I have been watching this on PBS, presented in three 2-hour episodes on consecutive nights. I am a product of the 1960s, I was in college during most of the project to send men to the Moon. I clearly remember those days but what this program does is pull back the curtain, it shows us so many interesting things that were totally unknown to the general public in the 1960s.
I was particularly touched by the original footage inside the astronaut's home during a launch, the wife and kids knowing full well that the mission was not 100% safe, that there was a distinct possibility the rocket would blow up or the men would get stranded between the Earth and the Moon. The emotions the wives were experiencing, shown in extreme close-ups. This really humanizes the whole experience.
I know, six hours seems like a very long running time but it is packed with interesting programming, never getting boring. A nice point of interest is the lone woman, a 20-something Mathematician, who became the prime person for providing information and directing spaceship guidance for successful insertion into Moon orbit, then later successful return to Earth. Each maneuver and rocket firing a critical step with zero room for error. Having a female in that role turned out to be groundbreaking.
Extremely well made series, I'm sure it will be available for replay for a long time on PBS. My public library already has the program available on DVD, so anyone who missed this can check with their public library.
I was particularly touched by the original footage inside the astronaut's home during a launch, the wife and kids knowing full well that the mission was not 100% safe, that there was a distinct possibility the rocket would blow up or the men would get stranded between the Earth and the Moon. The emotions the wives were experiencing, shown in extreme close-ups. This really humanizes the whole experience.
I know, six hours seems like a very long running time but it is packed with interesting programming, never getting boring. A nice point of interest is the lone woman, a 20-something Mathematician, who became the prime person for providing information and directing spaceship guidance for successful insertion into Moon orbit, then later successful return to Earth. Each maneuver and rocket firing a critical step with zero room for error. Having a female in that role turned out to be groundbreaking.
Extremely well made series, I'm sure it will be available for replay for a long time on PBS. My public library already has the program available on DVD, so anyone who missed this can check with their public library.