Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo

Watch Movie

Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo

"No giant leap is made alone."

2017

1h 41m

7.3(48 votes)

Documentary

Overview

At the heart of the Apollo program was the special team in Mission Control who put a man on the moon and helped create the future.

Links & Resources

Website IMDbView

Social & External

IMDb

Production Companies

The people behind it

Cast & crew

10 featured cast members

Starring

Gene Kranz

Himself

Christopher Kraft

Himself

Glynn Lunney

Himself

Gerry Griffin

Himself

John Aaron

Himself

Ed Fendell

Himself

Jerry Bostick

Himself

Jim Lovell

Himself

Gene Cernan

Himself

Charlie Duke

Himself

Creative team

Directed by: David Fairhead
Produced by: Gareth Dodds
Keith Haviland

Similar Movies

7.1

1994

Destiny in Space

Travel alongside the astronauts as they deploy and repair the Hubble Space Telescope, soar above Venus and Mars, and find proof of new planets and the possibility of other life forming around distant stars.

Movie

7.2

1997

Mission to Mir

This film shows how far we have come since the cold-war days of the 50s and 60s. Back then the Russians were our "enemies". And to them the Americans were their "enemies" who couldn't be trusted. Somewhere in all this a young girl in Oklahoma named Shannon set her sights on becoming one of those space explorers, even though she was told "girls can't do that." But she did.

Movie

1995

Apollo 13: The Untold Story

This film tells the real story behind the unforgettable Ron Howard/Tom Hanks film. In this film we feature the real astronauts, the actual footage and real events of Apollo 13.

Movie

7.0

2003

Project Gemini: Bridge to the Moon

All of the necessary technologies required to reach the Moon was first tested during Project Gemini, which comprised of ten missions in the mid-1960s.

Movie

1969

Apollo 11: For All Mankind

Documentary of Apollo 11 mission from NASA footage.

Movie

1972

Apollo 16: Nothing So Hidden

Apollo 16 mission from NASA footage.

Movie

Apollo 17: The Untold Story of the Last Men on the Moon

7.6

2011

Apollo 17: The Untold Story of the Last Men on the Moon

The remarkable story of the determination and courage of a generation. A tribute to three brave astronauts and the thousands of men and women behind them during the final days of NASA's Apollo program.

Movie

6.7

2016

The Last Man on the Moon

The 1960s was an extraordinary time for the United States. Unburdened by post-war reparations, Americans were preoccupied with other developments like NASA, the game-changing space programme that put Neil Armstrong on the moon. Yet it was astronauts like Eugene Cernan who paved the uneven, perilous path to lunar exploration. A test pilot who lived to court danger, he was recruited along with 14 other men in a secretive process that saw them become the closest of friends and adversaries. In this intensely competitive environment, Cernan was one of only three men who was sent twice to the moon, with his second trip also being NASA’s final lunar mission. As he looks back at what he loved and lost during the eight years in Houston, an incomparably eventful life emerges into view. Director Mark Craig crafts a quietly epic biography that combines the rare insight of the surviving former astronauts with archival footage and otherworldly moonscapes.

Movie

7.2

2006

Roving Mars

Join the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity for an awe-inspiring journey to the surface of the mysterious red planet.

Movie

6.5

2002

Space Station 3D

Some 220 miles above Earth lies the International Space Station, a one-of-a-kind outer space laboratory that 16 nations came together to build. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary structure in this spectacular IMAX film. Viewers will blast off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia for this incredible journey -- IMAX's first-ever space film. Tom Cruise narrates.

Movie

2005

Apollo 17: Final Footprints On The Moon

The Apollo 17 mission was the final opportunity to collect first hand information about the history and origin of the Moon. This film looks at this historic mission through the eyes of those who participated in it. Including Commander Eugene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ron Evans.

Movie

2003

One Small Step: The Story of the Space Chimps

One Small Step: The Story of the Space Chimps is the dramatic and moving real-life tale of the United States Air Force chimponauts and their NASA compatriots.

Movie

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon

5.8

2005

Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon

Twelve men who belong to one of the world's most exclusive fraternities -- people who've walked on the surface of the moon -- are paid homage in this documentary. Using newsreel footage, rare NASA photographs, and digitally animated re-creations, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon examines the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 which put astronauts on the moon.

Movie

1973

Apollo 17, on the Shoulders of Giants

A documentary about the Apollo 17 mission to the Taurus-Littrow on the moon, the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program, December 1972. Produced by A-V Corporation for NASA. The film was distributed both as an ephemeral film (shown to an audience via a 16mm film projector), and was also shown on TV (and was shown on both public and commercial stations per a search of vintage newspapers).

Movie

Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph

7.0

2019

Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph

The first American space station Skylab is found in pieces scattered in Western Australia. Putting these pieces back together and re-tracing the Skylab program back to its very conception reveals the cornerstone of human space exploration.

Movie

8.0

2017

Exoplanets

NASA may have just gotten one step closer to the answering the question: are we alone? The Spitzer Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery of exoplanets that could be similar to our own. And as Kepler also continues its search, our understanding of the universe continues to be redefined.

Movie

1978

Apollo Soyuz Mission Overview & Space Shuttle Mission Profile

Produced by NASA contractor Rockwell International, this circa 1978 film was made shortly before the successful Apollo-Soyuz space mission. It is followed by a second film SPACESHIP EARTH showing on-going work on the new Space Shuttle. APOLLO-SOYUZ was created prior to the actual mission, and uses footage from prior Apollo missions and concept art. The film also shows the construction and assembly process for the Apollo side of the mission with Deke Slaton and crew shown. The docking module is shown at 1:52 and again at 2:43 when it was displayed at the 1973 Paris Air Show.

Movie

7.4

1985

The Dream Is Alive

The Dream Is Alive takes you into space alongside the astronauts on the space shuttle. Share with them the delights of zero gravity while working, eating and sleeping in orbit around the Earth. Float as never before over the towering Andes, the boot of Italy, Egypt and the Nile. Witness firsthand a tension-filled satellite capture and repair and the historic first spacewalk by an American woman.

Movie

7.0

2009

Being...Neil Armstrong

It has been said that 10,000 years from now only one name will still be remembered, that of Neil Armstrong. But in the four decades since he first set foot on the moon, Armstrong has become increasingly reclusive. Andrew Smith, author of the best-selling book Moondust, journeys across America to try and discover the real Neil Armstrong. He tracks down the people who knew Armstrong, from his closest childhood friend to fellow astronauts and Houston technicians, and even the barber who sold his hair, in a wry and sideways look at the reluctant hero of the greatest event of the 20th century.

Movie

6.5

2017

Mission Saturn

NASA's biggest spacecraft, Cassini, plunges into Saturn in the final act of a 20-year mission showcasing the planet like never before. An incredible first full look at the Saturn mission with a spotlight on the team that dreamed to explore the planet deeper than ever before.

Movie

Recommended Movies

7.3

2019

Apollo: Missions to the Moon

National Geographic's riveting effort recounts all 12 crewed missions using only archival footage, photos and audio.

Movie

7.1

2013

The Class of ‘92

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Movie

7.6

2007

In the Shadow of the Moon

Archival material from the original NASA film footage – much of it seen for the first time – plus interviews with the surviving astronauts, including Jim Lovell, Dave Scott, John Young, Gene Cernan, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmitt.

Movie

7.2

2025

Come See Me in the Good Light

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

Movie

7.1

2021

Marvel's Behind the Mask

A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.

Movie

7.2

2022

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

Movie

7.2

1993

The Curse of the Dragon

A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

Movie

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

7.2

2022

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye

Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.

Movie

6.7

2017

Gilbert

The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.

Movie

Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show

6.4

2014

Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show

“Showrunners” is the first ever feature length documentary film to explore the fascinating world of US television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These are the people responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State’s biggest exports – television drama and comedy series. Often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, a showrunner is the chief writer / producer on a TV series and, in most instances, the show’s creator. Battling daily between art and commerce, showrunners manage every aspect of a TV show’s development and production: creative, financial and logistical.

Movie

7.4

2018

Above Majestic

A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

Movie

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

7.0

2003

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.

Movie

8.0

2025

My Mom Jayne

Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

Movie

6.9

2006

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror

Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.

Movie

7.4

2017

I Am Heath Ledger

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Movie

7.4

2016

For the Love of Spock

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

Movie

7.5

2025

The Seat

'The Seat' is an unprecedented inside look that led to a once-in-a-generation driver change in Mercedes and F1 history. It reveals the private conversations that led the Mercedes team and Toto Wolff, its Team Principal and CEO, to its decision to promote 18-year-old Italian-born Kimi Antonelli to a Formula 1 Driver, making him the third-youngest rookie in the sport's history. The film follows Kimi, in the lead up to his first Formula 1 season as he takes on his destiny.

Movie

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

7.3

2012

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.

Movie

7.0

1971

Directed by John Ford

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

Movie

6.6

2014

Harmontown

A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.

Movie