NASA promises 'greatly improved' Moon landing footage

The Register (UK) ^ | 14th July 2009 09:20 GMT | Lester Haines

[Paleo Conservative]

NASA has tantalisingly announced that it will release "greatly improved video imagery from the July 1969 live broadcast of the Apollo 11 moonwalk" on Thursday.

The agency reports (http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/jul/HQ_M09-125_Newseum_Apollo_tapes.html): "The release will feature 15 key moments from Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's historic moonwalk using what is believed to be the best available broadcast-format copies of the lunar excursion, some of which had been locked away for nearly 40 years."

We assume the footage in question is gleaned from the original magnetic tapes recorded by the Parkes Observatory in Australia, and which belatedly turned up (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/29/moon_landing_tapes/) in a storage facility in Perth.

In 2006, NASA admitted (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/15/nasa_footage_mishap/) it had mislaid the tapes which were supposed to be in its Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. As a result, the world has (until Thursday, we hope), had to make do with NASA's inadequate copy of the original broadcast, captured on 16mm film from a monitor screen.

[Paleo Conservative]

Heads up for the NASA news conference on Thursday.

[SlowBoat407]

So, they finally were able to get back into the studio to reshoot it, eh?

[Paleo Conservative]

Heads up!

If you want on or off this aerospace ping list, please contact Paleo Conservative or phantomworker by Freep mail.

[G Larry]

Anyone believe we’ll have enough money to get man back on the moon in the next 20 years?

[allmost]

They’ve got to sell themselves. I think it’s worth it, manned exploration.

[Paleo Conservative]

Anyone believe we’ll have enough money to get man back on the moon in the next 20 years?

In 20 years $24 billion will just about cover the cost of a nice meal at a restaurant.

[dalereed]

I watched the origional TV broadcast live and thr pictures were really pretty good.

[wysiwyg]

Anyone believe we’ll have enough money to get man back on the moon in the next 20 years?

At the rate they're currently spending it...? Yeah, right.

[pennyfarmer]

Is this going to be as good as the digitally remastered E.T. movie?

I like how the Obama administration can’t make us proud so he has to re-release some of our proudest moments.

It is almost like buying an American made Schwinn bike when you were a kid, then having the opportunity to purchase one of the finest Chinese Schwinns at Walmart. Not the same thing.

[poindexter]

Anyone believe we’ll have enough money to get man back on the moon in the next 20 years?

Easy. We just make a pile of money from the national debt. The pile will easily reach the moon, and we can just climb up.

[allmost]

This seems more like NASA looking for support.

[JRios1968]

Is this going to be as good as the digitally remastered E.T. movie?

Oh, please...what will the 0bama NASA edit out?

[max americana]

No. The last Obama stimulus made sure our grandkids will still be paying for the deficit. Maybe the moon at your local college dorm.

[guitarplayer1953]

No they have had time to scrub the film of any nasty little artifacts.

[Redcitizen]

Hollywood is doing a re-imagining? =)

[Snickering Hound]

Go rent/buy “For All Mankind”.

About an hour and a 1/2 of just NASA footage during Apollo, amazing stuff.

[IncPen]

Wow.

Wonder if OJ Simpson will be there. I loved him in the first NASA movies.

[SatinDoll]

LOL! That’s what I was thinking...though I believe they really did go to the moon and shoot film.

[gdc314]

Go rent/buy “For All Mankind”.

I second your recommendation...fantastic footage....

[BradyLS]

Anything is possible, but I’ll say ‘no.’ Loved to be proved wrong. Even better if a private concern managed the feat.