NOVA; Interview with Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt, geologist, astronaut, and Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 17, part 2 of 3 : To the Moon
Description:
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt, geologist, astronaut, and Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 17, is interviewed about Apollo 17. He explains the site selection for the mission, his selection for the mission, and explains the crew's excitement about geology. Schmitt describes the Taurus Littrow Valley, his relationship with Gene Cernan, and the discovery of orange soil on the moon, as well as difficulties on the mission including the space suits and time constraints. The interview ends with Schmitt's opinion that Apollo 17 was the culmination of the program because of its emphasis on science and its meeting of objectives. This remarkably crafted program covers the full range of participants in the Apollo project, from the scientists and engineers who promoted bold ideas about the nature of the Moon and how to get there, to the young geologists who chose the landing sites and helped train the crews, to the astronauts who actually went - not once or twice, but six times, each to a more demanding and interesting location on the Moon's surface. "To The Moon" includes unprecedented footage, rare interviews, and presents a magnificent overview of the history of man and the Moon. To the Moon aired as NOVA episode 2610 in 1999.