PCAST: DARPA Director on DARPA's Mission(s)

DARPA Director Dr. Arati Prabhakar to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) about DARPA's mission and priorities.
Washington, DC
November 14, 2014

---

DARPA’s Airborne Launch Assist Space Access program (ALASA)

Launches 100-pound satellites into low Earth orbit within 24 hours of call-up, for less than $1 million per launch.

American Experience - Last Days in Vietnam

Last Days in Vietnam

Directed and Produced by Rory Kennedy

American Experience Films/PBS

2015 Academy Award Nominee Best Documentary Feature

"During the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbles. The United States has only a skeleton crew of diplomats and military operatives still in the country. As Communist victory becomes inevitable and the U.S. readies to withdraw, some Americans begin to consider the certain imprisonment and possible death of their South Vietnamese allies, co-workers, and friends. Meanwhile, the prospect of an official evacuation of South Vietnamese becomes terminally delayed by Congressional gridlock and the inexplicably optimistic U.S. Ambassador. With the clock ticking and the city under fire, a number of heroic Americans take matters into their own hands, engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations in a desperate effort to save as many South Vietnamese lives as possible."

---

NOVA - First Man On The Moon

First Man on the Moon

"He risked his life for the nation and became a world icon, but who was Neil Armstrong?

Aired December 3, 2014"

pbs.org

"Everyone knows Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the moon. But this modest and unassuming man was determined to stay out of the spotlight. Now, for the first time, NOVA presents an intimate portrait of Armstrong through interviews with his family and friends, many of whom have never spoken publicly before. Discover and relive Armstrong's achievements before and after Apollo, from his time as a Navy combat veteran and later as a pioneer of high-speed flight to his leading role in the inquiry into the Challenger disaster and his efforts to encourage young people to take to the skies. Along the way, we learn how Armstrong's life became the inspiring story of heroic risk-taking and humble dedication that ultimately advanced humanity's adventure in space."

---