Journey Through The Solar System, Episode 06 - The Moon & Us
Transcript
00:00The moon had been photographed by a variety of spacecraft.
00:23Machines had landed on the moon to observe it.
00:25Now it was time for man to make ready to go there.
00:55I'm Larry Ross, Director of Space Programs at NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland,
01:16Ohio.
01:17And I'm your host for the sixth episode of our 13 programs called Journey Through the
01:22Solar System.
01:24Now let's see parts of several NASA films which document both the science and the excitement
01:29of this Apollo Lunar Program.
01:59The moon is a different thing to each one of us.
02:15I know my own impression is that it's a vast, lonely, forbidding-type existence, or
02:25expanded from nothing.
02:27It looks rather like clouds and clouds of pumice stone, and it certainly would not appear
02:35to be a very inviting place to live or work.
02:40Scientific sextant observations made on Apollo 8 were a practical, potentially vital gathering
02:46of scientific data.
02:49Taking the longer view of the scientific value of the mission, comment was made by Dr. Leo
02:54Goldberg, astronomer.
02:56I believe the Apollo 8 mission will ultimately prove to be of enormous scientific importance
03:02as a vital step that had to be taken before men actually land on the moon.
03:08Once they do, the exploration of the moon is bound to give us crucial information on
03:13how the moon and other bodies in the solar system were formed.
03:34Apollo 10 had a rugged flight plan.
03:54It combined the features of the nine flights before it and was a full-dress rehearsal for
03:59an infinitely complicated lunar landing to follow.
04:05Astronauts Stafford, Young, and Cernan became the second group of three to see this sight,
04:10and they were the first with the potential to see it from a point 60 miles closer than
04:15it appears in this scene.
04:24It was a prime objective of Apollo 10 to duplicate the Apollo 11 flight plan in every
04:29way.
04:30The timing, spacecraft performance, the performance of men and equipment on Earth.
04:35As they disappeared behind the moon for the 11th time, they were still together.
04:39When they next appeared, they were 50 feet apart, flying formation.
04:45John Young radioed his companions below.
04:48You'll never know how big this thing gets when there ain't nobody in here but one guy.
04:53And they answered, you'll never know how small it looks when you're as far as we are.
05:00Here in the lunar environment, as Apollo 9 had done in Earth's environment, the crew
05:05was able to check out the lunar module's landing radar, navigation, and guidance systems.
05:10They were also proving out the descent rocket, an engine which can be throttled like an ordinary
05:15car.
05:28The reflection in the window comes from the astronaut's sleeves as he took the pictures.
05:35You're waving your way up the freeway.
05:45The waterless sea of tranquility was their target, and the descent orbit swept them in
05:50lower and lower for the first pass over landing site number two.
06:02This is a preview of what the crew of the Apollo 11 will see when they head in for lunar
06:07landing.
06:10Down two and a half.
06:14Forward.
06:15Forward.
06:2040 feet down, two and a half.
06:21Picking up some depth.
06:23More forward.
06:25More forward, drifting to the right a little.
06:33Contact light.
06:34Okay, engine stop.
06:35We copy you down, Eagle.
06:39Tranquility base here.
06:40The Eagle has landed.
06:48Through the window of the Eagle, Armstrong and Aldrin see what no human eyes have ever
06:54seen before.
06:55Their spacecraft casts a long shadow across the undisturbed dust of centuries.
07:04The first footsteps on this strange new world must be taken cautiously.
07:09The moon has only one-sixth the gravity of Earth.
07:12The nature of its surface was still unknown.
07:16I'm going to step off the LM now.
07:22That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
07:30In addition to collecting rock and soil samples, the explorers leave behind a seismometer.
07:43This highly sensitive device would send back valuable information on external meteoroid
07:48impacts, as well as internal lunar movements.
08:18A 100-prism laser reflector would help man to measure the exact distance from Earth to
08:29moon to an accuracy of six inches.
08:32These were the first of many experiments which will be taken to the moon to provide man continuing
08:37and increasing knowledge about the moon and the vastness of space beyond.
08:44Ignition sequence start.
08:46Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero.
08:52All engines running.
08:53Commit liftoff.
08:55Apollo 12 lifted off in the driving rain.
08:59Pete Conrad reports the yaw program is in.
09:06Tower clear.
09:08Conrad climbed out first.