“Houston, Houston, Charlie Brown. They’re down there among the rocks mumbling about the boulders and things right now.” — Commander John Young
This film provides a detailed walkthrough of the Apollo 10 mission, which included the closest orbit of the Moon yet for the purpose of scouting the landing spot for Apollo 11. Communication between the astronauts and the staff at mission control in Houston makes up the majority of the audio—one of the most notable aspects of this film. This narration is not confined to discussion about the completion of mission objectives, however; it also includes a lot of descriptions about the Moon and what it is like for the astronauts to see the Earth from so far away. While Apollo 10 encountered several problems over the course of the mission, each is mentioned and explained, with the narrator assuring each time that it “will be fixed” for Apollo 11.
Date Released: 1969
File #: MSC-69-519
Produced By: NASA/MSC
Program Duration: 25:39
Media: 16mm Film
Reel Length: 751 ft
Audio: Optical, Variable Area
Film Stock: Ektachrome
Film Stock Edge Code Date: 1968