NASA documentary film about the Apollo 7 mission. The film opens over the NASA seal (:10). This was the first crewed Apollo mission, a landmark mission for space advancement. The crew contained three men; Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walt Cunningham. The mission control team was led by flight directors Glenn Lunney, Gene Kranz and Gerry Griffen. Mission objectives were to demonstrate Apollo rendezvous capabilities, mission support facilities performance during the mission as well as a live television broadcast of the event. Apollo 7 launched on October 11, 1968 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. After the seal, the film shoots to the end; the recovery of the shuttle and crews at the splash down point in the (:13). The recovery team nears the shuttle during a rainstorm on October 22nd (:16). Crew are lifted up (:41). Astronauts appear fully suited (:46) back at the Kennedy Space Center heading for launch pad 34 (:59). Astronauts Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham enter the launch pad complex (1:17). Ground support counts down (1:56). Engines ignite (1:59) and the craft shoots up (2:06). It is mentioned years of testing were conducted at the Marshall Space Center on the Saturn 1b launch vehicle (2:38). The craft enters it’s planned trajectory (2:45). Mission support man’s controls (2:51). Apollo 7 appears bending into its orbit (2:54). The Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas is heard over the radio (3:07). A stunning shot captures clouds over the Earth (3:41). Tests were conducted to ensure the astronauts could maintain control with the Saturn S4B stage (4:10). An animation shows the stage separation (4:18). The camera captures the panels at the top of the S4B stage (4:48). The crew comments on the panels (4:58). Apollo burns it’s space craft propulsion system (5:32). Footage follows within Apollo (6:16) as the crew floats and settles into a weightless environment. Crew operate a telescope and a sextant (7:29). They utilized star sightings for navigation. Water particles bead and float in space (7:51) giving the appearance of stars. The crew is interrupted by Houston during a designated sleep period (8:32). Wally Schirra fell ill with the common cold (9:12). This spread to the rest of the crew and it is mentioned the doctors were concerned about the affected eardrums of the astronauts during re-entry (9:44). Black and white grainy footage shows the crew on a television (10:00). Previously only radio contact was available. One astronaut holds a sign smiling for the camera (10:11). Television footage displays the right hand portion of the main display console (10:51) as well as cryogenic instruments (10:59). Astronauts appear as they reached comfortability in space (11:23). They play with a small circular object (11:36). Hurricane Gladys was photographed over Florida (11:49). Other areas including the coast of Chile and the Andes mountain range were photographed (11:58). Crew learns the value of exercise (12:12). Crew members also reported on the quality of sleeping conditions and food (12:29). The highly successful crew members are pictured on the 11th day (12:57). Footage appears from October 22nd as the craft begins its final revolution (13:06). The space craft propulsion system is burned for the final time (13:25). Footage is provided from a different and unmanned space mission in order to demonstrate what the trip back through the atmosphere might have been like (13:32). The crew walks across a red carpet after returning to the carrier USS Essex (13:43). They shake hands with the captain (14:03). Apollo stands at night with the moon, it’s next destination at it’s side (14:21). Results from this mission made the lunar landing and other manned space flight missions possible. The film concludes over the NASA seal (14:27).

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