Apollo 9: Spider Takes Flight

The Apollo 9: Spider Takes Flight DVD set is another well produced, and well researched offering from Spacecraft Films. The two-DVD-set contains the typical collection of pre-launch preparations, roll-out, multi angle launch views from pad and launch tower mounted cameras, in-flight 16mm movies and video, and re-enty and splashdown footage.

Amazingly parts of the first TV transmission from Apollo 9 have been lost in the seas of time, however this is compensated for by "LIVE FROM APOLLO 9" CBS coverage of the second transmission with commentary from Walter Cronkite. It is refreshing to see a true video image mastered directly from CBS video tape, this is not the usual conversion from NASA kinescope recordings. The other highlight of the DVD set is an extended, audio only, interview with Rusty Schweickart who talks at great length about his life, Apollo 9, and his earth orbit EVA.

Apollo 9 was the most complex, as well as crucial mission flown outside of
the J Missions. Apollo 9 was an all-out work out of the Saturn V, CSM and
the LM. The 16mm DAC of Dave Scott's stand up EVA, as well as that of the
CSM and LM, with the Earth below, are stunning! Another homerun with
Spacecraft Films.

Apollo 9 was a crucial flight before the actual Moon landing and one out of two Apollo missions which did not leave the Earth orbit (except Skylab and ASTP missions of course). This was a technology test flight practicing the rendezvous between CSM and LM, testing the Apollo lunar surface space suit and life support system, lunar spacewalks camera, transposition and docking maneuvers between CSM and Saturn V third stage with Lunar Module, this everything in the relatively safe Earth orbit environement.
Spacecraftfilms managed to put everything important together. Onboards are simply wonderful, mainly the footages of rendezvous and EVA with the majestic Earth in background. This you cannot see in any other Apollo missions materials, this hapenned only once. Inside the CSM sequences are unusually long and of very high quality showing much more interior details than other missions materials.
Apollo 9, however, suffered one rather big deviation from the flightplan and it was the shortening of Rusty Schweickart's EVA (due to his sickness)with cancellation of his move from LM into the CSM through the open space. Listening to all accompanying audio ( there is no video section without audio in this DVD)from press conferrences/interviews with astronauts and engineers you learn a lot of details and comparing the Vomit Comet training footage to actual EVA footage plus verbal explanations you understand perfectly what was the difference between the planned and actual EVA.
Recovery section is cut short again but it is better than in Apollo 10 DVD, you can see here the actual splashdown. Capsule recovery from the seas is very short and it would definitely be very interesting to see what hapenned to the flotation collar which collapsed before the capsule was picked up from the water.
All we can see is a several seconds sequence where you can see something is out of normal but you do not know why.
If you like the history of the manned spaceflight you must have this material, you will find it nowhere else in this form. Excellent material (again), Spacecraftfilms!