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Author
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Topic: Astronaut-to-astronaut encounters
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WAWalsh
Member Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000
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posted 09-05-2008 09:41 AM
   
Odd thought as I was looking at the photographs on the sightings page -- how do the younger members of the current astronaut corp. feel when they meet the early veterans from Mercury, Gemini or Apollo? Recalling the crew of Apollo 8 meeting with Charles Lindbergh, does a younger astronaut get goosebumps when he or she has the opportunity to share some time with Armstrong or Aldrin? |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 09-05-2008 11:41 AM
There's a great story in Space Shuttle: The First 20 Years about some of the Apollo astronauts meeting some of the Shuttle/ISS astronauts. It's my favorite in the book.--John |
collocation
Member Posts: 383
From: McLean, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 09-05-2008 07:23 PM
Its the equivalent of today's baseball player meeting Babe Ruth or Henry Aaron. I think there is a picture out there of Lowell and the Apollo 8 meeting Lindbergh in which Lindbergh is signing a autograph for the crew. I could be wrong because I thought Lindbergh did not sign autographs and actually told Armstrong not to sign. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-05-2008 07:35 PM
Not exactly an encounter, but quite some time ago, I met an ascan who had just been publicly named as part of her class. I asked her to sign my copy of "Who's Who in Space" on a page that was already signed by a number of other astronauts, all of whom had been selected after 1986. Even so, she hesitated, saying she didn't feel right adding her name to a page filled with such luminaries.So you can imagine her response when I showed her that on the following pages were the signatures of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo veterans... |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 09-07-2008 07:07 AM
I think it would be the same in any elite field when the up and comings meet those who already have runs on the board. Lets face it our hero's of the Space race would always be a hard act to follow. |
kr4mula
Member Posts: 642
From: Cinci, OH
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 09-09-2008 11:17 AM
One of the ASCAN classes that started when I was still working at JSC had the privilege of having Neil Armstrong speak to them (for about an hour, as I recall). Like any other group of space enthusiasts would (if Neil was ever willing!), they lined up for his autograph afterwards. Like many of us, a lot of the astronauts grew up as huge fans of the program and the M-G-A guys were their heroes. That doesn't diminish, even when you get called up to "the show." Cheers, Kevin |
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