SPACEFLIGHT: 1 Thunder in the skies

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1. so the Germans bombed the Mexican? That's funny!
2. The shot of the "OPEL RAK 4" Exploding 2 seconds after ignition,
   always struck me as one of the most Iconic moments of Silent Movie Documentary history
3. Martin Sheen's epic narration...
   
   "When all has been written about this age of the 20th century, what will be its most significant event? It may well be the fact that ours was the time when humanity first escaped from the bounds of Earth. We have seen and witnessed what for centuries were but dreams. In less than a lifetime, the fantasies of science fiction have become fact. We have sent mechanical voyagers to the planets and beyond. One has even left our solar system on an infinite journey through the stars. We have also witnessed the time when Man first traveled and set foot on another celestial body.
   
   This is the story of those first tentative steps. It is a story told by those who know it best: the ones who were there...from liftoff to touchdown. This series chronicles legendary moments of triumph and tragedy; frailty and strength; genius and courage. This is also a tale of political and international intrigue. Why was Russia always first in the early race for space? What were the reasons why America went to the moon? And for today and beyond, will space become a new battleground. This series attempts to answer these questions and more, in a journey into the past and future. SPACEFLIGHT...the countdown has commenced."
4. I remember when this was originally broadcast on PBS back in the 1980s'.  This was a great documentary.
5. Scott Crossfield survived this only to be killed flying a Cesnna 210 in a thunderstorm over Alabama in 2006. He was 84.
6. eisenhower was well aware of the soviets plan to launch a satellite, both countries were working on it for the I.G.Y. he didnt want to go first because at that time there was no clarification that an overflight in space did not count as a breech of airspace. the russians did first, therefore setting the precedent.
7. I adored this series, when I was a boy! I had cassette-taped the entire four-episode program on VHS, but lost the tapes long, long ago. I kept hoping these would come out on DVD, as it seems virtually everything has in the past 30 years. But the series never did make it across the digital transom. So I am thrilled—absolutely thrilled!—to discover this series has been converted from VHS, to pure digital. It's like visiting a very old friend, whom I'd presumed long-gone. Perfect. My thanks, for uploading this to YouTube.
8. Brilliant to see again. A great series. I can't find 3& 4 are they here ?
9. thanks for uploading.  I have a few episodes on VHS.  I love the music opening music of this show, what's the name of the music?
10. Eisenhower was, according to Pete Conrad, not interested in selling his family jewels, to go into space, which is why we fell behind the Soviets.
11. Thanks for this! Brings back a good time for me. Hope the new verison doesn't alter the tone of the original.
12. I have both the original Spaceflight and the revised version (after the Challenger explosion- Part 4 was revised as well as the opening credits in all parts where they show it) on VHS..love it! Should be required viewing in science classes in schools.
13. THANK YOU for uploading this. I still have it on VHS somewhere, but I doubt the quality is anywhere near this rip. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've watched this documentary (all four parts of it) at least 30 times over the years. It was made at a unique time in space/aerospace history; Challenger had just happened, the Soviet bogeyman was still a real concern, SDI/Star Wars hadn't yet been canceled, and many of the original players in American space history were around to tell their tales. Martin Sheen doesn't hurt, either.
14. Great to see this on youtube. It was shown on Chanel 4 here in the UK in 1985 and I still have the rather ropey VHS video I made of the series.
15. Oh my God THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for finding this and putting it online!  My father taped this on VHS off of public broadcast TV when I was 2 or 3 years old. I loved it. I sat and watched this for hours while other kids could barely sit through Sesame Street.  I watched it repeatedly for years until the tape wore out and I couldn't watch it anymore. I cannot thank you enough.
    
    Martin Sheen narrated this series too. I consider it the best documentary ever made for its time.  Watching this again and hearing that uplifting and inspiring score made me almost cry.  This was at a time when America believed in itself and anything was possible.  We should never forget these achievements so they can inspire the next generation.
16. Been hoping someone would upload this series. Thanks!
17. I cannot thank you enough for this download....upload? I was almost going to use my money card to buy it online to show my kids. thanks again very much, my polish friend.