Apollo Program Astronaut Training (1968)

Synopsis

Made during the Apollo program, “Astronaut Training” is an official NASA film produced circa 1968 that shows potential astronauts are shown preparing for their flights during various training programs in the classrooms, geological surveys, and underwater simulators. It opens in May 1961 as Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard prepared to become the first American in space. As the missions have changed, so have requirements for astronauts. After again seeing the original Mercury 7 astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton) we are told “modern day” astronauts no longer are required to be test pilots and many have advanced degrees. (Although “scientists” still receive flight training.) Classroom training is also much more detailed and focuses on topics as celestial mechanics, rocket propulsion, and “space medicine” as we see Cooper taking notes at mark 02:50. Desert and jungle survival training is also included, as is shown at mark 03:50. At mark 05:25 we watch potential astronauts training in a simulator both individually and as a team, and starting at mark 06:21 observe as they train on a docking simulator that mimics the rejoining of the command and lunar modules in lunar orbit. See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

7 minutes

Language

English

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage