Modern Vespa

Can't believe it's been 50 years. From my prospective, my thoughts...

As a 19 year old kid brought up in the beginnings of the space era, my memories of that day are still very vivid. I was so jealous of my Dad for the first time. He was sitting in the Launch Firing Room as were many other engineers and technicians. I was sitting on the bank of the Banana River within Kennedy adjacent to the media area. I was one of the lucky locals that knew how to skirt by the NASA Security guys (Thanks Dad.) My trek in the dark from our home in Titusville was almost 10 miles. I was beat and almost eaten alive by the mosquitos.

Being close to the media viewing, I was able to hear the censored launch info from the loud speakers. NASA was always in a need to know mode. After all, this was supposed to be the end of the space race with a half billion people in the world watching this mission.

I've watched all of the manned launches to this date. They were all spectacular. But, this one was different. A different feeling from within. Wow, we're going to have someone actually walk on the moon in a few days. So much for a kid to comprehend.

This incredible Saturn V sat on Pad 39a nervously venting her liquid ox overflow and breathing heavily. I knew it was almost time. I could hear the final roll call from the speakers with that anticipated GO.

Now a few seconds prior the engine startup procedure began. Everything happened within seconds. As the main engine came to life I could see the flame and incredible amount of steam caused by those millions of gallons of water flowing suddenly into the flame trench. All engines were gimbaling attempting to keep this massive machine upright as the astronauts were probably being juggled about in the CM.

11 seemed to take forever to clear the tower. I could now see the rippling effect on the water as the sound and accompanying vibrations approached me. It was deafening.

I watched as this massive fireball slowly made that familiar arc over the Atlantic. The contrail mixed with smoke hung in the early sky for almost an hour as the winds twisted the path in some really odd shapes.

Those first eight minutes had my ears aimed at those speakers as I heard the confirmation of the stage separations. Now it was time to wait. Almost 3 days until man steps foot on the moon. I recall just sitting there for hours contemplating what I had just experienced. I had no way of knowing at that time how this particular moment would impact my life. I have no regrets. Again, thanks Dad for giving me that vision.

I've attached just a few pics you may like to see. I won't clutter up MV with too many.

I know many of you experienced this moment in history. Where were you? I'd love to get your thoughts.

Bob

Great commentary Bob.
Though only 9 at the time I too remember that vividly. I was however relegated to watching it on TV as I lived on Long Island at the time. I watched it again this morning as CBS rebroadcasted it this morning at the exact time of the original launch.
It truly was an exciting time in space history.
I also remember watching the actual lunar landing with as much detail as if it was just last year. It was visiting day at the Boy Scout camp my older brother was at out east on the island.

As another note, I had an older cousin that worked for Grumman Aerospace in Calverton Long Island as an Engineer on the Lunar Lander project.

Fifty years, I cannot believe it was truly that long ago and look how far man kind has come.

I was 7 at the time. Our family was one of the first on the block to have color TV so my parents invited friends and neighbors for a launch party. There was about 20 people in our living room. I was, naturally sitting two feet from the screen. I remember my dad saying something like "Son, other people want to watch this too." Humph". I said and lay down on the floor so everyone could see over me. The same thing happened a few days later for the landing party. And for the splashdown party as well.

I was 10 years old at the time of the launch. The neighbors gathered in my folks living room in San Bruno California. Standing room only as there were approximately 50 family and friends gathered to watch the event. It left an indelible impression. Every kid wanted to be an astronaut after that day.

My wife's grandfather told me about driving a horse drawn grocery wagon outside Baltimore to watch Wilbur and Orville demonstrate the Wright Flyer about 1907+/-. That was the space shot of the age. He was inspired to become an engineer and had a long and rewarding career with the telephone company; and he loved and understood all the newest technology. He then watched men fly to and land on the moon, and would tear up with the emotion when he told that story. He retired to Florida and went to see at least one Shuttle launch.

In July, 1969 I had just returned from three months trying to do lab science aboard a ship in the Antarctic, the most physically and mentally demanding situation I have ever been in. I watched the landing at my new fiancé's home in NC. I was a mess.

(The fiancé mentioned did not become the wife mentioned.)

I was not alive, but am glad you shared this personal experience of that major moment in history! I love anything and everything about this period in space exploration. It is such a shame that as a country we've lost interest in this desire and haven't really repeated or topped these achievements since. Yes the shuttle was an achievement in its own right, but as someone who did not live through this exciting time, it has always felt we as a culture gave up on topping these lofty goals.

I am of the mindset that the government and as a result, NASA could have initiated a similar time of scientific progress if we had chosen to "colonize" the moon prior to Mars. It was a mistake to abandon the moon in favor of Mars simply for the effort and time to get one project to Mars is exponentially more than the moon, for the same scientific achievements. We could be further along with more missions in progress to the moon than mars. In the same way that Apollo missions were pipelined.

I agree with you about getting all we could out of the moon exploration. But governments like to build a bigger coliseum with more gladiators and lions and Christians. The Egyptians built bigger pyramids. If you keep the populace looking at the pyramid they won't see the money going into the politicians pockets. And so it goes (KV).

I don't remember the launch but I sure remember the landing! I was 17 and had just gotten home from work, and my folks had it on the TV. Awesome!

Hey Bob, I'm posting this image with you in mind. I think you might appreciate it. This is a commemorative souvenir from the State dinner for the astronauts in 1969 after they returned to Earth. Possibly August. Century City in Los Angeles was the location of the dinner. It is made of a Mylar type material that was supposedly used either in the space craft or their suits. Not sure. Maybe you would know. I happed to be visiting my Aunt & Uncle at the time. My uncle was working at a store in Century City and snagged one for my 2 cousins & myself. I framed mine. Notice the signature on the glass!
Ira

God Bless America

I was a 13 year old kid living in Riviera Beach, FL, about 150 miles south of the cape, A lot of of my buddies thought it would be a good idea to bicycle over to Singer Island beach to watch the launch while listening to it on one of the more wealthy kids' transistor radio. We were impatient, horsing around, pushing each other into the surf, but when the actually launch happened, we were mesmerized. no one said a word. Once the first stage was ejected, we were all hooping and hollering, as everyone was around us.. A fine memory I'll never forget.

Awesome! It's unlikely the material is from their suits. Armstrong's and Aldrin's suits are now under the control of the Smithsonian. My guess would be that it's made from practice suits or other flight materials.

After the moon landing the crew went on a world tour. Probably this tour that stopped in LA. Buzz and Michael enjoyed the attention. Not so with Neil. His quiet and shy demeanor prevented him from attending several functions. His reserved nature is one of the reasons he was chosen over Buzz as the 'first man'.

I hope you keep the flag in your family. The moon landing will never fade from future memory.

Flordian: Did you work for Nasa and what did you do?

Miguel

I was 9 years old and anyway i remember ... for me it was just a great undertaking of humanity; then over time and studying the story i understood that there were also political and military implications ... there was the Cold War and it was a part of the victory of the western democracies.
Let us not forget that before that day there were many attempts with some victims that punctuated the progress made; in any case i am one of those who believe that we went to the Moon ... and that the Earth is round.
But i am also one of those that the Moon is not uninhabited:
https://www.amazon.it/Strutture-artificiali-extraterrestri-transitori-monumenti/dp/8825300816
And i am also convinced that we must not give up the conquest of the sidereal spaces, expanding out of our mother planet is vital for the survival of all of us and constitutes an outlet to the outside unit, uniting us all in a common purpose.

Thanks for that!

I was five and admittedly the various launches are probably jumbled in my memories, though like the others I remember the landing vividly.

Though obviously generationally biased, I believe this remains the greatest engineering feat in the history of humanity -- the biggest pyramid we've ever constructed.

And, ironically, achieved in an analog era.

Hi Miguel, did you ever find that moon tree? Would love a pic and a GPS location.

I retired back in 2015. Worked for NASA, United Space Alliance among many other commercial contractors. I was considered a "Pad Rat". Basically anything launch pad related from infrastructure to vehicle on pad readiness. Nothing spectacular.

Career highlight was meeting many of the moon walkers and occasionally hosting a couple of these pioneers in my home while they did their thing at CCAFS and KSC. Their untold stories were enlightening and usually laughable. Two of these guys were responsible for the launch of our MV Snoopy project after an evening of wine tasting. Must also mention my retirement gift from old coworkers. I posted this on MV a couple of years back.

Thanks for the background Flordian. Your posts over the years suggests your a NASA and rocket nut. There are so many interesting things to do in life. Unfortunately, you can't do them all. I've never sent time around rockets but have been spent time around satellites, mostly communication satellites. About 15 years ago I patented a technique for doubling the bandwidth capacity of communication satellites with clever processing techniques on the ground so it worked with existing satellites. It made a lot of money for a couple companies. My compensation was a paycheck every two weeks.

Regarding the Moontree, I did take photos of the Monterey Moontree and posted them on the Moontree thread.It was planted in front of city hall. I've always wanted to go to Sacramento and photo that one but haven't done it despite talking about it for years. Maybe we can get SactoMonkey to do it since he lives there. I'll PM him.

Cheers
Miguel

Open this interesting article in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica with Chrome and use the translator:

La Repubblica: Don Eyles: "Con quel computer potevamo andare anche su Marte".
https://www.repubblica.it/dossier/scienze/sbarco-luna/2019/07/16/news/don_eyles_con_qui_computer_potevamo_andare_anche_su_marte_-230561429/

That mylar, I believe was used as much of the sides of the lunar lander. It was said it was a thin as a plastic trash bag, and the astronauts had to be very careful not to fall into or lean on the material or it would rip.

I don't recall the launch, but remember the landing and first EVA. It was my 8th birthday, so I've always felt a special connection to Apollo 11. We boated (little power boat, 45 hp) on the local reservoir (drinking water - no swimming allowed!) had cake and watched the landing and then the EVA.

Honestly - it is the earliest day in my life that I can remember. And, one of the only "kid" birthdays that I really remember.

By Apollo 11 I was 15. I had followed every launch, every news item since Project Mercury. I was convinced I'd become an engineer or other tech in some part of the space program. I aced all my science classes in high school. Then I got very unlucky in math. In two different years of H.S. BOTH my algebra and geometry teachers were fired from their positions in the middle of the school years for being incompetent. We received a host of fill-in substitutes during the remainder of those school years. Me and my classmates learned just about nothing, but we received passing grades by the administration without ever being offered remedial instruction. So my math foundation was permanently damaged and I was lost after those years. So went any hope of further advancement w/r/t math to reach the space program.

I was 18. Me and a friend were surfing in Freeport Texas. We came in off the water to listen to the landing on the radio. I was sure they were going to crash. When Armstrong said, "The Eagle has landed," I couldn't believe it. Top dead center for our civilization if you ask me.

The Italian television channel dedicated to history in general, has dedicated several broadcasts; under the link to can access for free with Facebook and other social networks.

https://www.raiplay.it/video/2019/03/Passato-e-Presente-Viaggio-verso-la-Luna-1ceb5302-b5dc-4ebf-b513-9ff0d76e8063.html