An investigation into the tragic end of Apollo 18, the last US mission to the moon in 1973. In interviews conducted in 1998, on the 25th anniversary of the incident, witnesses and participants peel back the layers of mystery surrounding the events that nearly destroyed an American institution.
THRILLING....DISORIENTING....GROUNDBREAKING
"THE LANDING is an ingenious piece of mystery filmmaking that comments on the truths we believe and are sold on a daily basis." - Julius Kassendorf, The SoluteTHE LANDING is a riveting, disorienting investigation into the end of Apollo 18, the last United States mission to the moon. Interviews conducted for the flight's 25th anniversary reveal new mysteries around the controversial tragedy that almost destroyed an American institution.
LONG SYNOPSISIn 1973 the United States manned space program experienced an extraordinary tragedy. Despite its place as one of the most disturbing episodes of the "space race," the incident is all but ignored during the emerging Watergate scandal that ultimately claims the presidency of President Richard M. Nixon.Returning from a successful lunar landing mission, NASA's Apollo 18 suffers a computer error that forces astronaut Bo Cunningham to fly the spacecraft to an emergency landing in a remote Chinese desert, far from the intended target in the Pacific Ocean. Thirty-six hours pass before NASA locates the spacecraft, by then the site of a national tragedy. Government investigations explore Cunningham's actions before, during, and after the mission. The astronaut is declared a hero by some, a villain by others.New interviews conducted for the flight's 25th anniversary reveal fresh mysteries around the controversial disaster that almost destroyed an American institution. What happened during the crew's time in the desert, the compromised inquiry that followed, and the unproven suspicions which continue to haunt the episode - these are the stories of THE LANDING.
