“Reflections”,

“On March 3, 1969, Rusty Schweickart orbited the eart in Apollo IX. Ten years later, he has reflected on the experience and has chosen, in this filmed account of his journey, to share his thoughts, memories, and new-found perspective. Circling the eart at 17,000 miles per hour, Schweickart and his fellow astronauts spent ten days and 161 revolutions in space. With actual footage from the expedition, the film focuses on Schweickar’s recollections of the ‘incredible spectacle.’ He recalls the silence, the freedom, the stimulation. He also reconstructs the sights and sounds. As the eart passes below, he lets himself go — finding no limits, no frames, no boundaries. As he states, ‘You are a piece of a total life. You are up there as a sensing element for man. You have played a part and you have seen something that has changed you forever.’ With still photographs representing the ‘brotherhood’ of man, with poetic readings from e.e. cummings, with live-action footage of the astronaut floating outside of his capsule, the film allows each of us to participate in this significant historical event. We are left reflecting and pondering the question, ‘What relevance does man have from the awesome vantage point of the universe?'”

“This film details the Apollo 9 mission from March of 1969. It delivers a deeply personal view from the perspective of the astronauts using adapted words originally from astronaut Rusty Schweickart’s personal reflections on the mission. This is combined with various NASA footage from other missions to display what the Apollo 9 mission was like. This was the third human spaceflight in NASA’s Apollo program. During this mission, the lunar module was qualified for lunar orbit operations in preparation for the first lunar landing. A rendezvous and dock were also conducted. This too would be vital for the Apollo 13 mission. Crew members included James McDivitt, David R Scott and Russell l Schweickart. The film opens with the logo for the Learning Corporation of America (:13). Mission control is heard over the radio (:24). The engine ignites (:29) and Apollo 9 lifts off (:47). Staging begins (1:53). A note appears informing viewers Peter Thomas’s words will be heard about Rusty Schweickart’s reflections on this trip. Images follow of various astronauts in space. One man eats food floating towards his mouth in the weightless environment (2:52). Another pulls out a map to discern their location (3:02). The periscope is pulled out (3:09). Footage follows of the world below as the craft continues it’s orbit. Places around the globe such as Italy, Greece (3:15), North Africa (3:41), the Pacific Ocean (3:56), California (4:05), Houston (4:16), Florida (4:27) and the Atlantic Ocean are pictured. Many astronauts experienced a sort of identification with their own and other countries while in space (4:56). Two other the astronauts prepare to leave the shuttle (5:35). A tether connects the astronauts to the craft (5:46). A stunning view captures the sun rising over the Pacific (5:59). Another shot shows the pair floating over a blue earth (6:10). They begin snapping photographs (6:16) of one another (6:26). David’s camera reportedly jammed during the exercise (6:41). As he fixes the camera, Rusty takes a moment to float and enjoy the view (6:53). The narrator speaks to the vast silence of space (7:30). He muses about home (7:46). Earth is pictured in a stunning shot (8:01). Wedding photographs and other joyous life events appear in montage (8:24). Many experienced serene feelings of one-ness and connectedness as images of various cultures and people around the globe are featured (8:25). They float above earth (8:45). The montage of various cultures and people continues (11:11). Astronauts reenter the shuttle (11:49). The engine is fired as the crew readies for re-entry (12:04). The atmosphere nears as the craft is slowed (12:30). Red and white parachutes pop (13:28) as the crew lowers to earth. Apollo 9 orbited the earth 161 times (13:32) in ten days. They splash down (13:41). The three crewmen step from the recovery helicopter (13:48). A montage of NASA missions (14:30) over the years follow. Words of E.E Cummings’ poem “I thank you God for this most amazing” are spoken (15:16) over images of tree blowing in the breeze (15:54). This film was conceived and produced by David Hoffman (15:54). A special thank you is sent for Rusty Schweickart as his insights were what inspired this film (16:22). This was produced for United Technologies Corporation (16:28).

Russell Louis “Rusty” Schweickart is an American aeronautical engineer, and a former NASA astronaut, research scientist, U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, as well as a former business executive and government executive. He was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 9. As backup commander of the first crewed Skylab mission in 1973, he was responsible for developing the hardware and procedures used by the first crew to perform critical in-flight repairs of the Skylab station. He co-founded the B612 Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to defending Earth from asteroid impacts.”