First Man

First Man (2018)

4 corrected entries

(6 votes)

Corrected entry: After Gemini 8 reaches Earth orbit, Neil Armstrong tells Houston "We have SECO." SECO is Saturn Engine Cut-Off, which would be the appropriate term on an Apollo flight, as they were all launched on either Saturn V or Saturn I-B boosters. The Gemini missions, on the other hand, used a modified Titan ICBM as their launch vehicle, so speaking of a "Saturn Engine Cut-Off" in the context of a Gemini flight makes no sense.

Correction: "We have SECO" was part of the actual Gemini 8 transcript. It can be found in the mission transcript, 3/16/66, 8:58 a.m. Tape 20.

Correction: That's because SECO does not stand for Saturn Engine Cut-Off. In any launch (you can watch them all the time now, since most US-based launches are live-streamed) they always have the callouts MECO and SECO, standing for Main Engine Cut-Off (first stage) and Second Engine Cut-Off (second stage). NASA's own list of acronyms confirms: https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/140648main_ESAS_17a.pdf.

Friso94

Corrected entry: When Neil Armstrong is talking to his children before he left home for the Apollo 11 launch, if you look at his wrist watch (which can be seen various times) the second hand doesn't move at all right through the scene.

Correction: The watch he is wearing is an Omega Speedmaster. What you think is the "second hand" is actually the hand for the chronograph and only moves when the chronograph is actuated. The running seconds hand is in the 9 o'clock subdial, which is too small to see.

Corrected entry: When Neil Armstrong is walking on the moon, he stops to drop the bracelet of his daughter. This small, plastic bracelet simply falls to the ground. With no gravity, it should have floated away.

Granny of 6

Correction: There is gravity on the moon, albeit very much less than Earth. Moon's gravity is about one sixth of that of Earth so the bracelet will actually fall to the ground at the respective velocity.

Correction: The moon has gravity - that's how he's walking around! There's just lower gravity than on earth. I mean...there's videos on youtube of astronauts on the moon dropping stuff, falling over, etc.

Corrected entry: When Neil Armstrong has tears running down his face while standing on the Moon, the tears should fall much slower as the Moon's gravity is approximately one sixth that of Earth.

Correction: The first tears would travel slower due to the reduced gravity, however after there is moisture on his face any further tears would travel down much faster due to cohesion between the water molecules, in a similar way to how water on a window will try to clump together.

Although the tears do get faster due to cohesion, the maximum acceleration should not be greater than one sixth than that of Earth. However, it is seen to be travelling as it would on Earth.

Since the air inside his lunar suit is very dry (I doubt they add humidity), I would think the tears would not get very far before evaporating.

Factual error: The interior shots of the Gemini and Apollo Spacecraft show worn and dirty panels, knobs, switches and circuit breakers. The movie most likely used some original cockpit trainers, but in reality the astronauts were flying brand new spacecraft that were spotless.

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Suggested correction: All spacecraft are extensively checked out by technicians before mating to the launch vehicle. Launch rehearsals are done over and over again by both prime and backup crews in the real vehicle in the weeks leading up to launch. Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives in a fire aboard Apollo 1 during one such dress rehearsal. The switches and panels get worn from this use and activity. Crews also make minor modifications to their specific craft to suit the mission and tastes.

More mistakes in First Man

Neil Armstrong: You're down here and you look up and you don't think about it too much. But space exploration changes your perception.

More quotes from First Man

Question: A lot of fuss was made over the omission of the lunar flag planting in this movie. However, when I saw the movie in the theater, I distinctly remember seeing the flag on the moon, just not the actual planting. However, that particular shot seems to be missing in the home video release. Does anyone know the reason for this?

Answer: The home release includes a clear shot of the lunar lander with the American flag next to it.

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