In 1961, President John F. Kennedy proposed the nation spend 20 billion dollars to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. Based on eyewitness accounts and newly discovered archival material, this companion to the 2019 PBS series reveals the unknown stories of the fascinating individuals whose imaginative work across several decades culminated in America's momentous achievement, including former Nazi scientist Wernher von Braun, who helped to devise the Saturn rocket; young mathematician Poppy Northcutt, the first woman to work in Mission Control; and novelist Arthur C. Clarke, who writings inspired scientists and anticipated the importance of communications satellites.