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Post by PhantomWolf on Jul 10, 2008 17:56:08 GMT -4
Might be a little late by the Science channel has been having a space week. They have had a series called "Moon Machines" on. Last night was the Space Suits and tonight is the Rover. On Friday they have "In the Shadow of the Moon" on. Lots of Mars stuff too.
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Post by PhantomWolf on Jul 12, 2008 3:15:02 GMT -4
Well not sure who managed to watch, but I found them really good.
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Post by Grand Lunar on Jul 12, 2008 9:00:57 GMT -4
Can you give a synopsis on what was aired? I don't get Science Channel at the place I'm at right now.
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Post by PhantomWolf on Jul 12, 2008 17:45:34 GMT -4
The two Moon Machines that I saw were the Space Suit and a Rover. The spacesuits episode dealt with the original desgin that was a mixture of Hamilton and and ILC and the issues that the two companies had working with each other as well as the problems with the suits themselves. It was mostly done with test footage and interviews with those involved. It followed through the cancelling of the contract when the early suits failed to work effectively and then the new contract rounds which ILC won alone with a more flexable suit that was more tapered to the wearer allowed the astronuats to move easily and natually (including being able to do backflips in the 1/6 g training enviroment), while Hamilton got the Life support system contract to make the LCG and PLSS. It covered the creation of the LCG and the PLSS as well as the initial garments by ILC right through that accident of Apollo 1 and how that changed the requirements of the suit and the issues they had there until they found the Beta Cloth to use.
The rover one followed the idea from Von Braun's initial idea of having the astronauts explore the surface through the early ideas of the cab covered rover and a stay of 18 days (which they tested on earth with two volunteers.) This was scrapped due to the weight (it would have required a separate Sat-V launch) and NASA basically deciding not to have any rover. It talked to the guys at GM that were working on their on "light" rover and how they went to NASA and convinced them to include one "if they could fit in in this small triangular bay that wasn't going to be used". (I really hope that Jack White was watching that bit!) It then covered the idea of folding it up into the space and the models they built, then dealt with learning about the lunar surface from the Rangers, Surveyors and early Apollo landings, thus how they determined what tyres to use and how they made them (Please tell me that the guy behind NASAscam was watching that bit!) It included the early training and then the worries after the Apollo 13 accident that the program would be shut down there and then, then finally dealt with the TV system on the rover and showed Ed getting his shots of the lift off from the moon.
I'm pretty sure that there is already lots on "In the Shadow of the Moon" in other threads to not need it repeated here.
Hope that helps. They were very good if you manage to get your hands on them somehow.
Oh they still are showing "When we left Earth" on Tuesdays (for those that can get it) and this is apparently available on DVD from NASA DVD (?)
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Post by PhantomWolf on Jul 12, 2008 17:49:54 GMT -4
Just having a look about, there were apparently 6 episodes
1 - "Saturn V" 2 - "Command Module" 3 - "Navigation" 4 - "Lunar Module" 5 - "Suits" 6 - "Lunar Rover"
They obviously aren't on DVD yet but if you spot replays or them come out, they are really worth it from the 2 I did get to see.
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Post by Grand Lunar on Jul 12, 2008 20:36:29 GMT -4
Thanks PW! As I own "In the Shadow of the Moon", a synposis isn't needed for me. I'm willing to bet that the HBs mentioned did not watch these programs. If they did, they either would think it's just govt. propoganda, damage control (DavidC's favorite phrase), or just more NASA lies. Their mentality is as impenatratable as the shields of a Martian war machine from George Pal's 1953 film.
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