By May they are all tired astronauts, spending up to 14 hours a day in training. Neil is also given specialized instructions in the Lunar landing trainer and cram courses in geology, as obtaining moon rocks has high mission priority. As they head for the launch pad, hundreds who have labored on the project shout encouragement and the astronauts smile and wave. At the pad the rocket seems almost deserted, steaming in the eerie light. After the astronauts reach the top of the rocket, they are sealed into the command module.
Millions wait in anticipation as the countdown progresses.
Lift off Apollo-11, tower cleared. The powerful Saturn accelerates the spacecraft on an incredible journey, which has ten 10 years and 24 billion dollars worth of preparation. As the world watches, the first and second stages fire and drop away. Then the third stage brings Apollo-11 into Earth orbit at 18,000 miles per hour. Later, over the Pacific, the spacecraft accelerates again, freeing itself from Earth's gravity and sending it on a computerized trajectory to intercept the moon three days later.