Watch NASA Video Collection: Apollo 17 - On the Shoulders of Giants

NASA Video Collection: Apollo 17 - On the Shoulders of Giants is a documentary that chronicles the final manned mission to the moon, Apollo 17. The film highlights the significant achievements and challenges of the mission while also profiling the astronauts who participated in it. Forty-five years after its initial mission, this fascinating film highlights the incredible scientific and technological achievements accomplished by NASA in the early 1970s.

The documentary begins by outlining the political and technological landscape of the late 1960s and early 1970s, explaining why the Apollo missions were crucial at that time. It explores how the space race began and how it escalated into a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, during which the United States was determined to be the first to send humans to the moon. The documentary goes on to explain the various Apollo missions that preceded Apollo 17, as well as the scientific discoveries and accomplishments that resulted from them.

The film then focuses on the Apollo 17 mission, with fascinating footage of the launch, a brief profile of the three astronauts who participated in it, and an explanation of the key objectives of the mission. These objectives included conducting experiments on the moon's surface, deploying instruments to measure the moon's seismic activity, and collecting Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) samples.

Throughout the film, viewers are treated to a wealth of historical footage from the mission, including candid moments with the astronauts as they prepared to launch and the breathtaking images they captured once they reached the moon's surface. The documentary provides a close-up view of the challenges the astronauts faced, such as landing on the moon's surface, navigating the LRV over rough terrain, and conducting experiments in the harsh lunar environment. All of these difficulties were compounded by the fact that the mission followed a number of technical problems with previous Apollo missions, making the stakes higher than ever before.

The documentary does an excellent job of placing the Apollo 17 mission in a broader historical context, highlighting how these missions were part of a larger story about the United States' quest for scientific and technological advancement. It also touches on the legacy of these missions, explaining how the scientific discoveries made on the moon have continued to shape our understanding of the universe.

In addition to the historical footage, the documentary also features interviews with key NASA officials involved in the Apollo 17 mission, as well as scientific experts who explain the significance of the experiments conducted on the moon. These interviews provide important context for the footage and give viewers a deeper understanding of the scientific and technological achievements of the Apollo missions.

Overall, NASA Video Collection: Apollo 17 - On the Shoulders of Giants is a fascinating documentary that provides a close-up view of the final manned mission to the moon. It does an excellent job of placing the mission in a broader historical context while also providing detailed information about the mission's objectives and accomplishments. The film is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history of space exploration and the incredible scientific and technological achievements made by NASA during this period.