40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

[iceman]

July 20th, 2009 (July 21 in Australia) marks the 40th Anniversary since the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. Almost anyone alive at the time will be able to tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing, the moment that Apollo 11 Commander, Neil Armstrong, first stepped onto the Moon and spoke those now immortal words:



To celebrate the 40th Anniversary, I've written an article which takes us through the Apollo 11 journey with some background, highlights and incredible images.

40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-539-0-0-1-0.html)

I'd love to hear about your memories and experiences of Apollo 11.

[Lester]

Wonderfully done Mike.

I enjoyed reading and reliving the historic moment.

I was in grade 7 at the time, our class walked to the teachers house to see Neil step onto the Moon on a black and white television.

[Omaroo]

Great stuff Mike. :)

I was 7 at the time, and was in Mrs Browns 1st Grade (called 1st Class back then) at Castle Cove Primary School in Sydney. I recall that every classroom had a TV, and we all sat there enthralled by the event. The boys goggled at the screen while the girls (all girls had germs back then) giggled and made noise at the back of the class. Darn women!!! LOL!!!

Changed me forever. It was a distinct turning point that I vividly remember.

[multiweb]

Cool article Mike. Thanks for sharing all your hard work. :thumbsup:

[Dennis]

Nice write up Mike – thanks!

We didn’t have a TV at the time, so I watched the live broadcast on the B&W TV of the local milkman who I helped on the weekends and in my school holidays. I was astonished that he and his wife didn’t stay up to watch this historic event.

From memory, in the UK, the BBC and ITV Apollo 11 broadcasts started just before midnight on Sunday, 20th July with live images of Armstrong’s walk appearing just before 4:00am on Monday, 21st July. I vividly remember being glued to the TV, absolutely enthralled that I was witnessing this incredible event, of men walking on another solar system body, our Moon.

I rushed home afterwards and simulated the mission and lunar landing with my Airfix kit models of the Saturn V rocket and the Lunar Excursion Module.

Cheers

Dennis

[jjjnettie]

I was 6 at the time, in grade 1.
We were lined up in pairs and walked across the road to another students house.
They sat us on the lounge room floor, gave us all a glass of cordial and we watched it on a black and white tv.
I don't know about the others, but I was enthralled.
Reckon the affects are still with me.

[Robh]

Thanks Mike,
Great piece of nostalgia.
I remember watching the live, black and white, coverage on TV.
It was a monumental achievement. The Apollo 11 craft was the first to use bleeding edge Integrated Circuit technology. The guidance and navigation computer had no disk drive, 74 kilobytes of fixed memory (programs in ROM) and about 4 kilobytes of something like RAM!

Regards, Rob.

[Omaroo]

Yes, it was all based on ferrite core memory, which was found to be the most impervious to expected gamma and other radiation. It was also non-volatile, in that once polarised, a core doughnut stayed charged the way it was set - very useful in power-loss conditions.

A good article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_core_memory

[leon]

Good stuff Mike, I still have original news papers of this event, it certainly was a special occasion.

Leon

[Jen]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Thanks Mike was a good read for us young ones :lol: that unfortunately wern't around for that awsome event :)

[astro_nutt]

Many thanks again Mike,
I was 9 at the time in the 4th grade of St Marks School in Fawnker..we had about 4 classes huddled together to watch the Moonwalk..(we had also watched the launch)..not a sound was heard as we saw Neil Armstrong make his way down to the Lunar surface..I can still remember some of the teachers crying..and others praying for their safe return..40 years on I'm still in awe of how such skills were used at the time to accomplish this..and the courage and sacrifices given by others..

[Paul Haese]

I was five and I was lucky to watch it on our first TV with all my school mates.

John Sarkissen gave a great talk on the role of Parkes in the event. There are many misnomers according to him and Parkes was very lucky to pick up the signal even with the feed rotator moved right around. That is because of the telescopes horizon being 27 degrees with the feed rotator at its lowest.

Hoping to see the second lot of landings, that will make it twice for me. Mind you the picture was pretty terrible as I recall. It was really contrasted and hard to see what was really going on. With any luck this lot of landings will be in HD. Only 12 year to wait.

[TrevorW]

One of the most exciting days of my teenage school years

[stephenb]

One of my long time interests is the US space program.

The famous image of Buzz's footprint (shown in Mike's article), is explained by Eric Jones and John Kaufmann:

"About an hour aftrer Neil first stepped onto the lunar surface, Buzz did a little experiement for the soil mechanics experts back home. He selected a pristine patch of soil, photographed it, made this footprint, and then took two photos of it, stepping to his left between frames. Some people assume that this is the first footprint. Neil did not have a camera at the time he made his "one small step" and that first footprint was soon obliterated during the minutes Neil spent near the ladder adapting to the new environment. "

Some of my favorite Gemini/Apollo websites for people to look at are:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11j.html

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/surface/

[MrB]

I was -6 at the time so missed the whole thing.
I do have a few front pages from newspapers though, were given to me by an elderly neighbour many years ago.



I'm assuming this was for stereography?
Is there anywhere online that has both images?

[AstroJunk]

I was four at the time. My big brothers forced me up to watch the event. I distinctly remember them explaining to me why I should be interested. I wasn't...

...I am now!

[Neil]

Well I was 14 at the time, and as I posted on an earlier thread we were in a extended classroom, by virtue of a series of concertina walls creating a minor auditorium.Transfixed by the image before us in glorious black and white(because it all we had then) The feeling in that room inspired a generation, perhaps a unique time in history, and then it was lost for so many years.Now its happening again, dont let it slip.By that I mean support,encourage& vote for the exploration of our solar system and beyond,our existance depends on it.:thumbsup:

[DavidU]

I was in grade 6 (about 11yo) in a school hall with 300 other kids watching a B&W TV placed on the stage.! I was hooked on all things in space since. By the way, about a year later I was the first ( as far as I know) Aussie to hold some moon rock in my hand. The moon rock samples were to be picked up from Clayton by the Monash Geo team( Prof F.Beavis from memory). Needless to say I was thrilled.

[Phoenix]

Nice Review Mike - like others, it was an amazing time in my childhood.

For those who haven't read it, one of my all time favourite reads is the only authorised biography of Neil Armstrong's life by James R Hansen, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong - an amazing book. Along with Chaikin's A Man on The Moon... I simply could not put these books down. Do your self a favour.....

Thanks again Mike - here's to the next 40 year!

Cheers
Steve

[Dujon]

Thanks for the article, and the memories, Mike.

Yes, I too remember exactly where I was as that famous garbled message was relayed to Earth. I was standing in front of a television set that had been set up about eight feet off the floor of the Myer department store in Gordon, N.S.W.. At that time I worked for the Rural Bank and the branch at which I was stationed was directly opposite the Myer store on the Pacific Highway.

The excuse I made to get out of the place for a bit I cannot recall, but whatever it was it worked. I am also sure that I spent much longer in absentia than I should have. No one complained.

What surprised me at the time though was that of the shoppers in the store - and like most large department stores at any time there was quite a number - only about a dozen people gathered around to watch those ghostly images. Perhaps those who were interested stayed at home, I have no idea.

[Ian Bennie]

I convinced Mum I was too sick that Monday to go to school (I was 15)I wanted to watch the complete coverage from 9am on TV.

I was glued all day to the screen and watched till the coverage finished, I think around 5 - 6pm.

I can't remember if it was that day or during one of the other Apollo missions, where I took my tiny 40mm telescope and looked at the Moon, knowing without doubt, humans were on it, there WAS life on another planet.

The following day at school the Teacher called me to his desk and looked at me menacingly. He asked me one question, he said; "Ï don't care that you were off sick yesterday, I just want to know one thing; did you watch the Moon landing?!"

I beamed and replied Yes Sir!

He smiled contentedly and waved me back to my desk.

I still have the original 1969 Sydney Morning Hearald Apollo 11 souvenirs and have since met 3 of the Apollo moonwalkers.

I look forward to the time when we can once again look at the Moon through our eyepieces and know people are there....

Cheers

[stephenb]

Steve, I wholeheartedly agree. I have First Man in audio book as well as hardback.

As I've mentioned in another thread, the other books I strongly recommend are:

Carrying the Fire - Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Command Pilot
Lift Off - Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Command Pilot
Failure is Not an Option - Gene Krantz, Apollo Flight Director
Last Man on the Moon - Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Moonwalker - Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 LM Pilot

And Buzz Aldrin's autobiography to be released next month.

Most of these you can get online.

[Rick Parrott]

I was in 2nd class in '69; I was an absolute space nut! Raised by my grandparents, they were very encouraging with all things especially to do with space and flight. In 1968 they bought me this Moon Globe, which my Grandmom found in Waltons (remember them?) at Bankstown for the sum of $26 (Originally marked as $150, and even $26 was HUGE in 1968!). Don't know how they could afford it! I still have this, sits proudly on my desk at home; it glows in the dark too! The surface is moulded and textured to scale and we still use it at home for Moon observation nights! They used a globe identical to this on the broadcast when describing the trip (might have been Walter Kronkite I think!) and again for Apollo 13.

http://www.fsfiles.org/imagehost/uploads/1243226693.jpg

[PCH]

That's a nice story Rick ! Good on you and your grandparents.

Cheers :thumbsup:

[Phoenix]

That is one amazing moon globe Rick - very nice indeed!

Thanks for the heads-up on the other Apollo books Stephen. I am familiar with some of these and your post is a timely reminder to seek them out for a good read on a cloudy night as we approach Apollo's 40th Anniversary.

Cheers

[Wavytone]

I was in year 7... the whole school was packed into the assembly hall and watched it on half a dozen big B&W tellys.

One of the few events permanently engraved on my memory.

[Galactic G]

Please post pics.

[Astrod00d]

I was 5 at the time... I remember trooping into the local school hall along with other pre-schoolers to watch the event on a black and white TV... I also remember looking at the moon that night and being disappointed when I couldn't see the spacecraft up there! I had no sense of scale back then :lol:

[jedimastermat]

I know where I was July 20, but i dont remember anything.
I was in a warm wet place insulated from the big bad world kicking back being waited on hand and foot, but tube fed.

I was T-18 days.

I was born Aug 7 1969 so the excitement was starting to simmer down as a new scientific marvel had taken centre stage

[Liz]

Yes, I remember it too - another primary schooler. We were all taken to the school library to watch it in B&W. Wasnt into Space stuff at the time, but did enjoy it :)

[Ric]

I was 9 at the time and was watching in the School Hall.

It was fantastic stuff that I'll never forget.

Cheers

[AstralTraveller]

I was 11 and we were taken to the large kindergarden room where the TV was set up. Of course it was interesting but it was also (to us kids) incredibly slow. We seemed to sit and look at the ladder for hours before anything happened. And the picture quality was, even by the standard of the time, very poor. My wife remembers teachers making jokes etc to keep the kids focussed. ("Oh! Look. Is that a moon monster?")

Despite that, it must have affected me. The following year I won a book prize and I had a choice of 'Secrets of the Sky' and 'Secrets of the Earth'. I chose the former and still have it. By 14 I had joined an astronomy club and the rest is history.




Sorry to be a party pooper but I know that there was an Australian geologist, Bruce Chappell, on the team in America that worked on the moon rocks returned by the Apollo missions. I imagine he would have had his hands on them before any material was sent to Australia. Bruce is an expert in XRF spectroscopy which would have been used to determine the elemental composition of the rocks. He is a visiting fellow here at Wollongong and has commented on how distinctive the moon rocks are; they even look quite different to terrestial rocks.

[erick]

Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1VtFKiBzo

[Spacetrakker]

I am currently "Grey Nomadding" in the Kimberley area of Australia. Today I managed to get online to Ice-In-Space and read the Thread re the 40th Anniversary of the first Lunar Landing. I thought I would add my thoughts.

When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon, I was working at the NASA Carnarvon Tracking Station processing live computer data from the Command Service Module (CSM) and Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) and monitoring live TV from the moon. In retrospect, what a blast!! Although, at the time it all seemed fairly routine and part of the day to day work.

That period is the highlight and most exciting chapter of my working life.

That the lunar landings were successfully accomplishished with such relatively primative technology is testament to the dedication and skills of the many thousands of people worldwide involved in the Apollo program.

We, (the Ex-Trackers) continue to celebrate this great event with a Reunion/Dinner around 20th July every 5th Year. The 40th Anniversary is next month.

[Dennis]

Cool – nice to hear from someone who was “actually there” as it were; also great to read that the team meets up to celebrate the anniversary!

Cheers

Dennis

[Jen]

:hi: Hi John wow what an awsome job you must have had :thumbsup::thumbsup: you lucky bugger :D Say gday to all the crew for us in July hahaha ;)

[OneOfOne]

For those of us in Melbourne, the ASV have a talk about the landing at the monthly meeting on 8th July at the Herbarium 8pm, so you might like to come along. I am sure other societies will have similar talks.

[erick]

I have never forgotten a 70s cartoon by the biting satirical cartoonist, Ron Cobb. Found it recently on the net.

[Jen]

hehe :thumbsup:
:rofl::rofl:

[vk2emq]

Mike,

an excellent overview of the background and landing ... where did the last 40 years go ...?

In July 69 I had just finished my A levels in pommy land and was having the proverbial Summer of 69 as per the song prior to going to Uni to study ... and eventually ended up with a degree in Electronic Engineering .... After having been exposed to several years of the original Star-trek series since 66 , Stanley Kubrick's 2001 in 68 with my teenage years spent avidly reading the SF of A.C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein et al - I must admit with the impatience of youth that I was somewhat underwhelmed at the time with the crude looking Apollo Command Module and Lunar lander ....tho' still quite impressed with the Saturn V launcher. However I still remember sitting with the rest of the family watching the landing live on TV and the goose-bumps as Armstrong took his famous step, wondering all the while if he would disappear into unknown depths of moondust .... Only on looking back on those heady days can one appreciate the enormity of the achievement of the Apollo missions ... and wonder where we lost the drive to continue on to Mars by the early 80s ....

I found on the international year of astronomy website details of a series of celebrations in Canberra to which all are invited to mark the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing Sun 19 to Wed 22 July - see

http://iya.aao.gov.au/astronomy2009/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=33&extmode=view&extid=370

and

http://jsaxon.org/space/hsk/Reunions/40th2009/

As the organisor John Saxon says :-

"Realistically this will be the last reunion and celebration organised and attended by many of the people who took an active part in the moon landing project. I'm hopeful that I will make the 50th anniversary in 2019 (with luck I may not even need that Zimmer frame), but I will not be organising it!
So we plan to make the 40th the biggest and best of all.
This year we are having a 4 day event. We are inviting everyone who participated in Apollo, anyone who worked (or still works) at any of the Space tracking stations and other related organisations, anyone interested in Apollo and any of their children, Grand children and friends. That should cover just about everyone {:-)) ...

all events except the main event (Lunch on the 21st) are FREE! "


A couple of interesting resources on the Apollo missions are

1. the NASA Mission Reports see


http://www.apogeespacebooks.com/Books/Apollo11c.html


2. and "Live From The Moon: The Story of Apollo Television" - a film which will be pre-viewed on day 4 of the celebration in Canberra - this will be available in HD Blu-Ray see


http://www.spacecraftfilms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=59


regards,


John vk2emq

[stephenb]

Although my membership ceased a while ago, I was present for the 20th Anniversary meeting in 1989 ;). The ASV's 40th will be just as good, if not better!

Might plan a DVD evening for the 16th and the 21st