Fifty years ago this week, the first man walked on the moon. A new book tells the story of an airplane engineer from Illinois some consider to be an unsung hero in making that happen.

Getting to the moon was a lofty goal; humans first had to develop technology powerful enough to physically get them into space and away from Earth. Here, Illinois aerospace engineering professor Zach Putnam and Illinois astronomy professor Joaquin Vieira discuss the development of rockets and the serious technology required to get us there – and home.

Though Apollo appeared to be mostly about winning the race to the moon, there was plenty of work to be done upon arrival. Illinois astronomy professors Charles Gammie, Brian Fields, and Joaquin Vieira break down the work that was done on the moon, what was required of the people doing that work, and much more.

Apollo was hugely ambitious, part of a decade of scientific advancement – and social and cultural upheaval. Illinois history professor David Sepkoski and Illinois astronomy professor Joaquin Vieira discussed the sometimes-surprising cultural, social, and political underpinnings of the space race in the 1960s.