With the Cold War raging and U.S. relations strained on numerous fronts, people thought President John F. Kennedy was crazy when he said he wanted an American man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.
Though Kennedy was obviously not alive to see his dream come to fruition, the entire world was watching as a team of American astronauts prepared to launch from the Florida coast and travel nearly 250,000 miles to the moon. Years of planning, intense training and grueling simulations all culminated as three astronauts boarded the Apollo 11 ship in July 1969.
The U.S. National Archives has a film, called "The Eagle Has Landed," that documents the process from launch to landing. With the 43rd anniversary of the moon landing quickly approaching, here's a look back at America's unprecedented journey.
Apollo 11: This was the ship that would make history. Apollo 11 was prepared for the first ever mission to the moon and the rocket would blast off on July 16, 1969.
Click here to see the entire film.
Michael Collins: Collins, 38, was the command module pilot on the mission and his job was to remain on the part of the ship that would not be landing on the moon.
Click here to see the entire film.
Buzz Aldrin: Aldrin, 39, was the lunar module pilot and was second in command of the Apollo. He would assist with landing the Eagle module onto the moon.
Click here to see the entire film.
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