NASA Searching For Tapes Of Original Moon Landing

ClickonDetroit ^ | August 15, 2006 | AP

[ShadowDancer]

NASA Searching For Tapes Of Original Moon Landing

POSTED: 6:37 am EDT August 15, 2006

WASHINGTON -- NASA officials are searching for the original videotapes from the first moon landing in 1969 in the hopes that they can use modern technology to produce sharper images of the event. Web Site: NASA Moon Landing History

The video, including footage of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon, was transmitted from the moon to tracking stations in California and Australia. The images that were then sent to Houston -- and seen by the rest of the world -- were substantially degraded.

Space program veterans believe the original tracking station recordings are stored somewhere at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Telephone calls Monday night to NASA and Goddard spokesmen were not immediately returned.

"I would simply like to clarify that the tapes are not lost as such, which implies they were badly handled, misplaced and are now gone forever. That is not the case," John Sarkissian, operations scientist at the Parkes Radio Observatory in Parkes, Australia, told the Space.com Web site.

Sarkissian also rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "The archiving of the tapes was simply a lower priority during the Apollo era," he said.

In a paper published in May, Sarkissian wrote that the use of digital processing techniques on the tapes would make it "possible to recover the original high quality TV of the first lunar EVA (extravehicular activity) and make it available to the public for the first time."

"The Apollo 11 mission represents a defining moment in human history," Sarkissian wrote. "For the sake of posterity and the benefit of future generations, it is imperative that the search for the Apollo 11 magnetic data tapes be more vigorously pursued."

[GingisK]

Well, they probably kept copies out West in that studio where they filmed it in the first place. ;-D

Seriously, it is disturbing that government agencies have become so sloppy with taxpayer assets.

[Red Badger]

Have they checked the Watergate Hotel?.......

[ShadowDancer]

Well, they probably kept copies out West in that studio where they filmed it in the first place. ;-D

You just made me miss Inspector Harry Callahan.

[Red Badger]

They might be in The Smithsonian's dusty bins somewhere.......

[DogBarkTree]

This will only add fire to the moonbat speculation that the moon lnadings were staged.

[Publius6961]

Instead of making excuses, this clown should join in the search. He also left a few important things unsaid: Was the data digital? Were there copies kept at the receiving station prior to forwarding it to Houston?

If there is an "archival" section in NASA how competent can it be if it lost track of the "most defining" moment of the 20th century, if not in human history?

The tape needs to be transferred to different medium, using a machine that is about to be junked. Without this machine, the tapes can never even be read! That's what determined that the tapes are missing.

[Red Badger]

Digital? in 1969? Analog most likely...........and mag tapes deteriorate over time, both physically and magnetically. If found, they will be digitized and put on DVDs.............

[50sDad]

I work in document control for a defence contractor, and brother, this sums it up. The last engineer on any project never worries about cleaning up after it (hey, we built it, didn't we?), the bluprints are always in the electronic format that went out of style ten years ago, the hardware to read the last version of the files is no longer available, we forgot where we put it, backups were not made...

[Red Badger]

The WERE staged........on the MOON!.........

[Free State Four]

You just made me miss Inspector Harry Callahan.

LOL! Also, Michael Rivero! :)

[af_vet_rr]

Seriously, it is disturbing that government agencies have become so sloppy with taxpayer assets.

In this instance, I think it's data overload - the facility that was handling all of NASA's tape/film processing/storage - I read somewhere they are they were receiving literally 10s of thousands (if not 100+) of tapes, reels, etc., every year during that time, and considering they didn't exactly have an easy to use system for cataloging/retrieval purposes, it's not surprising they were shuffled around (ending up at the National Archives before going back to Goddard).

I do admit the National Archives should have taken better care of that stuff, rather than sending them back to Goddard for whatever reason (in midst of 700+ boxes full of film), but the amount of items they have is staggering - I would not be surprised if this is the tip of the iceberg.

[DoctorMichael]

Have they checked E-Bay?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The National Archives probably had no choice at the time since they are obligated to return records to the originating agency when said agency asks for them back.

[Calvin Locke]

True, but there was a post yesterday that current NASA types are hitting all the museums to see how
all the Apollo program hardware was designed, made, integrated, etc.

I always wondered about the state of mechanical engineering when the world was becoming digitized.

[taxed2death]

"I would simply like to clarify that the tapes are not lost as such, which implies they were badly handled, misplaced and are now gone forever. That is not the case,"

Now THAT's funny...I gotta remember that line next time I "temporarily misplace" a customers part.

My fave line is this "I put them in a special place where I know I wouldn't lose them. Now I just have to remember WHERE that special place is.
;)

[dfwgator]

I found it!!!

[ShadowDancer]

LOL. My husband is FAMOUS for doing that. He is forever tucking stuff away so it won't get lost and then never finding it again. Makes me nuts.

[af_vet_rr]

True, but there was a post yesterday that current NASA types are hitting all the museums to see how all the Apollo program hardware was designed, made, integrated, etc.

Very interesting. Just think how far along we would be if we had continued with the the Saturn series for our heavy lift vehicles - with the advances in materials, computers, propulsion, fuel, etc., over the past 30 years, we'd have a heckuva system for putting stuff into orbit (how many Skylabs could we have launcehd and connected together by now, and instead we have the ISS which won't be finished for many years to come).

[feedback doctor]

Have they checked Hillary's office yet?