Apollo 8 DVD Set First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Once experience had been gained in Project Gemini, the next step was to prepare to go to the moon. It was time to test the three-man Apollo capsule and a new launch vehicle - the Saturn V. Apollo 8 would be the first to leave Earth's orbit and head to the moon, orbit, and return home.

Unlike the video set from Project Gemini which packed five flights onto three disks, this set also contains three DVDs which only cover the Apollo 8. These disks provide a detailed look into the pre-flight preparations, the move of the Saturn V from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad, launch, flight and recovery. If you've wanted a look behind the scenes, this is the set you've been looking for!

The launch video sequence has footage from four different angles that are all time-synchronized to CapCom audio. Only one angle is displayed at a time, but you can switch between angles using your DVD remote or your computer options.

This series has been available now for a few years, but it recently caught my attention when I saw one of the other titles in this series on sale at Sam's Club. I purchased this one via Amazon and was impressed just how quickly they can deliver!

If you're looking for a better alternative to commercial-laden one-hour documentaries on television, this set is the next best thing to being there as you'll witness the long silences as well as the flurry of activities, just as the astronauts experienced them so many years ago.