First Man

In 1961, NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong takes to the skies in the X-15 rocket plane. He skillfully pushes the aircraft to the edge of space, reaching an impressive altitude of 140,000 feet, highlighting the challenges of winged flight in the realm beyond our atmosphere. However, during his return, he inadvertently encounters turbulence at 115,000 feet. Displaying remarkable composure under pressure, he utilizes the Thrusters to flip the plane upside down, leveraging the momentum from the maneuver to safely re-enter the atmosphere. Although he manages to land firmly in the Mojave Desert, concerns arise among his peers about his recent string of mishaps—three incidents in the span of just a month—which they believe stem from personal distractions, leading to his temporary grounding.

His colleague, Joe Walker, also a test pilot, witnesses Armstrong’s struggles. Amidst these professional challenges, Neil faces a heartbreaking personal crisis; his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Karen, is battling a brain tumor. In his desperation to find a solution, he meticulously documents her symptoms while fervently searching for treatments, only to be devastated when she passes away shortly after.

In the wake of this tragedy, Armstrong decides to join Project Gemini and is welcomed into NASA Astronaut Group 2. With a solid engineering background, he attracts the attention of Bob Gilruth](/actor/ciarn-hinds), the first director of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center. In their interview, Neil candidly acknowledges his daughter’s loss and aligns himself with Wernher von Braun’s strategy for lunar exploration, emphasizing a plan that involves placing the primary command module in orbit before attempting to land.

Accompanied by his wife Janet and their son Rick to Houston, Neil quickly forms bonds with fellow astronauts like Elliot See and Ed White, the pioneer who became the first American to walk in space. As they engage in the demanding training required for Project Apollo, they find themselves racing against the clock, as the Soviet Union has already achieved several milestones in the Space Race.

In 1964, Armstrong tackles the rigorous training regimen that involves mastering multi-axle simulators designed to test their endurance and stability under pressure. Demonstrating his commitment, Neil is the first to step up to the challenge, ultimately overcoming initial failures. The training includes advanced rocketry sessions, and later that year, Neil and Janet welcome a second son, Mark.

By 1965, the family settles into their new lives in Houston, waiting for mission assignments while the Soviets continue to mark their victories in space exploration. After Ed White’s scheduled EVA is outmatched by a Soviet mission, Neil learns he will command Gemini 8 with David Scott as his co-pilot. However, tragedy strikes when Elliot See and Charles Bassett lose their lives in a T-38 crash, a loss that weighs heavily on Armstrong’s heart.

As Gemini 8 takes to the skies, they successfully perform the docking exercise but not without challenges. After initially coordinating with their unmanned target, the spacecraft begins to spin out of control. Displaying his well-known calmness, Neil employs the Reentry Control System Thrusters to avert disaster, leading to the mission’s safe return despite initial backlash against them, which NASA later addresses as a technical malfunction.

In a further blow, the Apollo 1 crew, which includes Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, tragically perishes in a fire during a launch rehearsal test. This devastating news reaches Neil while he is at a White House event representing NASA.

The following year poses yet another perilous situation where Armstrong narrowly avoids death during an ejection from a Lunar Landing Research Vehicle. However, his resilience and dedication lead to him being selected as the commander for the historic Apollo 11 mission. As the mission approaches, tension grows between Neil and his family, particularly as Janet pressures him to confront the real risks involved in the mission before saying goodbye to their young sons.

On launch day, Apollo 11 embarks on its journey, reaching the Moon by the fourth day. As Neil and Buzz Aldrin maneuver the Lunar Module Eagle, a landing attempt becomes urgent when they spot a hazardous field of boulders below. Taking manual control of the spacecraft, Neil lands successfully at a secondary site, famously declaring, > “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he plants his foot on the lunar surface. In a poignant moment, he leaves his daughter’s bracelet in the Little West crater, a symbolic gesture of love and loss.

Completing their mission, the astronauts endure quarantine upon their return, during which they reflect on their experiences, watching the resonant footage of President John F. Kennedy’s iconic speech, “We choose to go to the Moon,” even as Neil and Janet share a tender moment amidst the chaos of their historical achievements.

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 at 20:48