The Best Space Documentary Yet

Well folks, we've had multiple posts about such programs as Dexter and American Idol and John Adams, so I don't feel that it's too out of place to give another heads up and nod to the best documentary series on the NASA space race ever. I've seen the first two hours of "When We Left Earth" on The Discovery Channel, and it is absolutely phenomenal. As someone who has followed the space program very closely for decades, I am here to tell you that there are reels and reels of footage in this documentary miniseries that I have never seen before. It is stunning. In addition to the old footage from the 1960's, don't miss the up to date interviews with surviving Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including the most famous one of all, Neil Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong has been extremely spare when it comes to interviews over the years (almost reclusive), so the few that we see here in this special are rare and riveting.

Please also visit the Discovery website which has many interactive features about the space program, including blogs, an astronaut quiz and a chance to call in to an 800 number and leave your own memories. I left one myself about seeing Apollo 11 lift off in Florida when I was just a kid. They've got it listed there under "A 12 Year Old Gets an Apollo Treat". There are dozens of others, and it is wonderful to hear this auditory treasure vault of love for the space program from so many regular people. Go enjoy the website, and add your own thoughts to the mix.

I can't wait to watch the rest of this, it is truly one of the best Discovery specials ever. My only complaint, is that it was promoted as being in HD, and even though I have the HD Discovery channel on my Time Warner cable, they did not list it last night when it was supposed to air. Don't know what happened, but that was only a minor disappointment, as the space footage was still fantastic on the regular channel.

There was once a time in America when the most hopeful words you could ever wish to hear were "God Speed John Glenn". When We Left Earth brings that feeling back with perfect clarity. Check the Discovery website for times; more episodes are coming up on June 14, 15 and 16. Sunday night covered the Mercury and Gemini missions, next up: Apollo and the Space Shuttle.

NASA'S Shining Moments

I knew "When We Left Earth" (Discovery Channel, Sundays at 9pm) was going to be right up my alley the moment I heard about it. Last night's two hour premiere did not disappoint. It's a story that's been told many times-a story I remember experiencing personally-and yet it never gets old. I get choked up every time I see the US space program's early milestone moments.

One of the great things about this series is the restored NASA footage. The Discovery Channel could not have picked a better subject to show off their digital HD capabilities. I still don't have an HD television set but my high resolution Sony Wega does just fine. I'm seeing these pictures as I've never seen them before and they are simply stunning.

The other fascinating elements of the premiere episode are the insights offered by the men who were there. The producers included interviews made over the past dozen years by many of the astronauts and engineers who have recently died. The interviews are broken up into concise discussions about the topic at hand. No single interview ever runs too long.

I enjoyed learning more about NASA engineer and manager Chris Kraft, widely considered the man most responsible for shaping the agency's direction and culture during it's first highly successful decade. Under Kraft, each individual mission layed specific ground work for the next mission; each program (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo) laid the ground work for the next program. Getting to the moon was the ultimate goal. It seems in the years since Kraft left NASA (along with all that cold war funding), our space program has suffered from a lack of focus and goals.

If you're a space buff, or a fan of 1960s American History, I highly recommend this series.

When We Left Earth

Earth. Our planet. Do you see it there in the picture, the beautiful blue marble rising over the lonely gray plain of the moon? You've probably witnessed this iconic and magnificent image a thousand times. Here's a new twist and heads up on The Flaming Nose. June 8th, (next Sunday) 9pm eastern on The Discovery Channel, you'll be able to see this, and much of the Apollo space mission footage, digitally re-mastered and in HD for the first time.

Also...a last minute flag for all the late night US Flaming Nose fans (or early morning Global readers)...the Space Shuttle is set to take off tomorrow from Kennedy Space Center at 5:02PM eastern standard US. Check out the details at NASA. If you haven't seen it lately, their website is fantastic. God speed to the crew of mission STS-124 (pictured above) as they commence their journey to the space station.

Here's a little video taste of next week's Discovery Channel space mission special...zooming its way to you next Sunday in HD. I can tell you right now, they got the sound right. I've seen 3 NASA launches (Apollo and Space Shuttle) in person, and the only thing more beautiful than the sight of it, is the super sonic roar. Watch...and listen.