The TV continued well after re-entering the LM and included the astronauts jettisoning their backpacks (PLSSs). Whilst NASA has the full moonwalk in the archives, this later TV footage is not. Only a few seconds of what is known as the “PLSS Jettison” seem to exist as a short clip in a NASA documentary and some cine taken off-screen in Australia where the TV signal was picked up. I do remember seeing this TV live on the BBC – although it’s a long time ago and I could be remembering the PLSS Jettison from a later mission. On the other hand, I may well be correctly remembering the BBC transmitting the Apollo 11 jettision – in which case this may be on this BBC recording….

Even the recent NASA release of the enhaced Apollo 11 EVA footage notes this TV is missing and shows the Australian off-screen cine film as the ‘only know copy of this footage’.

It would be a wonderful find if it is on the tape.

It includes links to many hours of NASA’s own recordings, all the way from before lift-off to the splashdown days later. More than 24 hours of recordings (audio only) are featured.

Go to http://www.JimmyClitheroe.co.uk/otr.htm

On 27th February 2006 Patrick Moore presented the ‘Sky At Night’ special entitled ‘Apollo 11 – A Night to Remember’, which includes an amazing quantity of genuine surviving b/w and colour footage of the mission, largely drawn from American sources but including BBC filmed insert material (location footage) presented by James Burke and Michael Charlton. This programme runs 2 hours, and consists solely of non-studio material.

Patrick Mooere does mention at the beginning of the programme that much of the live commentary and discussion from the BBC’s presentation of the moon landings has been lost. Producer Paul Vanezis had pieced together a compilation using all of the surviving BBC location footage from the Cape, segments from the BBC sound archives, and film from the Space Agency’s own recordings. Patrick Moore covered up missing segments with his own narration, specially recorded for this programme (in place of his own, and James Burke’s, 1969 commentary).

However, I’ve seen video footage off the U.S. tv networks in other programmes, e.g. on the History Channel, which suggests that the archives of the American tv networks (NBC, ABC, and CBS) have a large quantity of footage of the event. I recall in particular, video footage of US anchorman Walter Cronkite covering the landing. Also, I clearly recall from 1969 that, in the UK, ITV also had quite extensive coverage of Apollo XI. But ‘A Night to Remember’ doesn’t include any of the ITV footage. Granted, Patrick Moore and James Burke are the best remembered presenters associated with Apollo XI, but ITV also had coverage of the mission.