September 15, 2005
Purdue sponsors IMAX showing of film on Apollo missions
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will be highlighted at the Indiana premiere of a new IMAX documentary about man's exploration of the moon.
The Purdue Alumni Association and the College of Engineering are sponsoring the Indiana showing of "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D." The film will open Sept. 22 at the IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis to an invitation-only audience.
The film will open in IMAX theaters worldwide the following day and will be shown in Indianapolis through Dec. 15.
"Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D" uses archival footage, computer-generated imagery and IMAX 3-D technology to provide viewers with a realistic view of what it was like for the 12 astronauts who explored the lunar surface on the Apollo missions. It was produced and is narrated by Tom Hanks, who has been involved in two other projects about the Apollo program. He starred in "Apollo 13" and the television miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon."
"The collaboration just seemed to be a natural fit," said Todd Coleman, executive director of the Purdue Alumni Association. "We think it's terrific that the alumni association could be involved in showcasing a film that will highlight the long history of our graduates in space – 22 astronauts, including the first and last man to have walked on the moon. This film will make it possible for the rest of us to have a virtual experience like the one those famous Boilermakers had."
There are 19,565 Purdue alumni living in Marion County.
Tickets for "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D" are available through the IMAX Theater in Indianapolis, their Web site at www.IMAXindy.com or by calling (317) 233-IMAX. Members of the Purdue Alumni Association will receive a discount with their membership card.
After the premiere showing, astronaut Guy Gardner will deliver remarks. He received a master's degree from Purdue in 1970 in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and flew on two space shuttle missions. In January, he was named superprojects director for the e-Enterprise Center in Discovery Park, marking the first time Purdue has hired one of its astronaut alumni. Also speaking will be Barrett S. Caldwell, a Purdue associate professor of industrial engineering and director of the Indiana Space Grant Consortium.
On Sept. 23, Gardner will serve as the host for screenings at 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. for students from Decatur Middle School in Indianapolis. After the showings, he will answer the students' questions about the film and what it's like to be an astronaut.
The film itself was sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corp. and was made with the cooperation of NASA.
In addition to moon walkers Neil A. Armstrong and Eugene A. Cernan, others from Purdue have lived on the space station and walked in space. Two of Purdue's alumni astronauts – Roger B. Chaffee and Virgil "Gus" Grissom – were killed on Jan. 26, 1967, when an explosion and fire occurred during a simulated launch of their Apollo spacecraft.
"In addition to our astronauts, Purdue also is the academic home to many of the thousands of people on the ground who make it all possible," said Linda Katehi, the John A. Edwardson dean of engineering. "Our alumni have manned Mission Control, designed space vehicles, and one of them today is the director of human exploration of space for NASA, directing programming for the space station and other parts of the space program. Amy Ross, who is a relatively recent graduate and the daughter of Purdue alumni astronaut Jerry Ross, helped design the space gloves now worn by astronauts."
The goal of the Apollo program, which included 11 missions from 1963-72, was to land humans on the moon and bring them safely back to Earth.
Purdue's commitment to the space program continues with several astronautics research projects. Work is currently being conducted on heating issues related to insulating foam used on space shuttles, wind-tunnel technology, the design of future spacecraft fuel tanks and the development of a center for a self-sustaining environment for future space colonies on Mars and elsewhere in space.
In October 2004, Purdue broke ground on the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, which will house the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the School of Materials Engineering and the Department of Engineering Education. Armstrong Hall also will be home to a number of engineering programs, including the Minorities in Engineering Program, Women in Engineering Program and Engineering Projects in Community Service.
Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu
Sources: Todd Coleman, (765) 494-5179, toddcoleman@purdue.edu
Nicki Reas, assistant director of young alumni and constituent relations, Purdue Alumni Association, (765) 496-6193, nreas@purdue.edu
Dave Brown, director of IMAX Theater, (317) 233-4845, dbrown@imax.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Those interested in attending the reception or the screenings should contact Kim Medaris, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu.
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