I am old but not (quite) old enough to have been born before men landed on the surface of the Moon. Consequently, I grew up in the afterglow of the Apollo program, whose last mission occurred when I was three years old. So momentous were the actions of Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and
the oft-forgotten Michael Collins that I scarcely knew a child who didn't dream of being an astronaut one day. While I no longer have such dreams for myself, I nevertheless still dream that Armstrong's "giant leap for Mankind" might one day become a reality.
Ad astra.
While I've no desire to go to the moon and think that nowadays we have enough problems to sort out here on earth, I'm in awe of the Soviet and Americam space pioneers, engineers and scientists. A whole new science from the bottom up.
ReplyDeleteThat the Apollo programme could be commissioned by Ike in 1960 and following the boost by Kennedy's desire to beat the Soviets, get there within 9y is staggering.
As an engineer I wish I had been part of that decade and that project team more than any other point in history.
I can still get emotional thinking about the Apollo days or watching videos. We came home from a camping trip to watch the moon landing. And Walter Cronkite announcing Apollo coverage.
ReplyDeleteThat's how it affects me too. It's the scale of the endeavour and the Unknown that the astronauts faced. No guarantee they were coming back.
DeleteI was born weeks after Alan Shepard's first flight, so space exploration defined my childhood. We watched Eagle land at home, launches and recoveries had the whole school watching live on n TV.
ReplyDeleteJust last night, discussing some of the recent announcements, my better half asked if I still would want to go into space. Yes (checks bank accounts) if we had several times as much disposable money as our estate is worth.
Another Space Program Kid here.I have fond memories of going to FL as a kid and going to the NASA Space Center (and bringing home "talking" ViewMaster discs that were exclusive to the center!). I had books out the wazoo, collected all sorts of stamps related to the missions, did grade school reports on the various missions, etc.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat interesting (to me) self observation- my involvement in Fantasy comics, Sci Fi/Fantasy, and D&D seemed to have been the things that killed my interest in the space program, and the Space Shuttle missions just did not excite me. But if and when things show up on TV today regarding Mercury/Gemini/Apollo, I'm usually glued to the tube.
Every day I run round the local park just across the road from my house in London. On my last lap as I pass the bin that stands by the gate, doubtless to the consternation of fellow park goers, I announce - Houston we are go for the burn. I leave orbit and return home. I may be sixty-six but I am a child of the rocket age.
ReplyDeleteI was one at the time of the first moon landing and I can barely remember watching the last landing on tv. It might be one of my earliest memories. The quest for space has always been inside of me, ingrained. Continually reinforced through childhood by all of the SF I read and watched.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, James! Ad Astra.
ReplyDelete