Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-09-2017 05:51 PM            

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For UK readers, BBC iPlayer is showing a BBC4 archive documentary from the "Panorama" series on Apollo 11's impact on the people of Earth. The programme was transmitted live on 21st July, 1969, about an hour after "Eagle" had successfully launched back into lunar orbit, and includes a live interview by satellite with Thomas Paine, NASA Administrator.

Robin Day hosts this special edition of the current-affairs programme, marking man's first steps on the surface of the moon. Julian Pettifer reports on demonstrators who believe the money spent on the Apollo missions should have been used to feed the starving millions back on Earth. In the studio, contributors including science-fiction novelist Brian Aldiss debate the issues surrounding the moon landing and its possible legacy.

It was arguably a little presumptuous of the speakers to discuss the impact of the mission before the astronauts had left lunar orbit, let alone returned safely to the Earth, but that was perhaps a measure of the widespread euphoria generated by the landing and moonwalk. It's all in grainy black-and-white, but is a generally very positive take on what had just happened.

It's times like this when I'm glad I've got a DVD recorder linked up to my satellite box. Of course, you all have that, don't you?

Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 12-03-2017 06:12 AM            

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Only just got around to viewing that episode Geoffrey and it certainly brought that memorable time back to me as an enthralled twenty two year old. What a polite studio discussion they had those days.

I also remember on the night of the first moon landing in the studio as a guest was the eminent historian AJP Taylor and feeling disgusted of his view that it was a "non event". Here was history being made and a historian could not accept it. Whatever he thought it was being made in his own lifetime.