NASA lost moon footage, but Hollywood restores it

[Avatard]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_sc/us_sci_moon_video;_ylt=AsLXHFV5zqlnQgu2RfMdVuFH2oc A;_ylu=X3oDMTJ1bm1hZWVjBGFzc2V0Ay9hcC8yMDA5MDcxNi9 hcF9vbl9zYy91c19zY2lfbW9vbl92aWRlbwRjcG9zAzMEcG9zA zMEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNuYXNhbG9zdG1vb24-

NASA lost moon footage, but Hollywood restores it
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer 1 hr 45 mins ago

WASHINGTON – NASA could put a man on the moon but didn't have the sense to keep the original video of the live TV transmission.

In an embarrassing acknowledgment, the space agency said Thursday that it must have erased the Apollo 11 moon footage years ago so that it could reuse the videotape.

But now Hollywood is coming to the rescue.

The studio wizards who restored "Casablanca" are digitally sharpening and cleaning up the ghostly, grainy footage of the moon landing, making it even better than what TV viewers saw on July 20, 1969. They are doing it by working from four copies that NASA scrounged from around the world.

"There's nothing being created; there's nothing being manufactured," said NASA senior engineer Dick Nafzger, who is in charge of the project. "You can now see the detail that's coming out."

The first batch of restored footage was released just in time for the 40th anniversary of the "one giant leap for mankind," and some of the details seem new because of their sharpness. Originally, astronaut Neil Armstrong's face visor was too fuzzy to be seen clearly. The upgraded video of Earth's first moonwalker shows the visor and a reflection in it.

The $230,000 refurbishing effort is only three weeks into a monthslong project, and only 40 percent of the work has been done. But it does show improvements in four snippets: Armstrong walking down the ladder; Buzz Aldrin following him; the two astronauts reading a plaque they left on the moon; and the planting of the flag on the lunar surface.

Nafzger said a huge search that began three years ago for the old moon tapes led to the "inescapable conclusion" that 45 tapes of Apollo 11 video were erased and reused. His report on that will come out in a few weeks.

The original videos beamed to Earth were stored on giant reels of tape that each contained 15 minutes of video, along with other data from the moon. In the 1970s and '80s, NASA had a shortage of the tapes, so it erased about 200,000 of them and reused them.

How did NASA end up looking like a bumbling husband taping over his wedding video with the Super Bowl?

Nafzger, who was in charge of the live TV recordings back in the Apollo years, said they were mostly thought of as data tapes. It wasn't his job to preserve history, he said, just to make sure the footage worked. In retrospect, he said he wished NASA hadn't reused the tapes.

Outside historians were aghast.

"It's surprising to me that NASA didn't have the common sense to save perhaps the most important historical footage of the 20th century," said Rice University historian and author Douglas Brinkley. He noted that NASA saved all sorts of data and artifacts from Apollo 11, and it is "mind-boggling that the tapes just disappeared."

The remastered copies may look good, but "when dealing with historical film footage, you always want the original to study," Brinkley said.

Smithsonian Institution space curator Roger Launius, a former NASA chief historian, said the loss of the original video "doesn't surprise me that much."

"It was a mistake, no doubt about that," Launius said. "This is a problem inside the entire federal government. ... They don't think that preservation is all that important."

Launius said federal warehouses where historical artifacts are saved are "kind of like the last scene of `Raiders of the Lost Ark.' It just goes away in this place with other big boxes."

The company that restored all the Indiana Jones movies, including "Raiders," is the one bailing out NASA.

Lowry Digital of Burbank, Calif., noted that "Casablanca" had a pixel count 10 times higher than the moon video, meaning the Apollo 11 footage was fuzzier than that vintage movie and more of a challenge in one sense.

Of all the video the company has dealt with, "this is by far and away the lowest quality," said Lowry president Mike Inchalik.

Nafzger praised Lowry for restoring "crispness" to the Apollo video. Historian Launius wasn't as blown away.

"It's certainly a little better than the original," Launius said. "It's not a lot better."

The Apollo 11 video remains in black and white. Inchalik said he would never consider colorizing it, as has been done to black-and-white classic films. And the moon is mostly gray anyway.

The restoration used four video sources: CBS News originals; kinescopes from the National Archives; a video from Australia that received the transmission of the original moon video; and camera shots of a TV monitor.

Both Nafzger and Inchalik acknowledged that digitally remastering the video could further encourage conspiracy theorists who believe NASA faked the entire moon landing on a Hollywood set. But they said they enhanced the video as conservatively as possible.

Besides, Inchalik said that if there had been a conspiracy to fake a moon landing, NASA surely would have created higher-quality film.

Back in 1969, nearly 40 percent of the picture quality was lost converting from one video format used on the moon — called slow scan — to something that could be played on TVs on Earth, Nafzger said.

NASA did not lose other Apollo missions' videos because they weren't stored on the type of tape that needed to be reused, Nafzger said.

As part of the moon landing's 40th anniversary, the space agency has been trotting out archival material. NASA has a Web site with audio from private conversations in the lunar module and command capsule. The agency is also webcasting radio from Apollo 11 as if the mission were taking place today.

The video restoration project did not involve improving the sound. Inchalik said he listened to Armstrong's famous first words from the surface of the moon, trying to hear if he said "one small step for man" or "one small step for A man," but couldn't tell.

Through a letter read at a news conference Thursday, Armstrong had the last word about the video from the moon: "I was just amazed that there was any picture at all."

[Rangerscott]

Who wants to watch fake vids anyways?

[Particle Man]

typical government fuckup :lol:

"Hey Frank, do we have a tape so we can catch the superbowl after the shuttle launch?"

"Sure Mike, I'm sure there's SOMEthing we can use in the storeroom!"

[z06boy]

So if it was fake then M. Jackson was really the first to moon walk ?

[Yamerhaw]

Who wants to watch fake vids anyways?



not me

[Avatard]

Who wants to watch fake vids anyways?

http://poopnugget.com/files/tinfoilhatarea.jpg

[derf]

I thought that they found a good copy in Australia recently?

If I remember right the copy of the video and audio was there because we used their recievers because the time that the moon walk took place the US was on the other side of the earth and there wasn't a direct line from the moon to the US. then the Aussie government never sent us the original.

[Kaneman]

Who wants to watch fake vids anyways?

Right on dood. I'm not a big black helicopter kind of guy but I don't completely buy the moon landing.
________
DRUGTEST (http://drugtestingkit.org)

[Avatard]

Right on dood. I'm not a big black helicopter kind of guy but I don't completely buy the moon landing.

Well, ya may get a chance to either soon verify or dispel those thoughts...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090717/sc_space/istheapollo11moonlandingflagstillstanding

[Sixxxxer]

Im not a big Consperiacy theory guy myself...but if you red the sites on it calling it a hoax...they bring up very valid points to make you wonder if it did infact happen.

[Amber Lamps]

Im not a big Consperiacy theory guy myself...but if you red the sites on it calling it a hoax...they bring up very valid points to make you wonder if it did infact happen.

Well, if it were a hoax, why? Plus what about all the following missions, are they hoaxes too? Is it that you don't believe that we are capable of reaching the moon? I guess all of the men who claim to have gone, and are considered national heroes btw, are liars? Isn't it true that people got in a rocket and took off? Isn't it true that they splashed down and were recovered? Do you realize how many people are involved in the space program, not to mention the number of sailors on the aircraft carrier that picked them up. Not to mention that other countries tracked the spacecraft with their telescopes, including countries that we weren't exactly friendly with at the time. I don't claim to know the facts but a film of that type with effects that would be cutting edge at that time would require a lot of people to produce... How did they keep all of these people quiet? Especially the people in other countries? We can't keep people from selling NUCLEAR secrets but you guys believe that the gov't was able to keep all of this quiet? Well, if it was faked, it is by far the greatest hoax of all time. :idk:

[Kaneman]

Well, if it were a hoax, why?

We had everything to gain by winning the space race and the timing of it all was just a bit too convenient to be real. If you're really curious read up on it, lots of info out there. I look at it from the point of of view that all politicians are seriously lying, conniving, crooked bastards that couldn't tell a 100% truth to save their life. IF you think the government is capable of lying to the public on a massive scale then you can see it would be easy to pull off.

Personally I don't believe we had the technology to do it back then...and I think even doing it now is a bit sketchy.

But I'm no scientist so what do I know right?
________
Alaska Dispensary (http://alaska.dispensaries.org/)

[Rangerscott]

Anybody play Area 51 (not the arcade one or the new Blacksite pc one). I'm talking about the one on xbox1/PC with the main character voice is Skully.

One of the levels you find a moon landing set and the data tape were the scientist says they did land on the moon but they horrors they found made them tape a fake landing. LOL

[Sixxxxer]

Well, if it were a hoax, why? Plus what about all the following missions, are they hoaxes too? Is it that you don't believe that we are capable of reaching the moon? I guess all of the men who claim to have gone, and are considered national heroes btw, are liars? Isn't it true that people got in a rocket and took off? Isn't it true that they splashed down and were recovered? Do you realize how many people are involved in the space program, not to mention the number of sailors on the aircraft carrier that picked them up. Not to mention that other countries tracked the spacecraft with their telescopes, including countries that we weren't exactly friendly with at the time. I don't claim to know the facts but a film of that type with effects that would be cutting edge at that time would require a lot of people to produce... How did they keep all of these people quiet? Especially the people in other countries? We can't keep people from selling NUCLEAR secrets but you guys believe that the gov't was able to keep all of this quiet? Well, if it was faked, it is by far the greatest hoax of all time. :idk:


Why??

B/c the government can...

And kaneman pretty much nailed what i would have said back...We needed to win the space race...what better way.

[Dragonpaco]

and what about that video where they were filming a fake moon landing and a light fell down and their explanation was "we wanted to make sure the film equipment worked"

[Sixxxxer]

MY one and only question...

In the pictures of the men on moon...

http://www.vertigomagazine.co.uk/articles/images/article/ShadowoftheMoon_filmstill_13.JPG

http://brainplant.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/man_on_moon1.jpg

Do the stars just dissappear when you get to the moon?? I mean i would think if you were in space...you would see a shit load of stars in the background.

[askmrjesus]

MY one and only question...

In the pictures of the men on moon...

Do the stars just dissappear when you get to the moon?? I mean i would think if you were in space...you would see a shit load of stars in the background.

Ok, don't look now, but you ARE in space. Where else would you be?

Light interferes with star gazing from the moon's surface, just like it does here on Earth, (it's 11:25 AM my time, I don't see any stars outside).

Additionally, to capture stars on film from the moon, the exposure would have to be set so high, that all the other objects in your photos, would be washed out, (just like here).

JC

[Smittie61984]

I think George Bush faked the moon landings himself.

[Amber Lamps]

It's well known that I like to argue about stuff but I'd rather that this doesn't turn nasty okay?

Now, here are my arguments/questions,

1. I know that politicians lie but how did we get all of the "little people" to lie and more importantly to keep this secret for all of this time?

2. How did we get the Russians and the rest of the world to play along? Have you forgotten that other countries, including Russia, tracked the moon mission from start to finish? That we had telescopes that could track the vehicle? Radar?

3. Do you believe that the entire space program is bullshit? Isn't just getting into space the hardest part, with where you go after that being a matter time and supplies?

4. What part of the "technology" do you think we lack? Do you think that we lack the ability to get 3 men into space or do you think that we lack the ability to keep them alive for a week once they get there? Getting to the moon and back was mostly a mathematical and engineering problem. I believe that we have the math and we have the tech to keep three guys alive for a few days... think submarines. Besides we had made the atom bomb, gone supersonic, had lasers, microchips and had nuclear power by this time.

5. The Apollo missions were VERY public and well covered events. We had several failures and quite a few people died in the process. It took years, thousands of people and billions of dollars to make it happen. I honestly don't see it as possible to fake.:idk:

Btw it's tough to get pictures of stars depending on the camera and the user's skill. Plus it must have been tough to get any pics on the moon considering the level of photography technology and the brightness. Remember the crew had to wear dark shades all the time because it's so bright there? The stars aren't any closer on the moon and they were on the day side. :idk: I'm sure the camera they had was basically a p&s considering that it had to be sealed in some kind of case.

I'm probably stupid but I choose to believe that we did it unless you can provide conclusive proof that we didn't. Not here say, not crazy theories, not third party blather but an honest smoking gun.

[Sixxxxer]

Im with you Tig...

I posted about the Stars as more of a joke than anything...I just find it funny that there arent any in pictures from space...

With that being said...We went in the late 60's and early 70's...Why havent we gone back?? I mean Okay yeah we were the first ones on the moon...but if we went multiple times before...how come not once have we ever gone back...I'd like to see it in my lifetime...

[Smittie61984]

With that being said...We went in the late 60's and early 70's...Why havent we gone back?? I mean Okay yeah we were the first ones on the moon...but if we went multiple times before...how come not once have we ever gone back...I'd like to see it in my lifetime...

I think any government research that is done must somehow be connected to global warming. Though Space Warming could be the next big thing if we don't do something quick.

I think the cost is too high, you can't really benefit from going there, and didn't people just loose interest in them period? Maybe it was interfering with "Star Search" and the Price is Right.

[Sixxxxer]

The cost is high I'm sure...but so is launching space ships into space were they basically float around and collect data for a few days...and sometimes oe moonwalks to repair the satelites and space stations...

I mean do we really need a space station??

[Tmall]

Its all one big tang conspiracy..

[Amber Lamps]

I agree that we should go back but I don't think that it's a priority right now. As far as space stations and satellites... well, I like my tv and communications thank you. Besides, a lot of the space agency's budget these days is looking for killer asteroids. If you want to start talking conspiracies, it's my belief that the gov't has known about a killer asteroid for years and has been working on some sort of countermeasure. In fact, I believe that this is something that they discovered during the Apollo missions or shortly after and that is why the moon missions abruptly stopped.

You know it's funny but I'm watching a show on the history channel about Apollo 11. Did you know that they planted a research station that scientists can still pick up signals from today? What about all of the subsequent missions? Are all of these missions bullshit too? Really?

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo.html

Oh and let's not forget about all of the Russian probes that have flown by and landed on the moon, but I guess that they were all bs too, right? Yep, it was a world wide conspiracy to make us believe that we had gone to the moon.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_planetary_lunar.html

If people would take 10% of the time looking for proof that we have gone to the moon as they have trying to prove we haven't they might find something somewhat more substantial than conjecture, rumor and hearsay.:pat:

[Amber Lamps]

Its all one big tang conspiracy..


Combined with the makers of food in a tube and freeze dried edibles...:lol:

[Kaneman]

I wouldn't worry about me Tigger, I use burning American flags to light my house at night and eat aborted fetuses for breakfast.
________
ROYAL (AUSTRALIA) (http://www.dodge-wiki.com/wiki/Chrysler_Royal_(Australia))

[Amber Lamps]

I wouldn't worry about me Tigger, I use burning American flags to light my house at night and eat aborted fetuses for breakfast.

Well, I don't back Buell in AMA Superbike so actually I am more un-patriotic that you ever could be!!!:lol:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I've seen space launches in person and I ever got the "privilege of guarding the space shuttle back in '83. I'm amazed at what we've accomplished personally and quite proud!:pat: Like I said I just watched a show about Apollo 11 and I'm here to tell you that if Buzz is lying, well he's one of our generations greatest actors!!!:wink:

[Smittie61984]

Something is on TruTV right now about the "fake" moon landings.

[Homeslice]

How did we get the Russians and the rest of the world to play along? Have you forgotten that other countries, including Russia, tracked the moon mission from start to finish? That we had telescopes that could track the vehicle? Radar?


So it could be tracked ALL the way to the moon? Or just within Earth's general area? I find it hard to believe that a 1960's telescope could see a dinky little spaceship about to land on the moon.

[Amber Lamps]

So it could be tracked ALL the way to the moon? Or just within Earth's general area? I find it hard to believe that a 1960's telescope could see a dinky little spaceship about to land on the moon.

Galileo discovered things with what amounted to a paper towel roll with two lenses in it. Mt Wilson Observatory was built in 1908 and was used to measure the Milky Way. Mt Palomar was first brought into service in 1949... besides, even if they could only follow them for half way, that's not good enough to prove there was a launch?

http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/history.html

This is a picture of the moon taken from some guys backyard with a telescope he picked up at Walmart!!!:lol:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll220/lontigger/Moon7craters.jpg

Like I said, if you take 10 minutes to try and find proof that it did happen...

I guess that all of those rocks that scientists have been studying for 50 years are fake too, right? Again I ask you, how are they keeping all of these people quiet? We couldn't hold on to our nuclear secrets but this is no problem?:idk:

[Amber Lamps]

Besides, everyone is talking about lack of technology, have you seen movies from the sixties? Where did that special effects knowledge come from all of a sudden? Folks, there was a launch with men in the rocket, that almost can't be argued. Those men came back, that almost can't be argued. I mean the entire world was watching the entire time. Are you all saying that we launched three guys into space. Had them hang out for a week or so while we showed fake footage on live television, on almost every channel in the world btw. Then we had then come back and splash down, also on live television? And no one was the wiser? Seriously?

[Avatard]

We no longer fly commercial Super Sonic Transport planes. The fastest thing in the air now commercially is a Gulfstream.

Sometimes there are technological pushes forward that cannot be sustained, and it's three steps forward, two steps back.

There will be another technological push again one day. GWB even said we should go to Mars. Of course, this is only after being told that his plan to go to the Sun would not be feasible, even if we went at night as he had suggested.

[Adeptus_Minor]

I'm probably stupid but I choose to believe that we did it unless you can provide conclusive proof that we didn't. Not hearsay, not crazy theories, not third party blather but an honest smoking gun.

I'm with you, man.
The best reasons I've heard for why we haven't been back in recent years are mostly budget related, but also that 'They' don't consider on-site study of the moon a necessity anymore. :idk:

[Smittie61984]

Besides, everyone is talking about lack of technology, have you seen movies from the sixties? Where did that special effects knowledge come from all of a sudden?

I heard it was from Megatron when he crash landed on Earth.

[Amber Lamps]

We no longer fly commercial Super Sonic Transport planes. The fastest thing in the air now commercially is a Gulfstream.

Sometimes there are technological pushes forward that cannot be sustained, and it's three steps forward, two steps back.

There will be another technological push again one day. GWB even said we should go to Mars. Of course, this is only after being told that his plan to go to the Sun would not be feasible, even if we went at night as he had suggested.

Truth! Consider the Egyptians, Mayans, etc. They made great leaps in technology that were lost and had to be rediscovered.

[Kaneman]

Mythbusters did it...

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uE4w2MIYhC4&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uE4w2MIYhC4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE4w2MIYhC4
________
Zx14 Vs Hayabusa (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_bike_is_quicker_kawasaki_zx_-14_or_suzuki_hayabusa)

[Particle Man]

We haven't gone back for the same reason we've been using the Space Shuttle platform for over 30 years: We're a bunch of cheap bastards who won't spend a dime unless it will guarantee a return.

Sad but true.

[Amber Lamps]

Mythbusters did it...

Yea it looks that way... I just don't know, there is so much evidence that we went, 1,000s of pictures, videos, live television feeds, witnesses, participants, 100s of pounds of samples... Fellas, the rockets went somewhere...:lol:

Picture of a crater on the moon..
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll220/lontigger/hs-1999-14-c-full_jpg.jpg

[Particle Man]

Of course, this is only after being told that his plan to go to the Sun would not be feasible, even if we went at night as he had suggested.

:lmao: