Something positive to remember July 20th for

[broncosteven]

I wasn't going to post this in light of the recent shootings in Aurora but I thought it would be nice to remember what humans can do when they have goals and are challenged.

It was this date on July 20th 1969, at 10:18pm eastern time, that the whole world watched in rapt attention as men landed on the Moon for the 1st time. For a few moments all of the Earth were brothers and equal and proud, we were all citizens of one land, we were all from Earth.

Over the Christmas holiday in 1968 the first men to orbit the moon essentially redeemed a year which saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, wide spread rioting and an on going battle for civil rights among other things. While the crew for Apollo 8 orbited the moon they read from Genesis while filming the 1st Earth rise seen by the world. Many people who lived through the turmoil of that year said that flight saved 1968 and gave people hope for the future.

NASA went on to land 2 men on the moon within President Kennedy's challenge before the decade was out. People rose to the call and had a clear goal, many contractors and academics were given license to create procedures and hardware that would send men over 250,000 miles from Earth, land on the Moon and return to the Earth. The Capsule had to be made to send men into space and withstand a furious reentry, a lander had to be built that essentially had tin foil for a floor it was a craft that if entered on Earth would be crushed by the weight of the Astronauts, and a space ship platform had to be created to catapult all that hardware into orbit and beyond.

I am sure all of you at some point have heard me spout all the above before but on days like today when I feel that mankind has hit a low point I like to remember the good things we as a society have accomplished. I long for my kids to have their president challenge them to accomplish the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard, missions and projects that will benefit people everywhere and add to scope of human knowledge.

So as you remember those who lost life or were impacted by the trauma of the events this morning also take time to remember the good things we as a race of beings on a small blue marble of a world floating in a vast galaxy of an even vaster universe can accomplish when we set our minds to for it happened one day on the 20th of July.

[Crushaholic]

Sorry. Positivity has no business on the Mane...

[gunns]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I wasn't going to post this in light of the recent shootings in Aurora but I thought it would be nice to remember what humans can do when they have goals and are challenged.

It was this date on July 20th 1969, at 10:18pm eastern time, that the whole world watched in rapt attention as men landed on the Moon for the 1st time. For a few moments all of the Earth were brothers and equal and proud, we were all citizens of one land, we were all from Earth.

Over the Christmas holiday in 1968 the first men to orbit the moon essentially redeemed a year which saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, wide spread rioting and an on going battle for civil rights among other things. While the crew for Apollo 8 orbited the moon they read from Genesis while filming the 1st Earth rise seen by the world. Many people who lived through the turmoil of that year said that flight saved 1968 and gave people hope for the future.

NASA went on to land 2 men on the moon within President Kennedy's challenge before the decade was out. People rose to the call and had a clear goal, many contractors and academics were given license to create procedures and hardware that would send men over 250,000 miles from Earth, land on the Moon and return to the Earth. The Capsule had to be made to send men into space and withstand a furious reentry, a lander had to be built that essentially had tin foil for a floor it was a craft that if entered on Earth would be crushed by the weight of the Astronauts, and a space ship platform had to be created to catapult all that hardware into orbit and beyond.

I am sure all of you at some point have heard me spout all the above before but on days like today when I feel that mankind has hit a low point I like to remember the good things we as a society have accomplished. I long for my kids to have their president challenge them to accomplish the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard, missions and projects that will benefit people everywhere and add to scope of human knowledge.

So as you remember those who lost life or were impacted by the trauma of the events this morning also take time to remember the good things we as a race of beings on a small blue marble of a world floating in a vast galaxy of an even vaster universe can accomplish when we set our minds to for it happened one day on the 20th of July.

Remember exactly where I was. Had pulled the TV to the patio doors and was sitting on the patio watching the events. It was amazing.

[yerner]

we never went to the moon, dude.

[Kid A]

As someone not born until the '80s, I've never really envied people who did live through the tumultuous '60s. But I am jealous of experiencing the collective pride the moon orbit and landing must have brought to the country. The biggest symbolic American achievement in my lifetime so far is likely the '08 election, but that's ultimately clouded by politics and partisanship. The entire country united in awe of a scientific breakthrough/heroic adventure/ass-kicking of the Soviets - it must have been an awesome thing to see.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by Kid A

As someone not born until the '80s, I've never really envied people who did live through the tumultuous '60s. But I am jealous of experiencing the collective pride the moon orbit and landing must have brought to the country. The biggest symbolic American achievement in my lifetime so far is likely the '08 election, but that's ultimately clouded by politics and partisanship. The entire country united in awe of a scientific breakthrough/heroic adventure/ass-kicking of the Soviets - it must have been an awesome thing to see.

I was too young to witness the moon landing and vaguely remember my parents and grandparents talking about Apollo 13 but I do remember sitting around as a 5 year old for hours alone watching Apollo 17 and it was cool. Apollo 17 was a night mission and at the time we lived in Albuquerque and because it was a night launch you could see the last stage in orbit while they did the checks prior to Translunar injection. I remember my mom taking us out and looking up and just as I saw the light streaking across the sky it was gone.

I also remember watching all of the Apollo Soyus and Skylab that was televised but that was orbital stuff though Skylab had some drama initially that was exciting to watch because the solar array didn't deploy correctly and they had to space walk it and jury rig a parasol to deploy. None of that was like watching Cernan and Schmitt driving a buggy on the moon and blasting off back to the command module. I bought the DVD of that mission when it came out.

I think I am going to pop in the Apollo 11 DVD for my 4 year old tomorrow, it is too late for him tonight.

[broncosteven]

What did Buzz say when he stepped off the LM as the 2nd man to walk on the the moon?

[Conklin]

dude...that entire recording is fake, it was done in a studio just like all other hollywood films

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

What did Buzz say when he stepped off the LM as the 2nd man to walk on the the moon?

Magnificent Desolation

[broncosteven]

Alan Shepard said "Wooopppeeee!"

[lonestar]

Yes the sixties were interesting..

I was in NYC on liberty the night MLK was shot..

Had walked through Times square on the way to see the rocketts.

heard a commotion behind us as we got to the theater only to see the devastation that the riots did when we walked back to our hotel..

not a single store front window was left, tons of glass on the side walks and in the streets..

I suspect the only reason we were allowed to walk back through there because we were in uniform..

As for the space program I'll never forget the announcement that Sputnik had been launched and was most likely spying on us with each pass.

Remember looking up at it as it passed overhead.
 Felt violated to a small degree..

Kennedy was an inspiration.. Not seen that much since..

[ak1971]

Originally Posted by lonestar

Yes the sixties were interesting..

I was in NYC on liberty the night MLK was shot..

Had walked through Times square on the way to see the rocketts.

heard a commotion behind us as we got to the theater only to see the devastation that the riots did when we walked back to our hotel..

not a single store front window was left, tons of glass on the side walks and in the streets..

I suspect the only reason we were allowed to walk back through there because we were in uniform..

As for the space program I'll never forget the announcement that Sputnik had been launched and was most likely spying on us with each pass.

Remember looking up at it as it passed overhead.
 Felt violated to a small degree..

Kennedy was an inspiration.. Not seen that much since..

....ever think about just shutting off your computer and never posting here?

[BroncoLifer]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Alan Shepard said "Wooopppeeee!"

I think that was Pete Conrad. But for bonus points, what was the first thing Buzz Aldrin did after stepping off the LM?

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by BroncoLifer

I think that was Pete Conrad. But for bonus points, what was the first thing Buzz Aldrin did after stepping off the LM?

Buzz did a communion service in the LM before going outside on the surfacemuch to the chragrin of Armstrong.

Once they were out there they had a very quick procedural tasks they had to run through.

Your right about Conrad, Shep was after Apollo13 landing with Apollo14,what I get for being up past my bed time again!

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by ak1971

....ever think about just shutting off your computer and never posting here?

no..

[bronco militia]

Originally Posted by yerner

we never went to the moon, dude.

challenge accepted!

[BroncoLifer]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

Buzz did a communion service in the LM before going outside on the surfacemuch to the chragrin of Armstrong.

Once they were out there they had a very quick procedural tasks they had to run through.

Your right about Conrad, Shep was after Apollo13 landing with Apollo14,what I get for being up past my bed time again!

Well, what I was looking for was what Buzz did immediately after hopping down from the ladder. Which is that he realized he had a full bladder and so although he missed out on being first to walk on the moon he did become the first to pee while standing on the moon.

Can't remember where I read the interview where he talked about that but he related it in a very amusing fashion.