This mid-1960s “Space Race” film produced by NASA combines documentary footage of engineers at work and shows a wide variety of conceptual art, previsualization and animation that was created in support of the Apollo program. These help illustrate Apollo’s proposed methods for achieving a Moon landing by the end of the decade. It dates from before the Moon landing (TRT: 17:57).

Opening titles. The logo of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Designs for Space” over a starscape (0:08). An illustration of Chinese rocket makers crossfades to modern space station concept art, live-action footage of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas (0:18). Engineers wearing ties meet around a drafting table cluttered with rulers, guides, stencil templates. Hand-drawn blueprints for space capsules designed for the Apollo program, showing human passengers in a variety of arrangements (0:50). An actual capsule test module lowered by a crane. An engineer’s designs (1:26). A NASA engineer working at a drafting table. Distant galaxies, planets. Title overlay lists considerations: “Time, Cost, Solar System Dynamics, Space Environment, Size of Crew, Number of Days, Supplies, Size of Spacecraft, Launch Vehicle Capacity, Aerodynamics, Reliability, Landing and Recovery” (2:01). Engineers’ hands at work. The moon. Narration mentions a 1970 target date for landing (3:31). Illustration of three white male crew members in space suits, surrounded by equipment in a triangular capsule. The capsule expands and extends into the shape of a full Saturn-style rocket (4:36). A dotted line traces the path from the earth to the moon in simple illustrations. A two rocket system of sharing payloads is explored: “Earth Orbit Rendezvous” (5:55). A magnetic tape drum memory computer system, data printouts. Landing gear illustrated. The Apollo method of “Lunar Orbit Rendezvous” is illustrated with a three-stage launch vehicle and comparison to direct rockets (7:12). An animated rocket launch and close-ups on drawings of the crew (8:31). The Lunar Excursion Module separates from the command module (9:08). The Landing Module is left orbiting the moon while the Service Module returns to earth (10:11). A depiction of astronauts on the surface of a distant planet. Narration mentions that Saturn V rockets will soon be ready (10:53). A man wearing glasses works in an office. Crossfade to animation of Earth in orbit (11:06). The Van Allen radiation belt. Solar flares. A flight mechanic specialist pushes buttons on an early computer (11:50). Rockets in side-view comparison. A crew of men in white helmets transport a “United States” space capsule. Animation of the same type of capsule in orbit, making a heated reentry (12:10). An illustration of a shock wave, showing the module’s aerodynamic design (13:14). Heat energy builds up in a closeup of the reentry capsule facing atmospheric drag. Heat shields are introduced (14:13). A side view of the spacecraft in flight. Inside the capsule, astronauts wear spacesuits, protecting them from space particles (14:53). A red arrow illustrates crushing g-forces, and astronauts placed with their backs to the target destination (15:25). Astronauts remove their protective gear and rest. The finished capsule in live-action. A parachute drop test (15:47). Titles illustrate the “Command Module, Service Module, Lunar Excursion Module” arrangement (16:28). A model of a Saturn rocket (17:03). Outlines of spacecraft parts float through space in a superimposition (17:15). The NASA seal (17:43).

Nasa’s Apollo program or Project Apollo landed the first humans on the moon from 1968 to 1972. The Saturn V rocket was used between 1967 and 1973, launching a total of 24 U.S. astronauts into space. The lunar mission profile outlined in this film was successfully employed with some additional modifications, such as Trans-Earth injection.

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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