The Big Challenge is a 1967 NASA documentary on the construction of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, showing the development of the site on Merritt Island, FL and the construction of Launch Complex 39, including the construction of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Control Center, launch pads and tracks. The film begins with footage of President John F. Kennedy speaking to Congress about putting a man on the moon; this is followed by audio of his “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech at Rice University on 12 September 1962. Animation depicts lunar landings (01:20). Viewers see the building that houses NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, followed by the John F. Kennedy Space Center and an aerial view of the launch site for the Apollo 5 mission (01:52). Dr. Kurt H. Debus, who conceived of the idea of mobile launch vehicles and was the first Director of the Space Center, sits behind a desk in his office (02:35). A Saturn I rocket sits on a launch pad at Cape Kennedy. Men examine a large launch vehicle and service structure (03:18). There are shots of the interior of the Command and footage of a Saturn I rocket taking off. Illustrations show the development of the complex (04:24), including the vehicle assembly building, the track used to move rockets to launch pads, and a service structure. A study group discusses lunar landing launch sites in 1960 (05:30). An aerial view shows the land near Cape Kennedy that will be the home of the launch site. Viewers see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Canaveral District office (06:27); there are signs depicting the various private contractors used for building the complex. Men lay the track line for the new space center. A bulldozer moves earth, and a large roller compacts the ground. Men lay asphalt for a new road (07:57). Viewers see a pump station, pipelines, and women operating the telephone switchboard at the space center. Pipes pump water onto the site for a canal. Tubular steel pilings are placed during the foundation stage of constructing for the vehicle assembly building (09:43). Viewers see the steel frame of the building being built. 11:48 The final steel beam is placed (11:48). Metal panels are bolted onto the building for siding. There is a look inside the massive building, starting with a view of the low bay, followed by footage of a bridge crane (13:20), and the upper bays. Next, the film shows the Launch Control Center at Complex 39, with shots of the exterior as well as inside the building: viewers see one of the four firing rooms filled with hundreds of monitors and consoles. Then the film shows the construction of the launch service towers (17:30) and shots of the launch deck and the massive transporter vehicles. A man monitors the diesel motors inside one of the transporters. There is a shot of a Saturn V rocket at a launch pad on the mobile launcher (19:37). There is a great bird’s eye view of “Crawler Way,” followed by footage of the construction of the pathway, including its surface covering of river rock. A mobile service tower is built (21:00), which is moved by transporter to the launch pad. Footage shows the site for Complex 39 as it looks prior to construction (22:02). Crews lay sand and earth to create ground. Men weld steel for launching stands. Cranes move buckets of concrete for pouring the launch stands. Electricians pull wire off spools. Viewers see the massive fuel tanks that surround the launch stands (24:20). The film features more aerial shots of the finished complex and the industrial complex five miles south, which will support the lunar landing project. Viewers see inside some of the buildings, including administrative offices and a maintenance and repair shop. Men harvest oranges and grapefruit from citrus trees on the property (26:02), people enjoy the ocean beach and surf the waves, and tourists visit the new space center. An astronaut climbs into a training apparatus (26:56). There is a final shot of the vehicle assembly building, which concludes the film.
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is one of ten NASA field centers. Since December 1968, the KSC has been NASA’s primary launch center of human spaceflight. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS).
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
