Film Can, 1000ft, IMAX

This metal film can contained up to 305 m (1000 ft) of IMAX film for use during space shuttle flights. Astronauts changed the film in magazines using a black bag where they could, without seeing what their hands were doing inside the bag, swap out unexposed film from a film can for exposed film in the magazine. They then taped the film can shut and placed it in a black film bag to prevent accidental light exposure of the used film. Cans were used on all twelve space shuttle filghts when IMAX filming was done in the 1980s and 1990s.

Astronauts used the camera to capture film footage for five IMAX productions. The first of these, The Dream Is Alive (1985), still ranks as the most popular of all IMAX feature films. Four of the films were co-sponsored by IMAX, NASA, the National Air and Space Museum, and Lockheed Martin. By carefully training the astronauts not only to operate the camera but also to act as cinematographers to capture both the thrilling and ordinary activities in orbit, IMAX produced films that virtually put the audience inside and outside the shuttle.

Gift of the IMAX Corporation in 2011.