+1, Thanks for posting.

All of these men were brave heroes - every last one of them from Mercury through Apollo. The engineering and project management were a testament to how to do the job right. It's nice to see a documentary like this. The dramatic film The Right Stuff tarnishes the story of Gus Grissom and Ron Howard's Apollo 13 likewise tarnishes Jack Swigert. For further reading:
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-07-17/e...

We couldn't do this again today for almost any amount of money. Too risk adverse.

I have used the Apollo 13 mission as a teaching tool for kids. An unreal set of circumstances showing the true excellence of man and his abilities.

Talk about heroes. We are Americans and we simply breed such men and women. I often wonder if they realized how primitive their technology was compared to today. Even if they did, I doubt if that would have deterred them. Those men and women are still out there, bravely training with no hope of accomplishing anything near the Apollo missions. The Moonbase should be 20 years old by now and Mars should be well targeted. What happened to us? The question is rhetorical.

A great posting, thanks. The engineers were the true heroes, and the whole team worked together, trusted each other, and succeeded together. Even knowing how it ended, I got emotional watching it.

That happened way back when I was a supply clerk in the Marines. I recall walking around in a state of high suspense and checking out the barracks TV when off-duty. It was almost as bad as also living through the Cuban Missile Crisis, both having a happy ending. .

I grew up during the Project Apollo era. I remember Apollo 13. The one mission that was definitely not routine. They lost the moon, and almost lost their lives.

Apollo, brings back a lot of memories. Back in the early 60's I was a Rocket Scientist (really just a technician) at Rocketdyne Test Facility in the Santa Susana Mountains over looking the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. We tested all of North American's rocket engines there from the littel thrusters (1.5 lbs thrust) up to Apollo's Second Stage J2 Engine (~240,000 lbs thrust) of the Saturn V Vehicle. The first stage, the F1 Engine (1.5 million lbs thrust) was tested up in the desert at Edwards AFB. I loved that job, driving up that little mountain in my '56 T-Bird, especially when I could leave the hardtop at home. A few years later I got this "Greatings for Uncle Sam" letter. My boss told me he could get me a deferment if I woud relocate to Mississippi. It scared me, I didn't particularly like heat, humidity, and bugs so I elected to take my chances with the Army.

I went to Basic, AIT (Heavy Weapons Infantry), OCS (so I could afford my house payment), spent a year as Asst S3 in a towed 105mm unit at Fort Sill, and a year in Vietnam as XO of an 8-inch and 175mm Self Propelled Battery. Did I make the right choice? Other than the truth about heat, humidity, and bugs (plus snakes, scorpions, and few tigers) I think I did. Even at my old age (from 24-27) while in the servcie I learned a lot about people and about the world. I think it's something every American should experience, but then again I'm probably prejudiced.

PS - My ex wife traded that T-Bird in on a Biscayne while I was over there. I cried when I got a letter from the new owner wnating to know what had been done to it. He was doing a full professional restoration. Two tops (hard and soft), Yo-Yo Kit, Spinners, Portholes, Tuck and Roll, Telescopic Steering, damn I wish I had it back. But then again I finally got my Corvette a few years ago at age 70 (me, not the Corvette). And it's got an Atlas Shrugged sticker on the back. http://lh5.ggpht.com/-d9cPvHvnJmkuSEkddH...

The thing that really struck me about this was the focus that the engineers in Houston, the NASA contractors, and the astronauts put into solving the problems encountered along the way. They were able to compartmentalize their emotions and focus on the problems at hand. That ability allowed these three Americans to survive.

Thanks for posting!

Sadly, we can't build a Saturn V rocket today. Literally. The production lines are long gone as are many of the companies that built it themselves. Most of the engineers are dead or long retired, taking with them invaluable knowledge. NASA is spending billions trying to build a new heavy lift rocket, and thus far, has little to show for it. SpaceX will beat them to it for far less money. Elon Musk is in some ways a modern day Hank Reardon.

I also grew up in the Apollo era but I had an advantage to it. My uncle work for Burroughs Computers and was on loan to the US Government. He was attached to NASA at Cape Kennedy and I got to spend summers with my aunt uncle in Florida. I actually got to see a couple of launches and got a tour of the facilities more than once. This is what started my interest in science and industry. Some of the people who were friends of my uncles were some of the brightest individuals of their time.

Here here

NealS: Great car! Great sticker! From the humidity and insects of the South (Mississippi) to the jungles of Vietnam ...umhhh. As far as acquiring experience- you made the right decision and lived to use it.

db: thanks... this was better than the movie!
The closer you get to the truth the more liberating the experience.

I was able to download this video and convert to
DVD for your tv's DVD player. will mail a copy
to any gulcher who will promise to show it
to children who might not ever learn
the real story, otherwise.

no cost. DVD-R, 40 minutes. -- j