It’s been more than half a century since Neil Armstrong made humanity’s first giant leap, but fascination with the Apollo 11 moon landing is as strong as ever. Now, thanks to the filmmaker’s efforts, part of this historic moment has been rediscovered.
Elijah Reiss, moderator of the RetroFreak84 YouTube channel, came across a rare image: the first audio recording of the Apollo 11 TV broadcast. The document was labeled “Man of the Month I” and was listed on eBay with little fanfare. Given its importance, Rice purchased a Sony V-32 recorder manufactured in July 1969, the same month as the moon landing.
This tape contains the original NBC broadcast of the Apollo 11 landing, shot by an astrologer on the CV2100, the first home video recorder. But playing the nearly 60-year-old tape posed a challenge. A sticky tape forms on the reel, which can damage the tape and the player. Rice must carefully bake the tapes at 155 degrees Fahrenheit to remove any residue before converting the tapes to digital format.
The revised footage includes Armstrong’s landmark pre-landing speech on the first moon landing, with Buzz Aldrin joining him shortly afterwards. Since there is no external landing camera in the Lunar Excursion Module, the broadcast also includes a timed animation representing the landing. After landing, an external camera was placed and recorded Armstrong descending the stairs.
This discovery gives us a rare look at an important period of human history. It allows us to relive the excitement and terror of the Apollo 11 mission and inspire a new generation to reach for the stars. As we eagerly await NASA’s Artemis program and future Moon landings, this new discovery reminds us of past successes in site search and the endless future.Top of Form