Jonathan Amos is a science correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Neil ArmstrongNASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
The clearest view of Neil Armstrong. How did they not remember to take more photos of him?

I've always wanted to look through that same window and see what they saw when they walked on the moon.

Andy is fixated on something. Project Apollo is one of the most important events in our history.

He is also frustrated. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were some amazing space missions. The way those pictures are presented to us is less sharp, flat, and compressed to death.

It's why the property developer took a decision a few years back to put his career on hold and devote his time to changing the US space agency's image archive

The result is a gorgeous new book. There are four hundred pictures of the first trip to another world.

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Some of the scenes are some of the most recognizable photos ever taken. You won't see them in the same detail that Andy has created them. They are deep and have a crispness that makes you want to touch it.

Neil ArmstrongNASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
Buzz Aldrin captured the emotion on Neil Armstong's face after their moonwalk

His mastery of modern digital editing and enhancement techniques, as well as his use of very high-definition scans of the original film material, helped him achieve this success.

The best cameras, the best lens, and the best film were used to capture these important moments in history. Andy doesn't think it makes sense.

The only recognisable image of NeilArmstrong's face is seen in his remastered volume. There aren't any more pictures of this historic figure on the moon.

There is a clear image of life on the stricken Apollo 13 mission, the one that had the near-fatal explosion.

Alan Shepard said he struck for miles and miles. It only went 40 meters.

You may not be able to see this visualization on your device.

The 16mm movie sequence that were captured by the astronauts inside their capsule on the journeys to and from the Moon is one of the most impressive work Andy has done. The Apollo archive contains 10 hours of this material. Andy uses a "stacking" technique in his editing software to layer, align and process multiple frames to synthesise one highly detailed image that looks like it came from a better quality camera.

Lunar ModulesNASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
History makers: The Apollo missions should be presented in a way that befits their importance

The view of the "cue card", or "clapperboard", that Apollo 8 astronauts used is a classic example. The frames are blurry and loud. There are features that were previously invisible when those frames have been through Andy's computer.

The front cover of Andy's book is probably the one he likes the most. It looked like it was one of the least promising pictures. It was exposed to a lot of things.

There was a small flash of light towards the top that appeared to be a reflection in a window. In the magic of modern digital software, something truly epic emerged: the Apollo 9 commander in his bubble helmet about to manually dock two spaceships high above the Earth.

Apollo 13NASA/Andy Saunders (Digital source Stephen Slater)
On board with the stricken Apollo 13 craft. This panorama is constructed from a panning movie sequence

Andy says that the portrait of an Apollo astronauts in 1969 is almost looking up in wonder through the window.

It's even better because McDivitt is in the process of docking and the stakes were very high. It was the first time in history that humans were unable to get home because the lunar module did not have a heat shield. If they didn't make this docking, they wouldn't have returned. It's a historic moment.

Andy had to study light and color. The astronauts had to talk to each other to get their first impressions. He's looking through the hours of mission voice recordings to get any observations at the time the pictures were taken. He understands how things work.

MoonscapeNASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
The astronauts talk of an extraordinary blackness in the sky and of super-white sunlight

He says that there are a lot of things that affect the film's color.

Some magazines have aged more than others, some have been processed differently, and some have a slightly different colour tone.

The Apollo spirit is going to be tried out in the coming days.

Buzz AldrinNASA/JSC/ASU/Andy Saunders
Bad v good: Buzz Aldrin's suit should have a yellow tinge from light reflected off the lunar lander

A huge new rocket will send a capsule around the moon. There will be crewed missions later in the decade.

Artemis is going to be a big show. We can expect to see cameras from all angles.

Andy doesn't think modern technology will match the romance of the old film.

It will be an incredible moment when the first woman walks on the Moon. Hopefully, someone takes a picture.

Apollo is available for purchase on 1 September. The collection of photos will start in London at the Royal Albert Hall at the end of September and move on to the Glasgow Science Centre in November. The photos are discussed on social media.

Andy Saunders
  • Buzz Aldrin
  • Photography
  • Apollo 11 Moon landing
  • Neil Armstrong