|
Author
|
Topic: Apollo 11: One year before the moon landing
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-20-2018 06:15 AM
   
collectSPACE (via Space.com) Makings of a moon landing: 50 years ago, Apollo 11 was one year from 'giant leap'One year before humanity's first lunar landing, the moon must have still felt quite far away. On July 20, 1968, the pieces for Apollo 11 were starting to come together, but the mission itself was still six months from a formal announcement. Four missions needed to launch and be successful before Apollo 11 could even attempt to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's challenge from seven years before.  |
Philip
Member Posts: 6002
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
|
posted 07-20-2018 07:15 AM
Exciting times indeed with Apollo 7 training well underway and the decision to swap the Apollo 8 and 9 missions... |
randy
Member Posts: 2231
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
|
posted 07-20-2018 08:37 AM
I remember those days well. Very exciting times indeed. |
oly
Member Posts: 971
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
|
posted 07-20-2018 09:08 AM
Great article Robert. Thank you. The pace of the whole Apollo program is staggering. |
ManInSpace
Member Posts: 134
From: Brooklin, ON Canada
Registered: Feb 2018
|
posted 07-20-2018 03:07 PM
Great piece, Robert. While we know the final result, it is always interesting to have a fresh look at what was needed (and accomplished) to get there. |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1340
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
|
posted 07-21-2018 07:54 AM
Robert, great article. You writing triggered some enjoyable memories for me.
|
Tom
Member Posts: 1610
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
|
posted 07-21-2018 10:36 AM
On July 20, 1968, Armstrong and Aldrin were serving as the backup commander and lunar module pilot, respectively, for the Apollo 8 Earth orbit mission. Great article Robert, but shouldn't the above have read "...for the Apollo 9 Earth orbit mission"? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-21-2018 11:36 AM
Yes, and I had an earlier version of the article where I went into the Apollo 9 versus Apollo 8 mission designations, and a version referring to them as NASA press releases did up to the change as the second and third Apollo crews, but it then felt like it was becoming much more about Apollo 8/9 than Apollo 11 (the focus of the article), so I went with Apollo 8. But all that to say, yes, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were initially assigned to the third Apollo mission. |
advertisement