RED FILES – Secret Soviet Moon Mission
Final Script as at Tuesday, 05 February 1999
Gate 10.00.00
10.00.02 NARRATOR
A MOSCOW WAREHOUSE HOLDS ONE OF THE
Lunar lander 10.00.06 COLD WAR'S BEST KEPT SECRETS -- THE
SOVIET UNION'S LUNAR LANDER.
MS 10.00.19 LEONOV
We could have gone to the moon…but we let our chance slip away.
Cosmonauts & rocket 10.00.23
10.00.25 NARRATOR
THE SOVIETS RACED AMERICA IN SPACE, AND NEARLY REACHED THE MOON.
TITLE MUSIC 10.00.42
SERIES TITLES 10.00.42 THE RED FILES
Sky & clouds 10.01.12 NARRATOR
HIS VERY NAME WAS SECRET.
Car Drives thro gates 10.01.21 THE MASTERMIND OF THE SOVIET MOON RACE WAS KNOWN ONLY AS "THE CHIEF DESIGNER."
Car up driveway 10.01.33 HE GAVE HIS NATION THE GLORY IT CRAVED, YET HIS OWN LIFE WAS MARKED WITH DEEP SUFFERING AND PUBLIC OBSCURITY.
10.01.46 LEONOV
His name was never spoken.
MS We wondered, "Who is this man, whose name is only a whisper?"
Car driving 10.01.54
10.01.58 HARFORD V/O
Just think of what he had achieved. First satellite, first dog in space, first man in space, first 3 men in space, first woman in space, first spacecraft to hit the Moon, first spacecraft to hit Venus.
MS 10.02.14 Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, one guy.
Car Driving 10.02.17
Moon through clouds 10.02.21
10.02.37 NATALIYA V/O
His dream was the Moon.
Still, Korolev 10.02.28 When I was a girl I'd read Voyage to the Moon by Jules Verne. He saw this book and told me: “You know
MS 10.02.39 in your lifetime a human will walk on the Moon” I said: “That's impossible” But he looked at me very seriously Still, Korolev & Nataliya 10.02.44 and said: “No. Please, remember this day - I tell you, man will walk on the moon”.
10.02.53 NARRATOR
Sky SERGEI KOROLEV DARED TO DREAM IN A
NATION WHERE DREAMS HAD TO BOW
BEFORE THE WILL OF THE STATE.
Moon stuff & Office Desk 10.03.04 AT HIS MOSCOW HOME, KOROLEV DEVISED A PLAN TO MAKE HIS DREAM A NATIONAL PRIORITY.
(SHORT PAUSE)
Books on desk etc.. TO JUSTIFY HIS QUEST, HE INVOKED A RUSSIAN HERO. THE SCIENTIST KONSTANTIN TSIOLKOVSKY HAD PLANNED A MOON LANDING EVEN BEFORE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS TOOK FLIGHT.
WITH HISTORY ON HIS SIDE KOROLEV PROMISED TO DELIVER COMMUNISM ITS GREATEST TRIUMPH - VICTORY IN THE RACE TO THE MOON.
Moon Shots 10.03.42
HARFORD
You have to remember that Korolev had a consuming
MS 10.03.49 passion for space flight, way back. I mean he himself
Still Korolev & pilots 10.03.52 had been a …a originally as a student he had been a glider designer, glider pilot…. this young fellow, who MS 10.04.01 whose dreams were not only to go to the Moon but to Still Korolev & go to Mars and Venus.
First rocket launch, 1933 10.04.04 You know. his bag was a big one.
10.04.07 NARRATOR
IN 1933, KOROLEV LIT THE FUSE ON THE FIRST SOVIET ROCKET.
Still Korolev & 1930 10.04.14 THEN ANNOUNCED TO HIS TEAM OF YOUNG
Team of designers ENGINEERS: "OUR ROCKETS MUST CONQUER SPACE."
Archive, 1930s train 10.04.21
Library Music Starts 10.04.22
10.04.24 NARRATOR
HIS ENTHUSIASM FIT THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
NARRATOR cont….
Archive, Various Industrial 10.04.27 THROUGH SCIENCE, THE SOVIET UNION
Russian scenes PLANNED TO BUILD A COMMUNIST UTOPIA THAT WOULD OVERPOWER THE WEST.
1935 rocket engine 10.04.37
10.04.41 FOR A WHILE, IT DID SEEM POSSIBLE. KOROLEV'S TEAM WAS ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF ROCKET DESIGN.
Archive, Rocket in Red Sq 10.04.53 BY 1938, THEIR ROCKET POWERED AIRPLANE
Stalin watching HAD CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE
KREMLIN LEADERSHIP ITSELF.
YET STALIN HAD COME TO VIEW SUCH ALL INNOVATION WITH DEEP SUSPICION.
Sky shots 10.05.12
Still, Korolev’s team 1930s 10.05.15 IN A RUTHLESS PURGE, THE LEADING LIGHTS OF SOVIET ROCKETRY WERE ARRESTED ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES OF SABOTAGE.
Archive, Gulag prison 1930s 10.05.25
10.05.29 ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF Still, Korolev imprisoned 10.05.30 HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN, WAS CONDEMNED TO STALIN'S GULAG.
Moon from moving train 10.05.42
10.05.48 AS THE YEARS PASSED, KOROLEV'S DREAM OF Archive, Shots of Gulag 10.05.53 REACHING THE MOON WAS SLIPPING AWAY.
Moon from moving train 10.05.56
Archive, of Von Braun 10.06.02 IN GERMANY WERNER VON BRAUN GAVE HIS
& V2s launching WW2 NATION THE LEAD IN ROCKET DESIGN WITH THE V2-- A POTENT WEAPON KOROLEV'S TEAM COULD WELL HAVE MATCHED.
MS 10.06.15 HARFORD
When you think of it, what it did to the Russian Space Programme, because they could have had those teams working together throughout the war, and likely they would at least have been up to the Germans, and maybe ahead of the Germans.
Archive, V2s Rockets 10.06.29
captured by Russia
10.06.32 NARRATOR
AT THE END OF THE WAR, STALIN WANTED THIS NEW WEAPON FOR HIMSELF.
(SHORT PAUSE)
Still, Korolev standing 10.06.40 SERGEI KOROLEV'S ENGINEERING SKILLS
on engine WERE SUDDENLY IN DEMAND.
Energia factory, 10.06.48
tracks leading up to gate 10.06.54 IN A RUN-DOWN MOSCOW FACTORY,
old buildings KOROLEV'S TEAM WOULD ATTEMPT TO BUILD THE ROCKET STALIN WANTED.
10.07.03 MISHIN
I was shocked by the condition of this plant. It was not MS 10.07.08 capable of producing these rockets. We had to start from nothing.
Various buildings 10.07.13
10.07.16 HARFORD V/O
At the end of the war these people were absolutely flat on their back… and they were given an old artillery plant outside of Moscow. I mean a mess. It was. They used to have to use boxes for their design tables for their engineers. The roof leaked, it was cold as hell
MS 10.07.35 inside…they didn’t have any food; they had to actually commandeer plots to grow their own vegetables
Sky shot 10.07.39
Archive, Korolev, 10.07.43 KOROLEV, AS IF MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME,
meeting on train PLOUGHED ALL HIS ENERGY INTO HIS WORK, INSPIRING BOTH FEAR AND AWE AMONG HIS TEAM.
MS 10.07.57 KERIMOV
He had relentless determination, almost like a disease. Still, Korolev on phone 10.08.04 He'd been through hell - in jail for six years - and this made him very strong.
Archive, V2 under 10.08.10
Construction 10.08.13 NARRATOR
KOROLEV TOLD STALIN HE COULD DESIGN A BETTER ROCKET THAN THE GERMAN V2. BUT STALIN INSISTED ON AN EXACT COPY.
Launch Skyline 10.08.24
Archive, V2 Launch 10.08.27 WITHIN TWO YEARS, KOROLEV HAD DELIVERED.
MS 10.08.37 HARFORD
So you must remember that Korolev even though his assignment from Stalin was to build a long range ballistic missile, he wanted to go to space
Hammer & sickle statue 10.08.50
10.08.53 NARRATOR
WITH THE DAWN OF THE COLD WAR, BOTH AMERICA AND THE SOVIET UNION WANTED ROCKETS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DELIVER THE ULTIMATE WEAPON.
Archive, 1954, first 10.09.06
USSR h-bomb test 10.09.16 KHRUSHCHEV V/O
Plus various explosions All the people were very scared it was the beginning of the co, cold war but it was not long ago after the real war where half of Soviet Union were destroyed, so it MS 10.09.29 was, we were very scared on the all levels from the top politicians to the people how we can defend ourselves.
Still, Khrushchev 10.09.35
10.09.37 NARRATOR
WHEN SERGEI KHRUSHCHEV'S FATHER
CAME TO POWER IN 1953, HE TOLD KOROLEV
TO BUILD A NUCLEAR MISSILE THAT COULD REACH AMERICA.
Drawings on chalkboard 10.09.48
10.09.55 NARRATOR
THE TASK WAS MONUMENTAL -- THE NEW ROCKET WOULD HAVE TO CARRY A FIVE TON WARHEAD FIVE THOUSAND MILES.
Drawing of inside R7 rocket 10.10.10 KRYKOV
To deliver the nuclear warhead, our rocket had to be MS 10.10.15 huge. Korolev was very enthusiastic -- with such a powerful rocket, he could go into space.
R7 Rocket various shots 10.10.21
Rocket drawings 10.10.29 NARRATOR
WITH FIVE MAIN ENGINES, FUELLED BY A
R7 Rocket various shots 10.10.34 LETHAL MIX OF KEROSENE AND OXYGEN, THE R7 ROCKET WAS DESIGNED TO BE THE MOST POWERFUL MISSILE THE WORLD HAD EVER SEEN.
10.10.51 HARFORD
Khrushchev in his memoirs tells the story of um. Of um walking around the R7 vehicle, with Korolev and he said he and his fellows from the Politburo were in absolute awe of this thing
Pan up to R7 Launch Site, 10.11.13
Baikonur 10.11.24 NARRATOR
IN THE SPRING OF 1957, AT A SECRET LOCATION ON THE STEPPES OF KAZAKHSTAN,
Still, Korolev & team at 10.11.32 KOROLEV'S TEAM PREPARED TO TEST THE
Launch site ROCKET THAT WOULD BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THEIR NATION'S DEFENSE, AND THEIR KEY TO REACHING SPACE.
GV’s launch site & rooms 10.11.42
10.11.45 KRYUKOV V/O
The conditions at our launch site were terrible, but we were so enthusiastic none of us cared. We had a song: MS 10.11.56 it talked about bed bugs, long roads to nowhere, awful food…somehow, we enjoyed it.
Still, team at launch site 10.12.03
(whistling begins)
10.12.05 NARRATOR
AS THE TESTS DRAGGED FROM SPRING INTO SUMMER, THE TEAM'S ENTHUSIASM WAS SORELY TESTED.
FOLKSONG 10.12.11
GV’s of Rocket and site
Archive, R7 brought to 10.12.20
launch pad by train
Rocket steam 10.12.24
Archive, Korolev watches 10.12.25
launch – it explodes
10.12.57 NARRATOR
IN AUGUST 1957, AFTER 5 FAILURES, THE R-7
Still, rocket takes off 10.12.59 SUCCESSFULLY FLEW MORE THAN 4000 MILES -- THE WORLD'S FIRST
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE.
Train tracks, pan up to 10.13.13 NARRATOR
Baikonur warehouse KOROLEV IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO HIS REAL OBJECTIVE. HIS TEAM WAS SECRETLY BUILDING SOMETHING THE WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE -- A SATELLITE
MS 10.13.29 FEOKTISTOV
We had an ambition to take the first step into a new world, to do what had never been done before.
CU top of rocket 10.13.37
10.13.38 HARFORD
Korolev goes to Khrushchev and says ‘You know I can MS 10.13.43 put a satellite up’. You know I sort of fantasised that it went like ‘You what... you’ll put a satellite up?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What’s that?’
Still, Sputnik blueprints 10.13.49
10.13.52 KHRUSHCHEV V/O
When Korolev told we can launch this err, ball in space, and will be ahead of Americans my father only ask will MS 10.14.00 you hurt our defence programme, Korolev answered no, Still, drawings of sputnik 10.14.06 so my father told go ahead.
10.14.10 KRYUKOV
Korolev desperately wanted to launch a satellite before MS 10.14.13 the Americans. So we built a very simple satellite -- just a small ball with a radio transmitter inside. Korolev wanted the whole world could hear. BEEP BEEP BEEP
Steam on rocket before 10.14.23
launch
Archive, Sputnik launch 10.14.27
10.14.35 NARRATOR
ON OCTOBER 4TH, 1957 SPUTNIK BECAME THE FIRST MANMADE OBJECT TO REACH ORBIT.
Archive, Sputnik from earth 10.14.42
Archive, ball and 10.14.46
"beep beep beep"
Sputnik model 10.14.53
10.15.56 NARRATOR
AS IT FLOATED OVERHEAD KOROLEV'S TINY SPHERE SHOOK AMERICA'S ASSUMPTIONS OF Florida beaches 10.15.00 ITS OWN SUPERIORITY.
Florida waves on beach 10.15.07
Man on beach
Florida driving shots 10.15.15
10.15.15 SEAMANS V/O
I was driving home, had the radio on, and suddenly heard that the, that the Soviets had, had, had put a MS 10.15.23 satellite into space, and I remember the, the reaction I had at that time like, it hit me just about the time I was coming down our driveway going into my, the garage and I thought, this did not have to happen this way, we had the capability of doing it, and I was, I was chagrined that the, that err we had not been first.
Stills, Newspaper headlines 10.15.40
10.15.42 KHRUSHCHEV
Nobody, not my father, not Korolev not myself, err, err MS 10.15.47 think how it will be reaction on the west.
Stills, Newspaper headlines 10.15.51
10.15.56 HARFORD V/O
One of the Russians told me ‘Harford you must find Still, Pravda 10.15.58 Pravda for October 5th, only 2 paragraphs, then find MS 10.16.05 October 6th, when Khrushchev found the reaction was around the world’
Rostrum shots of Pravda 10.16.09
10.16.14 MISHIN
Our leadership suddenly understood that space was MS 10.16.20 good propaganda. We'd all gone on holiday, but we were ordered to launch another satellite within a month.
Archive, Laika the dog 10.16.28
10.16.29 NARRATOR
INSIDE SPUTNIK 2 KOROLEV PUT LAIKA -- THE
Archive, animation of 10.16.33
FIRST LIVING CREATURE TO REACH SPACE.
Laika in space
10.16.48 SEAMANS V/O
It was obvious that err, where they had actually already put a dog in space that they were leading up to a
MS 10.16.55 manned programme and that they were gonna carry it out as soon as they could.
Archive, US rocket failures 10.16.59
10.17.06 NARRATOR
AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM WAS IN A DISMAL STATE
10.17.15 EISENHOWER HAD ORDERED THE MILITARY TO PERFECT A NUCLEAR MISSILE BEFORE LAUNCHING A SATELLITE.
10.17.28 BUT KOROLEV'S TRIUMPHS PUT THE PRESIDENT ON THE DEFENSIVE
American flag 10.17.32
10.17.39 EISENHOWER V/O
Speed of progress in the satellite project cannot be Archive Picture WS, 10.17.40 taken as an index of our progress in ballistic missile Eisenhower press conference work.
American flag 10.17.45 Our satellite program has never been conducted as a race with other nations.
Archive, Rocket failure 10.17.52
Archive, von Braun with 10.17.57
explorer 1 10.17.59 NARRATOR
“ WITH THE NATION'S PRIDE AT STAKE, WERNER “ VON BRAUN, NOW AMERICA'S TOP DESIGNER, Rocket launches WAS TOLD TO LAUNCH A SATELLITE - FAST.
Moon moves across screen 10.18.21
10.18.22 KOROLEV'S SET HIS OWN SIGHTS EVEN HIGHER.
Shots of Probe 10.18.29
10.18.32 HE SENT A PROBE TO THE MOON, A QUARTER OF A MILLION MILES AWAY.
CU of Moon 10.18.37
10.18.41 NARRATOR
IT WAS THE FIRST MANMADE OBJECT TO Archive, Animation of 10.18.43 REACH ANOTHER WORLD.
probe to moon
Archive, Man reading 10.18.46
Cleveland Press
Emblem - Soviet probe 10.18.49 NARRATOR
TINY HAMMERS & SYCHLES -- EMBLEMS OF Archive, probe crashes on 10.18.53 COMMUNISM -- SCATTERED ACROSS THE
moon, animation LUNAR SURFACE.
Still, Khrushchev with 10.19.03 AT THE WHITE HOUSE THE NEXT DAY,
model probe and KHRUSCHEV FLAUNTED COMMUNISM'S Eisenhower LATEST TRIUMPH.
Cosmonaut statue 10.19.12
Archive, Super8 Korolev 10.19.22
and Khrushchev 10.19.23 KHRUSHCHEV V/O
EVERYONE WANTED MORE…But of course my father was very excited, so he met with Korolev many times, MS 10.19.31 and asking what you can do more, what are, what is your new plans.
Shots of USA flags 10.19.35
and rocket 10.19.37 NARRATOR