One Small Step: The Story of the Space Chimps
Encyclopedia
One Small Step: The Story of the Space Chimps is a documentary film produced and directed by David Cassidy
and Kristin Davy which aired on History Channel UK and CBC Television
. The film chronicles the real story behind the early use of chimpanzees in space exploration
. The film was released on DVD
in April 2008, after several delays. David Cassidy is best known for producing the documentary Shut Up and Sing
on the Dixie Chicks
, and the Disney Channel
show High School Musical: The Music in You
.
, and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
, before airing on television and being released on DVD.
and Enos
as they made their ground breaking missions into space.
The story reveals the space chimps’ triumphs and tragedies and brings to light the virtually unknown account of how the colony was rewarded for their long and challenging service to NASA, the Air Force, and the United States.
Featured in the documentary are interviews with Dr. Carole Noon who heads up the Save the Chimps
sanctuary, Dr. Jane Goodall
and archival footage of President Kennedy's famous space exploration speech delivered at Rice University
. The Film also recounts the stories of many early primate missions including those of Able and Baker, and Gordo
.
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
and Kristin Davy which aired on History Channel UK and CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. The film chronicles the real story behind the early use of chimpanzees in space exploration
Monkeys in space
Before humans went into space, several animals were launched into space, including numerous monkeys, so that scientists could investigate the biological effects of space travel. The United States launched flights containing primate cargo primarily between 1948-1961 with one flight in 1969 and one...
. The film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in April 2008, after several delays. David Cassidy is best known for producing the documentary Shut Up and Sing
Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing
Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing is a 2006 documentary film produced and directed by Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck ....
on the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, and the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
show High School Musical: The Music in You
High School Musical: The Music in You
High School Musical: The Music in You is a documentary from Award winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple as she follows students from Arlington Heights and Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas as they prepare to put on their version of the Disney hit High School Musical. The Summer Theatre show...
.
Release
One Small Step: The Story of the Space Chimps is a documentary that screened in over 20 film festivals including the Maryland Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
, and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival began as a cooperative effort between the Southern Film Alliance and a small group of Hot Springs volunteers in 1992. Academy Award nominated films were shown free of charge to the public in the Historic District of Hot Springs...
, before airing on television and being released on DVD.
Plot
Told through archival photos and footage, space historians, testimony from the chimps trainers, and through the people who fought for the space chimps peaceful retirement, the film explores the compelling journey of the United States Air Force space from their primate predecessors and early rocket tests to HamHam the Chimp
Ham , also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first chimpanzee launched into outer space in the American space program...
and Enos
Enos (chimpanzee)
Enos was the first chimpanzee that was launched into Earth orbit.Enos was purchased from the Miami Rare Bird Farm on April 3, 1960. He completed more than 1,250 hours of training for his mission at the University of Kentucky and Holloman Air Force Base...
as they made their ground breaking missions into space.
The story reveals the space chimps’ triumphs and tragedies and brings to light the virtually unknown account of how the colony was rewarded for their long and challenging service to NASA, the Air Force, and the United States.
Featured in the documentary are interviews with Dr. Carole Noon who heads up the Save the Chimps
Save the Chimps
Save the Chimps is a publicly financed 501nonprofit American animal sanctuary specializing in the care of chimpanzees. The organization utilizes two separate locations: a temporary sanctuary within a former biomedical research lab located in Alamogordo, New Mexico and a chimpanzee-centric facility...
sanctuary, Dr. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
and archival footage of President Kennedy's famous space exploration speech delivered at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
. The Film also recounts the stories of many early primate missions including those of Able and Baker, and Gordo
Gordo (space monkey)
Gordo was one of the first monkeys to travel into space. As part of the NASA space program, Gordo, also known as "Old Reliable", was launched from Cape Canaveral on December 13, 1958 in the U.S. Jupiter AM-13 rocket. The rocket would travel over 1500 miles and reach a height of 310 miles before...
.