45 years ago this week...

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unionrdr

unionrdr

Homebrewer, author & air gun collector
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& two days ago today,Apollo 11 launched toward the moon! I was 13 years old when My whole family watched the Sun god Apollo streak across the morning sky, giving his great light. The most powerful vehicle ever wrought by the hand of Man at that point. With 5 Saturn Five boosters giving off the equivalent of 2 kilotons of power! I remember being in awe as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface for the first time & uttered his immortal words. He & many others are gone now, but I'm sure he & God are swapping some of the best stories ever told. So take a moment to reflect on the risks others have taken on our behalf. I raise my glass to these brave men who sought only to improve our knowledge of space! :mug:
 
Sadly our current administration has decimated the space program.
 
One of the earliest memories of my life was just experiencing my first birthday and for some reason my mom placing me down in front of the old black and white tv. All I remember was a blurry vision of some guy in a spacesuit popping down a ladder. For some reason she was all excited. All I knew was I was sitting in my diaper. I still remember that vision as clear as day.
 
I was 10 years old, glued to the TV waiting for Neil Armstrong to climb out of that lunar module. When he finally did, we were fascinated by the low-res video of him climbing down that ladder to the surface.
 
I wasn't around to experience this moment in history first hand. I have watched and replayed many videos of the Saturn rockets and Apollo launches, as well as numerous clips of the first lunar landing. I can only imagine what the collective enthusiasm and national pride must have been like during that time.

I just returned from the Space Center in Houston where I saw one of the Saturn V rockets in person for the first time. It's split into the different stages including an Apollo Spacecraft. Pictures and videos do not do it justice. The size of just one of those F-1 rocket engines is astonishing. I can't even begin to imagine the power produced by all five firing at once. Truly amazing! All of it, from the drive to land on the moon, to the research and development, the launch, reaching orbit, the lunar landing, the first step, lunar launch, to the splash down on Earth.
 
I was not born yet, but it was an amazing moment in history. And to think some believe it was a hoax
 
My first space memory was the Challenger explosion. Even though I was just a kid, i still remember Ronald Reagans speech. It was a tragic day, but the best speech I have ever heard.
 
I set up my 35mm camera and took still shots off the TV at Mom's house. Actually, I guess it was still my house, too, since I didn't get married until two weeks later. And I've got those b&w still shots tucked away somewhere!

glenn514:mug:
 
Visited Cape Canaveral as a kid; was in awe of everything on display there.


Sent from my iPod touch using Home Brew
 
glenn514 said:
I set up my 35mm camera and took still shots off the TV at Mom's house. Actually, I guess it was still my house, too, since I didn't get married until two weeks later. And I've got those b&w still shots tucked away somewhere!

glenn514:mug:
Click to expand...


My dad did the same thing with his home movie camera, filming the tv screen and my sister (11 years old) and me (4 1/2) watching. I was fascinated with the Apollo program as a child. Those astronauts were my first "heros"......I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up.
 
I imagine hurtling through space, landing on another body, looking back and seeing earth and Neil Armstrong had the presence of mind and charisma to say what he said.

I would've landed and said "holy **** I'm like a billion miles from home man (238,900 miles)".

This why I brew beer and not fly through space. It is rather sad that 40 years of administrations have gutted our space programs. (.001 or so of our budget goes to NASA, might even be less than that .0001).
 
Currently on Netflix for anyone interested:

When We Left Earth: The Nasa Missions. Season 1, Episode 3, "Landing the Eagle" is all about the Apollo missions and landing on the moon.
 
There were a lot of serious problems through the entire mission. Here's a video all about it;

And being the first human to set foot on an alien world is just the coolest ever! And today, the 20th, was the day they actually landed!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was 5. Like most people, I watched it on TV. I used to climb into the clothes hamper & pretend I was in the space capsule, orbiting the moon, taking pictures & eating green cheese.
IMHO, Landing men on the moon was & still is the crowning achievement of mankind. 2 million years of evolution brought us to this. I think the only way to top it would be to land men on Mars or build a moonbase.

I'll gladly hoist a pint or 2 to all those brave men & women, living & dead, who are or were a part of the space program; in whatever capacity they served. Zum Whol!
Regards, GF. :mug:
 
I was 5. Like most people, I watched it on TV. I used to climb into the clothes hamper & pretend I was in the space capsule, orbiting the moon, taking pictures & eating green cheese.
IMHO, Landing men on the moon was & still is the crowning achievement of mankind. 2 million years of evolution brought us to this. I think the only way to top it would be to land men on Mars or build a moonbase.

I'll gladly hoist a pint or 2 to all those brave men & women, living & dead, who are or were a part of the space program; in whatever capacity they served. Zum Whol!
Regards, GF. :mug:
 
I remember when Sputnik orbited the Earth. You could hear it on a phone call,beeping steadily. And Our senator John Glenn in Friendship 7, feeling his cheeks on fire upon re-entry. Talk about a hot flash. And Gus Grissom & the other two that died on the launch pad when Apollo 1 blew up. We need to get men on Mars so their spirits are given to know that their sacrifices were not in vain. That our endeavors as humans being will not stop because of greed & avarice & the NWO. We want to be a great people & we can be, if we continue to grow & learn to stop butchering one another.
 
My brother was born on the day the challenger exploded. My Dad called Grandpa to tell him the it's a boy... the call went something like this (dad to grandpa)
Dad: Did you hear the news?
Gpa: Yes, isn't it awful?
Dad: Wait, what??! This is one of the best moments in my life!
Gpa: Oh, I was talking about the Challenger. Can't wait to see the new boy!

Could you imagine being Dad in that conversation? "Awful? FU Dad!" My Dad had no idea as he was with Mom in the hospital and was busy (to say the least).

Thought it would be a good story to share.

Cheers
 
The moon landing & Woodstock all in the same summer! Both flyin' high...:drunk: I wonder what really does happen if they fart in their space suit?...(Rocketman)...
 

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