A moment of silence - go out and look at the moon

I vividly remember listening to the lunar landing on July 20, 1969. The phrase "kicking up some dust" is indelibly burned in my brain.

I just went outside and looked at the moon. Seems to be the proper tribute to a great man.

Jim B.
 
I was seven and a half when Armstrong took that step. Even in the UK all the boys were collecting soup-tin labels (I think that was what the promotion was on?) during the Apollo program, so that we could pester our parents to order the "free" posters of some of the amazing photographs. I think I recall reading recently that a moon-mapping satellite had seen the shadows from the equipment left on the moon surface, and that the flag was still standing. Possibly that was another of the landing sites though.

(Edit: I eventually checked this. The sites of Apollo's 12, 16 and 17 still have their flags. The Apollo 11 flag was seen to blow over in the blast as the module took off, so the later astronauts simply placed the flags further away).


Thanks to RichW, above, for the link to the transparencies and other photo materials. It gives a new meaning to "Sunny-16" (yes, I know that wouldn't actually work very well without an atmosphere) and it was reassuring to see that there are a couple of accidental exposures of hands and elbows in the collection!

For seven year old me, I can certainly admit that Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins inspired a lot of enthusiasm for science and technology.
 
I sat on the floor in front of the TV, to one side so as not to block Dad's view from his easy chair, and watched Neil make that one small step and giant leap. I took a picture of the TV screen at the historic moment and processed it in the basement that night. The development of technology that made that small step possible was indeed the giant leap that has changed all of our lives.

I read somewhere that the Hassies had 2 exposure settings, light & shadow, and 3 focus settings, near, mid and far. IMO, these brought home fantastic photos. Their cameras are, of course, still on the moon.

http://www.hasselblad.com/about-hasselblad/hasselblad-in-space/space-cameras.aspx
 
I was working a shift at a electric motor plant, we had the radio on while I filled bins with parts. An exciting time.

I also still remember standing in downtown Chicago 9 months later watching a news reader board update the latest on Apollo 13, a very scary time.
 
This is in memory of Neil, taken tonight, 8/25/2012.

7861783234_ba9fcf6115_b.jpg
 
And here's to all those involved that had the imagination to think such a feat was possible! It was an effort that lit us up for generations to come!

Go with grace, Neil.
 
The World would not be the same today if all they had done was send a robotic rover to take landscape pictures and shoot back a few rocks.

The images of the astronauts on the surface and how they viewed the experience, the moon and the earth will forever be remembered.

I was reading about the computer technology used : the Apollo Guidance Computer used 'core rope memory' - just like some ancient Andean Quipu document.
Comparatively, it seems that todays technology makes Mars someplace we can go when it is convenient.
 
Even now, whenever I look up at the moon I can't help but think there are, sitting on it's surface;
6 LM desent stages
3 parked rovers
5 crashed S-IVB boosters (seismic experiments)
5 empty LM assent stage crash sites (more seismic readings)
Numerous experiments and scientific equipment
12 discarded PLSS backpacks
12 pair lunar excursion overboots (and a lot of boot prints in the moon regolith)
5 Surveyor landers (1 crashed surveyor)
3 Ranger impact sites
7 Soviet Luna landers (1 Luna crash site)
Who knows what else










When you think about it, quite a bit of stuff over the last 50 years.
 
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