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The original recordings of the first humans landing on the moon 40 years ago were erased and re-used, but newly restored copies of the original broadcast look even better, NASA officials said on Thursday.
NASA released the first glimpses of a complete digital make-over of the original landing footage that clarifies the blurry and grainy images of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the moon.
The full set of recordings, being cleaned up by Burbank, California-based Lowry Digital, will be released in September. The preview is available at www.nasa.gov.
NASA admitted in 2006 that no one could find the original video recordings of the July 20, 1969, landing.
[Editors Note: The link provided in the article takes you to the NASA homepage. This link will take you direct to the HD previews of the Apollo 11 moonwalks.]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday November 19 2015, @03:02AM
Yeah, but the weren't erased right then, but years later lumped in with 200,000 other reels.
These days, they would have immediately been plopped in gold film cans, sealed in the presence of armed guards, and whisked off to the Smithsonian in an armored vehicle.
Those were simpler times.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Wootery on Thursday November 19 2015, @04:26AM
But storing a master copy means far less today than it did back then.
It's absurd that they didn't think to take good care of that tape.
It's a black eye for NASA, but not a huge one - the footage isn't lost forever, just the original tapes.