The day we held our breath

SightNSqueeze · 07-20-2009, 10:32 PM

For what it is worth, today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. As a person who came up in that period, it was a moment of great pride for America and Friends of Americans around the world. Granted, there were still other events; good and bad taking place, but who living in that time didn't experience something special taking place. In a little more than a decade, America went from barely able to get a rocket safely in the air while being taunted by a beeping Soviet Sputnik satellite, to launching an immense multi-stage Saturn V with a Lunar Command Module, Lunar Lander, and 3 good men who would soon walk on another terrestrial surface for the first time in history. The very best in “slide rule” technology had paid off and it happened in our time.

jerry · 07-20-2009, 11:21 PM

Thanks!

ArkansasHunter · 07-20-2009, 11:37 PM

I backed into a telephone pole the night that feller stepped down on to the Moon.

Sooner Shooter · 07-20-2009, 11:44 PM

I had just graduated high school a couple months prior to the moon landing. AH, you were just a little feller then, weren't you?

ArkansasHunter · 07-20-2009, 11:47 PM

Yep but I was driveing. I was 13 or 14 maybe 15 and was sent to pick up some Pizza'a.
I was in my Dads car and in a hurry to get back home LOL

Ruger100 · 07-21-2009, 03:20 AM

What an amazing feat that was. I was too young to really remember but I'm still amazed everytime we get a launch off in Florida. The media doesn't reallly make a big deal of it anymore, I guess it's like driving a car. Once we figured out how to make the car, it's not really a big deal anymore. My wife and I still go outside everytime there's a shuttle launch to watch it go and we wait for the sonic boom when it returns.

Paul T · 07-21-2009, 05:27 AM

I had just turned 11 but still remember it well. Knew it was a milestone in history
but as for everything else in the news I didnt comprehend it.
I didnt realize that all of our previous space shots were to prepair for the moon
launches untill just recently and prior to that they were to beat the Russians in ICBM
technology. In my own little world iI just went from day to day and Dad just provided for us and all of our needs were met. Prior to that all I remember as a redletter event
in my life was a sad day In November in Dallas not far from where I lived.

Johnny_Revolver · 07-21-2009, 08:31 AM

I thought about this today as I collected my youngest son from school, as I stood waiting I was barely 50 yards from the first grade class room I watched the grainy black and white images on the TV of Armstrong taking that step.

We were all the same that day, it was " us " ...

It was something we did. The people of the Earth.

wily1 · 07-21-2009, 09:57 AM

I was 4 years old and we were on holidays visiting my grandfather in Kamsack, Saskatchewan. Believe it or not I still have a recollection of my dad glued to the TV. I of course didn't realize at the time that 3 brave men were making history. I think I remember because my dad said that as soon as it was done we would be going to the cabin!

Rave · 07-21-2009, 10:21 AM

Two days later I got married,40 years now.

Todd Bayliss · 07-21-2009, 10:32 AM

I was 4 years old and glued to the TV. Still amazes me to this day. My car now has more computer capability than that spacecraft did. This was an incredible feat accomplished by people who really knew and cared about their jobs. They weren't in it for the money or the fame. They did it just so they could say "Yeah, I was part of that".

Windwalker · 07-21-2009, 11:23 AM

+1 SightNSqueeze. That was a great post. I was about 30 years old and was glued to the TV set. When he put one foot on the moon's surface then brought the foot back to the ladder my heart almost jumped out of my chest in fear that something had gone wrong. But then he went on down to the moon's surface. What pride I felt for those Astronauts and for NASA.

Coeloptera · 07-21-2009, 11:58 AM

I wasn't born when that happened, so I've had to make do with the footage.

But the importance of what was done can not be overstated, nor can my disappointment that we've effectively forgotten how to do this and must reinvent the process as opposed to a continual refining of it since the beginning.

It is so important we keep up with this. Out there lies the future, and without brave and intelligent people like we had both hurling themselves into space and running the show back home, our species is still precariously clinging to a pale blue dot, one ELE away from the end of everything.

The space programs (governmental and private) will, if properly used, be of immeasurable value. If we can eventually take that big step and leave the nest, we will be safe.

Oh...and never start up that "faked landing" nonsense in front of Buzz Aldrin.

He will smash you.

- Coeloptera

SightNSqueeze · 07-21-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windwalker

+1 SightNSqueeze. That was a great post. I was about 30 years old and was glued to the TV set. When he put one foot on the moon's surface then brought the foot back to the ladder my heart almost jumped out of my chest in fear that something had gone wrong. But then he went on down to the moon's surface. What pride I felt for those Astronauts and for NASA.

Thanks Windwalker. I was in junior high school at the time. I too remember when Neil Armstrong brought his foot back up on the bottom latter rung, and then dropped down on the surface with both feet. My brother and I shouted with pride at that moment in front of our old RCA. Shortly afterwards, my father came home with a big new Zenith console color TV because we were determined to see it in color … next time around.

SightNSqueeze · 07-21-2009, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coeloptera

I wasn't born when that happened, so I've had to make do with the footage.

But the importance of what was done can not be overstated, nor can my disappointment that we've effectively forgotten how to do this and must reinvent the process as opposed to a continual refining of it since the beginning.

It is so important we keep up with this. Out there lies the future, and without brave and intelligent people like we had both hurling themselves into space and running the show back home, our species is still precariously clinging to a pale blue dot, one ELE away from the end of everything.

The space programs (governmental and private) will, if properly used, be of immeasurable value. If we can eventually take that big step and leave the nest, we will be safe.

Oh...and never start up that "faked landing" nonsense in front of Buzz Aldrin.

He will smash you.

- Coeloptera

Thanks Coeloptera. That footage made my day. I might have to write Buzz and thank him. One giant punch in the nose for mankind...

SightNSqueeze · 07-21-2009, 12:55 PM

I have to share this. Maybe Buzz Aldrin can smack some sense into these conspiracy theorists ...