We Choose to Go to the Moon…
Today marks the the 39th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first manned space mission to land, walk on and safely return from the moon.
About a month before the historic moon landing, I met the three Apollo 10 astronauts, John Young, Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan on their national tour. They had just completed the final rehearsal for the moon landing. Their mission was to circle the moon’s surface in both the Command Module and the Lunar Landing module (LEM), and conduct photographic surveys for a good landing site for the Apollo 11 mission.
Just two months later, on July 16th, 1969, Michael Collins, Neil. A. Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Apollo 11. Their mission, to be the first humans to safely land and walk on the surface of the moon.
NASA, the agency responsible for the moon project and the space program, was created in 1958 during President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration.
Four short years later, President John Kennedy aimed America toward the new frontier of the moon, when he declared “we choose to go to the moon in this decade”.
His speech is remembered for the line “we choose to go to the moon”, but the line was proceeded by a bit of a joke. The speech was delivered to a group of space engineers at Rice University on September 12, 1962.
“But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.”
The Apollo 11 mission, was plagued with both minor and mission-threatening glitches, right up until the actual landing. But to reduce the fear in the eyes of the public, many of the mission’s problems were not detailed to the press corps. President Richard Nixon even had a speech written in the event the mission failed and the astronauts were killed or had to be abandoned on the moon’s surface.
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Problems such as major computer malfunctions during the last few minutes of the decent to the lunar surface and a broken electrical relay switch that was needed to trigger the single engine that would blast the astronauts off the moon’s surface, were not reported by the news at that time.
The computer, with similar computing power of a modern day digital watch, malfunctioned, resulting in navigational systems to stop working correctly within the final minute of the lunar landing. The malfunction forced Neil Armstrong to take manual control of the LEM when he saw that the LEM was seriously off course and heading toward a large crater, not the intended landing site. He successfully landed on the moon without relying on computer guidance, and with just 15 seconds of fuel remaining. NASA’s policy, in the event that remaining fuel reached under a 2 minute supply, was to abort the landing attempt. It illustrates the cool heads, nerves of steel and confidence the astronauts had. Some correctly called it “The Right Stuff“.
The critical electrical relay switch arm was damaged after the crew was removing their spacesuits after the first 2-hour moon walk. If not corrected, the astronauts would be permanently stranded on the moon. A solution was found when one of the astronauts used a felt-tipped pen to flip the switch and open the relay needed to ignite the engine. Luckily, Michael Collins, who circled the moon in the Command Module, was not forced to return to earth alone.
On other fact, the famous first statement from the moon, when mission commander Neil Armstrong stepped on to the moon’s surface, “That’s one small step for man…one giant leap for mankind,” was, in fact, not what he intended to say. Armstrong’s intended line was actually “That’s one small step for a man…one giant leap for mankind.” Either way, it communicated the impact of the mission on the people of the world.
The landing on the moon was an incredible feat of engineering, science, and human bravery. Years later, a few NASA engineers and mission specialists, have publicly stated that with the level of technology available at the time, looking backwards, the mission would be considered too dangerous to be attempted today.
NASA released an anniversary video to commemorate the mission 35 years after. It’s still amazing to watch men walking on the moon. The sixth and final manned moon landings was completed by Apollo 17 in December 1972. On an earlier mission, the now famous Apollo 13 lunar landing was aborted and narrowly avoided a tragic ending.
On display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, you can see the history of manned space flight, starting with early rockets, including a Goddard Rocket (1926). This was one of the first rockets that started the history of rocket development that led to the Saturn V, which had enough power to lift the payloads needed to reach the moon.
Also on display is an Apollo Lunar Module, the actual Apollo 11 Command Module that went to the moon, and a Lunar Rover trainer similar to one used on the moon during the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions.
Another highlight at the National Air and Space Museum is the display of one of the few lunar rock samples on public display. Other exhibits include earlier era spacecraft, including John Glenn’s Mercury 7 capsule and the Gemini 4 capsule.
National Air and Space Museum
Independence Avenue at 6th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20560 (map it)
Dates and Times - Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Nearest Metro Subway Station - L’Enfant Plaza - Blue, Orange, Green and Yellow lines, and Smithsonian - Blue and Orange lines
Parking - Limited metered street parking is available.
Images - Aldrin and Armstrong on the Moon, Saturn liftoff - NASA, Goddard rocket, Apollo Lunar Module number 2 and Apollo 11 Command Module - Eric Long/NASM, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution - Copyright Smithsonian Institution, Lunar Rover - National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution - Copyright Smithsonian Institution
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4 Comments
Thank you very much for this detailed recounting of the historic voyage of Apollo 11. You delve into some little known aspects of the event, but I was a little startled by one very serious inaccuracy. Buzz Aldrin deserves great credit for his service as “Lunar Module Pilot”, monitoring and radioing the status of the Lunar Module controls and displays - including the altitude and velocity of Eagle. BUT, it was actually Neil Armstrong, who took the manual controls and steered Eagle over a field of large boulders to a safe landing.
After touchdown, as Aldrin concluded his “play-by-play” commentary, Armstrong finally spoke with the words, “Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Aldrin has stated that the two men briefly shook hands, and then it was immediately back to work, configuring systems for the possibility of an emergency lift-off.
I just wanted to set the record straight mainly on this one important point. Thank you for a great piece of writing about one of the greatest of all events that will surely be remembered for eons.
Fascinating stuff Jon. Lots in there I’d forgotten, and a fair bit I never knew. I guess there should be a big celebration next year.
Thanks Mike:
You are correct and thanks for noticing my error. Armstrong did take over, even though Aldren was the LEM Commander. I’ve updated the post accordingly.
And thanks for visiting The DC Traveler.
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