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 s