GBH Openvault

NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist, part 2 of 3

Part of To the Moon Interviews.

1998

Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist who popularized the theory that lunar craters were created by impact, is interviewed about the slow acceptance of the theory, and his work with the Apollo program. After publishing "The Face of the Moon", Baldwin wrote two later books on the same subject, and lists Harold Urey and Gerard Kuiper as converts to the theory. Baldwin also talks about Gene Shoemaker in positive terms, and expresses a wish to have gone to the moon. Baldwin then explains how he used information from WWII-era bombs to explain his theory that explosive impact was the best explanation for the cratering of the moon. The interview ends with a description of where he was at the Kennedy announcement of the plans to go to the moon, his time in business with a machinery company, and his receipt of the Smith Award.


License Clip
Series
NOVA
Program
To the Moon
Program Number

2610

Title

Interview with Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist, part 2 of 3

Series Description

NOVA is a general-interest documentary series that addresses a single science issue each week. Billed as "science adventures for curious grown-ups" when it first aired in March, 1974, NOVA continues to offer an informative and entertaining approach to a challenging subject. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over.

Program Description

This remarkably crafted program covers the full range of participants in the Apollo project, from the scientists and engineers who promoted bold ideas about the nature of the Moon and how to get there, to the young geologists who chose the landing sites and helped train the crews, to the astronauts who actually went – not once or twice, but six times, each to a more demanding and interesting location on the Moon's surface. "To The Moon" includes unprecedented footage, rare interviews, and presents a magnificent overview of the history of man and the Moon. To the Moon aired as NOVA episode 2610 in 1999.

Duration

0:23:00

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Astronaut
Space
American history
Apollo
Gemini
Moon
Creators
WGBH Educational Foundation (Producing Organization)
Contributors
Baldwin, Ralph Belknap, 1912-2010 (Interviewee)
Rights Summary

Rights Holder: WGBH Educational Foundation

Citation
Chicago: “NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist, part 2 of 3,” 1998, GBH Archives, accessed December 26, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_24AB45B639974105B804DA09D2D52EFA.
MLA: “NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist, part 2 of 3.” 1998. GBH Archives. Web. December 26, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_24AB45B639974105B804DA09D2D52EFA>.
APA: NOVA; To the Moon; Interview with Ralph Baldwin, planetary scientist, part 2 of 3. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_24AB45B639974105B804DA09D2D52EFA
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