By artfully manipulating archiveal footage, Apollo 11 manages to be captivating without becoming overly sentimental.
This film offers a far superior account of this monumental event than last year’s visually captivating but emotionally superficial First Man. It humanizes this staggering success that may be deeply embedded into American culture but which transcends it and brings together people all over the globe.
1. The Launch
Launch of Apollo 11 was one of the greatest moments in human history, and this documentary puts you right there with it. Director Todd Douglas Miller managed to gather footage from every angle: days leading up to launch day through to moon landing day; cameramen embedded within mission control, reporters outside, astronauts themselves (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins) or cameras mounted directly on them; every aspect of mission presented here beautifully restored for an unparalleled viewing experience.
Even if you think you know all there is to know about the moon landing, this documentary shows just how much work went into making it possible. From the huge crawler that brought Saturn V rocket to Cape Kennedy launch pad to NASA TV crew in Houston monitoring astronauts progress to Goldstone and Parkes astronomers who received signal and transmitted it around the world via radio waves – cutting-edge technology was key in making one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments a reality.
Of course, there’s also footage of the lunar module (LM), landing on the moon itself. Once aboard, the television camera was deployed as astronauts explored, photographing both lunar surface and lander; taking samples of air, water, soil and staked flags before returning via satellite transmission to Houston for uploading back onto LM and broadcast worldwide – an amazing achievement that was captured on film! All this footage has never been presented so fully before now.
2. The Moon Landing
Millions of people witnessed the first moon landing live as it took place on July 20, 1969, as recorded by TV camera footage on the lunar module (LM). That momentous occasion was an eventful milestone in human history, marking one of its greatest milestones ever witnessed by television camera footage aboard an LM.
Before Apollo 11, NASA sent single-person crews aboard Mercury and Gemini spacecraft on missions that tested many maneuvers and components that would be critical for landing astronauts on the moon. But the Apollo program required massive efforts from millions of people who worked tirelessly on preparation of astronauts and building equipment needed for this endeavor.
Mission Control had another objective; to demonstrate America’s technological superiority against Soviet Russia in an arms race. Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders left Earth orbit quickly for lunar orbit to ensure success of their flight mission.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin entered the Lunar Module (LM) at 10:18 p.m. EDT and deployed their television camera for broadcast to Earth. Armstrong took his initial steps onto the lunar surface before Aldrin joined him shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Aldrin’s camera captured all aspects of this groundbreaking journey – such as all scientific equipment deployed from within their craft as well as every shot from spacecraft itself!
Footage was beamed onto Earth from Parkes Observatory and Honeysuckle Creek Tracking stations in Australia, and Goldstone Tracking Station in California. Signals were digitalized and converted to television transmission standards used around the globe in peoples’ homes.
Apollo Archive presents this historic footage along with original Mission Control audio and other historical media, providing the most complete presentation ever of mission’s historic film footage ever assembled. 16mm film has been carefully scanned and digitalized while silent movie footage has been painstakingly lip synced to original mission control audio for an authentic viewing experience as though one were watching their TVs back then!
3. The Return
Armstrong was welcomed off his lunar module to cheers from millions watching on television, who cheered with every step he took toward humankind’s triumphant advancement on Earth. Once finished examining Eagle, Armstrong gave Mission Control in Houston this famous line: “That is one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind!”
After two and a half hours on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the Command/Service Module Columbia and settled back into sleep mode on the way back home to Earth. Unfortunately, due to limited space onboard for them to do anything other than sleep and undergo medical tests during their return flight home.
On its return flight, a Westinghouse black-and-white slow-scan television (SSTV) camera aboard the LM documented lunar surfaces as it approached. This camera was connected to its MESA (Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly). Downlink signals from this camera were received by antennas in Goldstone and Parkes in California before being transmitted via the LM’s telemetry system to Houston in Texas for transmission back home.
Apollo 11 astronauts not only carried SSTV cameras but also color television cameras and various scientific instruments – from seismometers for measuring moonquakes to experiment packages collecting samples of Moon soil composition to laser reflectors that allowed precise distance measurements from Moon to Earth – in their mission.
The crew also took pictures of the lunar terrain, their instruments deployed, and each other during their mission to Mars. NASA’s operations centers in Houston remained in close contact with them throughout this entire lunar landing process and quarantine period.
Apollo 11 marked the first human landing on the Moon since humans first made this feat of feat in 1969 and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s goal from 1961 of reaching it and outstripping Soviet Russia in space competition. This mission opened up opportunities for five subsequent lunar landings; however, one serious setback came during 1967 when an accident caused by fire led to three astronauts being killed during an Apollo 1 command module test at Cape Canaveral due to problems.
4. The Space Shuttle
People tend to talk about the success of the Apollo program by citing its powerful rocket and ingenious spacecraft, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into orbit around the Moon. Yet its success depended heavily on technology allowing its broadcast to a global audience; satellites were essential here.
Satellites used by networks were instrumental in providing live television coverage of Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface and setting an accurate timeline leading up to them. Positioned over various parts of the Moon at various points in time, these satellites would transmit black-and-white TV pictures of astronauts to viewers back on Earth; even though early images of Armstrong might have been grainy or unclear they still captured its significance for millions worldwide.
On the ground, networks employed teams of artists and animators to construct simulations of command modules and launchers that would be shot live for real-time filming. CBS collaborated with special effects master Douglas Trumbull to layer these graphics over live footage of the Moon; later used brilliantly in 2001: A Space Odyssey movie.
Apollo 12 was launched on a “free-return” trajectory, meaning its crew could abort at any time before lunar orbit insertion. Following an accurate landing, Armstrong and Aldrin deployed scientific equipment for studying lunar environments such as solar wind composition experiments and seismometer packages; they also jettisoned Surveyor III probe which had first made an appearance two years earlier.
5. The Crew
Apollo 11 required months of intense, multifaceted preparation by thousands of individuals, all working tirelessly towards its completion. It marked the culmination of NASA’s Mercury and Gemini programs – in which one-person crews were sent into orbit to test out maneuvers and equipment necessary for human lunar landing.
On 20 July 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin emerged from their lunar module’s hatch to explore and deploy science experiments on the Moon for two-and-a-half hours, photographing their surroundings, collecting rocks and soil samples, as well as display an American flag, read an inscription plaque, and contact President Richard Nixon via radio communications.
The astronauts went through a detailed checklist to ensure Eagle was in perfect condition for liftoff back to Earth. A 4-hour rest period had been planned two hours after landing; however, they decided not to use it, later reporting they were too excited for sleep! In reality, however, that period was designed as a buffer in case they experienced difficulties adapting to lunar gravity or needed additional time for technical checks.
As Armstrong and Aldrin prepared to return to their lunar module, they called Mission Control and confirmed that their explosive device batteries (ED Batts) were ready at four minutes. Next, Commander of Lunar Module fired descent engine while Armstrong and Aldrin watched their cockpit monitors for altitude, speed, and angle of descent data.
After approximately one and a half minutes of lingering, Armstrong used the reaction control system to direct his lunar module toward its intended landing site in the Sea of Tranquility. Once there, he sent altitude and speed readings back to Mission Control, who acknowledged them with “You’re Go!”.