"ATOMS FOR SPACE" 1960s U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION SYSTEMS for NUCLEAR AUXILIARY POWER 66954

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit / periscopefilm
This short film from the early 1960s, produced by North American Aviation’s Atomics International division for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), uses footage, illustrations, animation and models to give viewers a look at the development of compact nuclear power sources for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s SNAP Program (Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power). The film opens with a shot of sunrise over a city. Viewers see powerlines running through a valley and into a residential area. There is an aerial view of a factory (01:36). This is followed by shots of atomic power stations, a nuclear submarine cruising, a nuclear ship being christened, and a missile taking off from a launch pad. The film shows a city lit up at night (02:43), then shots of the stars. Women operate a telephone switchboard. Men work in an air traffic control tower (04:07). Viewers also see a telescope, solar activity through the viewer of a telescope, a satellite launch, and basic animation of satellites orbiting in space (05:28). The film uses graphics and basic animation to show how atoms are used to create compact nuclear power sources by showing how atoms are split. Viewers see an animation of how this is done inside a nuclear reactor (07:46). Particles from radioactive isotopes break away. Headlines of newspapers (and then actual video footage) show President Dwight D. Eisenhower announcing the use of the first SNAP power unit (09:28). SNAP 3 is shown on a table, and then a closeup shot shows how the device is constructed. The Navy’s first Transit satellite is launched in September 1959 (10:22). A robotic arm moves a radioactive isotope fuel capsule (10:57). There are shots of the small nuclear generator that powers the satellite. Someone flame sprays the generator with a white ceramic coating. At the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins, two men work on the Navy Transit 4A Satellite (12:30). The Transit 4A is launched into orbit with a Thor-Ablestar rocket on 28 June 1961. Animation is used to depict the satellite in orbit (13:47). Atomics International engineers develop small nuclear reactors using SNAP power (14:37). Men move movable reflectors that sit inside the reactor. Animation gives a detailed look at how the 1,000-pound reactor works by splitting atoms. Two men look at a model of the in-development SNAP 8 reactor (15:46). The films also shows images of the design for the SNAP 10 reactor. A man operates robotic arms to build isotope fuel capsules (16:56). Men test heated isotope capsules against granite, steel, and concrete at an unnamed test site. Men test a fuel capsule on a test tower, detonating the tower (17:58). Viewers also see test capsules being detonated with TNT to simulate a rocket launch explosion. Two men work on the fuel cell reflectors of a SNAP reactor at the Johns Hopkins laboratory (19:29). There are shots of several SNAP units. SNAP 7C is shown in a laboratory (21:40), then being loaded off a ship in Antarctica. There is an illustration of a family watching television in their living room (23:24), which is followed by a clip of President John F. Kennedy’s address to the United Nations on 25 September 1961. Animation and illustrations are used to show spacecraft (like Surveyor) landing on the moon (25:10), as well as the Voyager space vehicle landing instruments on Venus and Mars, and the route of the Apollo missions to orbit and land on the moon. The film concludes with a shot of space and the stars.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@KeritechElectronics]

Two-way telephone television? If only that! It took over 20 years to get here, and they certainly didn't even imagine the internet era and how it would change our lives... for the better and worse. Great film.

[@samanthavillagomez997]

Thankyou I enjoy the informative video!

[@TheRoland444]

This is awe inspiring material, even today. The main glitch though is that since this material was presented the general trust in government instrumentalities has sharply diminished with credibility sharply in question.

[@heathwirt8919]

The lack of trust in government is mostly from dimwitted people believing a lying conman over factual sources of information.

[@christopherconard2831]

They got a fair amount right in their prediction of the future. Fortunately the truck mounted portable nuclear power plant didn't catch on.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

A truck mounted portable nuclear reactor was safer than the flying reactor, which we & the CCCP did build, the CCCP even powered two of the four engines with theirs...

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@davidhollenshead4892 What was the soviet nuclear gas turbine called? We actually did build a cargo container nuclear reactor for McMurdo station in Antarctica.

[@rockets4kids]

There are several movable nuclear power plants on ships, though. The problem with trucks is a source of cooling water, they will only work when you can park the truck near a large body of water.

[@videolabguy]

I like how these kinds of programs get so much of it right and so much more of it wrong. Even, no especially, today. It's called hubris. Watching these films gives me the perspective to take modern prediction programs with the nano gram of salt that they deserve. I've been watching this kind of hog wash now for over fifty years. Here is what I have learned. Until something happens, it hasn't happened. When someone says something is safe, it isn't. And all of it is always, "Just around the corner"!

[@rockets4kids]

What it is properly called is propaganda.

[@AustralianChristianFascists]

Thats my feeling about quantum computing and AI. People make bold predictions whether positive or apocalyptic, and it will probably be pretty minorly incremental. I looked at newspaper archives, and in 1945 they were pushing space stations as gateways to exploring planets and other solar systems. We we got a space station, a good accomplishment, but a far far cry from what was promised and now being decommissioned. It's definitely not any kind of refueling launchpad. And those promises came from the government , not private enterprise where you'd expect the overhyped promising being about profits.

[@allgood6760]

Thanks👍

[@dougcase7545]

Things were kind of cavalier back in the day about "dispersing" the radioactive materials in the atmosphere. This practice was ended by the 70's.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Nope, as the Soviet Satellites continued the practice. Also, not all of our SNAP reactors have de-orbited yet...

[@dougcase7545]

@@davidhollenshead4892 I was referring to US satellites.

[@JeffreyOrnstein]

“The earth is pear-shaped.” Really? I thought it was more like a pineapple.

[@zombieturtleeggboy3572]

Mmmm, Pineapple.

[@tomnelsonast]

Delicious.

[@billruss6704]

Primitive man believed the earth was pear shaped, It is now known to be shaped like a pancake. Many a ship has met it's fate by sailing off the edge of the ocean.

[@TheZacDJ]

Does anyone know What is the music at around 4:00 minutes? Many Thanks in advance, Zac

[@AzimuthAviation]

I think The Avalanches sampled that...

[@glenbjack]

i have a SNAP unit in my CRT, making it 5K! just dont bypass the Naker valve ;-)

[@thetreblerebel]

The Snap unit is probably what they used to power satellites and the Voyager probes. I know that Voyager was nuclear powered

[@aliceanderson5154]

Voyager and other NASA probes used the passive decay heat from plutonium. There was no nuclear reaction needed. Read about RTGs on wikipedia. I was amazed to learn that the SNAP reactor is still in high orbit today.

[@fromthesidelines]

Originally released in 1962.

[@kirkwilliams1650]

I. Never. Heard. Of. SNAP. Nuclear. Power. Systems. That. Date. Back. To. The. Early. 1960's. ! ! ! ! I. Alway's. Thought. The. Nuclear. Program. Was. To. Develop. Nuclear. Rocket. Propulsion. System's. 🚀🚀🚀🚀📡📡📡📡.

[@TheRogerhill1234]

I think only one of these nuclear reactors every made it into space before they were all outlawed in the space treaty with the Soviets. Though, the nuclear batteries are still used, and can produce quit a bit more power than these early designs.

[@nicholasmaude6906]

" before they were all outlawed in the space treaty with the Soviets." Are you sure about that? IIRC the treaty only prohibited the testing of nuclear-weapons in outer-space.

[@schr75]

Nuclear reactors was never outlawed in space. The Soviet US-A, or RORSAT, program used nuclear reactors in space for many years.

[@joeb7373]

they SCRAM’d the program

[@MitzvosGolem1]

This idea may be re visited..

[@Mark_Ocain]

Thankfully they stopped using these in all applications except deep space missions.

[@tjlovesrachel]

Why thankfully?

[@TCGView]

I want atomic batteries!

[@johnrobinson357]

Skylab anyone.....

[@robh.5595]

I rate this 3.6 Not great. Not terrible.

[@brysonkuervers2570]

And you’re the reigning film critic on KZbin? Lol

[@robh.5595]

If I was the reigning film critic, then I'd presume that prior to submitting your reply you looked at it, and said...nah, it'll be fine.

[@unassistedsuicide2243]

Atomic power has many important uses for mankind. Foremost being ANNIHILATING 8 BILLION OVERGROWN RATS

[@ChemEDan]

Username checks out

[@earnestemry6381]

atomic energy is what killed my dad during the cold war he was a machinist build atomic caseings for the Atomic Energy Commision he was involved in the detonation impact on the alloys after explosion the radiation or Rads we call them from many test sites the exposure from the fallout the radiation took his life at the age of 31 so i do condemn the use of nuclear energy for any purpose

[@MatthewHolevinski]

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, my dad also suffered a non-related accident due to a crane while working on our nukes which made the rest of his life miserable. But if he were here today he would tell you it was worth it, and nuclear technology should always be studied and furthered for any cause regardless of risk. If your pops did succumb to acute radiation sickness he is one of very, very few people who ever have. Which is more than I can say for any other industry that has probably ever existed since the dawn of man.

[@booklover6753]

@@MatthewHolevinski Matthew, Earnests' comment may seem extreme but it has merit. The half life of the isotopes used in and created by fission can stretch into thousands of years. This is the problem inherent in the use of atomic power production. Condoning utilization at any risk is, unfortunately, a foolhardy sentiment. You are talking like a child who has found his fathers loaded gun. Saying that "very few have died" from radiation exposure is also misleading.

[@sgtpecker7092]

I'm sure you were the same type of people, that would have banned the internet, to save the libraries... atomic energy, is the most powerful, most efficient, and cleanest form we know; not explore it, invites our own destruction.

[@DeathBringer9000]

Atoms for Space? is that like Cash for Guns?

[@steveshoemaker6347]

The space shuttle had a nuclear power box on board to produce electric power...That was a big worry when one blew up.....Also the on that burned up coming back to earth..Most big satellites have some sort of the same deal....The space station....??

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Actually the Shuttle used power cells that were chemically powered, as well using solar power arrays....

[@steveshoemaker6347]

@@davidhollenshead4892 We handled the one that was nuclear...l saw it up close...Back in the 1980's..An a little more...

[@BigDaddy-yp4mi]

@@qed100 If someone were THAT ignorant to mix up the shuttle parts and the payload, my guess is they are too stupid to be let anywhere near the space shuttle and/of are just a liar. The ISS is also solar powered. I think the dude is a conspiracy theorist/guillable goof who is just speculating and didn't have squat to do with the space program in ANY way. steve shoemaker is a flipping liar.

[@brysonkuervers2570]

They didn’t use nuclear power and neither does the ISS. What do you think the giant solar arrays are for?

[@steveshoemaker6347]

@@brysonkuervers2570 l worked there,l know what l saw...Did you ?