NASA’s first manned missions, Mercury and Gemini, were full of groundbreaking firsts, from John Glenn’s pioneering orbit to the first U.S. spacewalk, rendezvous, and even the first selfie in space. Many of the images that documented these milestones were grainy, damaged or long overlooked.
In this episode, we speak with Andy Saunders, one of the world’s leading experts on NASA digital restoration and the bestselling author of "Apollo Remastered." His new book, "Gemini and Mercury Remastered," uses cutting-edge digital techniques to recover never-before-seen images from NASA’s archives, offering a vivid look at the tense and often astonishing moments of America’s early space program.
Saunders shares the stories behind these images, from John Glenn’s $40 drugstore camera purchase that captured the first still photographs of Earth from orbit, to Gus Grissom’s near-drowning after Liberty Bell 7 sank, to the moment Neil Armstrong nearly lost his life.
Through restored visuals and newly uncovered details, Saunders reveals the drama, danger and wonder of the missions that taught us how to live and work in space and ultimately made Apollo possible.
