The 1983 film "The Right Stuff" is based on the real story of the first American astronauts to go into space.

Films featuring travel to the moon

"That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind." This is the famous quote from Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon. On July 21st 1969, Armstrong descended from the ladder of Apollo 2's Lunar Excursion Module, leaving the first human footprint on the moon. But the animation film "Fly Me to the Moon" celebrates this mission with a funny twist. It chronicles three houseflies who stowaway on board the Apollo 2's flight to the moon. The film imitates the space competition between the US and the former Soviet Union, with houseflies from the two nations.

The 1995 film "Apollo 13" is based on NASA's third manned lunar-landing mission. Two days after the launch, the Apollo spacecraft was crippled by an explosion, caused by a fault in an oxygen tank. The explosion resulted in a loss of oxygen and electric power. The crew used the lunar module as a "lifeboat" in space. Despite great hardships caused by severe constraints on power, cabin heat, and potable water, the crew successfully returned to the Earth. Although Apollo 13 didn't make it to its final destination - the moon, it was still called a "Successful Failure".

In 1999, Tom Hanks produced a TV series "From the Earth to the Moon". The production garnered 17 Emmy Awards, and chronicled many true stories behind the Apollo 13 mission. The film was backed by the US government and NASA, and many scenes used the facilities used by Apollo 13. Media reports said the 1995 movie, "Apollo 13" was a warm up for Tom Hanks to shoot "From the Earth to the Moon".