“Returning From the Moon” (1966) — Science Reporter TV Series

This 1966 “Science Reporter” television program tackles the challenges of getting the Apollo Command Module safely back from space through the atmosphere to Earth—one of the most forbidding hurdles of the Apollo program. William Brooks (Langley Research Center, Hampton VA) demonstrates techniques of testing the effects of high temperatures on substances proposed to shield the module on its re-entry at 25,000 mph. Edward Offenhartz (AVCO, Lowell MA) discusses the uses of ablation to dissipate the extreme heat and protect the module’s occupants. Sandy Stubbs (Langley) explains the variety of module designs and their relative abilities to sustain different kinds of impact. The program is presented by MIT in association with WGBH-TV Boston, and hosted by MIT reporter John Fitch; it was produced for NASA. MIT Museum Collections