Before The Moon reveals the untold human story behind America's first steps into space told through never before seen footage, legendary NASA voices, and the small Pennsylvania town that helped make human spaceflight possible.

Before The Moon is a feature-length documentary that uncovers the hidden story of how America reached the stars, beginning not in Houston or Cape Canaveral, but in an advanced research base in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Long before rockets roared skyward, Bucks County's inventors, engineers, and test pilots were laying the technological groundwork for the Space Age.

At the center of this legacy was the Naval Air Development Center (NADC), a Cold War research hub where flight systems, guidance technologies, life-support innovations, and the world's largest and most powerful human centrifuge reshaped our understanding of human endurance. Here, future astronauts like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, and Buzz Aldrin pushed their bodies to the limit while NADC's laboratories pioneered many of the tools and techniques that made crewed spaceflight possible.

FEATURING NASA LEGENDS

NARRATED BY

Jerry Ross
JERRY ROSS
NASA Astronaut, 7 missions in space!

Get The Book & T-Shirt

T-Shirt + Companion Book Bundle

Own the companion book and official merchandise from Before The Moon. Support the film and dive deeper into America's space pioneers.

Visit Shop

Contact Us

Want to host a screening or be notified when Before The Moon comes to your area? Get in touch with us.

Support The Film

Donate to our 501(c)(3) non-profit The King's Highway Foundation and your name will appear in the "Special Thanks" section of the end credits in the film! Donate the top amount and also receive IMDb credit!

SUPPORTERS

With gratitude to the organizations supporting Before The Moon.