Colonization of the Moon the Soviet leadership made some of its first public pronouncements about landing a man on the Moon and establishing a lunar base. Crewed exploration of the lunar surface began in 1968 when the Apollo 8 spacecraft orbited the Moon with three astronauts on board. This was mankind's first direct view of the far side. The following year, the Apollo 11 Apollo Lunar Module landed two astronauts on the Moon, proving the ability of humans to travel to the Moon, perform scientific research work there, and bring back sample materials. Additional missions to the Moon continued this exploration phase. In 1969,
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D is a 2005 IMAX 3D documentary film about the first humans on the Moon, the twelve astronauts in the Apollo program. It is co-written, produced and directed by Mark Cowen, and co-written, produced by and starring Tom Hanks. The film includes historical NASA footage as well as re-enactments and computer-generated imagery. Tom Hanks is the narrator, co-writer and co-producer. "Magnificent Desolation" is the third Apollo-related project for Hanks: he was previously involved in the film "Apollo 13" and the miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon".