We pick up just short of where we ended Episode 8 more than halfway through Apollo 11's

final descent to the lunar surface.

730 coming up.

That's Neil Armstrong marking the time elapsed since they started firing the engine on

the lunar module, committing them to a landing.

That thrust has slammed the brakes on their spacecraft with a dramatic loss of speed

and altitude, taking them from 50,000 feet to where they are now at 16,000 feet, 5,000

meters.

Remember, until now, Eagle has been flying on its side, feet first, with the astronauts

lying on their backs looking out into space.

But now, the limbs beginning to tilt, bringing Armstrong's head up a little, and he catches

a tantalizing glimpse of the moon at the bottom of his window.

They're in the thick of the fight, having already battled with patchy communications

in an overloaded computer, and they know they're going to overshoot their planned landing

side by several miles, taking them into hazardous territory.

But the greatest challenge is yet to come.

Time and fuel are running out, and Armstrong will be forced to fly the lunar module like

it's never been flown before.

There's a lot of concern about running out of fuel, and I was very cognizant of that.

When I started, I must not watch.

I didn't think he was a chance in the world of his landing.

He goes Houston, he's decent to fuel to monitor over.

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