NOVA; Interview with Leon "Lee" Silver, Ph.D., Professor of Geology at the California Institute of Technology, part 3 of 4 : To the Moon
Description:
Leon "Lee" Silver, W.M. Keck Foundation Professor for Resource Geology, emeritus, at Caltech, is interviewed about Jim Lovell's discovery of a Paiute pot while doing geology training in Nevada, describes various astronauts' interest in geology and science including Jim Lovell, Jack Schmitt, Fred Haise, John Young, and Charles Duke. Silver also discusses the need for manned moon exploration to do the scientific work that robots wouldn't be able to do, using Apollo 15 as an example. Other scientific discoveries on the moon include Neil Armstrong's collection of samples during Apollo 11, Apollo 14's loss of 5% of their experiment, and ends with Silver's discussion of the back room (audio only for final "back room" discussion). 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.
