Apollo 11 40th Anniversary.

[dlavery]

From the NASA web site:

Forty years ago, men from Earth began for the first time to leave our home planet and journey to the moon.

From 1968 to 1972, NASA's Apollo astronauts tested out new spacecraft and journeyed to uncharted destinations.

It all started on May 25, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of sending astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy's bold challenge set the nation on a journey unlike any before in human history.

Eight years of hard work by thousands of Americans came to fruition on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module and took "one small step" in the Sea of Tranquility, calling it "a giant leap for mankind."

Six of the missions -- Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 -- went on to land on the moon, studying soil mechanics, meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields and solar wind. Apollos 7 and 9 tested spacecraft in Earth orbit; Apollo 10 orbited the moon as the dress rehearsal for the first landing. An oxygen tank explosion forced Apollo 13 to scrub its landing, but the "can-do" problem solving of the crew and mission control turned the mission into a "successful failure."

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware that today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Those of us that were alive at the time each have our own memories of where we were and how we witnessed the event. For those that were not yet born, you have never known a time when "reaching for the moon" truly was beyond our grasp.

For me, July 20, 1969 was the day that about 30 of us all crammed into the basement of the one person we knew that worked for NASA, and surrounded the TV. Every kid in the neighborhood brought their Revell plastic models of the Apollo spacecraft, and followed along as Walter Cronkite narrated the story of what was happening. We didn’t know what an “alarm 1202” was, but when we heard Armstrong ask if it was important, it suddenly seemed like the most critical item anywhere. When Eagle touched down after what seemed like an eternity (with Armstrong’s famous call “Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed”) and Charles Duke responded "You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot." all of us staring at the TV realized that we had been holding our breath too, and we let out a huge collective “whoosh” all at once. As Armstrong and Aldrin stepped on to the surface of the Moon a few hours later, we all squinted at the ghostly figures on the TV, desperately trying to make out details of the scene. Twisting our plastic models of the LEM around, we tried to match the grainy pictures with where we thought the cameras were mounted, to better understand what we were seeing. But then none of that mattered when, as a 10-year-old, my friends and I all were invited to have our first-ever glass of celebratory champagne. No, we should not have been drinking at that age. But that one time, for that one very special occasion, my mom and dad figured it was worth it.

500 years from now, no one will remember Watergate, the Boeing 727, the Rosenberg spy trial, the Great Depression, the Cleveland Browns, the TV show "Dallas," Woodstock, or the Edsel. But the one thing that will be remembered about the 20th century is that it was the time when we first dared to leave Earth, and find our way to somewhere else. As surely as we today know of Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci, of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, in 500 years they will know of Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins, of Columbia and Eagle. And that is a legacy of which the entire country, and the entire planet, can all be proud.

-dave



Apollo 11 audio, being replayed as it happened 40 years ago.

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[Katie_UPS]

Hooray for the moon-landing!

[Jon236]

Dave,

Thanks for the link....listening to Apollo-related stories on NPR, there was one on the new NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and how he is targeting America's youth. General Bolden stated that "in the 80's, I'd ask a classroom of kids who wanted to be astronauts and all the hands went up. Now, only 2 or 3."

I applaud what General Bolden is doing, but is he aware of NASA's history with FIRST? It seems to me that FIRST is the very avenue of communication that NASA is seeking!

[gorrilla]

well put Dave!

I always remember the moon landing(partly because the 20th is also my birthday)every time I watch a shuttle go off from my house..never actually been to see one...should probobly get on that......

[Rick TYler]

People just a little older than me are prone to talking about "what were you doing when you found out about Kennedy?" For me, it's "how did you watch the moon landing?"

I was at Boy Scout camp. We were ready to turn in when the counselors put a television in the window of a bunkhouse, facing out through the window. The Scouts carried benches over and we all sat outside watching the black-and-white television. I was tremendously lucky that the camp had reception, I guess, but I can still remember sitting on that bench wearing nothing but a pair of shorts (it was hot) watching Armstrong and Aldrin take those first steps. Awe inspiring.

My father worked a little on the Mercury program, and my father-in-law was a test engineer on the command module and later on the shuttle. In retrospect, I am extremely proud of both of them.

[Manoel]

And to the non-believers, remember, your flawed opinions do not change the facts.

[ChrisH]

For some reason my parents and some of their friends at church decided that July 20th, 1969 would be a perfect day for a beach party. This was apparenty determined sometime before the launch actually happened so there was no way to tell what date the landing would actually occur. To add insult to injury they weren't going to the beach a mile or so from our house, we were going to one an hour away. ( I still haven't figured that part out )

When it became clear that the beach party was taking place and I was going to be there moon landing or no, I was very upset. How could the most space happy kid in the neighborhood miss an event like this? But at 10 years old I was considered too young to be left alone.

Then we got to the beach and found that nobody had even thought to bring a transistor radio! While my parents assurances that "don't worry they will show the whole thing over and over on TV after we get home" did prove correct. Watching it just wasn't the same when you already knew what happened.

Someday, I might forgive my parents for that day, but I'm not quite there yet.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I was working my summer job (having just graduated high school) at Switchcraft during the landing but I remember sitting in my parent's kitchen watching the TV during the first steps on the moon. I can remember how much I wanted to be there, forgetting for the moment how I suffered from motion sickness. Congratulations to all the great people who helped make this happen, all the engineers, assembly people and the flight crews. I looked at Chris Kraft and Gene Krantz as my heroes during those missions and still do. I only found out later how much they worked in simulations, practice, and "what if" brainstorming. It all paid off during Apollo 13.
I also remember thinking that the command module pilot, Mike Collins, got the short end of the stick. He was so close, yet so far, and all by himself. So my hat's off to you Mike for making a huge sacrifice.

NASA go back!

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

How could the most space happy kid in the neighborhood miss an event like this?

I graduated from high school in the spring of 1969 and some of my peers were making tough decisions regarding Vietnam. Others were going off to college and the impact of flower power and sit-ins. We were dealing with many issues on many fronts as a society and a generation and much of it was serious.

Taken from one of my Facebook posts:

So many of us were dreamers, wonderers, wanderers, believers, and hopeful people. In a way it was like, if we could travel to the moon and walk on it, then we could find ways to solve our troubles here on earth. We lived in a time of change and turbulence and even fear - and the commitment, skills, and talents of the folks involved in and who supported space exploration and the program, helped turn fear and cynicism into hope, keeping dreams alive....

That was no small thing.

[GaryVoshol]

I remember watching the astronauts on TV, and looking out the familyroom window seeing a setting gibbous moon. It's an interesting feeling, thinking "Hey, they're up there!" I'm not sure if that was for Apollo 11 or not, or if it was one of the later missions.

[kramarczyk]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

I looked at Chris Kraft and Gene Krantz as my heroes during those missions and still do.

I'm glad to see Mission Control get some love! I still think developing that system is one of the greatest feats of thinking. Spacecraft designers got specs, Mission Control got everything else.

While I am too young to be around for actual moon landing I do recall flying model rockets for it's twentyth anniversary. Ever since then I have been captivated with the idea of people coming together to accomplish the impossible, no matter the difficulties. I am disappointed, that in this day and age, society frequently comes together to feel and to object, but rarely to do and improve.

I guess that is where FIRST fits into the picture. Go Flight!

[Barry Bonzack]

Can't wait to go back.

[Phoenix Spud]

Although I am too young to have been alive (I am a team member, not mentor) the Apollo mission has always been special to me. There is one story of the mission that always strikes me, and I love the movie that tells about it. The movie is call The Dish, and is about the radio telescope that was used to receive the TV picture when Mr. Armstrong first stepped onto the moon. Amazingly, the personal were able to get these picture despite wind speeds of over 60 mph! Their story is awe-inspiring and the movie is a most see for any space nut. I highly recommend it!

[Carol]

I remember being the only one in my family (sadly) to stay up to watch the moonwalk. Does anyone know what time this occurred? I don't really remember but it must have been after normal bedtimes (EST at least)

[Mark McLeod]

We have about 40 people remaining in Bethpage here who worked on the Lunar Modules and we've been having different events all week. Saturday is a dinner for anyone who worked on the Lunar Module program at the Cradle of Aviation museum where one of the original LEMs (LM-13) is on display. They had an open house this past weekend for Northrop Grumman families and I saw a lot of retirees I used to work with volunteering at the museum.

They stepped out onto another world about 11pm EST. Regular bedtime was probably 9pm for most of us in those days.
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4029/Apollo_11i_Timeline.htm

My friends, family, and I all watched together as much of the mission as we could on a 13" black and white TV.