Apollo Remastered: The Ultimate Photographic Record

by Andy Saunders

This definitive photographic book about the Apollo missions reveals hundreds of extraordinary, newly-restored, and all-new images from the NASA archives that provide a never-before-seen perspective on the Apollo endeavors more than 50 years after humankind first stepped foot on the moon.   In Houston, Texas, there is a frozen vault that preserves the original NASA photographic film of the Apollo missions. For half a century, almost every image of the Moon landings publicly available was produced from a lower-quality copy of these frozen originals. Over the last few years, NASA image restorer Andy Saunders has been working hard. Taking newly available digital scans and applying pain-staking care and cutting-edge enhancement techniques, he has created the highest quality Apollo photographs ever produced. Never-before-seen spacewalks and crystal-clear portraits of astronauts in their spacecraft, along with startling new visions of the Earth and the Moon, offer astounding new insight into one of our greatest endeavors. This is the definitive record of all Apollo missions and a mesmerizing, high-definition journey into the unknown. And, now, Saunders's photographs bring the story of the Apollo missions to life in the new film The A Journey with Tom Hanks.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Photography, Space, History, Astronomy, Coffee Table Books

432 pages, Hardcover

Published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Houston - Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." -- Apollo 11 commander / astronaut Neil Armstrong, after his moon landing on 20 July 1969

"We copy you 'down,' Eagle . . . You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again - thanks a lot." -- CAPCOM mission controller / astronaut Charles Duke, earthbound but elated

A stellar (interstellar? haha!) collection of restored / cleaned-up photographs from NASA which document some of America's finest moments in the 'space race,' Apollo Remastered is a mammoth coffee table tome featuring hundreds of both b&w and full-color images taken from / on outer space and the lunar surface. Also, it's not strictly limited to the three-man Apollo program (ten 'moon' missions between 1968 and 1972) but also includes the two-man missions from the Gemini program in 1965-1966 as well. Starting with the perfect cover pic - Apollo 9 commander / astronaut Jim McDevitt glancing upward with an innocently awe-inspired look on his face - the book proceeds chronologically through said journeys to include a number of well-known photographs (Apollo 8's 'Earthrise' moment from Christmas Eve in 1968; Apollo's 11's Neil Armstrong's shot of suited-up co-hort Buzz Aldrin in 'A Man on the Moon'; and Apollo 17's 'The Blue Marble,' which is said to be the most reproduced photograph OF ALL TIME) alongside several candid moments of the astronauts inside their cramped lunar modules / command crafts, which are then contrasted with majestic panoramic views of them exploring on the lonely moon. Interesting and informative, restoration expert / author Saunders has put forth some stunning work here with this slice of history.

[Norman Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all: this is the ultimate photographic record of the flights to the moon. The pictures are breathtakingly beautiful--clean, crisp, and clear. Underexposed and overexposed images are repaired using modern digital techniques. Frames from movie footage are stacked and processed to create some amazing still shots. Panoramic studies are created by seamlessly stitching together images originally taken for stereoscopic purposes. The photos are accompanied by short mission summaries and detailed information about the photographer and technical specs of the film and cameras where known. (However, there are a couple of egregious typos for such a meticulous book--dates on Apollo 12 and 15 summaries are wrong.) The back matter includes information about the development of space photography, photographic equipment, the restoration process, a list of acronyms, and a list of internet sites with more information. I learned things about the Apollo flights that I had never known before. This is a book to linger over. This is as close as most of us will come to actually flying in a spaceship to another planet.

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous coffee-table sized book, featuring hundreds of images taken during the Apollo missions, along with some from the earlier Mercury and Gemini missions. As described at the end of the book, the images were digitally scanned from the original master images from the missions that have been kept in cold storage. The scanned images were then altered to adjust the contrast and colour and to remove dust, damage and other artefacts. Panoramic images were stitched together, while some images were stacked to improve the image quality and recover some image details.

The result are large, fantastic images of space, the Earth and the Moon that are close to what the astronauts would have actually seen. You may have probably seen similar images to those in the book from other publications or website, but few, if any, look as excellent or as true to life as those featured in this book.

Captions are provided with each image, giving a reference number and the context for the images: what the image is showing, how the image was taken and, if known, who took the image and when.

At the time of this review, there are plans to return people to the moon. Until then, these images are probably the best images available that show what it was like to travel through space and to walk and explore on the moon.

[Joe Vess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning, captivating, fascinating book. I'd give it 7 or 8 stars if I could.

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of our family heirlooms is a reproduced photo from Apollo 15 where James Irwin is saluting the camera. When my dad was a kid he wrote to Irwin and Irwin autographed the photo and sent it to my dad. The photograph has a very special place on the wall in our front room.
I got this book so that I could show my daughter all the images from the Apollo missions to the moon. It's a wonderful book and as my husband told my daughter proves that we went to the moon.

[Benjamin Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Detailed descriptions of the Gemini and Apollo missions paired with incredible pictures. Would 100% recommend to anyone interested in space!

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning book!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than four hundred digitally remastered images from NASA’s Apollo missions fill the pages of this stunning coffee-table-sized book. Arranged by mission, from pre-Apollo missions through Apollo 17, there are also sections on the development of space photography, photographic equipment, scans, images, and restoration, and a list of acronyms.

Here, in this exquisite volume, readers will find amazing visions of earth and space, of astronauts and spacecraft, in new views and portraits.

Highly recommended; don’t miss this one.

[Joe Schilp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I turned 6 years old as the last men walked the moon. I recall watching them on TV, though I have little recollection of any other moon landings. That said, I have been enthralled with 60s space exploration from Mercury through Apollo and built models of the the Saturn V on the launch pad, the LEM on the lunar surface, and the docked Apollo Soyuz modules when I was a kid. I've been following Andy Saunders on Instagram in anticipation of this book's release because the photos on Instagram were truly incredible. Thus, I bought the book with great anticipation.

Thankfully, I was not let down. In fact, the book exceeds expectation, as it contained far more photos and information than I expected. Young Americans today simply don't appreciate what was accomplished in the 1960s, and, indeed, in the 20th century. I once asked my Great-Grandmother what she thought of the moon landing and she said it was astonishing, not simply because we beat the Russians, but because when she was born in 1891, unless you had wealth and could afford a horse and carriage, you walked everywhere; that's how you got around. In less than her lifetime (she died in 1984), she saw America move from the horse and buggy to the moon, which is an astonishing accomplishment.

And the photos in the book are simply awe-inspiring. The contrast between the "magnificent desolation" of the moon and the utter blackness of space... The images of the earth, the "blue marble" floating, again, in the blackness of space... The photos of what we would now consider primitive, analog, technology in the spacecraft, lunar module, and lunar rover... The shots of the space suits in full, stunning color covered with moon dust... The smiles on the faces of men crammed into tiny spaces for nearly 2 weeks... It's all so amazing.

So get this book. Share it with your kids and grandkids and explain to them just what happened - how risky every launch was and how truly amazing the moon landings were. America is a great nation that has accomplished so much in advancing mankind; and yet, we can still do so much more!

[Kate Parr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so impressive. I don't have any other word. It's big to begin with, over 6lbs (I know that because I read the super-confusing section on cameras in space at the end). It's not one to have on your lap while you're watching tv, you have to commit. Each Apollo mission gets its own chapter, with an introductory page about the astronauts, the mission and the photography (it isn't just 'here are some photos', it's a book about photography in space), then you get the shots. All on black paper, in gorgeous definition, and with accompanying captions either giving context, or transcriptions of the astronauts' transmissions as they were taking the shots. It's amazing to me how many burly astro-dudes in the 1960s were comfortable calling each other 'babe'!

Then there's the photos themselves. We're so desensitized to space photos now: we see satellite imagery all the time, we even demand it. But these photos some how bring back home just how remarkable these missions were, how dangerous and unknown, and how moving they must have been for the men involved. The fact that John Glenn took a shop-bought camera into space and made it work, that we get to see candid shots of the astronauts just doing regular astronaut stuff, smiling for the camera, accidentally letting go of one of the Hasselblads while on a space walk, or leaving film cannisters behind on the moon (dorks!). It brings to life this incredible exploration and makes it human and very real. Some of these photos made me well up, as much as was possible I felt like I was experiencing the first look at an earthrise or the lunar far-side alongside the astronauts.

If I had one small criticism it's that the captions under the photos are in varying shades of grey on black paper, making it quite hard to read: I had to keep tilting the book to get the light in the right place. But that's such a tiny thing. I cannot stress how enjoyable this book was, and what an amazing record it is. I know I will go back to it again and again.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely spectacular photography from all of the Apollo moon missions, plus a few from earlier space flights, and accompanying information for each mission. This is a fascinating book for someone like me, as I grew up following many of these space flights.

The book itself is beautifully presented, but I have one small bone to pick: why did they print the captions in gray print on a black background? The captions were really difficult to read as a result.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Saunders has undertaken a massive project to present more than 400 digitally restored images from the Apollo program all in one book. The public has long grown used to seeing duplicate copies of the original film from the moon missions, whereas the original copies have been preserved in a vault at the Johnson Space Center. Yet after gaining access to them, Saunders spent several years working with the original copies and applying processing techniques to them. For instance, exposure and color corrections have brought out the vibrancy in the photos. The result is this book, which contains the photos with captions describing them, the words the astronauts spoke at the time they took the photos, and a rating of the level of enhancement Saunders applied to them (from 1, meaning least enhancement, to 5, meaning most enhancement). Sometimes the photos are those the astronauts took using their Hasselblad cameras, while sometimes they are stills from a 16-millimeter video camera inside a spacecraft or on the lunar surface. What I find especially fascinating is that in the famous photo Neil Armstrong took of Buzz Aldrin saluting the American flag at the Sea of Tranquility, we can now see Buzz's face inside his gold-plated visor. Also from Apollo 11, we now have a clear frontal view of Armstrong in an image that had been underexposed. This is especially significant because it is the only frontal still photo of the "first man" while on the lunar surface. These are just two examples of the value that image restoration work can bring to historians. At the end of the book, Saunders also includes valuable sections on the development of space photography from Mercury through Gemini and Apollo, the photographic equipment the astronauts used, and the operational challenges of taking photos during the moon missions. I recommend the book for all who would like to relive one of the most stunning periods in the history of exploration.

[Brendan Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd seen Andy Saunders (a Brit, naturally) interviewed on a breakfast TV show. And snapped-up Apollo Remastered at the first opportunity.

And then left it on a shelf for quite some years. It's hefty weight (6lb) was probably the key reason; this isn't a book you read whilst sat in your favourite chair.

Finally though, I set-aside time and sat at my dinner table and worked my way through this might volume.

It is absolutely stunning. Using digital technology that Saunder's has himself developed, the abandoned negatives of the Apollo Program - those photos that were rushed, have lens flare, wrong settings applied...were reviewed and potential candidates picked-out for repair. Those that made-the-cut were included in Apollo Remastered.

Some photos are familiar, but now better, whilst others are previously unseen by the public.

With pre-Apollo (Mercury & Gemini) missions to set the context and record the genesis of manned space photography, we are off into Apollo, from the earliest unmanned launches, to the test missions in Earth and then Lunar orbit. The first landings see the difficulties of including high-quality camera use amongst busy schedules. By the 'J' Missions though - Apollo 15, 16 & 17, the number of cameras, both still and cine, has increased hugely, and so has the quality. All of this though is 'analog' tech - 'wet' film with bulky magazines, bigger controls to suit bulky gloves. That the astronauts managed to regularly snap quality pictures is a marvel in itself. WIth this book, we gain a greater insight into Man's Greatest Adventure.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful book, which per my review of Apollo: VII - XVII I really should have worn the cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints on the high quality pages.

Where this book is better than Apollo VII-XVII, beyond the impressive 400-ish full glossy pictures to look at, is the captions that go with the images. Meticulous research to ensure accuracy, quotes, attribution.

For decades it was thought there were no direct images of Neil Armstrong {I get to name tag Neil Armstrong!} on the moon, other than the famous 'Man on the Moon' photo of Buzz Aldrin with Neil reflected in his visor.
This book finds those images, including a few clearly showing Neil's face. We get some of Buzz's face too. Those images alone make this book worth it.

Then there's versions of Earthrise, Bluemarble, three page landscape spreads.
Andy Saunders and his team deserve a medal for pulling this book together. In lieu of that don't buy a coffee table for this book, buy a few more editions and gift them to family & friends. You're giving them beauty, history, science, amazement.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an achievement and what a tribute. This is a beautiful and beautifully-made book that casts the moon as the ethereal and special place it is rather than just 'desolate'. It's clear that Saunders has reverence for the subject matter, but particularly for the astronauts involved for their skill and bravery.

In any history book, the narrative changes based on what is or isn't mentioned, and I took note of a few things he revisits several times in the captions or chapter openings: the problem-solving and distinctly human nature of the astronauts, and the way they spoke (in the fashion William Shatner later did) about how the trip made them more reverent of the Earth and the need to protect the environment. Both those things are a bit of a rebuke to the current 'let's colonize Mars' corporate space race environment.

While not every photograph is impressive as art so much as documentary, there were a number of shots that legitimately stunned me: either eerily lovely moonscapes or surprisingly detailed analog age shots of the spacecraft in flight/orbit. The most familiar photos have never looked better. Saunders' use of image stacking to create photos out of the 16mm film footage is clever and invites the reader into some more candid moments.

[Dellastarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a child of the Space Race. I remember the moon walk, the Apollo missions, the moments when I would look up at the sky during recess knowing that Scott Carpenter or John Glenn were circling the Earth.... in Space.

This is another book that is tasted, sampled, experienced a little at a time, not to sit down and turn the pages from 1 to the end. The massive weight of the book on your lap. The large glossy pages dark and light slipping into your brain. You want to sit on the floor, turn out the lights, have a faint light source somewhere.... and experience the BLACK on the pages. It's like touching the night. I want to dip in and experience this book throughout weeks, not just checking off that I "looked" at the pictures. There's more there than just a picture. I want to recapture the magical childhood fancy that saw humans as living and traveling in Space, not just trudging along in the dirt on Earth, but leaving footprints on the Moon, steps that will most likely be there hundreds of years from now, for some other child to discover.... as the get to walk on the moon. What a dream!

[Callibso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein großartiger Bildband, den ich in den letzten Monaten immer wieder in die Hand genommen habe: über 400 Seiten großformatiger Fotos, manche aufklappbar. Zu jeder Apollo-Mission gibt es ein Kapitel, das auch die Ziele der Mission beschreibt, die Astronauten und die verwendeten Kameras.
Im Anhang gibt es noch Interessantes zum “Development of Space Photography” und eine Beschreibung des “Photographic Equipments”. Es ist nämlich gar nicht so einfach, auf dem Mond in einem Raumanzug die klobigen Kameras zu bedienen. Dann wird noch das Zustandekommen der Fotos dieser Ausgabe erklärt: In den letzten Jahren wurden nämlich die Originalfilme aus den Kühlschränken geholt und neu eingescannt. Aus den resultierenden Daten von etwa 35000 Fotos sind die in diesem Band ausgewählt worden.

Die Fotos sind deutlich schärfer, die Farben kräftiger. Alle bekannten ikonischen Bilder sind dabei und natürlich viele, viele mir bisher unbekannte.

[Sanjay Banerjee]

Digitally remastered photographs of each of the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo manned space missions (earth and moon). The author (or shall we say the Processor of Photographic images) has applied modern tools for digitally mastering photo scans from original photos taken in space and on the lunar surface as well as interiors of spacecrafts to bring about better clarity than historically published photos. Details about each of the key missions as well as the key occurrences about each of the missions have been well-documented and thoughtfully presented. It was as if I was in the spacecrafts undertaking the voyages!

[David Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular! Some of the most iconic photographs of all time along with context for each photo. Followed by a concise review of space photography; the equipment and operation; the photographic objectives and execution; the scans, image processing and restoration.
Although there are many breathtaking photos, my favorite may be Ed White, gazing into the heavens from his Gemini IV capsule. Lieutenant Colonel White (USAF) died in the Apollo 1 fire, 01/27/1967).

"You know, when you get back, you're going to be a national hero, but those photographs, if you get great photos, they'll live forever..."
RICHARD W. UNDERWOOD
NASA CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MERCURY, GEMINI, AND APOLLO

[robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Amazing set of photos. But Not enough. I was able to look at the photos via my Kindle and zoom in for closer analysis and appreciation. The author appeared to have a very serious fetish with the Hasselblad camera. I am guessing that all the technical info about camera settings, exposures and stops etc would be greatly appreciated by photography enthusiasts. Way too much info for me. I would rather have seen more photos! Many are spectacular. Nice mini-summaries of each mission. A great coffee table addition.

[Derek Beaugarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this as a Christmas present. Although it is an expensive tome, Apollo Remastered is a set of fully remastered and enhanced chronological set of space photographs taken as part of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions conducted by NASA in the 1960s. Andy Saunders has skilfully reproduced photographs in Earth orbit, translunar flight, lunar orbit and every mission on the lunar surface, even repairing overexposed and underexposed photos to reveal previously unseen detail. This book is a must for any Apollo freaks.

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say that I strongly recommend this book for space nerds, this time I mean it more than ever. It presents a collection of absolutely magnificent restored photographs from all the Apollo missions, many of which show a fascinating level of detail, or are completely unique. You can read about Apollo all you like, but it takes pictures like these to truly convey the wonder of journeying to the Moon; few space books have had such an emotional impact on me.

[Alan Bickerstaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! It features some familiar images and some not so. Each has been restored with real attention to revealing details previously unseen. The quality of the images is astounding. So much so that some were used in the Moonwalkers immersive audio and video show at Light room in London (imagine IMAX detail on 4 walls and the floor). His next book on Gemini is due out later this year, can't wait!

[Liz F · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very intimate and beautiful book about the Apollo missions in the 1960's. The original film- so precious it's kept in a government building in a freezer to maintain its condition- had each slide cleaned and copied for a genuine compilation of photos from Apollo. The quality of the phots are stunning and it's incredible to think that these were teh first pictures, taken by astronauts, or the Earth and moon.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely breathtaking. All the images taken by the Apollo astronauts were already beautiful but the restoration done to all of them makes everything in these 50+ year old images really come to life. Fantastic book.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic!!! I have never seen images from moon landings this clear before. The level of details is amazing and I find it really inspiring. I can't get enough of this book. I even learned a lot that I didn't know and wasn't expecting.

[Topi Lepojärvi]

A spectacular collection of remastered photos that make you feel like you are right there with the astronauts - and make you understand the effort and the science that were required for them to be there. May cause dizziness.

[Eric Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtaking images. Many were never before seen at this level of detail. This book meant a lot to me as my late father-in-law worked on the mechanical drawings for one of the TV cameras used on the lunar surface.

[Fatbardha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will forever cherish the fact that the iconic Apollo 11 trip to the moon, launched on my birthday. Frankly, if I were among the crew and my feet got to touch the moon even for the slightest bit -- NOTHING and I mean absolutely nothing can touch me. Me and my twin (the moon) 4eva

[Kim Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating. Tabletop picture book of Apollo missions. Each picture has a small caption to describe the scene. At the beginning of each chapter is a two page description of the crew and the mission with some history. If you are a space fan this is a recommendation.