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Engineer and filmmaker Sam Russell will speak on the events in the 1960’s that lead to Neil Armstrong’s historic first step onto the moon’s surface.
Beginning with President Kennedy’s commitment to this monumental effort, Sam Russell will recall the extraordinary path taken by project Apollo, from visionary dream to triumphant finale. Supported by photos and video, this talk will address the challenges, successes, and tragedies along the way. Russell will reflect on what it was like being there in the ’60’s, teaming alongside thousands of others who made this all happen.
Sam Russell has a formal background in engineering. Fascinated with the ambitions of the Apollo program, he worked on the related NASA projects and was a flight controller in Houston during the Gemini program. He later joined the team at RCA Astro-Electronics in Hightstown, NJ, and lead in the development of the Houston-controlled, color TV camera that brought the moonwalks of the last three Apollo missions into the living rooms of millions.
During the second half of the program, there will be an opportunity for all attendees to share their memories as to where they were when this momentous event occurred. We invite audience members to bring any memorabilia they may have at home to be scanned. Attendees may also record their memories to be added to SCLSNJ's oral history collection in the library's catalog as part of the Where Were You When series. The entire event will be video recorded for future educational purposes.
