Space - BBC TV on Wednesday Night
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
I keep missing it. Is it out on DVD?
Eric - it has never been released in the UK on DVD for some reason. It was released as a video box set. However, (and I would not normally advicate this) you can get is as a DVD set from Hong Kong - or the US. Try ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/From-The-Earth-To-The-Moon-R2-English-Spoken-5-discs_W0QQitemZ6430342320QQcategoryZ41575QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It is absolutely brilliant.
Hope that helps,
Alex
Good program... Makes you look at how Van Braun is famous throughout the west, yet his russian counterpart, Summit-or-other-ofski, is little know. At least I haven't ever heard his name before. This was the guy that managed to get the Russkis into ornit, and putting chaps up before the Yanks... You'd think his name would be more famous.
For those of us who are interested in such things, Sergei Korolev is just as famous as Werner Von Braun. As the programme hinted at in the end, his name was kept secret by the Soviets right until when he died (I won't give too much away at this stage for those who want to follow the series).
The basic facts as shown in the programme were pretty much spot on. The only incorrect detail I spotted was the fact that. in reality, Von Braun's arm was in a plaster cast at the time he gave himself up to the Americans. He had been injured in a road accident a dfew days earlier. The producers for some reason decided not to portray this - probably so as not to complicate the plot too much.
I'm now looking forward to the next three episodes.
The basic facts as shown in the programme were pretty much spot on. The only incorrect detail I spotted was the fact that. in reality, Von Braun's arm was in a plaster cast at the time he gave himself up to the Americans. He had been injured in a road accident a dfew days earlier. The producers for some reason decided not to portray this - probably so as not to complicate the plot too much.
I'm now looking forward to the next three episodes.
There is a book out to coincide with the series. It was plugged at the end of the closing credits. In fact, I saw it on the shelf at Maher's bookshop last week - cost £20.00.
Von Braun was the consumate self publiscist. Even when he was not able to make much progress with his rocket development work (due to official US government indifference to the potential of rockets - as will be revealed in the series, hopefully), he used this "downtime" to put the notion of rockets and space travel to the US general public.
In the early 1950s, he collaborated with Collier's magazine to produce a series of lavishly illustrated articles promoting the idea of unmanned satellites, manned space stations, space shuttles and trips to the moon and Mars.
Walt Disney was so impressed with these articles that he commissioned Von Braun to host a whole series of TV programmes in which these concepts were brought to life in brilliant animation and in colour. I remember seeing some of these programmes as part of Disney's franchsied TV show in the 1960s.
Korolev's name, on the other hand, was deliberately witheld, even from the Soviet public. Although the programme hinted last night that the reason was for his own security, the main reason was that Stalin wanted the Soviet space effort to be seen as an example of Communism at work and did not want any one individual to be seen to get the credit. Later, when Kruschev became Soviet leader, he was keen that the glory of Soviet space success be reflected on him - so he too kept Krolev's name secret.
Korolev is now looked on as a hero in Russia.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 15th September 08:15
Von Braun was the consumate self publiscist. Even when he was not able to make much progress with his rocket development work (due to official US government indifference to the potential of rockets - as will be revealed in the series, hopefully), he used this "downtime" to put the notion of rockets and space travel to the US general public.
In the early 1950s, he collaborated with Collier's magazine to produce a series of lavishly illustrated articles promoting the idea of unmanned satellites, manned space stations, space shuttles and trips to the moon and Mars.
Walt Disney was so impressed with these articles that he commissioned Von Braun to host a whole series of TV programmes in which these concepts were brought to life in brilliant animation and in colour. I remember seeing some of these programmes as part of Disney's franchsied TV show in the 1960s.
Korolev's name, on the other hand, was deliberately witheld, even from the Soviet public. Although the programme hinted last night that the reason was for his own security, the main reason was that Stalin wanted the Soviet space effort to be seen as an example of Communism at work and did not want any one individual to be seen to get the credit. Later, when Kruschev became Soviet leader, he was keen that the glory of Soviet space success be reflected on him - so he too kept Krolev's name secret.
Korolev is now looked on as a hero in Russia.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 15th September 08:15
For more of the same read Tom Wolfe's 'The Right Stuff'. The book (and fabulous movie of the same title) covers the same ground as the 'Space Race' series but with an emphasis on the US military test pilots who became the Mercury astronauts. The German 'Chief Designer' in the movie is not named, but is obviously meant to be Von Braun. It's a great film.
For those who know who I'm talking about, I once had a signed photograph of John Young in his pressure suit from the first shuttle mission. Gemini pilot, moonwalker and the first guy to captain the space shuttle, I've now lost the bloody photo... Should have framed it at the time.
I have to go for a pilot medical renewal every year. I used to go to a retired old boy doc in Scotland who had a small surgery in his house. On the walls were photos of him with various Apollo astronauts, Armstrong included. Turns out he had a hand in designing the Apollo space suit and life support when he was an RAF aeromedical specialst, and was one of the blokes in Mission Control during the missions. Cool.
ST
For those who know who I'm talking about, I once had a signed photograph of John Young in his pressure suit from the first shuttle mission. Gemini pilot, moonwalker and the first guy to captain the space shuttle, I've now lost the bloody photo... Should have framed it at the time.
I have to go for a pilot medical renewal every year. I used to go to a retired old boy doc in Scotland who had a small surgery in his house. On the walls were photos of him with various Apollo astronauts, Armstrong included. Turns out he had a hand in designing the Apollo space suit and life support when he was an RAF aeromedical specialst, and was one of the blokes in Mission Control during the missions. Cool.
ST
A lot of people don't realise tat there was a samll but signiificant British contribution to NASA's moon project.
I think you may be getting confused with Tom Wolfe's references to the "Chief Designer" in "The Right Stuff". In that book, he uses the term Chief Designer for Korolev.
The book is a great read and the film is excellent as well. However, the film does characiture many of the personalities. For instance, there is the generic German design team who seem to be in a constant battle with the individualness of the astronauts. In fact, most of the scientists and tecnicians were Americans, including the main man who the astromnauts had the most trouble with, Maxine Faget, the designer of the Mercury space capsule.
Still, the Space Race is a great historical topic, full of drama, excitement and intrigue.
I think you may be getting confused with Tom Wolfe's references to the "Chief Designer" in "The Right Stuff". In that book, he uses the term Chief Designer for Korolev.
The book is a great read and the film is excellent as well. However, the film does characiture many of the personalities. For instance, there is the generic German design team who seem to be in a constant battle with the individualness of the astronauts. In fact, most of the scientists and tecnicians were Americans, including the main man who the astromnauts had the most trouble with, Maxine Faget, the designer of the Mercury space capsule.
Still, the Space Race is a great historical topic, full of drama, excitement and intrigue.
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