Moon Landing Anniversary

[CFLarsen]

That the moon was a dark body was known before any missions went there. Nevertheless, the astronauts were surprised that lunar soil and rocks were charcoal-colored.

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin returned to lunar orbit, Armstrong decided to show Mike Collins some of the rocks. Collins too was surprised by their color. Technicians on Earth who later examined the rocks were astonished by their dark color, and after uttering a profanity to emphasize their surprise, described the rocks as looking like "burnt potatoes."

If you go to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, you can touch a lunar rock. Yes, it is quite black.

This should emphasize the strength of the sun's rays on a celestial body without an atmosphere, even one as the Moon - it's a speck of a speck in the solar system! It looks very white on the moon, but I don't doubt that the moon is basically a ball of black dust and rock. Hey, the evidence is there!

I'm very, very happy we got an atmosphere here on Earth! The forces of nature are way, way more powerful than any paranormal ditto.

Why is it that nature always trumps imagination?

 

[Brown]

Re: Re: Re: Moon Landing Anniversary

That's exactly what it was. Apparently, Armstrong paused after saying 'man' because he realized that he flubbed the line, but decided to finish the quote anyway.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/onesmall.asp

Actually, Armstrong got something of a bum rap on this. He planned to say "a man," and rehearsed it that way, intended to say it that way, and asserted his belief that that he actually said it that way. But when the time came, he adopted a rhythm for his line such that the word "a" was lost.

He emphasized the "one small step" part, and deemphasized the "for a man" part. As a result, the words "one," "small" and "step" are spoken distinctly, and the words "for a man" are almost slurred together. And with the word "man" getting the emphasis, the word "a" was lost.

If you try to repeat the line the way Armstrong did, you'll hear that the word "a" is very indistinct: "That's one ... small ... step ... for a man ......... one ... giant ... leap ...... for mankind." If you deliberately emphasize the word "a" to keep it from being lost, the cadence of the line can be adversely affected and the line can sound unnatural.

So maybe Armstrong should have spoken a little bit more deliberately, but I say "Give the guy break!" (That was a joke, not a typo.) Consider the circumstances under which he was operating.

Besides (as Robert Klein said), Armstrong showed a great deal of character by not setting himself up financially for life by putting his foot on the Moon and saying "Coca-Cola!!"

Sorta makes me wonder what George W. Bush would have said if he were in Armstrong's place. Maybe something like: "That's one small step for me, one giant ... one giant ... I'm standing on the Moon!"

 

[Ove]

I join you in recommending Kranz's book. The book has only one major distraction, and that is this: when Kranz tries to be poetic (which he does infrequently), he ends up sounding corny.

I agree but then again he coulden't be otherwise given the type he is. Some of his sentiments reminds me of Chuck Yeagers, i can reccomend HIS autobiography too. Tom Wolfe tried to satirize over it in "The right stuff" and he was probably right some of the way but on the other hand i think those guys HAD "the right stuff".

My favourite quote is actually Pete Conrads : "It may have been a small step for Neil but........." And yes that episode also is my favourite. The mention in "The race to the Moon" that one of the Astronauts was "Hypnotized" or otherwise made into NOT using "four-letter-words" That was Pete Conrad i'll bet.

The funniest story is the "Good luck Mr. Ghorsky". I KNOW i't a legend but it is a story you would want to believe.

 

[Brown]

I discovered this post. It deserves a bumping five years later.