Reflections

What goes through the mind of an astronaut as he circles the planet miles above its surface? This CINE Golden Eagle Award winner, based on a speech by Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, offers one space voyager's reflections on the subject. Using footage from the Apollo 9 and other missions, the words of Schweickart serve as a guide to the images we see. He describes his feelings upon takeoff, ponders the human condition as he circles the world in a mere 90 minutes, wonders at the phenomenon of stepping outside the capsule and floating at a stately 17,000 miles per hour in total silence, and evaluates his own journey in terms of its impact on humanity: "you are up there as a sensing element for man." An interesting and inspirational short, Reflections is a good choice for both school and public libraries. (Available from: Varied Directions, Inc., 69 Elm Street, Camden, ME 04843.)