Climbing a Mountain – 16 July 1969
45 years ago today a thing happened. Three MEN left Earth with goal of climbing to the moon. As many did, I watched them begin their climb safely from in front of a TV here on Earth.
A few days later I also watched them put bootprints on The Moon. I was in awe, as were many. I also relished their safe return.
The other Moon missions came and went with less fanfare. BUT we had done it! YES! WE had done it as a country as well.
Some time later I had the pleasure of working with some that had supported those missions from Hawaii. We were gearing up for The first Space Shuttle launch. They had only been able to listen over the NASA loop back then, and had never seen a launch in real time. Mainland TV was delayed until later.
Later we newbies asked about how they felt. They swung the dish ON the moon to look at some experiments still there… And said WE helped to do that.
Now we depend on The Russians to carry warm bodies into orbit, etc.
Category: Geezer Alert!
That was an incredible time. I’ll never forget when I heard the words, “Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
Something like Apollo is definitely not possible in today’s environment. Far too risky.
The reply to that momentous occasion is pretty telling: “Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot.”
The low fuel warning had gone off (later found to be premature, just the fuel sensor had been uncovered with the fuel sloshing around), and everyone was anxious that Armstrong land the LM before fuel ran out.
Of course, Neil Armstrong is Neil Armstrong, and the rest is history.
Well before my time, but as a big nerd, it is still an inspiring achievement. I had the great honor of meeting Dr. Aldrin many years ago. He had come out with a children’s book, which he signed. I’ve read that on occasion to my kids.
If you want to hear what it was like from the horses’ mouths, “In the Shadow of the Moon” is a great documentary.
The engine that powered those Saturn V rockets might come back as part of the Space Launch System:
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/new-f-1b-rocket-engine-upgrades-apollo-era-deisgn-with-1-8m-lbs-of-thrust/
Nixon gave all government employees including military the day off to watch the moon landing. The stuff is still up there, waiting for us to come for a visit. That includes the flag that was planted up there, the lunar lander — all that stuff.
Yes, but not everyone believes this and some of those idiots are stupid enough to harrass a former Astronaut about it…
Buzz Aldrin was having none of it, and apparently does not suffer fools lightly.
Yeah … Call an astronaut a coward … and I betcha’ you will be punched in the face!
Astronauts are NO cowards!
Who was the astronaut that semi-jokingly said after being strapped into a rocket that he realized that it was all built by the lowest bidder?
Even if it wasn’t, they were strapped on top of a very big and complex machine where the common failure mode meant things going boom in a hurry.
Engineers must have marveled that these astronauts, who had to study nearly everything about the machines they made, would still willingly get on board. A lot of this stuff was new. A lot of it was at the bleeding edge.
Yeah. Not cowards.
The original Mercury capsule was designed without pilot controls. They all objected saying, “if we can’t fly it, we are not riding it” (or words to that effect).
Met Ellison Onizuka at a meet ‘n greet and HE said those words to us, doubt if it was original with him.
Later, when the Challenger blew up the meaning changed.
For what it took to put a man on the moon, we dish out Obamaphones for a few months.
Sleep well, America. Sleep well.
Yep. That was some kind of adventure. We all felt a part of it simply because we knew that each and every one of us had the opportunity to be achieve greatness of some kind. Space travel symbolized it all.
Too bad that the youth of America may never experience that sort of real hope again.
I remember it well. I was 7.
And the Phony CPO had nothing to do with it!
Nothing!
Don’t you remember, Master Chief? He was taking a bath in the deep sink, simulating hygiene practices in space.
Well, until a bush started rustling.
Ah … My mistake.
He was totally involved.
BREAK
So … at the time there was only one watch certified for space flight. The mech had to be perfect (had to work on earth, space and moon). It was a tool that had to function and it has not been replicated today.
For 1,000,000 O’Bama phone minutes, what watch is it?
I am wearing one and my father bought one in July of 1969. The only mod was the band. The movement has not changed. It is a wind up watch and accuarate to one tenth of a second per year if syn properly (meaning daily pull and twist).
Timex
As I recall, it was/is an Omega Speedmaster Chronograph. I didn’t realize they’re manual. For some reason I thought it was automatic (self-wind).
The moon mission may remain one of the greatest events of human history. I was only 11 1/2 then; but it leaves an impression that won’t be gone till I die.
You are correct Sir!
See Hondo to redeem your free 1,000,000 O’Bama phone minutes!
Yeah, ol’ Gramps told me he got a real chuckle out of that one! This one’s for you Pop-pop.
*Rustle Rustle*
OVER!
Check out these images of the landing sites, taken recently:
http://www.space.com/12837-apollo-landing-sites-spotted-sharp-detail.html
http://www.space.com/12835-nasa-apollo-moon-landing-sites-photos-lro.html
http://www.space.com/6997-photos-reveal-apollo-11-moon-landing-site.html
I remember it well. I was a young lieutenant in the last days of my first tour in Viet Nam. As I was crossing the Pacific in a freedom bird, I believe it was the 26th of July, the pilot announced that they had splashed down safely in the Pacific and were back home, where I would be in a few hours.
I was a Private First Class assigned as a Field Radio Relay and Carrier Equipment Repair (MOS 31 L 20) on Team A-2, Company A, 11th Air Defense Signal Battalion, 32d Army Air Defense Command at Spangdahlem Air Force Base, Germany.
My company was at Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, but I was TDY to Team A-2 at Spangdahlem.
I was at the base microwave radio station, and listened to it on the microwave radio, while alternately stepping into an adjoining room to watch the television broadcast.
Unknown to me, my biological younger brother (we were adopted by different families) was an Army officer serving in Germany at the very same time I was there, and he was watching the Moon landing on the television at the Grafenwoehr officer’s club.
John … That is it! I am tired of this, so am going to say it!
YOU ARE THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD!
Yep…..state thirsty, my friend!
I was 14 and remember the entire thing. We watched it in my house with a bunch of people around because we had a nice color TV. Most of the town of Eldon Iowa had black and white TV’s. MY dad put a TV up in the drug store he owned and there were tons of people watching it.
The best part of that is that they did all of that with slide rulers, the computers they had back then were about as powerful as an 8088.
Your cell phone has more computing power in it than was available on Earth.
I live in Houston now, close to NASA and go there often just to see it and remember the glory days.
16JUL69: What a long, fantastic day remember it well! Apollo went to the moon and so did I in a manner of speaking. Their ride was a Saturn rocket, mine was the cute redheaded barrel racer living right down the road, a jug of homemade wine I swiped from mom’s cellar, under a cottonwood listening to the launch on a pocket radio.
BUT, making it even more memorable, my oldest brother survived every surgery to remove shrapnel and rounds, thereby patching up his Marine ass up, being released from Bremerton Naval Hospital and on his way home to finish recovering the next day.
Yes sirree…It was a very wild ride, to the moon and back that is.
I remember watching it at the officer’s club at the Presidio of San Francisco. People started clapping when Armstrong stepped off of the ladder. Many were speechless. This was about twenty some odd years ago…what 45? Unreal how time flies. And yes…I also never would have thought the ex-USSR would be our ticket for manned space travel. Be careful messing with the “first team”…they might ban US astronauts…then we’ll have to beg China for a lift.
Some of us were around when the space race began, when not everyone had a TV, let alone three or four, and those who had one watched black and white broadcasts on one of the three or four TV stations. There was UHF and there was VHF and one had actually to get up to change stations. There were no remotes. There was no cable. There was no satellite. There were TV towers and, sometimes, metal clothes hangars to receive a signal. Bad words were not heard on TV. The bedrooms of the married couples on TV shows came with twin beds only. John Glenn was a national hero–and people prayed openly for his safety. Ah, those days…
I remember visiting a friend who had a color TV… thought he had to be rich. I have been shocked at how many B&W shows from when I was young were in color – but we had a B&W TV till ’68, so we just assumed everything was monochrome.
I was 16 at the time. My parents and I were glued to the TV. My Dad took 8mm movies of the TV screen of the Small Step and of the astronauts on the moon.
Nothing was impossible back then.
George V.
I remember watching this unfold so intently. I was mesmerized. I was so proud of our country and those men and the courage they had. I hope those days of great events and America leading the world in a great endeavor are not gone. Under our current leadership, yes they are. But I have greater hope in America and the remnants of great people like those astronauts, still alive and those with us now of courage and foresight, than what I see on the surface of our nation. God Bless The United States Of America, now and forever.
Speaking of LOONS …
Guess who is in court right about now?