Journey to the Moon: One Giant Leap DVD Review
The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 and More
Jul 19, 2009
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission which took three astronauts to the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the lunar surface, but a lot went into those first steps.
Apollo 11, from blast off to the moon walks is explored in a beautifully compiled feature. The mission proved that NASA could safely send astronauts to the moon and bring them back, along with many samples of moon rocks.
Apollo 12, Apollo 13, and Apollo 17
Apollo 12 followed the historic mission with another trip to the moon. Then came Apollo 13, which encountered a problem on the way to the moon. “Houston, we have a problem” is a famous phrase now, but at the time it was almost heart-stopping for the people at NASA and the folks in Houston who were in charge of the flight. But even though the astronauts never made it to the moon, they made it safely home, which, as President Nixon stated, made the mission a success. It was a lesson in fast thinking, fast maneuvering, and working together to keep the three astronauts alive and return them to their homes and families.
Apollo 17 was the final mission to the moon. This was the last time men walked on the lunar surface, but NASA is preparing to return to the moon in the near future.
President John F. Kennedy’s Speech – We Choose to go to the Moon
President John F. Kennedy set the country on the course to the moon when he declared that by the end of the decade of the 1960s, America would send a man to the moon and bring him back safely to the earth. He followed up on this with his famous speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962. This speech is included on this DVD. The video quality is not the best, however the message is there. President Kennedy said it would be the people in Houston who would be responsible for making this lunar landing possible. He claimed that the United States would work hard and be the first to the moon. At the time the cold war was at its height, and the Soviet Union was out in front in the space race.
Being the first to the moon was something that united the country. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon, people around the world watched. And they watched again when the troubled Apollo 13 returned to earth. Space exploration in the name of peace and humanity is what all these missions were for.
Today shuttle launches are not as newsworthy as the Apollo missions, but they are just as important. Space is the next frontier that is being explored and, in a way, tamed for humans. Understanding all the missions of the past is the only way to create the missions of the future.
Two slide shows are also included on the DVD. One is a combination of photos from the Apollo 11 mission, and the other is a combination of incredible photos of the universe.
This DVD is not rated. The total run time is 216 minutes.
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