Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio) One distraction from moon mission reported.
REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

(Kennedy Space Center) Countdown begins tomorrow. Test launch of Navy's long-reach substitute missile, Poseidon, to replace Polaris rockets NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) film of recovery rehearsal. Crew will be treated like lepers upon splashdown. Astronauts to be quarantined on trailer on ship. [Dr. Walter KEMMERER - shows Walter Cronkite the inside of trailer. Tells what will happen to trailer after taken off plane with crew aboard.] Lunar receiving laboratory place for debriefings after trip for 21 days.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Ithaca, New York) [Cornell University Prof. Martin ALEXANDER - says need for better quarantine.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Atlanta, Georgia) [Communicable Disease Center Dr. David SENCER - says procedures practical.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Ithaca, New York) [ALEXANDER - says quarantine far too short.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Atlanta, Georgia) [SENCER - says any disease they might contract would have incubation period of less than 21 days.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Ithaca, New York) [ALEXANDER - cites diseases which wouldn't be noted until after 21 days.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Atlanta, Georgia) [SENCER - says 21 days beyond probability of most diseases.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Kennedy Space Center) Critics say crew could carry cosmic diseases. If lab couldn't handle specific condition, quarantine would be broken for a hospital.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Ithaca, New York) [ALEXANDER - says most of value of quarantine is to convince public there is one.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(Kennedy Space Center) [KEMMERER - says 2 factors involved: probability and what we're insuring. 2 together make up one program.] Won't know until crew gets back from trip.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite