Search - NOVA - To the Moon on DVD

Wonderful documentary and a lot I didn't know

John Grabowski | USA | 12/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lest anyone think this is the same old story of the moon shot, "One Small Step For Mankind" and all that, Nova's "To The Moon" is actually two fascinating hours of many of the stories that have been overlooked about man's journey to the moon. Few people know about the man who advocated the method of travel, called Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous, or why he was unpopular even after his contribution led to man getting to the moon. Few people know why Kennedy vaguely said we should get a man to the moon "by the end of the decade." Few people know the history of the Gemini program, lost between the Tom Wolfe heroics of Mercury and the Cold War glories of Apollo. Few people know about the later astronauts--in fact, how many people can name an astronaut after the Apollo 11 crew? (If you saw "Apollo 13" this might not be as hard.) The clips of the last mission on the moon, with happy-go-lucky geologist Harrison Schmidt dancing around digging for moonrocks, is worth the price of the DVD alone. Highly recommended as an educational tool as well as a fun ride. Public schools would be wise to teach kids history in this lively way."

The Best Brief History of Apollo

Robert I. Hedges | 09/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nova should be commended for producing this excellent documentary. The important decisions, such as the choice of Lunar Orbit Rendezvous, are covered in a comprehensible yet comprehensive manner. The background of Apollo, especially in the now almost forgotten Gemini program, is covered, as are the evolution of the Saturn launchers, CSM, and LM. A natural focus of the DVD are the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 missions, which are covered in some detail, but other less memorable yet important (i.e., the 'Genesis rock', the Apollo 13 near disaster, etc.) areas are covered thoughtfully as well. The editing and factual accuracy is absolutely superior, and the overall value is unbeatable. If you only own one documentary on the Apollo program, make it this one."

Comprehensive and unique

Tyler Peterson | 08/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This NOVA documentary, originally aired in July 1999, features two hours of the American efforts to reach the moon at its finest. The footage of the famous Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo flights is very riveting, featuring interviews from astronauts such as Jim Lovell, Tom Stafford, Eugene Cernan, Buzz Aldrin, David Scott, and Wally Schirra, as well as with Robert Seamans, Christopher Kraft, and Gene Kranz. It is hard to accurately portray through a video the details of the American space program, but this video comprehensively contains all the candor and excitement of the American manned moon program. John Houboult's Lunar Orbit Rendezvous scheme is detailed, with his efforts to sell the idea to top NASA management. Then, it moves on to the Gemini flights, emphasizing the first rendezvous of manned spacecraft on Gemini 6/7 in 1965, Gene Cernan's EVA troubles that plagued Gemini 9, and Gemini 12. Finally, it details the Apollo program that placed man's footprints on the moon, focusing on the engineering flights of Apollo 8 and 11, and then the scientific and geologic flights of the lunar landing missions that followed, ending with Apollo 17. All this was very fascinating, and thrilling to watch."

Necessary for serious NASA fan.

Tyler Peterson | 07/14/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This video is great for it's personal perspective from the men who planned and flew the missions. It makes a great companion to Tom Hanks' From the Earth to the Moon. After you have heard about it and read about it, see the actual footage, hear the dangerous conditions the public never knew about."