posted 07-08-2014 09:32 AM               

Buzz Aldrin asks 'Where were you?' when Apollo 11 landed on the moon

Where were you when the first astronauts landed on the moon 45 years ago this month and how did that achievement inspire you?

Buzz Aldrin wants to know.

The Apollo 11 astronaut, who with Neil Armstrong became the first men to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969, has launched a social media campaign to remind people of the lunar landing and encourage them to share their memories of the historic event or how Apollo 11 inspired them.

"The whole word celebrated our landing but we missed the whole thing, because we were out of town," Aldrin remarks in a video introducing the campaign. "So now, I invite you to share with me, and the world, your story or your family's story of where you were on July 20, 1969. Or feel free to tell me how the Apollo missions inspired you."

posted 07-08-2014 07:07 PM               

Is there any experience on Earth that even compares slightly to having been on the Moon?

My first words of my impression of being on the surface of the Moon that just came to my mind was "Magnificent desolation." The magnificence of human beings, humanity, Planet Earth, maturing the technologies, imagination and courage to expand our capabilities beyond the next ocean, to dream about being on the Moon, and then taking advantage of increases in technology and carrying out that dream - achieving that is magnificent testimony to humanity. But it is also desolate - there is no place on earth as desolate as what I was viewing in those first moments on the Lunar Surface.

Because I realized what I was looking at, towards the horizon and in every direction, had not changed in hundreds, thousands of years. Beyond me I could see the moon curving away - no atmosphere, black sky. Cold. Colder than anyone could experience on Earth when the sun is up- but when the sun is up for 14 days, it gets very, very hot. No sign of life whatsoever.

That is desolate. More desolate than any place on Earth.

posted 07-09-2014 07:56 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by p51:
The sad part is that there are an ever-increasing number of people who can't recall ANY of the Apollo missions.

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posted 07-10-2014 10:34 AM               

• Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
  
• Bill Nye, "The Science Guy"
  
• John Elbon, Boeing vice president and general manager of space exploration
  
• Mark Kelly, astronaut
  
• Jared Leto, actor, musician, producer

posted 07-14-2014 08:34 AM               

Famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin will visit Space.com today (July 14) to discuss his role in NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, and you can follow along live — and even participate in the conversation if you wish.

If you have a question for Buzz, who will be talking to Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik and executive producer Dave Brody, you can submit it during the event via a chat window on the Google+ page. You can also send questions to Space.com beforehand via Twitter, Facebook and the comments section underneath this story.

• David Copperfield, Illusionist
  
• Gary Martin, Director of Partnerships, NASA Ames
  
• Ed Lu, Astronaut
  
• Lamar Smith, Congressman
  
• Vin Scully, Dodgers broadcaster
  
• Franklin Chang Diaz, Astronaut
  
• Bertrand Piccard, Initiator, Chairman and Pilot of Solar Impulse
  
• Mead Treadwell, Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
  
• Bob Richards, Co-founder and CEO of Moon Express
  
• Bill Posey, Congressman
  
• Thierry Guillemin, Executive VP and Chief Technical Officer of Intelsat
  
• Kathryn Sullivan, Astronaut and NOAA Administrator
  
• Quincy Jones, Record Producer, Conductor, Arranger, Composer
  
• Pharrell Williams, Musician and Entrepreneur
  
• Tim Allen, Actor (voice of Buzz Lightyear)
  
• Tom Hanks, Actor