It was an extraordinary moment for humanity when the Eagle, lunar module of the Apollo 11 mission, landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. This book looks at the space program of the 1950s and 1960s and examines the political and technological environment in which the Moon landing took place. It follows the exciting moments of the lunar descent and first steps on the Moon and offers an in-depth account of the entire Apollo program, before and after the Moon landing. The book also gives a clear overview of the space program since Apollo, examining such U.S. achievements as the Space Shuttle and Hubble telescope. It also looks at international cooperation in space and the great advances in knowledge that have resulted. Book jacket.