As we continue to celebrate the stories of courage, innovation, and possibility that define the American experience, we are pleased to share an upcoming broadcast of We Chose to Go to the Moon, created by Historian John Monsky airing on PBS on November 10th at 8/7c, and streaming on PBS.org and the PBS App.

Recorded live at Carnegie Hall, this powerful production tells the story of America’s journey to the Moon through music, storytelling, rare archival imagery, and unforgettable performances by Broadway stars and a live orchestra.

The program also highlights a remarkable connection to our nation’s immigration story. When Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins returned from the Moon on July 24, 1969, they completed an official U.S. Customs and Immigration declaration form upon landing in Honolulu. Listing the “Moon” as their point of departure and “moon rock and moon dust samples” as cargo, the astronauts became history’s first travelers to return from another world and still had to pass through customs and immigration.

While the form was completed partly in jest, it also reflected an important reality: the astronauts were returning to U.S. soil from beyond Earth and were immediately placed in a 21-day quarantine to ensure they had not brought back any unknown biological material. In a sense, the first travelers to return from another world still had to go through immigration.

We hope you will join us in watching this remarkable program and reflecting on how the spirit of exploration that welcomed millions of immigrants through New York Harbor ultimately carried Americans all the way to the Moon.

For more information, visit: https://www.pbs.org/show/we-chose-to-go-to-the-moon/

P.S. If you enjoyed the Foundation’s recent 140th Anniversary celebration, you’ll recognize John Monsky’s unique ability to bring history to life through storytelling, music, and performance.