Holy Cow We Went to the Moon

Fifty years ago. The frickin' moon.

Yes. People went there. It took years and 400 thousand people. But we went there.


Back when the space program was oriented around manned missions, you used to hear this refrain about how we should spend money feeding the hungry etc. rather than spending money traveling to space.  I never got that.  Space exploration always seemed among the noblest, high minded and even spiritual of human endeavors.  And one day, if we survive that long, we, or some of us, must get off the planet.



Cows have been doing it for years.



bub said:
Back when the space program was oriented around manned missions, you used to hear this refrain about how we should spend money feeding the hungry etc. rather than spending money traveling to space.  I never got that.  Space exploration always seemed among the noblest, high minded and even spiritual of human endeavors.  And one day, if we survive that long, we, or some of us, must get off the planet.

I was in elementary school then and like most kids, rockets were cool to me- but other grown folks in my family didn't give a shite about the moon.    A full-time gig vs moon rocks?   Please.


"A rat done bit my sister Nell"


And, it was also the summer that I visited the US for the first time.  When I first arrived, I was amazed at the number of TV channels - and there was programming all day (in DK there was 1 channel, programming ran 2 hrs in the morning, 3 hours in the early afternoon, and 5-6 hrs in the evening).  If you lived in the eastern part of the country, you could also pick up Swedish TV (with 2 channels).

Then, 3 weeks into the trip, all the channels preempted their regular programming to show the moon landing.  I was very annoyed at a choice of 6-8 channels - but all showing the same thing.


If you've yet to watch the Apollo 11 GoogleDoodle, please do so.  It makes you marvel at the nerve and raw bravery of going to the moon -- and back.  It's narrated by Astronaut Mike Collins:


50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing #GoogleDoodle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6VpHyKXHBM



I mainly listen to radio only when I'm in the car, by myself. The past few days, our local ABC radio (that's Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has been featuring lots of snippets from back in '69, because of Honeysuckle Creek, Siding Springs, Parkes... And wouldn't you know it? Kevin G the techie who now lives just up the road from here on Hope Island. There's a lovely interview with him, but I'm not sure if there's a link. 

@marksierra, can you pls help me work this out? 

Edited to add:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-19/nasa-apollo-11-moon-landing-footage-sent-via-honeysuckle-creek/11273724


DottyParker said:
If you've yet to watch the Apollo 11 GoogleDoodle, please do so.  It makes you marvel at the nerve and raw bravery of going to the moon -- and back.  It's narrated by Astronaut Mike Collins:


50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing #GoogleDoodle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6VpHyKXHBM


 I just watched this and it is amazing and scary.  I was 12 when they landed on the moon and I watched it on a black and white TV.  I thought it was so cool, but I had no idea back then how brave these guys were and how primitive was the technology that they had to trust.  I was mostly waiting to hear if the popular theory that the moon was made out of green cheese was true. 


reading how they almost missed deadlines because the computers were overloaded and because they’d overflown their targeted landing (and where they were headed to land was unsuitable), barely enough fuel.... As adults now these things horrify us, particularly in government-funded projects. Discovering these things partway into the project, when it seems there’s no practical way to turn back... not acknowledging their fear...  Definitely a different era. 


Its hard to think of this now, but to them the equipment wasn't at all primitive.  They were riding in the best craft humans could produce.  Just like the Wright brothers.


What amazes me the most is how the designers and builders of the moon landing vehicles managed to plan and create equipment that was able to stand up to all the demands of a round trip outer space excursion and keep the astronauts safe and healthy - when they had no way of truly knowing what the conditions would be like or what problems might be encountered.  Awesome.  


Morganna said:
Cows have been doing it for years.

 Of course they have!

(Copied from my Inconseqential Chat blog in these pages)


marksierra said:
 Of course they have!
(Copied from my Inconseqential Chat blog in these pages)

 I hope the cow is all right!


joanne said:
I mainly listen to radio only when I'm in the car, by myself. The past few days, our local ABC radio (that's Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has been featuring lots of snippets from back in '69, because of Honeysuckle Creek, Siding Springs, Parkes... And wouldn't you know it? Kevin G the techie who now lives just up the road from here on Hope Island. There's a lovely interview with him, but I'm not sure if there's a link. 
@marksierra, can you pls help me work this out? 
Edited to add:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-19/nasa-apollo-11-moon-landing-footage-sent-via-honeysuckle-creek/11273724

 

I imagine not everything in it is true, but “The Dish” is a cute comedy about the key role Parkes played in the moon landing.

The American Experience “Chasing the Moon” documentary is still on demand and was very interesting, covering the decade that led up to Apollo 11. There’s a riveting scene in Part 2 of Susan Borman watching TV and agonizing the launch of Apollo 8, commanded by her husband, Frank, after the deadly Apollo 1 tragedy.   


The Dish is more true than people realise, it’s just that Parkes wasn’t the vital link it’s portrayed to be. (Australia was, Honeysuckle Creek was, not Parkes)

Most people don’t realise that Australia had been working closely with US scientists on space-related projects since 1958 so we already had people and infrastructure literally in place for the Apollo program. 


But when the American ambassador arrived, did the young band really play the theme to "Hawaii Five-O" instead of "The Star Spangled Banner?"  grin 


I really can’t get any more info on that...@marksierra, how are your sources? I remember reading something when the film came out, and something when the series on the EasyBeats came out, but I can’t remember...


chalmers said:
But when the American ambassador arrived, did the young band really play the theme to "Hawaii Five-O" instead of "The Star Spangled Banner?"  grin 

 

joanne said:
I really can’t get any more info on that...@marksierra, how are your sources? I remember reading something when the film came out, and something when the series on the EasyBeats came out, but I can’t remember...

 Galoop galoop .. the lone haranguer to the rescue!  (Can you tell I'm a Wizard of Id fan?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4yP1uyGg58


marksierra you really are my shining knight! (Way better than Sir Rodney!) However neither that clip nor the really good Behind The Scenes one after it answered the question re the truth of that musical incident. 

This guided tour of Parkes’ radio telescope in ‘79 is so fascinating (and a little funny, because tech has changed so much). 

https://youtu.be/hnkuskaOE40 


Watch "From the Earth, To the Moon", HBO? under series I think... I'm watching it on demand, very worthwhile. Tom Hanks, so it's dramatic but trustworthy ... Recommend it 


FilmCarp said:
Its hard to think of this now, but to them the equipment wasn't at all primitive.  They were riding in the best craft humans could produce.  Just like the Wright brothers.

 You should see the tin cans they started out with ! I saw them in the Space Museum in Orlando. Unbelievable...


FilmCarp said:
Its hard to think of this now, but to them the equipment wasn't at all primitive.  They were riding in the best craft humans could produce.  Just like the Wright brothers.

 sorry i can't delete and i already said...



In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.