Customer Reviews

Project Gemini: A Bold Leap Forward

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No matter how big a spacebuff you consider yourself, there are things on these DVD's you have never seen before, and I'm not even through all 3 yet.For example Ed White's entire EVA. Also the sharpness and chrispness of the picture is EYE-POPPING. I saw things and details I have never seen in over 20 years of watching the little bits and pieces of the on-board film you find and see here and there. Too bad the rating does not go to 10 stars.

Gemini programm was the one who attracted my interest in manned spaceflight for my life. There is a lot of books you can read with full information on the project but nothing can compare to the visual experience. This DVD is complete, excellently put together, quality is marvelous, I went through it in two sessions - you simply cannot stop! Highlights are definitely Ed White's and Buzz Aldrin's spacewalks and of course Gemini 6 and 7 rendezvous.I just hope there will be the similar coverage of the Mercury available soon.
However, there are two comments for improvement. First is silent spacecraft instrument panel footage - you really cannot enjoy it fully without accompanying sound. Second is missing Atlas ATDA launch coverage.
But this is really just a minor issue, this material is a must for every manned spaceflight enthusiast.

"Project Gemini - A Bold Leap Forward" was the second of 5 purchases I made from the wonderful Spacecraft Films series, and it remains far and away my favorite. Unlike the sets covering the Apollo missions, this edition contains a fine documentary (written by "A Man On The Moon" author Andrew Chaiken) that covers the whole of the Gemini program, in addition to each mission's individual film footage. While the presentation of raw, unadulterated images of NASA's quest for the moon is one of the series' distinguishing features, the context provided by the documentary is invaluable. Without it, for example, all the drama behind the images of Gemini VI's failed first launch attempt would be lost on most viewers.

Also interesting is the editor's decision to lay voice recordings of the post-flight astronaut press conferences over much of the mission footage. Some of it (the Gemini IV section, for instance) is synched to reflect exactly what the press would have viewed on the projection screens in the briefings while the astronauts commented on the images. It's almost like having a NASA press pass in 1965.

The most compelling thing for me about this particular set, however, remains that 100% of the footage is shot in 16mm color film (there was no TV on board Gemini). The images are simply stunning, even if the frame rates are relatively low. While the eerie black and white TV images of the early Apollo missions are haunting in their own way, they can't match the sheer beauty of film. Viewing the footage makes it quickly apparent why many Gemini images came to symbolize mankind's exploration of space.

Without Gemini there could be no Apollo. Finally the forerunner to Lunar Landings, Project Gemini is given the documentation it deserves. This is such a nice package as it really is pioneering vintage space travel. I can imagine these discs being used in 100 years time as a guide to how the first travellers went about doing their trips.

As always, the quality is awesome. The attention to all things minute gives the pacakge that typical Spacecraftfilms labour of love feel to it. Some missions have a post-mission debrief soundtrack, and some have actual mission audio. All launch angles are there, as is all extraneous and bonus material.

Similar to the space mission progression, you cant have the Apollo discs without having the Gemini discs. Wow great set, and again well done Spacecraftfilms for this fantastic effort!

Most people have either forgotten about Gemini or have never even heard of it, but without Gemini, we would have never gone to the moon. Pretty much everything that was learned to go to the moon, or to dock with a space station for that matter was learned during the hectic program that took place in 1965-1966.

I've seen a great deal of Gemini film, but it pales to what is on these discs. Shoot, it is worth the price just for the Gemini 7&6 footage alone, but there's all the other flights as well.

Then there's the original documentary, as well as commentary by the astronauts themselves during the post-flight press conferences while the flights were still fresh on their minds.

All in all a tremendous archive of perhaps the entire foundation of space flight that we know today, the Gemini program.

As a teenager I avidly followed the Gemini space program so decided to buy this, based on its contents. I can enthusiastically report that after decades of viewing snapshots and only fleeting, dim glimpses of film footage from the Gemini space program, this full length perspective was a real visual feast for me.

The Gemini DVD set features the Titan & Atlas Agena launches (viewed from several angles) and ALL of the film footage the astronauts shot on board. For instance, you get to see the entire Ed White space walk (except where he had drifted off camera) and watch extended scenes of the world's first space rendezvous. Even though this was taken some 40 years ago, it's still remarkable to review today. The extended length Ed White space walk was an even longer, jaw dropping segment than what was excerpted in the marvelous video, "For All Mankind." It was breathtaking to see him silhouetted against the blue sphere of the earth. It's as if you were there filming the scene, Ed in the foreground, the earth behind him.

This video set features all of the on board film for each mission the astronauts shot. A great surprise was watching the footage of Gemini VII "station keeping" with its upper stage booster rocket for a few orbits before it finally dropped away. The rendezvous between VI & VII was also documented with great interest. I have been moved to review these sequences again and again, they are that impressive.

Seeing footage of astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White, both fatalities on the Apollo I flash fire on January 27, 1967, brought them back into memory.

I could not believe the extended coverage, and that marvelously restored. Why up till now have we viewed substandard, grainy space shots only to find that Spacecraft Films has set the standard for restoring the images to near pristine integrity?

This was my first Spacecraft Films purchase. I'll be collecting more. I cannot think of a better way to honor the courage, ingenuity and hard work of those involved in the Gemini space program than to obtain and preserve such an outstanding record of their unpredcendented achievements as they happened. Wow!

Project Gemini, A Bold Leap Forward - Box Description

PROJECT GEMINI - A BOLD LEAP FORWARD

From conception as the Mercury Mark II program through development and 12 successful flights, Project Gemini occupies a pivotal place in America's space history. For two years in the mid-1960's, 10 teams of astronauts not only went into space, but learned how to live and work there.

Through this original one-our program you'll come to know the challenges met by Gemini, the triumph of the achievement, and the hardship of danger.

Bonus Materials
* Gemini Control Panel - Subject testing of the functionality of the Gemini spacecraft interior, and a complete inventory of the controls and displays;
* Spacecraft development - Various footage detailing the development and construction of Gemini spacecraft.
* Titan ICBM - Titan II launches, including onboard footage of stage separation
* Titan stacking - Pad operations for project Gemini at Pad 19.
* Desert survival training footage - Astronaut desert survival training from the Gemini era.
* Gus and Wally - Instrumental figures in project Gemini, this footage is from a rogallo wing flying session with Gus Grissom, and a parasailing session with Wally Schirra.



DISK ONE - BRIDGE TO THE MOON
Chapter 1 - Building the Bridge
Chapter 2 - Developing the machinery
Chapter 3 - Gemini III
Chapter 4 - Gemini IV
Chapter 5 - Gemini V
Chapter 6 - Gemini VII VI-A-
Chapter 7 - Gemini VIII
Chapter 8 - Gemini IX-A
Chapter 9 - Gemini X
Chapter 10 - Gemini XI
Chapter 11 - Gemini XII


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DISK TWO - GT-1 THROUGH GEMINI VII
Gemini was an experimental program, and was heavily documented both on the ground and in flight. From preparation to recovery, and extensive film record exists covering the Gemini achievements in detail.

For onboard photography, Gemini missions typically carried two 16 mm cameras. The cameras ran at 6 frames per second, and film was contain in 113-foot magazines. As the flight progressed, more and more film was carried, resulting in relatively little film being exposed on the early missions and a great deal being used on the later missions.

Some of the best Earth-orbital photography ever taken from space comes from the Gemini program and helped lead to advance our early understanding of remote sensing from orbit.

The Gemini ground film and onboards contained on disks 2 and 3 are arraigned by mission. Audio is from various sources, including commentary from press briefings and air to ground audio. Some portions are silent. Some on board magazines have a frame 'bounce" which has been corrected where possible.

Film speed has been adjusted to real time during activities, such as EVA and docking.

UNMANNED MISSIONS
GT-1 April 8, 1964
Demonstrate launch vehicle performance, launch vehicle and spacecraft structural integrity, and work in tracking and guidance network. Spacecraft was not recovered, so no film was exposed onboard. Features preparation and launch.

GT-II January 19, 1965
Demonstrate reentry heat protection during maximum heating reentry. Launch and onboard film which includes footage of the Gemini spacecraft instrument panel and through-the-window photography during reentry.

Gemini III March 23, 1965
Gus Grissom, John Young, 4 hours 52 minutes
First manned Gemini mission. Spacecraft checkout, suitup, launch, most of the onboard footage was blank due to an improper setting on the 16 mm camera. Recover above the U.S.S. Intrepid.

Gemini IV June 3, 1965
Jim McDivitt, Ed White, 4 days 1 hour 56 minutes
First U.S. spacewalk. Suitup and ingress, launch, onboard footage includes White's EVA and Earth photography, recover aboard U.S.S. Wasp.

Gemini V August 21, 1965
Gordon Cooper, Pet Conrad. 7 days, 22 hours 55 minutes duration demonstration of nearly 8 days. Transfer and ingress, pre-launch thruster fires, launch, onboard footage includes Earth photography, recovery aboard U.S.S. Lake Champlain.

Gemini VII December 4, 1965
Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, 13 Days, 18 hours, 35 minutes duration
Demonstration of 14 days. Rendezvous target for Gemini 6. Suitup and ingress, launch, onboard footage includes Earth photography and rendezvous / station-keeping, recovery aboard U.S.S. Wasp.

Gemini VI-A December 15, 1965
Wally Schirra, Tom Stafford, 1 day 1 hour 51 minutes
First successful rendezvous, Agena launch and scrub, shutdown ingress, shutdown, launch ingress, launch, onboard photography including Earth and rendezvous / station-keeping, recovery aboard U.S.S. Wasp.


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DISK 3 - GEMINI VIII THROUGH GEMINI XII
With the completion of the combined Gemini VI-A and Gemini VII missions, most of the major goals of the program had been achieved. EVA had been performed, rendezvous have been proven viable, and long duration space flights has been shown to be feasible. These capabilities would be expanded over the last 5 flights of the program, and new challenges would be discovered and overcome.

Gemini VIII conducted a rendezvous with its Agena target vehicle and the first successful docking in space. Shortly after docking, hoverer one of the Gemini spacecraft's maneuvering thrusters began an uncontrolled firing, placing the craft in a spin. The crew of Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott brought Gemini VIII down in an emergency landing in the Pacific.

On Gemini IX astronaut Gene Cernan found that walking in space is on thing, but working in space is quite another. After finding the space environment a very difficult work place, he overloaded the capability of his suit and fogged his visor. If man was to work in space, he must find new methods of working there.

Gemini X and XI worked to perfect rendezvous, docking and EVA techniques, but the difficulty of working in space did not begin to be solved until Gemini XII, when carefully crafted procedures and actions allowed Buzz Aldrin to conduct measured work outside the spacecraft.

The Gemini missions gave NASA extraordinary experience in working and living in space, and created a solid bridge to the voyages to come on Project Apollo.

Gemini VIII March 16, 1966
Neil Armstrong, Dave Scott, 10 hours 41 minutes
Aborted mission after first successful docking. Preparation and Agena launch, crew transfer and launch, onboard photography includes station-keeping with Agena, docking and emergency undocking, spinning, recovery by U.S.S. Mason.

Gemini IX June 3, 1966
Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan, 3 days 20 minutes
Spacecraft checkout, launch transfer and ingress, launch, onboard footage shows EVA and onboard, Earth photography, "angry alligator" ATDA, reentry, recovery aboard U.S.S. Wasp.

Gemini X July 18, 1966
John Young, Michael Collins, 2 days 22 hours 46 minutes
EVA training, Gemini and Agena preparation, crew transfer, Agena launch, Gemini launch, onboard film shows spacecraft interior, rendezvous, docking and terrain, recovery aboard U.S.S. Guadalcanal.

GEMINI XI September 12, 1966
Pet Conrad, Dick Gordan, 2 days 23 hours 17 minutes
Ingress, Agena launch, Gemini launch, onboard photography from EVA, general activity, recovery aboard U.S.S. Guam.

Gemini XII November 11, 1966
Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin, 3 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes
Altitude chamber, ingress, Agena launch, Gemini launch, onboards include extensive EVA photography, Agena tethered, docking, reentry, recovery aboard U.S.S. Wasp.

Few people remember Project Gemini today, which is a shame because Gemini really paved the way for the success of the Apollo program in many ways, the three most critical of which were demonstration of rendezvous, demonstration of Extra-Vehicular Activity, and demonstration of long endurance manned missions.

This set is a beautifully assembled set of footage taken from all Gemini missions, and includes launch, in-flight, and recovery footage, as well as an excellent documentary from renowned Apollo historian Andrew Chaikin.

While space enthusiasts will find this fascinating, this set is not for everyone as many shots of launches, etc., are quite similar, and will seem monotonous to those not truly fascinated by the subject matter. I particularly enjoyed the coverage of the more eventful and unusual missions, especially Gemini Six, Seven, and Eight. I highly recommend this DVD set as well as all the others in the series from Spacecraft Films.

I've found that the film content is stunning. The Gemini missions are overlooked when it comes to the manned moon missions. I did wish for a little more attention when it came to the production of the discs. For instance the onboard comentary for the Gemini XI by Pete Conrad describing the EVA is repeated during the splashdown & recovery segment. Conrad is describing the capsule's fly-over of Houston while the frogmen are extracting the astronauts and then the spacecraft from the ocean.

Also, in another mission segment, the spacecraft ingress chapter repeats on it's own unless the PLAY ALL option is selected. The latter may be a quality issue with the disc that I purchased but the former is simply a audio editing oversite.

I do look forward to the future mission releases I just hope that the DVD authoring is improved.

Ok, I'm a geek and really get into watching the raw footage of Gemini and Apollo. I do however watch some segments at 8x or even 16x, if there is no audio during the segment. Watching the Gemini capsule station keep and then dock to an Agena in real time or the film of the Gemini instrument panel is like watching grass grow. A less than hardcore fan will enjoy the project overview on disc 1 but may fall asleep watching the rest of the material.

Gemini is the red-headed step child of the early space program. But without it, we would have never made the 12-31-69 deadline for "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." Rendevouz, docking, extra vehicular activity, digital mission computers and fuel cells are only some of the accomplishments of the Gemini program that lead directly to the success of Apollo.