DISCOVERY CELEBRATES THE EPIC LIFE OF NEIL ARMSTRONG WITH A
SPECIAL PROGRAMME ONE GIANT LEAP: A NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE
New Delhi, The sun set on one of mankind‘s greatest pioneers with the recent passing of Neil Armstrong on August 25, 2012. The Armstrong story provides a snapshot of a profoundly historic moment for the world, when groundbreaking science and technology combined with an unmatched passion for satisfying curiosity. In celebration of Armstrong‘s life and innumerable contributions to space exploration, DiscoveryChannel will air a special programmeONE GIANT LEAP: A NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE, featuring footage from Neil Armstrong‘s last public appearance. The feature also offers interviews with crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, and leverages special access to the Apollo 11 archives to take viewers through the complete journey from initial training, to moon walk, to splashdown on Earth.
ONE GIANT LEAP: A NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE will premiereon Discovery Channel on Sunday, September 30 at 8 pm. The programme will simulcast on Discovery Science and Discovery Channel Tamil.
ONE GIANT LEAP: A NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE is a one-hour exclusive showcasing the tremendous impact Neil Armstrong made on the world and his legacy to space exploration. Told through poignant, personal interviews with Armstrong, it also includes archived Apollo footage discovered in 2006 that may be televised for the first time as well as interviews with his Apollo 11 crew mates conducted following Armstrong‘s death and their perspective on the future of manned space missions.
Commenting on the programme, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific said, “Discovery Channel through its programme offers tribute to one the most iconic legends. Neil Armstrong‘s landmark achievement and pioneering contributions continue to inspire people all around the world.â€
Utilising on-camera interviews with experts including Neil‘s fellow crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, and rare archival footage, ONE GIANT LEAP: A NEIL ARMSTRONG TRIBUTErecounts the history of the Apollo program, placing the moon landing in the historical context of that turbulent era in American history. Another segment of the film captures the emotion surrounding launch pad 34A, the site of the Apollo 1 fire which killed three astronauts during a ground test.
The special also airs across Discovery‘s international network portfolio in more than 200 countries around the world.
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Highlights of the programme are:
- The programme showcases rare footage from NASA archives and highlights that it was the most watched television event in 1969 with over 600 million viewers around the world.
- During the Moon expedition, feed of telemetry data was being sent from the Moon to three ground stations. The data included information like astronaut's heart rate, status of the spacecraft and the raw television broadcast.
- It features the iconic telephonic conversation between President Richard Nixon and the astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the fateful day.
- The programme takes an insiders‘ tour of Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Neil‘s hometown Ohio which houses a collection of Neil Armstrong‘s personal and professional memorabilia not found anywhere else. The museum preserves a plane Aeronca Champion that Neil Armstrong learned to fly in. The museum also obtained one of only four F5D Skylancers that Neil flew as a test pilot.
- This July, Neil Armstrong visited the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona to commission the Discovery Channel Telescope, the fifth largest in the U.S. This was his last public appearance. At an age of 82, he was still very excited about space exploration way beyond the Moon.
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For further information, please contact:
Atul Malikram
9827092823