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Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Browse our products on Amazon: “The Mastery of Space” takes viewers through astronaut John Glenn's preparations for the Friendship 7 spaceflight. Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) was the first American orbital spaceflight, which took place on February 20, 1962. It opens with images of a boy who is heading to an exhibit on spaceflight, and then compares his curiosity to the desire of humankind to explore the unknown (1:54). The film was presented by NASA (3:19). Footage from aboard a Mercury capsule show Earth rotating from 100 miles up (4:34). Weightlessness is demonstrated as water droplets squeeze from a bottle and float around the astronaut’s head (5:31). Training astronauts for weightlessness (5:46). Alan Shepard is pictured aboard Freedom 7 (5:49). The centrifuge for acceleration and deceleration (6:35) as well as the plaster mold that astronauts sat in to make their personalized fiberglass couch (7:03). Each phase of the centrifuge “flight“ is broken down (7:28) including lift off (7:48), BECO (7:57), when the escape tower is jettisoned (8:04), SECO (8:21), capsule would separation from the Atlas (8:28), where retro braking rockets were fired (9:08) slowing the capsule, the retro pack was to be released (9:22), as it moved into re-entry (9:28), braking parachute release (10:16), main parachute deployment (10:27) impact bag release (10:37) and landing (10:41). Astronauts undergo medical check (11:00). Walter “ Wally “ Schirra is seen in full suit (12:54) though he was heading for a 7 ½ hour exposure to a simulator profile. His post check-out follows (13:09). During procedures training, all conditions could be simulated of an actual flight (15:21). Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper (15:43) sits inside of an orbital flight simulator. The Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) is shown in action and was designed to throw pilots into conventional and unconventional orbit (16:12). Classroom studies (16:54). Another important test was how to get out of the capsule after splash down, including in an emergency (17:15). Tests for how to survive in the desert in the event of a land touchdown, using the parachute for shelter (17:40). Three Air Force jets are seen in flight as pilots maintained accuracy in high performance aircrafts (17:53). The Redstone launch vehicles were constructed at NASA’s Marshal space flight center (18:23). The Atlas is then depicted as it pushed the Mercury spacecraft into orbit (19:15). The Atlas was a deciding factor in how tall and how heavy astronauts could be (19:46). A montage follows as the shape of the Mercury capsule went through different phases and tests before settling on its final design (20:45). A diagram follows showing how pilots were to sit inside (21:56) on the fiber glass couch with its back to the heat shield (22:13). Inside features of the craft include the instrument panel (22:27) and Earth path indicator (22:38). Tests on equipment including the escape rocket (24:43), the heat shield (25:16), the lander impact vehicle (25:23) as well as actual flight tests (25:36) are shown. Ham, the first astro-chimp that preceded Glenn (26:06). The countdown and lift off for his flight are shown (27:49). Marine helicopters and recovery forces shoot to the splash down point (28:29). The spacecraft is taken to Cape Canaveral afterwards (29:14). More equipment tests and checkups (29:48) lead into John Glenn undergoing medical checkups and suiting up before his flight (31:51) on February 20th, 1962. A slew of stations, known as the Mercury tracking network (36:28). Footage is shown of Glenn inside the capsule during take-off (39:14), while he experiences weightlessness (42:40), and while watching the sun rise and set (43:24). Prior to his re-entry phase, an indicator on the ground showed that the heat shield may have come loose (45:39) and that meant that Glenn would have to keep the retro packs intact (45:39) and retract the scope manually (47:19). Though later it was discovered to not be loose, viewers can see when Glenn is told this information, how the reason for the change was not disclosed to him at the time and how he witnessed burning chunks of the retropack as he entered the atmosphere (49:26). After he safely hits water, the capsule is seen bobbing (53:22). He is then rescued and taken aboard an aircraft carrier (53:50). Later John Glenn takes a parade ride with President John F Kennedy (54:28) amidst cheering crowds. The film closes and was narrated by Jack Whitaker (56:25) and produced by The Office of Education Programs and Services (56:54). 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
