A documentary by a director from Kensal Rise which details the story of the last astronaut to land on the moon will be on general release tomorrow.

The aptly named ‘Last Man on the Moon by Mark Craig, tells the story of the lunar expedition undertaken by Eugene “Gene” Curnan in 1972.

The 1960’s and early 1970s were an iconic time for space travel with the USA’s Apollo 11 being the first successful manned mission to the moon.

Mr Craig documentary reveals rare footage including Mr Cernan’s return to the launch-pad at Cape Kennedy (now NASA Kennedy Space Centre).

Mr Craig told the Times: “I was a kid in the 60’s and remember the moon landing being the biggest thing on Earth.

“Everybody was fascinated that people could actually go to the moon”

When asked why he didn’t use Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, as his muse, Mr Craig said: “When I read Cernan’s book nearly 10 years ago, I knew I had found my next project.

“It’s the biggest film I’ve made to date, and involved a team of hundreds of people. Reading Cernan’s memoirs about his expedition captivated me. He really has a gift for articulating his experiences.

“The way he was telling his story was very confessional and he’s also very charismatic about his expedition”

Reminiscing on his life leading up to his first major film release, he said: “I worked at Channel 4 for five years, having fun doing title sequences for TV shows. I then became interested in making documentaries. It took me to some interesting places, working with some interesting people.

“After I graduated I came to London with about £50 in the bank, and no contacts whatsoever here in the city.”

For more information visit thelastmanonthemoon.com.