I am proud to announce that the LOIRP Image recovery project will be presenting a 3 minute video at the 2009 Santa Cruz Film Festival. This is a major northern California cultural event and probably the first time in 20 years that a space themed entry has been invited to present. This film festival is attended by thousands and the attendees represent the top tier of the cultural elite of the San Francisco and northern California, including the regents of the University of California system, political, and business leaders.

Website http://www.santacruzfilmfestival.org/

Our presentation will be themed "In Praise of Old Men", which will be a 3 minute video, beginning with the original Lunar Orbiter program in the 1960's and segueing to our image and video record of bringing the marvels of 1960's technology back to life with a focus on the retirees who have been instrumental in our efforts. It is a praise of this incredibly competent generation that took us to the Moon, and who even in their golden years, are an inspiration to the younger generation in their abilities.

The video will end with some of the marvelous pictures of the Moon that we are getting now, and ending with an incredible image of the black and white Earth, lonely in the backdrop of space, derived from Lunar Orbiter I and V images.

At the end we will auction off three high resolution prints as part of a Charity event at the festival and our intrepid Center Director, Dr. Pete Worden will participate with the head of the film festival in the auction.

This will be a great way to bring the 60's, the role of NASA in the popular culture of the era, and to honor the people who helped to make that a reality.

Dennis Wingo
LOIRP Project Lead