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This 1970 ACI educational film with famed science educator Albert Hibbs (“the Voice of JPL”) explores the history of rocket science and space exploration, with illustrations and examples of astronomy research and rocket design from across cultures and historical periods. Titles over orrery -- a colorful mechanical model of the galaxy: “Part I: Early Rockets and Dreams of Space” (0:09). Albert Hibbs speaks about space science (1:02). Various telescope images of space, stars, galaxies (1:55). Stonehenge silhouetted; red sunset (hill near lake), lens flare (2:18). Moon partially obscured by moving clouds (2:32). Images of space (2:39). Illustration—cavemen near river (2:45). Illustration — World Turtle (3:00). B&W drawings—astronomers with compasses, telescopes, astrolabe (3:15). Solar eclipse (drawing, then image) (3:36). People gather in field to watch solar eclipse (3:45). Illustration—women conducting solar eclipse moon ritual (4:04). Stone carvings (Egyptian, Babylonian; figure, stars, moon) (4:18). Colorful illustrations—Chinese astronomers, South Asian astronomy (4:28). Illustrations—astronomy in various cultures (4:45). Discobolus of Myron (5:00). Ancient statue of face in profile (5:05). Lysippos, Apoxyomenos (5:15) Aristotle’s geocentric solar system (5:27). Painting—man at center of astrological signs (5:40). Painting—medieval church scientists (halos, texts, staffs) (5:48) Late Medieval painting—figure holding compass (astronomy) (6:12). Space images (6:20). Hemispherical astrolabe with Earth at center (6:29). Drawing — Ptolemy’s universe (6:40). Illustration—16th century astronomer studying moving model in observatory (6:49). Painting — renaissance astronomy instruments collection (7:02). B&W illustrations—Renaissance astronomers (7:12). Nicolas Copernicus portrait (7:31). Moving graphic—Copernican sun-centric solar system model (planets orbiting sun) (7:39). Illustration— Renaissance astronomers using telescopes, compasses, globes (7:58). Tycho Brahe portrait (8:08). Drawing—Tychonic solar system (8:18). Painting—Renaissance astronomer (8:29). Desk of astronomer (tools, notes) (8:31). Johannes Kepler portrait (8:38). Compass measures distance between stars on chart (8:45). Graphic—Copernican solar system, transition to elliptical orbits (Kepler’s discovery) (8:48). Galileo Galilei portraits, drawings, telescope (9:25). Sketches: Moon’s craters (9:30). Image–moon’s surface (9:46). Model of Jupiter’s moons (9:50). Image—craters on moon (10:06). Astronomical instruments (10:18). The Cardinal (Raphael) (10:23). Galileo’s desk (10:45). Isaac Newton portrait (10:54). Newton’s Principe Mathematica (11:04). Moving graphic illustrating concept of gravity / gravitational pull (force between earth and sun) (11:08). Ptolemaic model (11:48). Telescopic images—galaxies (11:54). Saturn (12:13). Drawings—mountains, craters on moon, other planets (12:18). Set of stars (12:45). Drawing—man pulled to moon by swans (13:00). Drawing: Cyrano de Bergerac (13:05). Drawing—knight on dragon by castle (13:15). Fireworks (13:20). Drawing — Chinese soldier setting firework (13:55). Drawing—rudimentary artillery cannons / rockets (Europe) (14:08). Drawing—Indian soldier (14:32). Drawing—soldiers on camels (mounted rocket brigade) (14:38). Illustration—Wan Hu rocket flight idea (14:45). Drawing—man riding a rocket (15:15). Albert Hibbs speaking holding rocket figurine, explaining third law of motion using toy truck and marbles (science education) (15:25). B&W drawing of rocket in space (16:30). Albert Hibbs drawing diagram explaining rocket reaction propulsion (unequal pressure) (16:43). Rockets launching into space (17:23). Paintings: 19th century soldiers on battlefields with rockets (17:40). Albert Hibbs studies old Congreve rocket (17:59). Drawing — ship attacked in War of 1812 (18:15). Edward Percy Moran painting—Francis Scott Key (American flag / star spangled banner) (18:20). Hibbs demonstrates William Hale's rocket designs (nozzles on rocket for spinning, nozzle at front); American Civil War rocket (18:30). Drawing — steam reaction car (19:03). Drawing—airship with rocket exhaust nozzle (19:10). Drawings—early design ideas for planes (19:20). Image— Moon’s surface with craters (19:39). Book — Jules Verne's “From the Earth to the Moon“ (19:46). Jules Verne portrait B&W (19:48). Sketches of aluminum spacecraft, tethered astronauts, Moon mission, atmospheric re-entry from Jules Verne story (19:54). Konstantin Tsiolkovsky B&W picture (21:10). Rocket science diagram — liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, crew, rocket design (21:28). Albert Hibbs at NASA facility (21:32). Supervised by Fred C. Durant III. An ACI Release (22:17). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
