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In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the US space program, NASA and the Discovery Channel recently released a new 6 part documentary chronicling the history of American space flight, from the early Mercury missions right up to the present. The documentary revisits many iconic images, but also contains much footage from the NASA archives that is being shown for the first time. The documentary was released in HD, and while much of the earliest footage was shot on relatively low resolution film the techs have done an excellent job cleaning things up and up-converting it all to hi-res quality. The footage varies widely, from hand-held shots by the astronauts themselves, to fixed-camera shots from Mission Control, to official footage of the various launches (and failed launches). Overall the show provides a coherent, heroic narrative of the American space program and it is certainly entertaining to watch and full of amazing footage of the space program. At the same time, the series left this viewer with a strong sense of despair over what might have been. The progress from the first Mercury mission through the end of the Apollo program was truly stunning, and the Shuttle was an undeniable technical achievement, but there is no denying the feeling one gets in the later episodes that NASA has perhaps lost its way. Although a return to the moon is scheduled for 2020 or so, with long-term plans for a manned mission to Mars sometime after that, the next generation set of space exploration vehicles meant to get us there - Project Constellation - is still largely on the drawing board. Will humanity ever establish permanent habitations beyond Earth's orbit? Or, perhaps, the more compelling question might be whether NASA as it's currently run has either the will or the way to get us there?Read full review
Like most people, I had some apprehension about this series at first. I thought it might be another space documentary that would have me bored to death by the first 20 minutes. I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised by this series. Everything works about this set. The video has been beautifully remastered for BluRay (even the old NASA footage looks pretty good). The soundtrack is great. The people providing interviews and commentary throughout the set are relevant NASA people, not some college professors and the like. I rented this from Netflix at first, but was so blown away by it that I decided to buy it here on eBay (good deal too). I found myself eager to get the next disc from Netflix each time. This really is worth your time if you have any interest in humankind's fascination with exploring the unknown. The series is full of beautifully remastered video, clear and crisp surround sound, dramatic interviews and footage, etc. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did!Read full review
As the son of someone who was directly involved in the build up of the space program, I find this set of documentaries so riveting. I purchased them from iTunes for my iPod and watched each one multiple times so when I found it on Bluray, it was a must for my collection. Keep in mind that most of it was NOT filmed in hi-def so dont expect the graphics to blow you away but the story about how we got from nothing to where we are in space is nothing short of genius.
This disc, When We Left Earth - The Nasa Missions (Blue-ray Disc, 2008, 4-Disc Set)was purchased as a gift. The recipient was anxiously awaiting the viewing, which was thoroughly enjoyed as it depicts amazing space history. Nothing can compare to the excitement of pioneer history in this vast galaxy. Totally enjoyable, excellent viewing.
Very good NASA doc.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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