Earthrise: The First Lunar Voyage

2013, Science  -   13 Comments
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Ratings: 8.91/10 from 114 users.

The first manned flight to the moon represented one of the bravest and most progressive actions ever undertaken in America's history. It was also fraught with breathless doubts, endless worry and the potential for tremendous calamity played out on an international stage. The inspiring documentary Earthrise: The First Lunar Voyage traces each step of this perilous history-making journey, and captures the spirit of a time when a nation and a world were united, and even the impossible was within reach.

After the Soviets became the first to travel the Earth's orbit in 1961, the pressure was on NASA to achieve even greater heights in space exploration. The program determined that the moon would be their target destination, and they quickly proceeded to create a structure in which that fantasy could become a reality by the end of the decade.

Nothing of this scale had ever before been attempted and the risks were incredibly high, especially given the checkered history of previous Apollo missions. The first Apollo launch resulted in the deaths of all three crew members, and subsequent unmanned flights were also plagued by mechanical failures. In spite of these severe setbacks, the program carried forward with great determination and resolve. On December 2, 1968, their efforts culminated in one of the most inspiring human achievements in history as Apollo 8 gallantly journeyed 230,000 miles into space and returned home safely six days later.

The film paints affectionate portraits of many of the key players who helped to assure the eventual success of the Apollo 8 mission, including mission manager George Low and chief pilot James Lovell. Interspersed throughout the film are invaluable insights from additional crew members and the wives who waited anxiously for their safe return, mission control engineers, and the journalists who shared the story of Apollo 8 with the nation, including legendary newsman Walter Cronkite.

Narrated with smooth authority by actor Joe Morton, Earthrise: The First Lunar Voyage is a beautifully produced tribute to those who gave hope to a nation torn asunder during the turbulent period of the late 1960s. Their accomplishments continue to inspire the belief that we can transcend the impossible when we dream big together.

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13 Comments / User Reviews

  1. hoax 666

    jew freemasonic hoax! Stupid sheeps!

  2. tony

    To all you disbelievers, none of you deserve a reply

  3. Dumus

    Total Hoax by Freemasonic NASA

  4. Bilkington

    Actors, great they are, hmm! I do like a good fiction movie. NASA, the taxpayer bilking organization, among many, where they get to play and fool too many of the people while some veterans are having a hard time of it.

  5. John

    Thank you for posting this video. This is the time frame alluuded to in the phrase "make America great again"

  6. Tom

    Notice how the Apollo crew communicated in real time with Huston, nowadays there is a delay from the ISS to Huston,wake up people men have never been past low earth orbit!

    1. Doug

      Its a documentary , its not filmed in realmtime.

  7. jim

    Very well done,..and it brings to light an aspect of the Apollo program that is often overlooked in favor of the 7 landings. No one even knew if they could successfully go around the moon successfully!I'm glad they didn't just do a once fly around . I would have had a tizzy when the secreted little airport bottles of brandy sent with their turkey dinners by the flight director were withheld by Boorman! That would have been cause for mutiny!

  8. Harold Rottencock

    It's a shame that the space race was exactly that, and when the USA beat The Soviet Union to the moon it was all over. The fact that mankind hasn't walked on the moon since 1972 is a monumental leap backwards for science and space exploration.

  9. speedhump

    I thought "The Martian" was better fiction

  10. zigfr33

    it's a great fiction thou

  11. Mahmoud BouRaad

    Values mater. So does freedom.
    Amazingly, and Wouldn't believe how far the world has gone and here in the middle east the Arabs are still looking backward living in the dead past with no accomplishment of any imortance what so ever.

  12. luni

    Always overshadowed by the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Apollo 8, with its monumental milestones and images gets a well earned spotlight.