Posts: 769
From: West Midlands, UK
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From: Midwest, USA
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posted 03-20-2007 06:02 PM               

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If Lovell had some words prepared for the occasion, I sort of suspect he will be keeping them to himself. He doesn't seem like someone who dwells on things that didn't happen.

As it stands, his "Houston, we have a problem" quote is probably the second most memorable quote in NASA history... or at least the second most repeated quote today.

Posts: 1292
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 03-20-2007 08:34 PM               

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Jim Lovell was in a Rochester hotel a few years ago for a motivational seminar and right after I watched him be interviewed by one of the local news channels, I was the only one in the lobby with him. After shaking his hand and telling him what an honor it was to meet someone who had contributed so much to the program, I asked him that very question "After Neil's 'One Small Step' and Pete's 'That may have been a small step' what words did you choose to mark the occasion of your first footstep on the moon?"

His response was "To be honest, I didn't feel as though the fifth man on the surface's first words were to be noteworthy, so I just was going to get started with the tasks at hand."

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Posts: 385
From: the Netherlands
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posted 03-21-2007 09:44 AM               

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Well he must have had said something I mean all six commanders made comments making their first steps so i suppose Lovell would have done the same.

mark

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From: Bellevue, NE, USA
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posted 06-08-2008 06:53 PM               

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If he had the whit of Conrad, I imagine he would have said:

"Hey, I just found Pete Conrad's car keys!"

Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 06-08-2008 08:19 PM               

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I think that was answered earlier in this thread. John K. Rochester did ask him and his responce was "To be honest, I didn't feel as though the fifth man on the surface's first words were to be noteworthy, so I just was going to get started with the tasks at hand."

I think after reading his book what ever Jim did say would have been more than a little noteworthy.

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From: Atlanta, GA USA
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posted 06-13-2008 09:40 AM               

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Either during flight preperations and/or the translunar coast, he may have had a rough idea of what he might say. Given the circumstances of the flight, we will probally never know. He might have shared with is wife. My guess; though, is that she never asked him. Why bring up a hurtfull memory.

Given his nature, Lovell would have probally said something light rather than mentally heavy, focused, thankful to those who had helped make it happen, quick, with a friendly jab at Pete Conrad.

Posts: 678
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 06-18-2008 11:45 AM            

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quote:

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"To be honest, I didn't feel as though the fifth man on the surface's first words were to be noteworthy, so I just was going to get started with the tasks at hand."

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I can only speculate, however, perhaps he would not have given that answer if asked in 1971 (and perhaps he was).

Considering the eventual heartbreaking outcome of Apollo 13 (in the personal sense that he never got to walk on the moon), and the perspective of several decades I would like to believe that Mr. Lovell's answer to John K. Rochester is a way that he sets things right in his mind and also so as not to detract from the other accomplishments of the program. I personally feel the events and certainly the outcome of Apollo 13 were one of the triumphs of the Apollo program, but in his elegant and humble manner I believe he wishes to somewhat downplay its significance. I truely believe that had Mr. Lovell made that last step off the ladder of Aquarius and put his boot into the lunar dust at Fra Mauro he would have had something important to say - to himself and the world.

God Speed Jim Lovell

Paul

Posts: 609
From: Morris County, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 06-18-2008 12:05 PM               

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So, keeping in line with the other thread running about being Deke for a day... What would have happened if Lovell walked into Deke's office after Apollo 13 and said "I still want the moon- get me on the next available mission..." Would/could this have happened? What flight was next that was not named?

CDDFSPACE

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posted 06-18-2008 12:14 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by cddfspace:
What would have happend if Lovell walked into Deke's office after Apollo 13 and said "I still want the moon- get me on the next available mission..." Would/could this have happened? What flight was next that was not named?

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I believe at the time Apollo 19 hadn't yet been cancelled, so there's a good chance Lovell would have been the choice for Apollo 16 backup CDR/Apollo 19 CDR (Lovell/Swigert/Haise again?).

It's also possible that after Apollo 19 was canceled, he could have been assigned to a Skylab mission (although I don't think he would have displaced Conrad), or ASTP. STS-1 is another possibility if he were willing to wait that long for another flight (he was 53 in April 1981).

Posts: 769
From: West Midlands, UK
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 06-18-2008 04:29 PM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by cddfspace:
What would have happend if Lovell walked into Deke's office after Apollo 13 and said "I still want the moon- get me on the next available mission..." Would/could this have happened? What flight was next that was not named?

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Apollo 14 had been officially named on 6th August 1969 along with their backup crew.

Apollo 15 had also been officially named on 26th March 1970 along with their backup crew.

If the crew rotation was followed then,

Apollo 16 would have been the Apollo 13 back up crew.

Apollo 17 would have been the Apollo 14 backup crew.

Apollo 18 would have been the Apollo 15 backup crew.

Apollo 19 was the next available mission which means that Lovell would have had to be named as Apollo 16 backup commander but Apollo 19 was cancelled before the Apollo 16 crew was announced.

Therefore his next chance to fly would have been during Skylab and as mentioned already I can't see Conrad losing his seat.

Maybe ASTP could have been an option.

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From: Hudson, MA
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posted 06-18-2008 07:35 PM            

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I thought THIS THREAD was about Jim Lovell's 'first words on the moon'. 'Deke for a day' is another thread. Talk about a threadjack!

Paul

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From: Whyalla South Australia
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From: Hudson, MA
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posted 06-20-2008 08:21 AM            

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Im sorry to be a wet blanket but all these responses about Mr. Lovell saying somthing silly I think are demeaning to him. From what I have read and seen of him I know he is a light hearted guy. But I still think that claiming he would have said something unprofessional (even if humourous) does not do justice to him.

Paul

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From: Whyalla South Australia
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