Categories: ApolloMoonSpace ExplorationSpace Flight

‘Moonwalk One’ Makes Us Excited About Apollo 11 All Over Again

A sign wishing the Apollo 11 crew good luck prior to the launch on July 16, 1969. Screenshot from the 1970 documentary "Moonwalk One." Credit: NASA/Theo Kamecke/YouTube

Long lineups at Cape Kennedy. Every television channel playing the same breathless coverage. Shots of rockets, of men in spacesuits, and of course the ghostly image of people stepping on to the moon for the first time.

If you’re old enough to remember Apollo 11, this documentary above should bring back a lot of warm memories. And even if you’re not (which includes the writer of this article), it gives you a small taste of just how awesome the atmosphere must have been.

“Moonwalk One” is a 1970 documentary directed by Theo Kamecke, and now we’re lucky enough to watch it for free on NASA’s YouTube channel. As soon as you can spare a couple of hours, do watch it.

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The first few minutes alone are fun, with dramatic shots of Stonehenge and the Saturn V contrasted with frantic shots of traffic and dancing and signs all over the Cape.

Apollo 11’s Saturn V rocket prior to the launch July 16, 1969. Screenshot from the 1970 documentary “Moonwalk One.” Credit: NASA/Theo Kamecke/YouTube

Apollo 11 lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin in a screenshot from the 1970 documentary “Moonwalk One.” Credit: NASA/Theo Kamecke/YouTube

Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.