This film presented by NASA first takes a look at the geological samples retrieved from the Apollo XI mission in July of 1969. This was the first-time scientists were able to study moon rock specimens. The second section of the film is a training film which shows astronauts learning to survive in the event of a landing on terra firma instead of at sea. The third section takes a look at the airplane Bataan’s retirement from NASA programs. The first section opens with footage of a thin section of the lunar rocks collected and the images are magnified 500x (:36). At NASA’s Ames Research Center, scientists were conducting studies on these photos to understand the moon’s composition (:43). The samples were distributed among 142 investigative teams (:53). They were also working to trace the moon’s history through these samples by looking at the meteorite impacts on the rocks (1:03) as well as searching for any organic compounds to discover whether or not the moon could have sustained life. a Sri Lankan scientist Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma (1:31) speaks about the excitement and the historical relevance of these scientists being able to look at lunar samples for the first time (1:31). It was the first time they were able to study material from a different body in the solar system (1:42) and the information collected may help them to answer some of the fundamental questions about the origin of the universe. At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2:09), scientist Douglas Nash (2:13) explains the three different experiments they were conducting on their samples. These tests included searching for organic molecules in the soil (2:21), determination of whether or not solar radiation had an impact on the lunar surface (2:40), and determination of whether or not water was ever present on the moon’s surface (2:53). At the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Dr. Adler Isidore (3:17) discuses how the samples included minerals which the scientists had all studied before, however they did discover that these samples were unusually high in a mineral called ilmenite (3:43). This high concentration meant that the moon or it’s surface alone was subjected to severe heating in its history (4:04). The groups were too all meet in Houston in 1970 to discuss their findings (4:18). Astronaut survival training: 73 astronauts had joined the NASA program since 1959 (5:10) and the newest induction of nine astronauts had been selected to partake in jungle training exercises at the Tropic Survival School in the Panama Canal Zone (5:18). During the four-day course, the astronauts were dropped in the water in a swamp penetration exercise (5:48). A zoo was set up so that they could study the jungle animals (5:56) in order to understand what they might encounter in an emergency land landing. Other trainings included an overnight trek through the jungle (6:04), chopping down trees for fuel and shelter (6:09), and met with the local Indians of the area (6:18). Desert survival trainings were conducted in Pasco, Washington (6:23). They are seen with heads wrapped from the sun’s intensive rays and working with a combination of materials from parachutes and life rafts in order to build shelter (6:36). A water still is dug with a plastic covering placed over it which would draw any moisture out from the soil and collect it in a container below (6:52). In order to attract attention of any rescue attempts, the astronauts learned how to use markers as well as a massive X which could been seen from overhead (7:19). The final section takes a look at General Douglas MacArthur’s personal Lockheed Constellation N422NA, known as the Bataan (7:38). MacArthur is pictured stepping from the Bataan in 1951 (7:43). The airplane was given to NASA and refitted with banks of sophisticated computers, tracking equipment, and communications gear used to calibrate the many air and ground based tracking and communications relay stations around the globe used to keep in constant contact with orbiting spacecraft. In order to fulfill this mission, the aircraft was flown over the Caribbean and Pacific (8:00). While in flight the plane simulated an Apollo capsule (8:23). The Bataan was retired just prior to the Apollo XII mission and was sent to a museum (8:52). It is now at Lewis Air Legends of Texas awaiting restoration. The End (9:06).
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