Jason Thompson
@jasonjtt.bsky.social
Biochemist, Doctor Who fan, astronomer, model-maker... these are just some of the nicer terms used to describe me. Co-host of @robotsineyes podcast.
And why was it Apollo 4? Well, Apollo 1 had been officially adopted as the name of the test that killed Grissom, White and Chaffee in a fire, and there had been two prior test flights of the production Apollo spacecraft (AS-201 and AS-202 the previous year), so this was the fourth, hence Apollo 4.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
And why was it Apollo 4? Well, Apollo 1 had been officially adopted as the name of the test that killed Grissom, White and Chaffee in a fire, and there had been two prior test flights of the production Apollo spacecraft (AS-201 and AS-202 the previous year), so this was the fourth, hence Apollo 4.
The spacecraft then fired the engine again to accelerate re-entry to translunar speeds to give the heat shield a good test. The Apollo spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic brining the first Saturn V flight to a successful conclusion.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
The spacecraft then fired the engine again to accelerate re-entry to translunar speeds to give the heat shield a good test. The Apollo spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic brining the first Saturn V flight to a successful conclusion.
The third stage, the S-IVB, then placed the spacecraft into parking orbit before re-igniting to raise the apogee to over 9,000 miles. The Apollo spacecraft then separated and fired its own engine to go oven higher, nearly 10,000 miles at apogee. An automatic camera captured images of Earth.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
The third stage, the S-IVB, then placed the spacecraft into parking orbit before re-igniting to raise the apogee to over 9,000 miles. The Apollo spacecraft then separated and fired its own engine to go oven higher, nearly 10,000 miles at apogee. An automatic camera captured images of Earth.
30 seconds later the interstage separation was captured by film cameras on the second stage and provided us with one of the most famous pieces of rocketry footage ever seen as the huge metal ring cartwheeled away, lit up in flame by the otherwise invisible exhaust of the second stage engines.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
30 seconds later the interstage separation was captured by film cameras on the second stage and provided us with one of the most famous pieces of rocketry footage ever seen as the huge metal ring cartwheeled away, lit up in flame by the otherwise invisible exhaust of the second stage engines.
Over a third of the height and two thirds of the mass of the rocket was in the first stage, designated the S-IC. 2 and a half minutes into the flight this was cut loose to fall back into the Atlantic. The second stage, S-II, then took over.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Over a third of the height and two thirds of the mass of the rocket was in the first stage, designated the S-IC. 2 and a half minutes into the flight this was cut loose to fall back into the Atlantic. The second stage, S-II, then took over.
The Saturn V was by far the biggest thing ever launched to that point. It stood over 360 feet tall and weighed around 6 million pounds fully fueled. The first stage used kerosene and liquid oxygen to generate 7.5 million pounds of thrust to lift the beast. The other 2 stages burned liquid hydrogen.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
The Saturn V was by far the biggest thing ever launched to that point. It stood over 360 feet tall and weighed around 6 million pounds fully fueled. The first stage used kerosene and liquid oxygen to generate 7.5 million pounds of thrust to lift the beast. The other 2 stages burned liquid hydrogen.
Ooh, may have to order this, if only to have something to beat those who claim Doctor Who only got political recently around the head with.... 😂
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Ooh, may have to order this, if only to have something to beat those who claim Doctor Who only got political recently around the head with.... 😂
Media literacy is uncommon, even among actual media producers. See for example the decades-long insistence on remastering film and TV in a different aspect ratio from the one it was blocked for, filmed for and intended to be presented in.
November 26, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Media literacy is uncommon, even among actual media producers. See for example the decades-long insistence on remastering film and TV in a different aspect ratio from the one it was blocked for, filmed for and intended to be presented in.
Oh for the love of… 🤦♂️
Let’s hope he quickly learns a lesson about appropriate and professional behaviour.
Let’s hope he quickly learns a lesson about appropriate and professional behaviour.
November 26, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Oh for the love of… 🤦♂️
Let’s hope he quickly learns a lesson about appropriate and professional behaviour.
Let’s hope he quickly learns a lesson about appropriate and professional behaviour.
The probe also fired its vernier engines to examine the effect of rocket exhaust on the lunar regolith, and fired them again for longer to become the first craft to lift off from the lunar surface. It rose to a few feet in height and landed again some ten feet from its original landing spot.
November 25, 2025 at 9:57 PM
The probe also fired its vernier engines to examine the effect of rocket exhaust on the lunar regolith, and fired them again for longer to become the first craft to lift off from the lunar surface. It rose to a few feet in height and landed again some ten feet from its original landing spot.
"BUGGER, I'VE LOST 'EM!"
November 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM
"BUGGER, I'VE LOST 'EM!"
It's horrendous. I'm currently massively disappointed/enraged (depending on how my day is generally) by the number of times I've seen obviously AI generated imagery used to illustrate things for which actual, free, easily accessible public domain imagery exists in spades!
November 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM
It's horrendous. I'm currently massively disappointed/enraged (depending on how my day is generally) by the number of times I've seen obviously AI generated imagery used to illustrate things for which actual, free, easily accessible public domain imagery exists in spades!
The restaged reprise is hilarious, as they all stand around uncomfortably to allow time for the captions to be added before resuming the dialogue! 😆
November 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The restaged reprise is hilarious, as they all stand around uncomfortably to allow time for the captions to be added before resuming the dialogue! 😆
Then there's things like episode 4 of The Daleks, where they recorded the final cliffhanger scene twice and played in the other one the following week to allow for the different captioning. Or the reprise in part 2 using the first recording of part 1.
It's always more complex than it looks!
It's always more complex than it looks!
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Then there's things like episode 4 of The Daleks, where they recorded the final cliffhanger scene twice and played in the other one the following week to allow for the different captioning. Or the reprise in part 2 using the first recording of part 1.
It's always more complex than it looks!
It's always more complex than it looks!
I have had in my mind for ages a look at which episodes used played in reprises and which used re-enactments. Often they re-enacted if the scripted action carried straight on but that's not a hard and fast rule (there really are no such things in classic Who!).
November 25, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I have had in my mind for ages a look at which episodes used played in reprises and which used re-enactments. Often they re-enacted if the scripted action carried straight on but that's not a hard and fast rule (there really are no such things in classic Who!).
The Massacre is entirely unrepresented in its as-broadcast form to my knowledge. Toymaker 2? Then we're back into telesnap territory for a fair while, and with Space Pirates probably using the same model footage that might be the lot! Indeed, way shorter than expected.
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
The Massacre is entirely unrepresented in its as-broadcast form to my knowledge. Toymaker 2? Then we're back into telesnap territory for a fair while, and with Space Pirates probably using the same model footage that might be the lot! Indeed, way shorter than expected.
I don't think there is anything from Master Plan 8, and the reprise in part 10 is definitely a re-enactment so I think Master Plan 9 also counts. The same is true of the reprise in episode 11, so that would put 11 and 12 on the list too.
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I don't think there is anything from Master Plan 8, and the reprise in part 10 is definitely a re-enactment so I think Master Plan 9 also counts. The same is true of the reprise in episode 11, so that would put 11 and 12 on the list too.
The Myth Makers has some 8mm clips from parts 1, 2 and 4 certainly. If there are none from Part 3 would that episode be on the list?
We have clips from Master Plan 1, 3 and 4. Was the cliffhanger from 5 played in or re-enacted in 6? I'm putting that on the 'maybe' pile!
We have clips from Master Plan 1, 3 and 4. Was the cliffhanger from 5 played in or re-enacted in 6? I'm putting that on the 'maybe' pile!
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
The Myth Makers has some 8mm clips from parts 1, 2 and 4 certainly. If there are none from Part 3 would that episode be on the list?
We have clips from Master Plan 1, 3 and 4. Was the cliffhanger from 5 played in or re-enacted in 6? I'm putting that on the 'maybe' pile!
We have clips from Master Plan 1, 3 and 4. Was the cliffhanger from 5 played in or re-enacted in 6? I'm putting that on the 'maybe' pile!
I think Galaxy 4 episode 4 might count depending on how much of the end of episode 3 is actually lost and how much was reprised. Mission to the Unknown certainly does.
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I think Galaxy 4 episode 4 might count depending on how much of the end of episode 3 is actually lost and how much was reprised. Mission to the Unknown certainly does.
I'm reasonably sure that the telesnaps from Marco Polo 5 include a shot of the cliffhanger scene of the previous episode, so that would rule that episode out of the list.
With the 8mm clips from Reign of Terror 4 & 5 and the telesnaps from The Crusade those are out.
With the 8mm clips from Reign of Terror 4 & 5 and the telesnaps from The Crusade those are out.
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I'm reasonably sure that the telesnaps from Marco Polo 5 include a shot of the cliffhanger scene of the previous episode, so that would rule that episode out of the list.
With the 8mm clips from Reign of Terror 4 & 5 and the telesnaps from The Crusade those are out.
With the 8mm clips from Reign of Terror 4 & 5 and the telesnaps from The Crusade those are out.
(The end of the episode released on DVD and blu-ray was reconstructed using the soundtrack and other clips. I think Steven collapsing was taken from 'The Plague', for instance.)
November 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
(The end of the episode released on DVD and blu-ray was reconstructed using the soundtrack and other clips. I think Steven collapsing was taken from 'The Plague', for instance.)
Galaxy 4 1 has a brief 8mm clip and several minutes of the TARDIS team meeting Maaga in the Drahvin ship.
Interestingly, Galaxy 4's final episode might count as the end of the recovered print of 'Air Lock' was damaged, so we actually don't have the as broadcast cliffhanger that was reprised.
Interestingly, Galaxy 4's final episode might count as the end of the recovered print of 'Air Lock' was damaged, so we actually don't have the as broadcast cliffhanger that was reprised.
November 25, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Galaxy 4 1 has a brief 8mm clip and several minutes of the TARDIS team meeting Maaga in the Drahvin ship.
Interestingly, Galaxy 4's final episode might count as the end of the recovered print of 'Air Lock' was damaged, so we actually don't have the as broadcast cliffhanger that was reprised.
Interestingly, Galaxy 4's final episode might count as the end of the recovered print of 'Air Lock' was damaged, so we actually don't have the as broadcast cliffhanger that was reprised.
Are you considering cliffhangers and reprises (and telesnaps thereof) as 'clips' in this list?
I'm making my own mentally. Fairly certain 'The Massacre' is the only complete serial for which this is perfectly true, as there are no telesnaps, clips OR cliffhangers/reprises for the ones either side.
I'm making my own mentally. Fairly certain 'The Massacre' is the only complete serial for which this is perfectly true, as there are no telesnaps, clips OR cliffhangers/reprises for the ones either side.
November 25, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Are you considering cliffhangers and reprises (and telesnaps thereof) as 'clips' in this list?
I'm making my own mentally. Fairly certain 'The Massacre' is the only complete serial for which this is perfectly true, as there are no telesnaps, clips OR cliffhangers/reprises for the ones either side.
I'm making my own mentally. Fairly certain 'The Massacre' is the only complete serial for which this is perfectly true, as there are no telesnaps, clips OR cliffhangers/reprises for the ones either side.