Apollo 11: Astronaut Michael Collins on Moon mission

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that put humans on the Moon.

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has said that despite not walking on the Moon, he was "thrilled" with the seat he had.

As Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent time on the lunar surface, Collins orbited the Moon in the command module Columbia.

He was also in charge of the mission to bring the three men home to Earth.

"I would have preferred to walk on the Moon but that really seemed a trivial distinction at the time. I was very pleased with my responsibilities on the flight," Collins told BBC Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur.

Photos: Courtesy of Nasa.

This programme is a repeat and was first broadcast earlier in 2019.

You can see the Hardtalk interview in full on Wednesday 25 December on BBC World News.