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Author
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Topic: The quintessential US manned space photo?
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ilbasso
Member Posts: 1461
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 04-21-2010 07:24 PM
   
If you had to select a single photo to represent the "first 50 years of the American manned space program," what would that photo be?The reason I'm asking is that I have a mat that is signed by at least one member of the first and last crews of every one of the programs - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Shuttle (assuming I can get some signatures from the final crew). Even the X-15 is represented. The current litho in the mat is a faded copy of Robert McCall's ASTP linkup painting. I would like to replace it with a photo that sums up this glorious period in space exploration. What would you choose? |
AstronautBrian
Member Posts: 235
From: Madisonville, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 04-21-2010 07:26 PM
Arguably the three most famous images of the U.S. space program are Armstrong's photo of Aldrin on the Moon, Apollo 8 Earthrise, and the photo of the full Earth from Apollo 17.If I had to choose from those three, I suppose the most fitting would be the Apollo 17 Earth photo. The lunar images, even though is the most notable achievement of human spaceflight, leaves out Skylab and the Shuttle, where the main focus was the study of the Earth. |
rjurek349
Member Posts: 797
From:
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 04-21-2010 08:17 PM
If I could only have one, it would be the Apollo 8 Earthrise. |
andrewcli
Member Posts: 328
From: La Jolla, CA, USA
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 04-21-2010 08:20 PM
Eagle's ascent from the moon's surface and the earth in the background. |
alanh_7
Member Posts: 854
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 04-21-2010 08:38 PM
I agree with all of the above. For me it is the photo of Gene Cernan with the Stars and Strips with the earth above. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1136
From: Ossian IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 04-21-2010 10:29 PM
Earthrise from Apollo 8. That pretty much sums it up. |
cspg
Member Posts: 3892
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 04-22-2010 12:05 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Delta7:
Earthrise from Apollo 8. That pretty much sums it up.
Agree - it has been my computer's wallpaper for years, the most peaceful and relaxing picture! |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-22-2010 05:48 AM
Would agree that all the photos mentioned are candidates, but my iconic picture would be one of those taken in July 1965 by Mariner 4 of the Martian surface. Across it, writ large, would be the words - "A lost dream." |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 942
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 04-22-2010 01:44 PM
Jonathan, that's a tough one.Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Shuttle all produced classic images. However when history looks back on the 20th century, I think it will be most remembered for man standing on the moon. |
Rob Joyner
Member Posts: 1283
From: GA, USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 04-22-2010 01:49 PM
Armstrong's visor shot of Aldrin. |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2283
From: Renton, WA USA
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 04-22-2010 02:09 PM
I agree. A moon shot would be best, probably Earthrise or Buzz with Neil reflected.That was the best times of manned spaceflight, and it seems that will always be the best since who knows what the future brings now. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 447
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 04-22-2010 02:45 PM
What about a collage of one classic photo from each segment? |
Cliff Lentz
Member Posts: 631
From: Philadelphia, PA USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 04-22-2010 03:18 PM
Jim Irwin, Apollo 15 Hadley Rille |
NC Apollo Fan
Member Posts: 261
From: Belmont, NC USA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 04-22-2010 04:20 PM
Personally I think that Aldrin's 'Boot Print' photo is the most iconic. The Apollo 8 'Earthrise' is, for me, a very close second. |
4allmankind
Member Posts: 688
From: NJ
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 04-22-2010 04:25 PM
Fantastic question... quote:
Originally posted by alanh_7:
For me it is the photo of Gene Cernan with the Stars and Strips with the earth above.
I agree. My vote would be Cernan on the moon holding the corner of the US flag with the Earth visible directly over his head.Project Apollo at its best. A shot of a man on the Moon with the Earth and US flag in view. It always speaks to me. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3579
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 04-22-2010 05:00 PM
I personally prefer one of photos that Jim McDivitt took of Ed White during his EVA on Gemini 4 (such as this, this, or this...which is probably my favorite of all). I personally feel those are more iconic of the manned space program, because they show a man in space (and also because the photos are so terrific). Also, an astronaut on an EVA is something that is common to the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Shuttle programs. While I like the Apollo 8 earthrise and the Apollo 11 visor shots, the earthrise shot doesn't include a human in the picture and the Apollo 11 shot (or any other man-on-the-moon shot) is more representative of just the Apollo program...and may not be the best image for representing the other programs. |
Greggy_D
Member Posts: 567
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 04-22-2010 07:24 PM
For the shuttle era, it would have to be Hoot Gibson's photo of Bruce McCandless II flying the MMU. |
spaceman1953
Member Posts: 932
From: South Bend, IN United States of America
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 04-22-2010 07:33 PM
I'm picking GT-4 Ed White too... that one used on US stamp 1331-32. |
Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 680
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 04-22-2010 11:52 PM
One that has not been mentioned that I always admired is the Apollo stack night shot with the full moon in the background. |
Tykeanaut
Member Posts: 1523
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 04-23-2010 02:12 AM
It has to be Ed White's EVA for me too. I had the classic shot of him looking straight at the camera as a poster in my bedroom during the seventies. |
icarkie
Member Posts: 616
From: BURTON ON TRENT /England
Registered: Nov 2002
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posted 04-23-2010 02:14 AM
Apollo 8 Earthrise for me... |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1461
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 04-23-2010 10:32 AM
Thanks for all your suggestions. I agree with all of them - that's what makes picking so hard! I played around with some "what if's" of the pictures in the signed mat. The ones that looked best were Ed White's EVA (the one with him looking right at the camera), Cernan with the flag and Earth, the "Eagle's ascent," and the Apollo 8 Earthrise shot. I am leaning more toward White or Cernan, both because they have an astronaut in them, and also because the Earthrise shot is so familiar that it loses visual impact. I had to fudge a bit with the Cernan shot, moving the Earth down in the sky a few degrees so that the picture fit the frame better. If I stick with that shot, I hope that purists won't have heart attacks. I find it interesting that none of the suggestions were Shuttle photos, even though the Shuttle years span almost 2/3 of the US manned space program (if you count ALT) and the vast majority of our missions and person-hours in space. Don't get me wrong - I think the Shuttle is a beautiful vehicle - but my sense is that it doesn't speak to the feeling of pride, wonder, exploration, and fulfillment that characterized the first 10 years of the manned program. I will also experiment with a montage of a representative shot of each program. EDIT: Sorry, there was one Shuttle-era photo suggested: Bruce McCandless' MMU EVA. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3579
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 04-23-2010 11:31 AM
You could always print out 3-4 different photos and then periodically change the photo behind the mat... just to keep it fresh and interesting. That's what I do with my framed autographed photos. Every year or so, I'll put different ones in the frames just for some variety. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 26581
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-23-2010 01:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by ilbasso:
I find it interesting that none of the suggestions were Shuttle photos...
There was this one... quote:
Originally posted by Greggy_D:
For the shuttle era, it would have to be Hoot Gibson's photo of Bruce McCandless II flying the MMU.
When the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation asked my opinion several years ago about an appropriate photo to have astronauts from all eras of spaceflight sign, my first thought went to the photo of the Earth and the Moon as captured by the fallen STS-107 crew. Not only does the photo capture the focuses of all manned space missions to date, but it also subtly reminds of the sacrifices that were made in the pursuit of space exploration. It is not as iconic a photo as, say, Apollo 8's earthrise but the STS-107 "moonrise" has graced the cover of several books. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1461
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 04-23-2010 01:24 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
It is not as iconic a photo as, say, Apollo 8's earthrise but the STS-107 "moonrise" has graced the cover of several books.
Perhaps even more poignantly and unintentionally symbolic is that this is actually a moonset picture... (the Last Quarter moon rises dark side first) - the end of that crew, the end of our initial phase of exploration. |
danpal
Member Posts: 46
From: Roma, Italy
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 04-24-2010 08:00 AM
quote:
Originally posted by icarkie:
Apollo 8 Earthrise for me...
Also for me. The most beautiful photo taken since the Sputnik launch.
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hlbjr
Member Posts: 313
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 04-24-2010 08:24 AM
Ed White Gemini 4 EVA photo(s). |
NavySpaceFan
Member Posts: 625
From: Norfolk, VA
Registered: May 2007
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posted 04-24-2010 07:29 PM
ISS015-E-22574 |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1273
From: Centreville, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 04-24-2010 11:05 PM
In November of 2008, Air&Space Magazine published their choices for the "Top NASA Photos of All Time." Their #1 was the Apollo 17 photo of the full Earth. You'll see it on this web page, then if you click on the little "Photo Gallery" section underneath a new window will open for the other 49. Most of the ones already mentioned in this discussion are shown. (Because the selection was not limited to manned spaceflight, over half are photos taken by Hubble and other unmanned sources.) I think we could have made some different suggestions here and there. I was surprised that the photo of Eagle rising up from the moon, with Earth in the background, was not chosen... but then again, already five of the top fifteen were from Apollo 11. One of the unmanned program photos was a real eye-opener for me: #31, a 1964 shot of the ECHO 2 communications satellite showing its size when inflated. What??!? Really?!??! To more directly address your pleasant quandary, Jonathan, I'd echo a suggestion made above: create a photo collage. It will be fun to make your selections and figure out how to blend them together. I'd want something that showed highlights from all of the major programs represented on that multi-signed mat... if I was lucky enough to own such a great item. |
chet
Member Posts: 1214
From: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 04-25-2010 03:47 AM
Nothing momentous to add... just my personal preference: I'd go with the Buzz visor shot - I'd argue it's the most recognizable photo from the space program, and symbolizes what NASA was set up for in the first place. There are probably many better shots (from a purely photographic or aesthetic viewpoint), but I don't think there's one more iconic than that shot by Neil of Buzz. |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2445
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 04-25-2010 05:36 AM
My wife has a digital frame in her office that has a few hundred photos of our grandson which loop in a slideshow.While not exactly germane to the discussion - but since all of the suggestions are excellent, I would get a 8x10 digital frame and loop all of the iconic photos throughout space program history. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-25-2010 06:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by stsmithva:
One of the unmanned program photos was a real eye-opener for me: #31, a 1964 shot of the ECHO 2 communications satellite showing its size when inflated.
This was easily visible and at the time some of the national papers in the UK regularly published times when it could be seen. At one time I used to have a small piece of the mylar that it was made from. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1461
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 04-25-2010 12:55 PM
Echo 2 is an interesting choice - certainly not manned, but it made a big impression on me as a very young kid. It was the first satellite I ever saw, and my dad taking me outside to see it was the first time I ever remember watching the night sky.Here's one of the samples they were passing around back at the time:  |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 2995
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-25-2010 03:02 PM
Apart from the obvious Earthrise I think this is iconic...shuttle, astronaut, Earth, Sun and just a hint of 2001 A Space Odyssey about it!
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Philip
Member Posts: 4736
From: Brussels, BELGIUM
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-27-2010 05:27 AM
Historically, man on the Moon... specific for "manned" spaceflight, any EVA photo of a Hubble repair mission! |
minipci
Member Posts: 195
From: London, UK
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-27-2010 05:40 AM
quote:
Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
Apart from the obvious Earthrise I think this is iconic...shuttle, astronaut, Earth, Sun and just a hint of 2001 A Space Odyssey about it!
Never seen this before. It's a great photo. I like it a lot. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-27-2010 07:27 AM
Just a passing thought - I wonder if the '17' photo of Cernan and the flag would have been just as popular if it had been the UN flag and not the 'Stars and Stripes'.I can understand the choice of the national flag for the first landing - US money therefore US flag - but would have thought that the UN flag on the last would have been a better reflection of the claim that "we came in peace for all mankind". |
minipci
Member Posts: 195
From: London, UK
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-27-2010 08:01 AM
Except that even today the UN does not represent "all" of mankind. A good example is China. Up until 1971, China was represented in the UN by the Republic of China (i.e. Taiwan), to the exclusion of the People's Republic of China. Now China is represented by the PRC to the exclusion of Taiwan. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 1972
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-27-2010 04:56 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
...but would have thought that the UN flag on the last would have been a better reflection of the claim that "we came in peace for all mankind".
Sorry, no, I totally disagree. Just as Kennedy was absolutely right to stand in Berlin and say "Ich bin (ein) Berliner!" I can distinctly recall, even at the tender age of 14, watching Armstrong and Aldrin raising the Stars and Stripes on the Moon and thinking to myself: "Today, I am an American." On that day, the American flag WAS the flag of Planet Earth. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-29-2010 03:36 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
On that day, the American flag WAS the flag of Planet Earth.
You have a point and I wouldn't argue it. However, I wasn't talking about the first landing but the last. I still think it would have been a meaningful gesture to plant the UN flag. |
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