Book & DVD. The further the lunar landings regress into history, the more important the TV images have become. Until now the background story of this important footage has been overlooked. The TV systems used on Apollo were not without controversy. When President Kennedy issued the challenge to successfully land men on the moon and return them safely to earth by the end of the 1960's, NASA unwittingly found itself facing a two-fold predicament. Should the American taxpayer be privy to a front row seat via television, and would it be possible to develop compact TV cameras for just such a purpose within the allotted timeframe? Drawing upon the skill and knowledge of RCA and Westinghouse engineers a series of TV cameras were developed which revolutionised not only space exploration, but electronic news gathering as a whole. This book covers everything from the earliest known proposals of lunar TV coverage, and on through the political battles that ultimately led to the TV system which flew on the Apollo missions. The book takes what some may see as a very sterile or niche topic, and extends it into an interesting subject anyone can understand and appreciate. This book can be compared to the "Making of. . ." documentaries which often accompany feature films. For the first time, the live telecasts from the moon are given their own complete "Making of. . ." account.
Dwight Steven-Boniecki is the 2011 AWA Taylor Award-winning author of Live TV From the Moon who returns with a second and intensely re-searched analysis of NASA's work in developing TV for the post-Apollo missions. Relying on unprecedented assistance from many of the engineers who work for the divisions which created the TV equipment used in outer space, Dwight Steven-Boniecki continues detailing the huge effort which brought live images from earth orbit into our living rooms. Having worked in the television industry in Australia, the United States, Great Britain and Germany for a total of nearly 25 years, his professional qualifications help complement his understanding of the pioneering television achievements of the U.S. space program. An avid space historian, he also places a great amount of detail in presenting the story with the respect it rightfully deserves, but is often unfairly denied.
'Frank Borman, the Apollo 8 commander who made history with his Christmas TV broadcast as he and his crew made the first circuit of the Moon, strongly resisted having to take the 12-pound TV camera when it necessitated leaving behind some of their meals to save weight. That camera not only made TV stars of the crew but also convinced millions that they must rush out and buy a TV set. "I was very short-sighted," Borman confessed.' - Astronomy Now December 2010
"A book so rich in illustrations cannot be underrated for its usefulness to media scholars and historians."
"The DVD ...includes fantastic narrated slide shows and video clips, highly valuable material for a general audience & researchers alike." - Quest, Spring 2011
