Search - NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Reports on DVD

Rare and Very Interesting Materials

Laurenc SVITOK | Bratislava Slovakia | 05/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Spacecraftfilms DVD is in its content very similar to the Saturn V Progress Reports on the Mighty Saturns: Saturn V set. It covers the period from 1964 when MSC in Houston was in the final construction phase till the first lunar landing of Apollo 11. Each report covers the six months period (except the last one which is Jan-July 1969) of the year and all but the first two are in colour. Quality is very good, especially if you watch it on smaller screen.
This DVD is full of very rare footages from the both man and machine preparations in Gemini and Apollo programms. There are capsules and equipment development and tests, astronaut training of various kind, Gemini landing tests with paraglider and soft-landing-solid-rocket-motors ( Russian Soyuzes are using the system operationally), ejection seat tests.
There is an unmanned Gemini 2 pad abort ( the GT-6A was not the first and only Gemini launch problem), you have here nicely covered Apollo Launch Escape System tests with Little Joe 2 launcher, Apollo land and water landing tests, unmanned flights, onboard staging footages and more.
And for those who want to have Neil Armstrong LLRV accident documented so it's here as well(May 1968).
Supporting programs like were the Ranger and Surveyor are also mentioned with hardware tests, launches and photographic results.
Excellent behind-the-scene documents packed nicely in one DVD supporting the "main" Gemini and Apollo flights Spacecraftfilms sets, strongly recommended to space fans community.

Laurenc Svitok
Bratislava, Slovakia"

NASA Historical Coverage From Gemini Through Apollo 11

Robert I. Hedges | 01/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Spacecraft Films adds to their already compendious selection of historical space DVDs with this disc, "Manned Spacecraft Center Reports 1964-1969." The majority of the films are in color (the first two are in black and white), though age has washed out the color somewhat to varying degrees.

The films were essentially six-month summations of NASA progress. The final film is the exception in that it is a seven month review from January to July of 1969, which is logical given the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969.

The collection focuses largely on Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) functions and development, Gemini, and Apollo progress, with token mentions of Mercury and later programs like Apollo Applications. This set is best left for completists, as it shows extensive footage of things like the paraglider recovery technique development tests, and engineering and architectural progress on different NASA buildings.

The coverage of Gemini and Apollo is excellent overall: a particular high spot is coverage of the entire variety of simulators used for Gemini and Apollo. I was especially enthused by the footage of the Little Joe Apollo Launch Escape System tests, and the famous Neil Armstrong LLRV ejection. The only notable omission in the set was coverage of the AS-204 (Apollo 1) fire. The footage did not address the accident at all, but skipped right to a press conference of the Apollo 7 prime and backup crews explaining engineering changes in the Command Module. Certainly the fire was not a highlight of the program, but I was surprised and disappointed in the way the loss was dealt with.

Overall this is an important DVD for any serious space historian, and I recommend it highly."