National Archives and Records Administration

ARC Identifier 2569665 / Local Identifier 111-TV-397

Big Picture: Army Satellites

DVD Copied by Katie Filbert - Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 - 05/15/1984). First complete documentary on Explorers I and III produced for "THE BIG PICTURE" -- "Army Satellites" reveals the dramatic, suspenseful story of how the Army--when the prestige of the United States throughout the world had been shaken by events beyond its control--stirred the hearts and emotions of the American people with an epic display of scientific and technical teamwork. The story depicts the drama of the crucial 84 days before launching Explorer I. The story begins on the morning of November 8, 1957, at Huntsville, Alabama. THE BIG PICTURE cameras cover a sudden meeting called by Major General John B. Medaris with his staff which included Dr. Wernher von Braun. From this point, the film develops with dramatic sequences leading into the final "countdown" in the blockhouse at Cape Canaveral, Florida. "Army Satellites" is an actual step-by-step documentary filmed over a five month period by Army Signal Corps cameramen and is narrated by Alexander Scourby. With this issue of THE BIG PICTURE, the series has reached a total of 229 individual episodes since it started in 1951 as a public service feature for television stations totaling 328 in the United States.

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