This recently rediscovered, silent, 26-minute film from the late 1960s was created for NASA by Ling Temco Vought (LVT) Aeronautics Corporation, to showcase the Maneuvering Work Platform or MWP and the Space Taxi. Both of these devices were engineering concepts which did not end up being produced or deployed, but they apparently influenced later NASA manned maneuvering concepts. The “Space Taxi” is especially interesting in that aspects of its design are similar to the Discovery’s “EVA pods” in the landmark movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
The Maneuvering Work Platform and affiliated Space Taxi were, according to LVT documentation from 1970, “…advanced extra-vehicular maneuvering unit(s), designed for maintenance and repair of spacecraft in orbit and for erection and handling of large structures in space.” According to title cards, the film was made for the MSFC (NASA Marshall Space Flight’s Center) Huntsville Advanced Systems. Office by the Advanced Manufacturing Systems of the LTV Astronautics Division. The MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama is the U.S. government’s civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion center. As the largest NASA center, MSFC’s first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo program. Additionally, Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) was a large US conglomerate which existed from 1961-2000 that was involved in aerospace and airlines as well as steel manufacturing, meat packing, and pharmaceuticals amongst other businesses.
Opening credits (0:12). Maneuvering work platform segment (0:38). Exterior of model of Apollo spacecraft prototype showing how folded up MWP would be stored in the Lunar Service Module. . – NASA technician in spacesuit on a mock-up, unfolds components and performs simulated mission (0:55). Astronaut in spacesuit performs mock repairs on spacecraft and then connects a trailer to the MWP (11:22). At (11:40) a mock-up spacecraft component is shown in the trailer. Beginning of a new segment about the “Space Taxi” (12:35) which is shown in the Apollo spacecraft, stored in the area used to stow the Lunar Module. The Apollo spacecraft is used to deploy the Space Taxi from its stowed position (13:16). At (13:41) the astronaut boards the Space Taxi through a docking airlock. At (17:04) the Space Taxi’s manipulator arms are shown — eerily similar in design to those seen in “2001: A Space Odyssey”. A simulated mission occurs, with the astronaut showing how the Space Taxi operates(14:06). Since it is a pressurized environment, he can remove his space helmet (22:10). The film ends with shots of what appears to be a model of the Space Taxi with a G.I. Joe type action figure deploying a “The End” sign (26:11).
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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
