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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 16 2019, @05:38AM   Printer-friendly
from the strapped-for-cash dept.

Now You Can Buy NASA's Own Original Apollo 11 Moon Landing Footage:

Got a player for 2-inch Quadruplex videotapes sitting around? You could view original NASA recordings of the Apollo 11 moon landing in your living room.

Sotheby's is auctioning off three first-generation tapes of the historic touchdown as part of its July 20 auction of space exploration artifacts set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.

The tapes run a total of 2 hours and 24 minutes and capture moments including Neil Armstrong declaring, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Also on the tapes are the "long-distance phone call" with President Richard Nixon and the planting of the American flag on the lunar surface.

[...] Gary George, an engineering student and NASA intern, purchased the tapes for $217.77 at a government surplus auction in 1976. It's estimated they'll sell for at least a $1 million at the Sotheby's event.

I was under the impression that the original tapes had been lost or recorded over. Does anyone else remember hearing that? Either way, this is a irreplaceable national treasure and I am astonished at seeing these up for auction. I am hopeful some philanthropist steps up, buys them, perhaps makes a personal copy, and then donates them to the Library of Congress.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 16 2019, @10:20AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 16 2019, @10:20AM (#867485)

    Who even uses house phones anymore? The only calls are telemarketers now.

  • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Tuesday July 16 2019, @01:25PM (1 child)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 16 2019, @01:25PM (#867539) Journal

    I still use a house phone. There are numerous cases where a smart phone is either useless or unnecessary. There are still many areas where no usable signal can be obtained, yet telephone lines already exist. There are people who cannot use a smart phone; some people with disabilities cannot hold or operate a smart phone. They want a solid phone with large push buttons with very positive feedback and that can sit on a surface in front of them without moving during use.

    It is true that coverage is getting better all the time, but I live in a place that is in a steep valley on the coast. At many places in this valley there is no usable signal. However, the telephone line provides not only voice communications but also my internet access (ADSL). Fiber is still a far-off dream for many of us, current estimates are still 4-5 years away although many of the surrounding towns have had it for years. So I have to have a local wifi router which is fed by my ADSL connection. If I have to have a line for ADSL why would I rush to purchase a cell phone that cannot be guaranteed to receive a signal?

    My land line connection is Red Book, which means I do not receive any telemarketing calls or anything else that I do not actually ask for. Its rental cost is a fraction of that for a smart phone, the cost per call is free for all local calls (and 'local' covers a very generous distance of several 100s miles) and very low for anywhere else in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    I do own a smart phone for when I travel or for the occasional text message, but I don't carry it unless I am going to need it. It is for my benefit and not for the convenience of others.