The Astronot

The Astronot indie space-themed film streams on Prime at: (https://www.amazon.com/Astronot-Pennan-Brae/dp/B083VS2ML9)

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The final Gemini mission. Astronauts James Lovell & Buzz Aldrin flew Gemini XII; the 10th & final crewed mission on Project Gemini, Nov 1966. The 3-day, 22-hour, 59-orbit mission saw Aldrin perform 3 EVAs totalling 5.5 hours. This accomplishment met a major goal for NASA by demonstrating astronauts could work outside a spacecraft for extended periods of time. It was Buzz’s rookie flight while Lovell had flown on Gemini 7. The backup crew for the mission was Gene Cernan & Gordon Cooper.

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Taking a break. Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin take a load of their feet during training for their historic Apollo 11 mission, Jan 1969. During his career, Mr. Armstrong spent 8 days & 14 hours in space on his Gemini 8 & A11 missions. Mr. Aldrin logged just shy of 12 days & 2 hours on Gemini 12 & A11. 2 historic figures in space exploration & #1 & 2 on the moon respectively.

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Looking for a place to park. The ‘Gravity’ album, a pop rock album of 8 songs which streams below.

The Astronot: Gravity by Pennan Brae

The Astronot: Gravity by Pennan Brae

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Tasks on the moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin performs the Solar Wind Composition Experiment during Apollo 11, July 1969. This process measured the solar wind outside the Earth’s magnetosphere. The experiment was also conducted on Apollo 12, 14-16.

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Early days of the space race with the launch of the Little Joe II, Aug 1963. The rocket was used 5x for uncrewed tests of the launch escape system of Apollo spacecraft between 1963-66. At 86 feet in height, it was the smallest of the 4 launch rockets during the Apollo era.

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The view ain’t all that bad. Apollo 9 astronaut David Scott takes it all in in this epic photograph by crewmate Rusty Schweickart, March 1969. The 10-day mission commanded by James McDivitt saw the first crewed flight of the Lunar Module.

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Preparing to board. Astronauts Pete Conrad & Gordon Cooper get set for Gemini 5, Aug 1965. The 7 day, 23 hour mission was the 1st time NASA held the world record for duration in space, having beat the USSR’s Vostok 5’s accomplishment in 1963. Hurricane Betsy’s impending presence cut G5’s mission short a day. The cabin size of the Gemini capsule was equivalent to the front seat of a VW Beetle. Nearly 8 days spent in such a small space. Incredible achievement.

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An open road. Astronaut David Scott approaches the Lunar Rover during Apollo 15, Aug 1971. This was the first use of the LRV during the Apollo Program. The moon buggy was designed for a top speed of 6mph (9.7kmh) though it achieved nearly double that during Apollo 17 at 11.2 mph (18th). The 3 LRV’s of Apollo 15-17 are on the moon. I wonder what they look like now 50+ years onward?

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Going for a walk. Apollo 17 astronaut Ronald Evans leaves to the spacecraft to retrieve film cassettes from the Service Module, Dec 1972. Mr. Evans was Command Module Pilot & orbited the moon a record 75 times during the mission. He holds the record for most time spent in lunar orbit at just shy of 148 hours. He is the last human to orbit the moon solo. A historic figure in space pioneering.

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Against all odds. Apollo 13 astronauts Fred Haise, James Lovell & Jim Swigert stand with President Nixon following their harrowing ordeal in space. An oxygen tank in the service module ruptured 2 days into the mission which crippled the craft’s life support system. Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 film captures the essence of the frightening experience beautifully.

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Ground control to Major Tom. Scene at the Mercury Control Center at Cape Canaveral in Oct 1962 during the Mercury Atlas 8 Mission. This spaceflight by astronauts Wally Schirra orbited Earth 6 times & lasted 9 hours. All Project Mercury flights and Gemini 1-3 missions were monitored here. Mission Control moved to Houston from Gemini IV onwards.

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Stepping out on the front porch. Astronaut David Scott opens the hatch to check out the view during Apollo 9, March 1969. In this pic taken by fellow astronaut Rusty Schweickart, ‘Gumdrop’, the Command Service Module is docked with ‘Spider’, the Lunar Module. A9 was the 1st flight incorporating all Apollo spacecraft components. The 10 day mission was the 2nd launched by a Saturn V rocket.

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Parked by the front door. The Lunar Rover sits by Orion, the Lunar Module during Apollo 16, Apr 1972. The crew of John Young, Charlie Duke & Ken Mattingly experienced many glitches on the way to the moon culminating in concerns in the main engine. Mission Control had considered aborted the entire landing until it was decided the issues could be overcome. Still, as a result of these concerns, the mission ended 1 day earlier than planned.

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A stark landscape. Photograph during the Nov 1969, Apollo 12 moon landing with Pete Conrad. Apollo 12’s ‘Intrepid’ lunar module (reflected in the visor) was nearly identical to ‘The Eagle’ of Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin; one difference being hammocks were installed so the astronauts could rest more comfortably when on the moon.

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In the driver’s seat. Astronaut Michael Collins undergoes simulation training in preparation for Apollo 11. Mr. Collins flew twice in space with his first flight being on Gemini 10 with John Young. On that flight, he became the 4th human to perform a spacewalk. During Apollo 11, Collins orbited 30x in the Command Module to become the 2nd to orbit to the moon solo, after Young did so during Apollo 10. A historic humble hero.

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Chairs fit for an astronaut. The crew of Apollo 16 (John Young, Charlie Duke & Ken Mattingly) have their suits checked out in preparation for their April 1972 flight. The 11-day, 2 hour mission was the rookie flight for Duke & Mattingly & was Young’s incredible 4th flight into space.

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The view of Earth at 10,000 miles, taken during the unmanned Apollo 4 mission, Nov 1967.