1 engines begin belching their thrust. There they are. A total of 7. 5 Million Pounds of thrust. Great fuel loads there, grade great explosive potential, if not controlled exactly through those nozzles. Nearly nine seconds after the ignition begins, the arms fall back and the rocket with its full Power Building up is released to begin its slow climb up towards the skies. Just a couple of seconds later, it yaws, rolls a little bit, and ,ith the role Program Complete it is rolled over so it is on its proper azimuth, its proper launch course. Minute, 21 seconds into the flight, you begin to see the contrails, which indicated has reached that point in the sky where the maximum dynamic s launch andit piercing of the atmosphere has come, 460,000 pounds on the skin of the spacecraft. Its one of the dangerous points of the launch. It is moving at 1800 Miles Per Hour. Then, the inboard engines begin then, 30 seconds later, the begin to cut off. Later, theconds outboard engines cut off. By that time, the vehicle is 41 miles high, 57 miles downrange, running 6000 miles an hour. Then the first stage separates. The s2 second stage ignites. Si. In 39 seconds the engine cuts off at the second stage, the stage that has been jettisoned earlier. At outpour added engines 9 11. And the second stage at nine minutes 12 seconds. Then we get the ignition, and that 11 15, the flight is on its way and we will go 15 miles high. Is about 2. 5 layers and 1. 5point 2. 5 liters and revolutions, the stage fires up again. It then goes into a translator trajectory. The cbs coverage will continue in a moment. And it is five minutes to the launch. Armstrong,g well, collins, and aldrin sitting on top of the rocket in the command module getting ready for launch. Informing the astronauts that the swing is coming back. The astronauts will have a few more reports. The last Business Report will be from Neil Armstrong at the 45 second mark while he gives the status on the final alignment. Fourminute 32nd mark in the countdown and we do not know at this time. 4 15, and things are normal. Down, theyime handled the countdown as the launch vehicle begins to build up. Counting, weand are go for apollo 11. We will go on an automatic sequence at three minutes set 3 17. Walter the engines that generate the thrust, the combined course power equal to 543 jet fired fighter planes. The vehicle weighs as much as a 5,660,000and burns pounds of fuel, the equivalent of 98 Railroad Tank Cars and the capacity of a small water tank. Lift off noise reaches 102 100 22 decibels. Thank you very much, we know it will be a good flight. We are on the automatic sequence. We have reached the three minute mark. Dthree meant t minus three minutes and counting. We are go. We are on a automatic sequence. T minus 2 45 and counting. Launch team is monitoring a number of redlined values. These are tolerances we do not want to go above and below. They are standing by to call out any deviations. Counting, we are still go on apollo 11 at this time. The vehicle is starting to pressurize. All is still go as we monitor that status. 2 10 and counting. Astronautsfor the will be at a distance of 218,000 mighty 2000 1896 miles away. T minus 1 54 and counting. The status board indicates that the oxidizers have now pressurize. We continue to monitor all three stages. We have a minute to prepare for liftoff. T minus 1 35 to land the first man on the moon. All indications are coming in. 1 25 and counting. Status indications show that it is quickly that it is pressurized. You will go through at the 52nd launch in the countdown. Seconds leading up to the ignition sequence of 8. 9 seconds. Approaching 60 seconds on the apollo 11 mission. T 60 seconds and counting. 55 seconds and counting. Neil armstrong has reported back. They passed the 52nd mark. Power transformer is complete. We are now on internal power. 40 seconds away from the apollo 11 liftoff. Walter you can see the water down there. Jack we are still go for apollo 11. 30 seconds and counting. Astronauts report that it feels good. 25 seconds. 20 seconds and counting. Seconds, guidance is internal. 10, nine, a nations ignition statements start. 2, 1. , 3, zero. Liftoff, we have lift off. 42 minutes past the hour. Liftoff on apollo 11. We are clear. [rocket engines] [static] tamika looks like jack looks like a good trajectory so far. That is very good. Very good. Beautiful. Mile, at 234 Miles Per Hour. 195 feet per second. Everything has held in place. Redline is correct. It is beautifully on sequence. Everything is go. Through the region of maximum dynamic pressure now. Everything looks good here. We are 1350 on the start box. Eight miles down range. Standby for a rally. Mark. Houston, you are go for staging. Walter that is for dropping the first stage. Going to the second stage now. It worked out. Hearing fromere Ken Mattingly at Mission Control in houston talking to the astronauts. Down range 35 miles high. Standing by. Walter this is jack riley reporting, the voice of Mission Control. And, ignition. Each of these events are very all engines are looking good. I hear you loud and clear, houston. Three minutes downrange, 70 velocity minutes hi, 350 . We confirm. Neil armstrong confirming engine and launch tower separation. It is go today. We did he did not give us a window to look out. Houston, your guidance is converged, and you are looking good. Walter this protective color comes off and the windows are not coded. Two miles velocity. Houston you are go at four minutes. Walter the second stage of has millions of pounds of thrust. That is amazing. You can still see the spacecraft. At this point it is almost 93 miles high. 72 miles high, velocity 11,000 feet per second. Get to 17,500 get into orbit. We have another four minutes before the first. Booster says it is looking got it five minutes. Houston, you are go. Walter the next critical moment will be the second stage jettison and the fourth stage ignition. Velocity, 4000 1200 feet. 4200 feet. Apollo, ucs the sfour b is necessary. Everyone is reporting go. Roger 11, you are go from the ground, six minutes. We are good. My seat is jumping all around. 11, this is houston. One one. Walter what did he say was jumping around . Something like the gauges . Thatis is a sequence arranges the staging between the second and third stage. It uncovers a sensor starting the sequence. I am sure it is nothing of major significance. One 17. E 17 walter we are looking at the empty launchpad and the water that is being poured over it to cool it. Eight plus 17, outboard at nine plus one, one. 85 miles velocity, 7058 per second. Walter it is capable of keeping the damage to a minimum and they can turn around and use the Service Stands almost instantly again. Yes, sir. What a change. Down on the ground, track is still go at 7 41. Confirm. In board,rd, it is it is as said. Walter looks like another perfect launch, what a feat after mercury and gemini. Launches, ifime only we could get the american railroads to run on these schedules. We have boosters here. You are go at eight minutes. Roger. Is that all . You arehis is houston, go. Standby for remote port capability. Walter this would be the firing of the third stage in 15 seconds. Jack they kicked into orbit using this Service Propulsion system. Altitude is 100 miles downrange. And, ignition. Walter ignition right on the top. Thrusters, though 11. A good third stage now. Last 2 25, andrn that brings the vehicle to its orbital speed. 23,000 feet per second. Downrange, 1000 miles. This is our number five. 7 18. Walter this third stage is a j2 engine. At 10 minutes, you are go. Roger, 11. Go. Walter i think i misidentified the capsule. The man who is communicating with the astronauts from Mission Control just called it the atlas. Houston, 11, this is predicted cut off at 14. 2. Correct. Downrange 1175 miles. Mile feet per second, altitude, 102 nautical miles. There is former president johnson. Saying goodbye to a few of his friends in the stands. Apollo 11, this is houston, you are go at 11. Walter talking with the Vice President , the official representative of resident nixon. The Vice President is the top official in the administration. 25,254 feet per second. Walter we should get confirmation of orbit in about 15 seconds. Altitude 102. 8 nautical miles. Shut down, right on time. 104 by 103. 3. We copy. By 103. 6, that would be nautical miles of the orbit for the spacecraft, have it has been confirmed. They have made the first big jump. The Vice President is here on your screen. Houston, the booster is safe. Roger. That it isd to know safe. That might be everything to us. It is the destruct system that was shut off. Will not destroy the spacecraft. Andas designed to abort disperse. Walter at this point, now that there, their return could be a normal return to a selected landing spot by jettisoning the third stage and then going on there engine. Jack just they were just as they were at the orbital flights. Walter this first is always dramatic, and it received attention. The dangerous launch phase is passed and apollo 11 is on the way. Looking good, over . That is a good secondary, yes it is. Is the commander on pot on apollo 10, that paved the way for this flight. He is with the Vice President and his party. Greetingeen the chief officer for the vvvips the last couple of days. I have seen him coming out of the hotel there. He is possibly running off to make more notes to brief another important visitor. I think tom would probably ip. The cubed v cubed of the foreign dignitaries, cabinet members, senators, governors, and mayors. This is the houston vanguard at 105, 35. One 630, over . Walter that is the loss of signal from vanguard up to one of the ships in the atlantic to the acquisition signal. Of the third unit stage of saturn v. On the ground we are showing 102. 5 by 99. 7 nautical miles. Officer wants to get some radar tracking to refine the orbit. He will report a refined orbit after more radar tracking. Walter 102. 5 by 99. 7, almost 116 miles. Wally yes it is. Walter i think the figures differ because the radar data has not been smooth. More data is coming that is current. Not critical is not critical, the difference of one or two miles. As long as they have the possible second position over the pacific orbit so they can boost their speed to 25,000 miles an hour. It will put them on the way to the moon. Ist moon trajectory speed just enough to escape enough of the earths gravity to be captured by the moons gravity. They will be brought around the far side of the moon, and with enough speed to come back to earth, but not go into moon orbit, nor be so fast that they would bypass the moon and go on out to the sun. Wally that is exactly it. Walter those figures translate to 118 by 120 miles. A little bit higher than they calculated. A couple ofthan miles, and well within range. We have seen another beautiful saturn launch, but this one will never be known in history by those of us who have watched as just another saturn v launch. Not if all goes well. This is the flight in which men will first step amn will first step foot on the moon. We almost glibly type toss that phrase away. But cbs coverage will continue in a moment. Apollo 11 is on the way, riding the pillar of flame from the saturn v into the skies out there at 250,000 miles away where the moon is waiting for mans first arrival. The flight could take three will and the spacecraft get you there on saturday, the landing on sunday, and Neil Armstrong will step foot on the moon at 2 21 a. M. On monday morning. The first critical thing is over, launch. They are now in orbit and over the atlantic approaching the coast of africa and will touch shortly with the canary tracking station where they will hear more for it from them. Then over the indian ocean and back around for the first trip across the United States. On the second trip around they will launch themselves out towards the moon itself. On the first pass around the completion of the first orbit, they are just about overhead for the first time. We have and told that we can expect a transmission from the Television Camera onboard at one hour and 29 minutes into the flight. Let us look now at that beautiful launch that took place here just 23 minutes ago. By videotape, here it is. 10, nine, ignition sequence start. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Zero. All engines running. Lift off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift off on apollo 11. The tower is cleared. Reporting theong role program that puts apollo 11 on a proper heading. Wally you used are classic astronaut word, beautiful. Roll complete. Wally the other one is fantastic. We did use that later. Walter i probably will. One bravo. Is a control mode. Walter actually, we watching on television at a much better view with the longrange camera then watch than watching it from the beach. We also looked through eyeglasses through our glasses. We thought the better view was by television. Is spectacular, it really is. Walter it is 100 miles high. Incredible. Wally we found it was necessary to fly chase aircraft. It was reporting that it was not in real time, but we could see of some calamity might be developing. 12 miles high. Walter i just thought it was a photographic mission. Communicate . Ble to wally we were on the same loop. We were picking up the same frequency. You are go from staging. Wally this is a spectacular fuming. Think of how big that booster and how large the plume. What does it feel like up there when the events take place. Wally each one is a milestone and we spent a tremendous amount of Time Training for these. It is agonizing to anticipate having to do that. You have to tick them off at intervals. These, you each of get one more milestone behind you and on the way to success. Do you actually check them off of a list or mentally . Buts a mental checklist, the Mission Commander is really critical, because he is checking these important things. 300 feet per second. Escape tower jettisons and you know the flight does not need to be aborted. Tower is gone. Theer the tower is gone so wings are clear. Tower separation. Walter only one window. Is visual simulation uptodate, and they conceal can see one thing out the window. Wally the first walter the first light on mercury must have been some view. Wally i will use the word fantastic. That window is interesting. We started off in the first mercury and the first orbital flight, we had windows like portholes on either side we said we need a window down the centerline like airplane drivers had. And that window becomes kind of port important because you altitude. Added that window became worthwhile, and now we have a good view. Walter it was not just to give you a view of the outside world. Another fact, you will get me talking that way in a moment. And nobody will understand us. Tack on thefirst orbit. 116 by 119, miles. Mission control, 117 by 114. That is what we had come up with a little earlier. Or 120. Up about 118 it is just what they hoped for and well within the nominal range for the destination. Interesting kind of to elevate your orbit one mile when it takes two feet per second when you think of the fact they are flying around 2000 feet per second. It does not need much. Walter they will not worry about it. Wally this is ideal. Walter my palms are sweating. Wally you and now a member of the Mission Launch team. Walter marty was telling me that he has found that at precisely three minutes before a launch is palms become sweaty his palms become sweaty. I think i qualify for an astronaut reading, the wet palm index. Color coverage will continue in a moment. Coverage ofcolor the epic journey of apollo 11 continues after station identification. This is cbs. This is cbs news color coverage of man on the moon. The epic journey of apollo 11. Internationalhe and by western election electric. Kellogg, puts more in your morning. Here again is Walter Cronkite. Areer for you fellows who more remarkably alike in many ways, two of them 38 years old, all of about the same height and weight, many of them of the same physical description, freemen, men,armstrong three Neil Armstrong, United States air force colonel, buzz aldrin, and Lieutenant Colonel michael collins, born in italy. Thelate father a general in United States army, as was his grandfather, and brother. They are on the way to the moon. They were launched from cape kennedy. It will forever be a historic moment. 9 32aunch was at no standard eastern standard time. They are in orbit above the earth. They are traveling at 17,500 Miles Per Hour approaching the coach of africa on that first trip around the world. On the second trip they will fire off the third stage engine again, and they will be on the way to the moon and mans first landing there. Here with me at our cbs News Space Center is the distinguished Vice President of the United States, who is here to watch the launching. Here is the chief of the Space Council. So good to see you. This was quite a launch. Each one of them is quite a launch, but i think the more you see, the more exciting you get. It is the first one i have seen from the outside. Walter did anything about the launch surprise you . I think you get to learn about rings that make you apprehensive. Like the lien out. Ister and a slow climb frightening the first time you see. Even though you know it will be that way, you cannot believe it is really moving, you get that sense that you are waiting for something to take off quickly and it does not happen. V. P. Agnew no, that it was a beautiful sight. I am filled with a real feeling of great pride for these people, not just the three men, but the people behind the program. I just see a great future for this program. Whenout there, went it went up, there were fear in the eyes and many people. Release as emotional you watch the thing go up. And it must mean so much to the thousands of people out there on the cape who put everything into this mission. The unsung heroes. V. P. Agnew i have had a chance to get to know some of the astronauts, because of being down for these shots. I just wanted say to the people in the country that these are the greatest, most dedicated men i have ever run into in or out of public or military life every anywhere. They have a sense of purpose, and modesty that is overwhelming. They are the greatest ambassadors we have. Of the it is the nature americans and the people in the Space Program particularly to constantly look beyond where we are. This is the nature of the man who wants to go to the moon. Now we are on the way to the moon, and we have high hopes for the succession of the mission. We are over the first big hurdle and we are out there in orbit. Landing has not been accomplished yet. Everybody is looking forward and everybody is saying what this administrations intentions would be. He reported as saying, and let me read the quote and let us talk about it. You said i think the United States should take a ambitious move project. We should not attempt we should not fail to attempt something. I think we should attempt interplanetary exploration. Do you think that. Or will you plan that . V. P. Agnew the Space Council does not have the thrust to do any planning right now. Force engaged in a task effort to present recommendations to the president as to what happens after apollo, assuming this is successful. We have other apollo flights to follow. Force, we and the task that we must articulate a broad objective for the future. There is a great amount of disagreement among the people who are participating in these discussions, and i would have to iy, as i said this morning, represent a minority viewpoint in saying that we should be a little bit forthcoming and saying where we are trying to go, even though the technology might not be as advanced as it should be to say it from a sense of scientific probability. I understand this happened once before when president kennedy made his objective the moon landing. Forgo the easy to for these longrange things, because you can always find 100 reasons not to do it, or why it may fail. With the way science has years, iin the past 50 do not think we would be out of line in saying that we are going to put a man on mars by the end of this century. I think we should do it, because based on the rate of progress we have shown, i think it is possible that even if we do not say it, it is going to happen. I think the average man wanta something to look forward to average man wants something to look forward to. There are objections about spending the money, but the Space Program will probably turn out to be one of our best. Walter do you see any problem, assuming that this mission is successful to follow with apollo 12, 2 get to get appropriations for nine more Apollo Missions . V. P. Agnew i do not inc. That will be a problem. Walter what about the next step, then moving on immediately to a mars orbiting space station . Do you think people are ready for that step . V. P. Agnew that is a step that has to come about as an intermediate move before we could think about interplanetary exploration. I believe that the public is ready to undertake this measure. All over the country and the world there is a tremendous enthusiasm about this idea of frontiers, and frontiers of such a magnitude that they make the explorations of earth of explorers look rather of earth explorers look rather puny. We are living in the midst of all these technical miracles we are have performed, already doing this space thing. Teflon is one small example and transistors. We live with them every day. I think may be that the American People might find a new inspiration for further excitement toward Space Exploration when they hear how the world reacts to this. V. P. Agnew we seem to have our attention more and more directed to the world reaction. Inight, i had a chart had a chance to talk with some staffers. We found an outpouring of antiment in that country, affinity with the United States. This is something that you can apply patriotism to without the war. This is a great place to be a little child in a stick. Walter the space people points out that it takes. 5 of 1 of our Gross National product to have enough of a budget for them to go on. 4 million a year. Reported the start just four minutes after. They gave the number the launch and the names of the crewmembers. Although, the liftoff was being shown everywhere else around the world thanks to satellite, probably. V. P. Agnew the soviet press reaction, the commander had a chance to meet with a cosmonaut who also lives in finland. There is a real rapport between the people and these two programs. I think there are real possibilities in the future of getting cooperative ventures an exchange of some information and collaboration, so that we can come to a cooperative stance with the soviet union. They will be of immeasurable assistance in disarmament chart talks and general diplomacy. We are ready. We have an open program. We do not hide anything. We will be as forthcoming in the future as they get more excited. Walter are there any plans to make another open offer to the soviet union for cooperation once we have reached the moon . V. P. Agnew i am not certain. That is a decision that can only be made by the president , and i know he is considering all of the factors involved. We want to do everything that we can possibly do to relieve tension in the world, whether it is in the Space Program, middle east, far east, and in whatever case. You have to be pragmatic enough to realize that some indication of acceptance has to come from the other side, and not just in talk, a little bit in action. Walter do you think a space station would be the way to do it . We could put up a space station that we could all launch out and then we will get to a better point. V. P. Agnew that gives us a great chance. Walter thank you very much. I know they are waiting for you. Thank you very much, sir. That was the Vice President here occasionthis momentous for apollo 11 in his capacity as chairman of the president s Space Council. He gave us some words of encouragement as to the administration and his hopes for the future of manned spaceflight. The flight of apollo 11 going very well. Flight,minutes into the they are about halfway around the world. They should be about over the indian ocean approaching australia, at this time. At 118it is stabilized by 118 miles. The that wet recordedelow what was on the gemini flight. They have each had one flight below. Flight, hive a gemini have a gemini flight, and listen to this. These are cool test pilots. As you can see on your screen, we are showing the crowds beginning to leave the area of the manned space center. , some have crowd estimated as high as one million persons jammed the roads from miles around to watch the launch. Atstrong had a heart rate liftoff of 110. 146 on his gemini flight. Hadins was down to 99, he 125 on his first flight. First at 88, and on his gemini flight, 110. What cool, unexcitable pilots these men are. Huge saturnp of the rocket 36 stories high, on all andhat explosive fuel engines pounding out 7. 5 Million Pounds of thrust. They are taking this historic flight and their heartbeat is down. It is remarkable. I doubt that my heartbeat would be like anything like that. Cbs moves cbs News Coverage will continue in a moment. 11,er the flight of apollo now halfway around the earth on the first orbit. It is on the second orbit. Fire thee preparing to third stage engines and go into its trajectory toward the moon. It is approaching can arvin, narvon, the tracking station in australia. All of the reports of the astronauts have been encouraging. All of the systems are functioning well. We have another successful spacecraft in orbit, and now for the even more difficult phases of the flight ahead. We have a report from ohio, where mr. And misses Stephen Armstrong watched the launch. Son armstrong talked to her before the launch and he was his usual self. They told Mission Control that it is clear down there, it is like sitting in your own living room. These are cool pilots as we have said. They have not been very talkative as of yet. There is not a great deal to talk about. They are reporting out readings, and it is all going, which is all of the utmost importance to the space center as a test as they test the systems and they are ready for the next go no go decision. That is to fire the third phase. An indicatione is to those of us who are professional newsmen of the awesome nature of this flight to this morning, and the story. Down in our space center newsroom, right below me in our space center at Merritt Island by the launch complex, three minutes before this launch this morning, both the Associated Press and United Press International machines clattered to a stop, and not another word was transferred which carries news from all around the world on the wires. Nothing came along again until after the liftoff of apollo 11. It seemed like the whole world stopped to wait for this manoric mormon moment as set out on the adventure escape from his own planet and set foot on a distant one. Distant in earth miles from the launch, a man when he was Vice President under vice under president johnson had a great deal to do with our Space Program, that was Vice President humphrey. He is in moscow and is quoted as saying that all the russians have talked to, hundreds in the past week, seem to have no sense of having lost a race to the moon to the americans, but rather feeling that there has been a contribution to the understanding of the need for International Cooperation in space. A sentiment expressed to us by the current Vice President of the United States. President s ofce past and present, and even more than that, of former president s, i am delighted to have with us as our guest, former president , lyndon b. Johnson. You. E put a microphone on i greeted you before. We were able to get that patched up there. There we are. I think you are wired for sound now. Lunch, mr. Sterday at president , that you have gone along on every one of these missions. Those who watched at the white house, and those you saw and this when you saw for the first time personally. Former pres. Johnson it was a great thrill. Feeling of great concern for the outcome of this flight. Have not reached the end, it is just the beginning. It has been a long time going as far as we have. Taken washas made 12 or 13 years ago and made possible that awesome site this morning when president eisenhower put an extra 300 million in a tight budget back you never get the feeling on one of these and then getting to see them in person as a as they took off there this morning. I thought about how fortunate we have been all of these years to taxes, i know of all of our people will have a great concern that this planet is finished. Another reaction i had was the awesome sites as they started to lift off, it just seemed like half a Million People who had worked on this program through the years, each of them was there lifting them all, and trying to see that great power. Had was thatht i if we can do all of that in such a short time, i wonder why we cannot put that same effort to bring good and peace to all of the world. I thought, as i went into the sky as we went into the sky this morning, of the space act itself and its declaration. We were engaged in this endeavor , and ig peace to mankind do not believe there is a single thing that our country, government, or people do that has greater potential for peace then the Space Program. As i walked out from the blastoff, i saw that section of ambassadors there, all of the nations of the world, all taking such great pride in americas effort, all entertaining such great hopes in this mission. Apolloecall that after eight, i said to the leaders of the world i sent to the World Leaders of the world a picture of the earth. The response was universally favorable, and hopeful. They all expressed great admiration, or people. When you conducted the search for the first head of the space agency, as a leader in the senate, and you came up with james webb as the head. You put this tremendous Management Team together, marshaling all these forces and people working all over the country. Things made in massachusetts, kansas, every state contributed something. Mr. Webb has said that since then he thinks this is one of the great spinoffs of this program is the management techniques, the System Engineering that made this thing possible. He would like to see that sort of management applied to jobs like peace. Have you talked that over with him and thought how that might be done. , we can spendit money to get to the moon, we can do anything. How do we translate that . Former pres. Johnson mr. Webb trip abroadd from a and he talked to me about many statements about our Peace Program and potential sudden awkward in offered in that field. Beas always told to selective when selecting a manager. Pick the best man he cut you can, pick the implements he needs, tell him what the objective is, and get the job done. T is what present president kennedy did back in 1961 when he made the commitment and asked congress to join in that commit. We president kennedy had already appointed mr. Webb and gave him the objective, and we are on our way today to realizing the objective. Gives, have other object other objectives. All 3 billion people in the world cannot understand why we cannot why we have to go on fighting and dying, why we cannot get along with each other. It may be that under the leadership of the cream of our young manhood and the president of the United States, and the leaders of the space field that we can bring about a joint effort. Encouraged8, i president eisenhower to say let n united Space Program. We have not gotten other nations to agree with president with other nations to agree, but president nixon will be engaged shortly with more discussions. And more may come out of this than we know now. Caner that is something we rest our hopes and, even as we rest our hopes on the men on apollo 11. Former pres. Johnson as we walked away i thought of three things that i felt deeply, concern for the men and their awe for what iat had just seen as they took off, and something you do not hear much about these days, great pride in my country. This. S ability to do and to do this among its industry leaders. But these great managers of all with the help of the congress, this can get they can get together and do a job like this. There is not anything we cannot do. There is so much to do with the hungry, sickness, inequality, we must apply some of the great talent that we find in space to these problems and get them done and do the greatest good for the greatest number. Walter thank you very much. I am looking forward to sunday night, and we are in the midst of our 31 hours of programming when they approach the moon and the time that they put their foot on it, and gait and get back in the spacecraft. We will be on the air continuously until that is all done. In the course of that, we are be we will be able to show that halfhour and i have the privilege of telling you about the history of our Space Program. Former pres. Johnson i think we are better than anyone that anyone suspected the openness of this program. Everything we have done we have done it with the program with all of the people in all of them working. You come out here to do a film story and hear the buses rolling up with 50 people aboard all across the United States and the world. It was as wide open as it can be. It is something our system has that no one else is equal and that is why we have strength. Thank you very much, mr. President. Johnson, whosident as a senator first put the drive behind catching up in space after the russian sputnik and as Vice President was chairman of the Space Council and ushered beginnings of the Space Program. From all accounts everything is boardquite well the systems seem to be checking out so there should be no strengths on the s4 third stage firing that will come in another hour and a half and put it on a trajectory out toward the moon. We also expect in a halfhour a television transmission, the first from the color manual from the module. Also on the lunar module. There is a black and white camera we should have pictures from the moon as well. We will be back with more on the flight of apollo 11 in a moment. We have a report from houston, where the families of collins and aldrin watched the launch and the Armstrong Family as well. Jan armstrong, the wife of the commander and the man scheduled to be the first to set foot on the moon watched the launch from down here in the cape. In houston, kate collins, the 10yearold daughter of command module pilot mike collins served coffee to the newsman in their suburban home. She was in orange shorts and an orange and yellow striped shirt. She carried out trays of coffee to the group of newsman waiting out there all night long. Out there with her was the brother, michael. They said they would like to be astronauts themselves one day area michael said it would be a lot of fun. Kate said i will be thinking how much fun it is and how he, meaning her father, had been working so hard. I like science, geography, and math. With science, geography, and math that is what it takes and perhaps kate collins will get to go to the moon. Perhaps when they get there they will be running tour guides and they will take her to the landing site in the sea of tranquility, a little beyond the herle crater and show the remains of the lunar module that first set man down on the moon and there was a plaque on it that her father signed and will rest there forever as a monument to mans arrival on the moon. Perhaps the American Flag will still be flying when kate collins, 10, gets to make her excursion to the moon. President nixon watched the lift off as expected next to the oval office. He has plans to check back. Eriodically dan rather, our white house correspondent, says that even though the official federal takes president nixon to the Aircraft Carrier hornet to greet the astronauts when they return a week from today, it is being considered as an alternate plan for the president to go instead to the center in houston to greet them upon their return there. I dont know the reason for that. Maybe dan rather can report to us. This is purely speculation but i have been curious since they announced the plan for the president to land as to whether the secret service charged the president s security are terribly keen on an aircraft landing. Them are carried out every day around the world and they all go well, for anybody who has made one, we hairy it canh and be. For the president to undertake one, maybe they are having second thoughts. He really speculation on my part but dan rather is saying he may go to the manned space center. Withve been on the beach the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of spectators from all over the world who came to share this great moment. When the moment came which everyone had been waiting for, it seemed to stun them into a frozen disbelief. He couldnt quite believe that man was finally on his way to a world outside the one where he began. As it rose higher and higher, it i likeinally to move the a tennis match where you went up and up and up in your hopes going up. Outwhole crowd was staring silent. It was just staring and reaching. As seen ind unspoken the gestures that people had as they reached up and up with the rocket. Some worried it seemed to be flattening out. But those who know the geography of space that are no that he was headed for the moon at that moment. Now i have a lot of patient people who waited around because they wanted to say what they thought. What did you think. I thought it was marvelous. Very good. This lady has been toweling me off and deserves to say what she thought. The thrill of a lifetime. What did you meet think . This is beautiful. I have seen 12 of them go up. How about you . I came away from San Francisco and this is something worth seeing. Do you think to the young people that it means more to them than the older people like me . Yes, it is fantastic. I came all the way from washington, d. C. Just to see this. How about you, maam. You have been patient. Does it mean a lot . Yes it does. It is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. Have you been camping overnight . I came with my husbands mother and we have been on the beach. What did you think about it . That was groovy. [laughter] what about you . It was nice how it first shot off. Would you like to have been on it yourself . No. Later maybe . Maybe. Did it impress you . I had five people and five cameras working and we have pictures and it is beautiful. Everywhere in the world, anyone would be proud of it. Most of you went to a lot of trouble to get here and what you saw was a minute of flame. Was it worth it . It sure was. People i think from the picture i see before me on the monitor really not caring about the moonshot or are having a moonshot of their own while they watched and that made them so romantic that they became genuine beach people. Moree ask a couple questions. Young what they thought and the mature what they thought. Are there any buddies in the 20 on to be an astronaut here. What did you think of it all . Experience watching it we came down from michigan to see it. It is like they like when they light the torch for the olympics. It was a good feeling. It is like when they light the torch on the statue of liberty. With that thought, i give it back to you walter. We continue of cbs coverage the launch. After Walter Cronkite anchors the live broadcast of the moon landing in the moonwalk. This is American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. Euston, houston, we are loud and clear. Break. Radio check. And we are getting a fixer on the tv. We have a good picture. Ofre is a great deal contrast. Currently it is upside down but we can make out a fair amount of detail