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  Hugh Downs, space advocate (1921-2020)

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Author Topic:   Hugh Downs, space advocate (1921-2020)
Robert Pearlman
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posted 07-02-2020 02:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hugh Downs, a longtime host of "Today" and "20/20," and an ardent supporter of space exploration, died on Wednesday (July 1) at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 99.
Mr. Downs was a man of many parts, with numerous interests unrelated to broadcasting — in his own self-effacing words, he was "a champion dilettante" who dabbled in music, art and science. But he was best known as a perennial television fixture, beloved for what The New York Times's John J. O'Connor called his "reassuring, warmly upbeat presence" and renowned for his longevity.
One of Downs' side interests was space exploration. He served as the president and chairman of the National Space Institute and then chaired the Board of Governors of the National Space Society.
Long before the launch of Apollo 17, the last moon mission, Wernher von Braun recognized that something had to be done to keep the importance of ongoing space activity before the public mind. The sort of organization that could do such a job would need to be independent enough to view critically all aspects of NASA policy and implementation.

Terry Dawson and six others formed the National Space Institute, a nonprofit educational membership organization. Von Braun asked me to join the Board of Directors during the formation of the Institute and I became Vice President in 1974. When Wernher's illness became serious, I was elected President.

After the merger with the L-5 Society in 1987, as the National Space Society, we began to move forward at a better pace, and I have had the pleasure of chairing the Board of Governors. I am pleased and proud to say that this Board has been more actively involved than any Board of Governors I have been associated with.

In addition to his work with the National Space Society, Downs experienced microgravity for himself, flying aboard NASA's KC-135 "weightless wonder" (or "vomit comet"). He also narrated the popular 1969 MGM Records vinyl release of "First Man On The Moon."

Above: Hugh Downs (at right) with Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 07-02-2020 02:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In April 1998, I had the pleasure of working with Hugh Downs on a live web chat as part of the National Space Society's online educator's guide to HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries. He joined Chris Kraft and actors Lane Smith and Stephen Root on Yahoo! Chat.

Among the questions he replied to was one about which of the spaceflights he covered was the most challenging and exciting. His reply:

One of the most challenging missions, I think, was during Apollo 11. Apollo missions had gone to the moon before but not landed till Apollo 11.

Some TV broadcasters had represented schematically the Earth and the moon as a grapefruit- and a golf ball-sized objects, respectively, and such a concentrated effort was put forth — that the effort would be well worth it, as it was during the space race.

But they would hold them like 20 or 30 inches apart. And I wanted to show something a bit more truthful. So I had a camera back all the way up and I put the golf ball almost 15 feet from the grapefruit, to show people how far these guys really went. I think I got the idea across.

I didn't like these schematics that weren't to scale. They gave a false impression of the distances involved and the magnitude of the accomplishment.

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Versatile. Irreplaceable.

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