'Chasing the Moon' offers immaculate clarity of archival footage and illustrated press / cultural coverage of the times (like for those who weren't around for it), amongst interesting first-hand accounts of those involved in the Space Race on and off Earth.
It touches on the aspects beyond those of NASA's program, but ones that are still heavily attached to it. Specifically, I'm speaking about the LIFE Magazine 'behind the scenes' footage illustrating the palpable worry of the wives and families who looked on at those small, blurry TV screens, hoping to never hear there was a problem via the audio feed. It was such an intimate element to highlight, a stinging hard-pressed moment of risk and slight relief.
My small critiques are that 1.) as another reviewer commented, it was difficult to distinguish who was speaking on the voice-overs, due to the minimal notations of their names/titles after the first mention. Later on, when it changed from person to person, unless you recognized the voice, you weren't sure who was talking anymore.
And 2.) I think there could have been more light shed on other individuals of the 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians involved in the Apollo Space Program. I know everyone is not feasible. But, at the minimum, at least emphasize that immense fact somewhere during the program, to showcase the incredible and expansive effort it was to achieve this feat in under a decade. A few more persons could have been interviewed or given recognition, specifically on the female front. It was nice to see Poppy Northcutt. I, however, think a few others such as Joanne Morgan, Katherine Johnson, Margaret Hamilton, etc. could have been included, just for awareness purposes. (And, to say, there was more than 1 woman because... there were. Even if, they were statistically far less.)
I was not alive to witness the original moon landing, and due to linear time constraints, I cannot see it firsthand in 1969. However, 'Chasing the Moon' allowed me to feel like I did live through that part of the decade, be aware of its environment, see inside the beginnings of NASA, and most importantly-- it gave me the chance to join in on that monumental event on July 20, 1969. The sudden awareness that man was somewhere beyond that horizon, looking back at us on our glowing moon in the sky. (And then to see the actual footage they captured in HQ, wow.) It was a world-wide phenomenon of diligence, discovery, and the shared joy for mankind's accomplishment and those who helped the cause along the way.
It is an excellent series that offers insight to this amazingly complex journey. I hope it gives a new generation of viewers a sense of this piece of history, and more so a new appreciation for what was achieved 50 years ago despite their difficulties and imperfections.
Happy 50th, Apollo 11.
It touches on the aspects beyond those of NASA's program, but ones that are still heavily attached to it. Specifically, I'm speaking about the LIFE Magazine 'behind the scenes' footage illustrating the palpable worry of the wives and families who looked on at those small, blurry TV screens, hoping to never hear there was a problem via the audio feed. It was such an intimate element to highlight, a stinging hard-pressed moment of risk and slight relief.
My small critiques are that 1.) as another reviewer commented, it was difficult to distinguish who was speaking on the voice-overs, due to the minimal notations of their names/titles after the first mention. Later on, when it changed from person to person, unless you recognized the voice, you weren't sure who was talking anymore.
And 2.) I think there could have been more light shed on other individuals of the 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians involved in the Apollo Space Program. I know everyone is not feasible. But, at the minimum, at least emphasize that immense fact somewhere during the program, to showcase the incredible and expansive effort it was to achieve this feat in under a decade. A few more persons could have been interviewed or given recognition, specifically on the female front. It was nice to see Poppy Northcutt. I, however, think a few others such as Joanne Morgan, Katherine Johnson, Margaret Hamilton, etc. could have been included, just for awareness purposes. (And, to say, there was more than 1 woman because... there were. Even if, they were statistically far less.)
I was not alive to witness the original moon landing, and due to linear time constraints, I cannot see it firsthand in 1969. However, 'Chasing the Moon' allowed me to feel like I did live through that part of the decade, be aware of its environment, see inside the beginnings of NASA, and most importantly-- it gave me the chance to join in on that monumental event on July 20, 1969. The sudden awareness that man was somewhere beyond that horizon, looking back at us on our glowing moon in the sky. (And then to see the actual footage they captured in HQ, wow.) It was a world-wide phenomenon of diligence, discovery, and the shared joy for mankind's accomplishment and those who helped the cause along the way.
It is an excellent series that offers insight to this amazingly complex journey. I hope it gives a new generation of viewers a sense of this piece of history, and more so a new appreciation for what was achieved 50 years ago despite their difficulties and imperfections.
Happy 50th, Apollo 11.
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