As India’s first moon mission stays on course, it is time to take a closer look at the attempts of the human race to probe outer space, including a look back at our first step to our lunar neighbour’s doors.

In celebration of NASA’s 50th anniversary Discovery Channel has partnered with the space exploration major to showcase its extraordinary space missions. When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions, beaming Monday, 9pm, brings us original footage filmed by the astronauts themselves — from John Glenn’s Mercury mission to orbit the earth, to Neil Armstrong’s historic steps on the moon. The footage and audio recordings from NASA’s vaults have been digitally remastered for high definition viewing. Breathtaking moments emerge as a man is let loose in space with just a chord as link to the spaceship 200 miles above the earth in what was NASA’s first space walk attempt. The voiceover remarks: “If the lifeline fails, he’d be lost in space...”

After John F. Kennedy’s challenge to the country, NASA geared up to send man on the moon, leading to “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” — Neil Armstrong’s immortal words on first landing on the lunar surface. Viewers get to hear him speak on as he walks around, comparing the unexplored terrain to the “high desert” of his homeland.

There is a poignant moment too, 34 years later when sickening silence grips the control room as links are severed with spaceship Columbia on its way home. Seconds later, the sky is alight with multiple streaks of light. “This is over,” the voiceover says. Kalpana Chawla’s dream flight gets grounded in full camera view.

The series is the first show on a new time band at 9pm called Ultimate Discovery premiering the best in the channel’s bouquet.