NASA Audio News Feature

Apollo 11 Interviews


 

Apollo 11 crest

NASA Apollo 11 Audio News features.

Shortly after Apollo 10, NASA Public Affairs produced a series of radio spots. It featured interviews with people working to make the coming Apollo 11 mission a success.

Each segment was introduced by Willard Scott.

This copy was preserved by Hamish Lindsay and was digitised by Colin Mackellar in October 2013.

The tape from which this copy was taken was sent to Honeysuckle Creek, possibly to Bernard Scrivener, who was responsible for media relations – or perhaps to the Technical Support Section, of which Hamish was Supervisor.

Each mp3 audio file is approximately 1MB in size.

They total 86 minutes.

01 Christopher Kraft – Director, Flight Operations, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

Dr Kraft is asked about the major breakthroughs which have made the landing attempt possible.

02 Dr John Clark – Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Dr Clark speaks about the international aspects of the Goddard tracking networks. Australia is given as an example of the competence of the networks.

03 Jim Ragusa – Safety Expert, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Mr Ragusa describes the safety procedures in place to protect the astronauts at launch time – the Slidewire Escape System and the Blast Room beneath Pad 39. (Jim Ragusa was the first person to ride the slidewire at Pad 34.)

04 Dr Bill Hess – on the Lunar Quarantine.

Describes the Mobile Quarantine Facility and the Lunar Receiving Laboratory.

05 Dr F A Speer – Director of Mission Operations, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

He is asked about Marshall’s support the various operations centres before and during the flight.

06 Paul C. Donnelly – Deputy Director of Launch Operations, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Have the days vanished when a human being pushes the button which launches a space mission?

07 Cliff Charlesworth – Prime Flight Director, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What are the responsibilities of the Flight Director?
What are the critical portions of the Moon landing attempt?

08 Dr Kurt Debus – Director, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

On the openness of US space activities.

09 Ed Smiley – Chief, Crew Systems Division, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What is the Lunar EVA suit?

10 Dr Malcolm Smith – Chief of Food and Nutrition, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What will the Apollo 11 crew eat and drink during their mission, and will they enjoy it? Who can give advice on what the astronauts might like?

11 George Low – Apollo Spacecraft Manager, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What is the schedule of events for Armstrong and Aldrin after the land on the lunar surface?

12 Dr Wernher von Braun – Director, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

What accounts for the success of the Saturn Program to date? Is Saturn ready for the Apollo 11 misison? Are Dr. von Braun’s feelings any different for this flight?

13 George H. Hage – Apollo Mission Director.

Mr. Hage compares the coming Apollo 11 mission with the recently-completed Apollo 10 flight.

14 Dr Kurt Debus – Director, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Dr Debus highlights the most critical milestones in the hisotyr of manned spaceflight.

15 Donald Robbins – Solar Particle Alert Network (SPAN).

Efforts to prevent the crew receiving unacceptable levels of radiation from the Sun.

16 Lee James – Manager, Saturn V Program Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

The Saturn rocket story. The Saturn I, IB and V.

17 Donald Buchanan – Engineering Manager, LC-39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

What were the major obstacles faced by engineers as they moved into the Land of Giants (The Saturn V)?

18 Dr Robert Gilruth – Director, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What major events have carried us to the point of being ready to attempt the Moon landing?

19 Vern Stelter – Head of Communications Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

What is the NASCOM system? The need for the absolute reliabilty of the network.

20 William Schick – Test Supervisor, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

What does the Test Supervisor do from his position in the Firing Room?

21 Dr Wernher von Braun – Director, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

Dr. von Braun shares his thoughts on the first landing attempt. What has contributed to the success of the Saturn Program?

22 Admiral Rod Middleton – Apollo Program Manager, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Admiral Middleton speaks about the capability of having three Saturn Vs in flow at the same time at KSC. Thoughts on adding a nuclear stage to the Saturn V in the VAB. This launch will be different.

23 Dr John Clark – Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Dr Clark compares the complexities of tracking Apollo with that of the earlier Gemini series.

24 Christopher Kraft – Director, Flight Operations, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.

What does it take to make a Flight Director, and what role will they serve during the mission?

 


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