BBC Documentaries

Rocket Man: NASA's Welsh Hero (2019x150)

: 18, 2019

In this special programme, marking 50 years since the first moon landing, comedian Tudur Owen tells the remarkable story of Tecwyn Roberts - a Welshman who was instrumental in the Apollo missions at NASA. From Anglesey to America, we hear just how important Tecwyn’s work was in getting man to the moon. Tudur visits the homes and gets exclusive interviews with three of NASA’s finest engineering legends that worked by Tecwyn’s side, who are as keen as Tudur in getting Tecwyn the recognition he deserves. We learn how the young Tecwyn left Anglesey for a life of adventure, crossing the Atlantic for a new life in North America where he worked as an aeronautical engineer. He went on to become the first Flight Dynamics Officer (FIDO) at NASA, before designing the iconic Mission Control in Houston, and the Deep Space Communication Network that made the moon missions possibile. According to his contemporaries, NASA would not have succeeded if it wasn’t for Tecwyn Roberts. Despite his life in the States and dedication to the job, Roberts never forgot his roots and came back to visit Wales a few times before his death in 1988. On his gravestone a Welsh dragon and the words ‘Rhaid I mi Ddweud Ffarwel’ I must say Farewell’. This documentary features extraordinary, remastered NASA archive film from the 1950s and 1960s, showcasing one of mankind’s finest achievements.