As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first crewed lunar landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface.

Bales is Apollo 11’s guidance officer (or ‘GUIDO’). He’s calculating the risks to craft and crew. Kranz must know if the landing is ‘GO’ or ‘NO GO’. ‘GUIDO?’ he says.

In July 1969, four faculty members traveled from College Park to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to provide last-minute ...