Page 1 of 1

One small step for man..

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:50 am
by chadtm80
Today is the 35 Year anniversy of the first moon walk

Do you remember it?? Well I dont, I didnt even exist lol

Image
The Apollo 11 crew from left to right: Neil Armstrong, Commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and , Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot.


Image
In President Kennedy's speech to Congress, on May 25, 1961, he expressed a concern that the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union in technology and prestige. He challenged the nation to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 launched from the Kennedy Space Center.



Image
Image
On July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon. He said the historic words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
A camera in the Lunar Module provided live television coverage as Neil Armstrong climbed down the ladder to the surface of the moon.

The Lunar Module "Eagle" consisted of two parts: the descent stage and the ascent stage.
The descent state provided the engine used to land on the moon. It had four legs, a storage area for experimental gear, and a ladder for the crew to climb down to the moon's surface. The descent module also served as the launch platform for the ascent module when it came time to leave.

The ascent module carried the crew back to the Command Service Module.



Image
Image
To walk on the moon's surface, the astronauts needed to wear a space suit with a back mounted, portable life support system. This controlled the oxygen, temperature and pressure inside the suit.
On the surface, the astronauts had to get used to the reduced gravity. They could jump very high compared to on Earth.

The crew spend a total of two and a half hours on the moon's surface. While on the moon's surface, the performed a variety of experiments and collected soil and rock samples to return to Earth.

An American flag was left on the moon's surface as a reminder of the accomplishment.




Image
After re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, parachutes opened to safely lower the Columbia into the Pacific Ocean. After landing in the Ocean, the crew were retrieved by a helicopter and taken to the recovery ship, the "USS Hornet."
The crew and lunar samples were placed in quarantine until their health and safety could be confirmed.

The Command Module "Columbia" returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Apollo 11 had successfully completed its mission. President Kennedy's objective to land men on the moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:54 am
by Brent
35th Anniversary Chad. 1969-2004 :wink:

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:57 am
by wx247
I was not around then either, but to this day those pictures look fascinating.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:18 pm
by Skywatch_NC
I was 6 yrs-old when the first man-walk on the moon occurred! :D

Neil Armstrong is a native from Wapakoneta, Ohio (the same state where I grew up)...and one time my church youth group from Hamilton, Ohio went and visited the Armstrong museum there in Wapakoneta. :)

In later years Neil was a professor at the University of Cincinnati...I reckon he's probably retired now. ;)

Eric 8-)

Re: One small step for man..

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:25 pm
by Miss Mary
chadtm80 wrote:Today is the 35 Year anniversy of the first moon walk

Do you remember it?? Well I dont, I didnt even exist lol



I existed! Now I feel old Chad! LOL

The scene I remember was straight out of a Wonder Years episode - neighborhood kids playing together, parents all grilling out. Just a friendly scene. Someone mentioned to us kids to come inside and see pics of the Moon Walk. I'm really dating myself here, but watching TV in the summer? Are they crazy? This was long before cable......we went inside, 20 of us crammed into someone's living room. Even though this brief interruption of my playtime annoyed us at the time, we all knew it was an historical event. One of those moments when you remember where you were, who you were with and what you were doing. We were dancing on someone's patio to Honky Tonk Woman when they called us inside!

Great pics. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Chad.

Mary

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:27 pm
by azsnowman
I remember VERY well, I was in the 6th grade, it was the FIRST time we had a tv in the classroom, our science teacher brought his from home, sat it up in the class and we watched it...DAM, am I THAT OLD? "LOL!"

Dennis

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:31 pm
by coriolis
I remember seeing it. Fer shur.

Sounds like the only moon walk that a lot of the membership here ever saw was michael Jacksons!

I liked the original better.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:32 pm
by azskyman
I was at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, when the first steps were taken on the moon. I remember that our drill instructor let us go to an air conditioned building to watch it on TV. I don't know whether I was more impressed by the a/c or by the walk on the moon that day, but I know I felt mighty proud to be an American that day.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:32 pm
by azsnowman
*sigh* Ed....."LOL!"

Dennis

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:36 pm
by coriolis
Well Dennis, I don't know how the mantle of "elder" will wear on us graybeards. Personally I think it's a hoot!

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:36 pm
by therock1811
Nope don't remember...it was about 17 years before my time I think...

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:20 pm
by Brent
My mom was 6 weeks from being born 35 years ago, LOL. My dad was 6 1/2.

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:25 pm
by Josephine96
I hear stories about it.. but needless to say.. wasn't even thought about back then lol..

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:52 am
by george_r_1961
I remember quite well. I was 8 years old then..saw history being made.

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:17 am
by Aslkahuna
I not only remember watching the Apollo 11 on TV but I also remember the WHOLE Space Age since I was just starting College when Sputnik 1 flew on October 4,1957. I was in charge of a Moonwatch Team for visual tracking of satellites and logged over 1000 observations of satellites including the 3.5 inch Vanguard I at a slant range of 2800 miles. One of my early observations including seeing the twin Russian manned spacecraft flying over head only a few minutes apart in the early 1960's.
The early TV bounces from Echo and the early relays from Telstar that presaged the current satellite system we now have for Communications.

This also another important Anniversary for it was 10 years ago this week that the World looked on in awe as Comet Shoemake-Levy 9 impacted Jupiter in the largest impact in the Solar system in recorded history. I watched that one as well with my telescope.

Steve