Last week was the 56^th anniversary of Apollo 11’s liftoff from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. While I don’t remember that historic mission, I do remember watching the later Apollo missions, glued to our color TV set (yes, we had a color TV set in the early 1970s). It was a time of extraordinary technological achievements that began when President Kennedy, in 1961, stated, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” That goal was accomplished.

The tens of thousands of scientists and civilians who made the Apollo missions possible not only provided the United States and the world with an extraordinary achievement in space, but a technological one on Earth as well. When one considers the advancements in computing, communications, fly-by-wire, cameras, food processing, and countless other technologies, the investment in space yielded sizable returns here on Earth.

Of course, one of the many returns was what it spurred in the entertainment industry, with iconic TV sci-fi series such as UFO, Space: 1999 and Battlestar Galactica. Witnessing and remembering those later Apollo missions stayed with me well into adulthood as I began to write my first screenplay. For me, I was always fascinated by the possibility of the astronauts discovering something on the Moon that was immediately classified. Thus, The First World Universe was born with the production of First World as a short and then First Signal as a feature.

It has been just over four years since First Signal was released to the world. To this day, the film continues to do well on VOD and has garnered, from what I can see, a following of sorts (particularly on YouTube). So many want to know what happens next in this universe I created, which all started from a five-year-old watching TV. For those of us who follow the industry, we know a sequel can take time to get produced. But be assured, I work on the possibility daily.

Discussing the technologies that made the Apollo missions a reality, I’m also reminded of the technologies developed during World War II. From atomic energy to radar, rockets, and magnetic recording tape, it was a world war that created technologies that ultimately made the Apollo missions possible. While I certainly don’t condone war, the technological achievements both then and during the heyday of NASA were the direct result of a nation pulling together in times of conflict. In the 1940s, it was a hot war; in the 1960s, it was a cold one.

But through all this, the technology that drives us today owes its thanks to the thousands of men and women who thought of an idea and executed it. Staying in the world of entertainment, the legendary actress Hedy Lamarr was also a notable inventor. One of her many inventions was the concept of “frequency hopping,” which is now known as Wi-Fi. So, between the calls for “action” on film sets, she was taking action to invent.

Perhaps I need to put to “paper” my thoughts on anti-gravity propulsion. I certainly write enough about it in my screenplays!

Create!