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World remembers 1969 moon voyage
Thousands visit Kennedy Space Center on 40th anniversary
The anniversary commanded headlines in newspapers, magazines and on broadcast television as the world, and the United States in particular, reflected on the marvelous technological achievement. Americans far and wide recalled where they were in 1969 when astronaut and Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong made his famous "one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." The memory of that space mission and the excitement it generated was palpable at Kennedy Space Center on July 20, 2009. Several thousand people, this writer included, toured the National Aeronautics and Space Administration facilities approximately 60 miles east of Orlando. Adding to the excitement was the fact that the United States' 127th space shuttle mission was simultaneously under way just beyond earth's atmosphere. The Endeavour crew completed the third and final construction phase of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory aboard the International Space Station. The shuttle, one of several of the most complex machines ever built, is scheduled to return to earth and land tomorrow, July 31.
Sadly, there are only seven more shuttle missions planned. Discovery's Aug. 18 schedule launch is temporarily on hold as scientists try to solve the mystery of heat tiles dangerously breaking loose during launch from previous shuttles, including on the most recent July 15 blast-off of Endeavour. NASA lists the next launch, Discovery, as being in late August, but that could be delayed indefinitely.
Monday a week ago, however, most of the attention at Kennedy Space Center was dedicated to the iconic Apollo 11 mission that lasted from July 16 to July 24, 2009. It was the first manned mission to land on the moon, the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the moon or moon orbit. The flight was commanded by Armstrong, who was accompanied by Command Module pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin. Collins orbited above the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin made their famous moonwalk. The mission fulfilled President John Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, which he advocated during a speech before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961. "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth," Kennedy proclaimed.
The astronauts spent just 21 hours, 31 minutes on the moon from landing to blastoff. Some notes of interest about the mission: ¦ The lunar module missed its targeted landing area by several hundred yards, coming perilously close to a boulder-strewn area unsafe for landing. ¦ The lunar module had just 25 seconds worth of fuel left prior to touchdown. ¦ Aldrin privately observed Communion inside the lunar module at a time when NASA was fighting a lawsuit by atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who demanded that the astronauts refrain from religious activities while in space.
¦ An American flag placed on the moon's surface was blown over when the lunar module blasted off to rejoin the orbiting command module. ¦ The command module initially splashed down upside-down in the Pacific Ocean before being righted. Cronkite death saddens nation During my visit to the Kennedy Space Center, I got to walk inside a mock version of a space shuttle, took a ride on a shuttlelaunch simulator, visited an observation platform near Launch Pad 39A, and saw other points of interest including a collection of early, pioneering spaceflight rockets. My wife especially enjoyed seeing the administrative offices where the 1960s television situation-comedy 'I Dream of Jeannie' had been filmed decades ago. Remember Barbara Eden (Jeannie) and Larry Hagman (Maj. Tony Nelson)?
The solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel tank are impressive but hardly seem big enough to propel a shuttle into orbit. We were reminded that together they generate more than 22 million pounds of thrust. Making our visit more poignant was the coincidence of respected veteran newsman Walter Cronkite's death on Friday, July 24. His passing also was a major topic of discussion in various media. It was Cronkite who anchored CBS' coverage of the Apollo 11 mission and many other space journeys. Man last walked on the moon in 1972. President Barack Obama has suggested that our country work toward sending man back to the moon in the coming decade as scientists continue to study how to send astronauts to Mars and beyond. The space shuttle program soon will be scuttled, giving way to more modern means of space travel. But man's desire to explore the unknown never will cease. That should make the Kennedy Space Center a must-see for many future generations of Floridians and all of earth's inhabitants. |
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