Between The Atom And The Star is a short 1966 NASA documentary film showing what the people behind NASA’s biosatellite program (satellites built by General Electric) hope to learn about the effects of space flight on living organisms. The film opens with graphics of space, stars, and atoms. There is an animation scene of a biosatellite flying into space and orbiting earth (01:08), with a monkey, flower, and eggs inside of the capsule. The film shows images of living organisms (apple, crab, lizard, flower) while the narrator discusses the possible effects of different gravitational forces on living organisms. Viewers see the exterior of the University Memorial Center building at the University of Colorado (03:50). Inside, biologists and NASA officials sit in a large classroom; NASA’s Director of Bioscience Programs, Dr. Orr E Reynolds, chairs the meeting. A Dr. Richard Young speaks to the group about a question on if the gravitational field has a fundamental effect on cells’ ability to divide normally. Footage shows a microscopic view of what appears to be fertilized eggs (frog or sea urchin) dividing into cells. Scientists sit in a laboratory and look at photographs (06:25). A sea urchin egg is shown. A man extracts a frog egg from a frog with tweezers, then he puts it in a petri dish. There is a shot of a device that will inject sperm into a chamber housing the eggs once in space and in zero gravity (08:00). Dr. Allan H. Brown speaks to the classroom of biologists about his question of how plants grow in state of weightlessness. Images are used to show the growth of a plant as it is influenced by gravity. Animation is used to show how a small stone is used by invertebrates to determine gravitational direction. There is a telescope shot of solar flares (11:08). Animation is used to show solar flares and a biosatellite in orbit. Dr. Cornelius Tobias speaks to the room about solar radiation and artificial radiation effects in space during orbit (11:42). There is a closeup shot of flour beetle (12:33). Flour beetles scurry around in a jar of flour. Microscope shots show the development of the beetle from egg to larvae to adult beetle. A woman tests a beetle pupal under some device (presumably to measure radiation exposure). Dr. Colin Pittendrigh speaks about the daily rhythms of organisms (14:19), such as sleeping and waking. Animation is used to illustrate the circadian rhythms of a human body. A scientist pulls out a cage with a hamster (15:43). The hamster climbs into a wheel and runs. The hamster is shown with a small circular device on its lower abdomen used to measure its circadian rhythms. Dr. Nello Pace and Dr. W. Ross Adey speak about further research prior to sending man into space (17:49). Animation is used to show the blood circulation in the human body and how various gravitational forces effect the circulation. Two scientists stand over a rhesus macaque on an operating table (20:36)). A man checks a device that appears to be a urine collection system for the monkey. Animation and graphics show the function of the human brain—in regard to studying the effect of isolation in space on decision making (21:55). A rhesus monkey is hooked up to electrodes that measure brain activity as the monkey grabs food off a conveyer belt. A computer prints out the monkey’s brainwaves. Vincent DeLiberato of General Electric speaks to the room of scientists about designing the satellite to last 30 days and to keep the living organisms alive for 30 days. Animation shows a biosatellite orbiting earth (24:27), then the satellite reenters earth’s atmosphere. The film then shows the various scientists asking their respective research questions to be answered by the biosatellite project, concluding the film.

NASA launched three satellites named Biosatellite 1, 2 and 3 between 1966 and 1969. NASA’s Biosatellite program was a series of three satellites to assess the effects of spaceflight, especially radiation and weightlessness, on living organisms. Each was designed to reenter and be recovered at the end of its mission. Its primary goal was that it intended to determine effects of space environment, particularly weightlessness, on life processes at three levels of organization: basic biochemistry of the cell; structure of growth of cells and tissues; and growth and form of entire plants and animals.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com