Moon Machines

Released in time for the 40th anniversary of man's first walk on the moon, this six-part documentary offers a history of the U.S. mission told through the often improbable, step-by-step creation of the machines that took American astronauts to the lunar surface and back. President John F. Kennedy's announced goal of landing on the moon by the end of the 1960s was a significant challenge, to be sure, but Moon Machines maintains that Kennedy believed the scientific community, despite numerous gaps in space technology, was ready to face it. The president's mandate drove NASA to reach the goal no matter the odds, which were great, as this series makes clear. Episode one, “The Saturn V Rocket,” recounts America's wake-up call when the Soviets launched the world's first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) in 1957, beginning their brief period of dominance in space. Employing German rocket scientists who had previously worked under Hitler, the U.S. space program got off to an unpromising start that included unmanned rockets exploding on take-off. Subsequent episodes focus on the creation of the Apollo command module; a workable navigation system; design and construction of the lunar module (which had to work properly or Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would have died on the moon's surface); space suits; and the lunar rover (the first car on the moon). Each chapter is thoroughly documented, while hearing from many of the scientists involved in creating these inventions from scratch is a real plus. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)