[QuadList] OT: Lost tapes - moon landing

Thu May 3 09:27:04 CDT 2012

Dennis,

I am well aware that the slow-scan data from the moon yielded higher resolution than the output of the RCA vidicon camera-aimed-at-the-monitor scheme. But in light of the fact that NASA, at it's 2009 press conference stated that these data tapes are lost, the next best thing are the JSC 2" quad recordings. And yes I have been briefed about what went on in Australia (VR 660, VHS copy etc.).

From NASA's press conference:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/16/moon-landing-tapes-erased

"I don't think anyone in the Nasa organisation did anything wrong. It slipped through the cracks and nobody's happy about it," said Dick Nafzger, one of the last Apollo-era video engineers still working for the agency at Maryland's Goddard Space Flight Centre."

And so it goes. If those data tapes were found, would your machines be able to play them at Moffett?

David

On May 2, 2012, at 10:10 AM, Dennis Ray Wingo wrote:

> Yea we know about that tape as well.
> 
> From what we understand, this tape was made in the control room at JSC during the landing.  
> 
> Thus this is the path.
> 
> From Moon to Australia.
> 
> Conversion to NTSC
> 
> Transmission to the U.S.
> 
> Recorded at NASA JSC
> 
> While this tape is probably the best that we know of today, it is generations from the good stuff.
> 
> Dennis
> 
> On May 2, 2012, at 10:05 AM, David Crosthwait wrote:
> 
>> This subject is going through a discussion on the Ampex list. One participant has submitted a set of images for comparison:
>> 
>> http://gcmstudio.com/imagesonly/moonlanding.jpg
>> 
>> Several years ago, a set of 2" quad tapes (output of the scan conversion as it arrived in Houston and recorded on Ampex gear, before being transmitted to NYC via AT&T microwave/coaxial cable) was brought here for recovery. The story of these tapes and their existence is the subject of a movie in production:
>> 
>> http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/julymoon/
>> 
>> Until the original data tapes are found, this set of 2" quad tapes may yield the best images as it was recorded before the feed (and subsequent expected loss of quality) to New York
>> 
>> Lowry Digital processed a set of recordings (some of which were recorded from the JSC to NYC feed at the NYC end) for a government entity for the 40th. anniversary in 2009. A NASA press conference introduced the principals involved. Of course, Mr. Lowry has passed away and the project leader has left Lowry, moving on to another company. It is believed that this set of 2" tapes can be the basis of a higher quality restoration effort in lieu of the raw data tapes. This remains to be seen.
>> 
>> Bill Wood (a visitor here to our facility) has an excellent tutorial on Apollo era TV transmissions:
>> 
>> http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ApolloTV-Acrobat5.pdf
>> 
>> Meanwhile, the search for any original slow scan videotapes and/or data tapes continues. Our VR 660 awaits the surfacing of the slowscan-to-helical recordings.
>> 
>> Best Regards,
>> 
>> David Crosthwait
>> DC Video
>> Videotape transfers and more!
>> 
>> 177 West Magnolia Blvd.
>> Burbank, CA. 91502
>> 818-563-1073
>> 818-563-1177 (fax)
>> 818-285-9942 (cell)
>> david at dcvideo.com
>> www.dcvideo.com
>> Follow DC Video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dcvideo
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On May 2, 2012, at 8:56 AM, C. Park Seward wrote:
>> 
>>> We have discussed the possibility of trying to find the original slow scan moon landing tapes. Here is a series of photos showing the difference in quality of the slow scan vs. the scan converted. At that time, the only was to get the image into a broadcast format was to shoot the slow-scan monitor (with slow decay phosphors) with a camera.
>>> 
>>> I also read that NASA would record a lot of tape for each mission and if the mission was a success, they would re-use the tapes. But I think it was the data tapes, not the special video tape. It's thought the original tape was probably recorded on a modified 660 in Australia.
>>> 
>>> "For Apollo 11, NASA installed a VR-660 as part of a slow-scan video system for recording at Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station in Australia. The slow-scan television video transmitted from Apollo 11 had a resolution of 250 TV lines at 10 frames per second, where it was then converted using equipment at the tracking station to standard 525-line 30 frames-per-second NTSC video, and then recorded to the VR-660."
>>> 
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampex_2_inch_helical_VTR
>>> 
>>> Of course the other earth stations were not in view of the moon, thus only Australia could receive the signal from the moon.
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> Park
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Please trim posts to relevant info when replying.
>> 
>> Change subject to reflect thread direction. Thanks.
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> 
> Please trim posts to relevant info when replying.
> 
> Change subject to reflect thread direction. Thanks.
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