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Author
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Topic: Fantastic quotes attributed to astronauts
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gareth89
Member Posts: 529
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 06-18-2022 07:00 PM
   
There's a million and one great quotes that the early space travelers conrtributed to us, and I'm partial to those from the Apollo guys and earlier. Frank Borman's is one of my favorites; "A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations which require the use of his superior skill." What an amazing sequence of words to spew! I'd love to hear more from Col. Borman and your own favorites! |
David C
Member Posts: 1386
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-19-2022 02:20 AM
Oh dear, you really can’t attribute that to Borman. He’s a pilot and that’s a very well known/ standard ancient piece of pilot advice. You may as well drag out every standard pilot quote and put them in the mouth of every pilot astronaut, because they’ll all have used just about every single one.Four most useless things in an airplane? Altitude above you, runway behind you, gas in the airfield bowser and a tenth of a second ago. Only time you’ve got too much gas? When you’re on fire. I could go on, but you get the idea. |
gareth89
Member Posts: 529
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 06-19-2022 05:59 AM
That’s a shame, I thought it was an original Borman! Nevertheless my sentiment remains the same, what are your favorite quotes that you can attribute to the astronauts? |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 2099
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 06-19-2022 06:37 AM
I think memorable quotes spring from emotional responses, and astronauts were trained to not let emotions cloud their judgement. But I also believe every moonwalker was overcome by emotion and you'll find what you're looking for there. Neil's "one small step...", Buzz's "making sure not to lock the door" and "magnificent desolation," Pete's "may have been a small one for Neil..." etc. |
oly
Member Posts: 1439
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 06-19-2022 07:22 AM
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"
(Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969) "You care for a corned beef sandwich skipper?"
(John Young, March 23, 1965) Son of a bitch.
(Gene Cernan, Apollo 10 MET 102:45:19, Day 5, May 1969) |
rjb1elec
Member Posts: 345
From: Merseyside, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 06-19-2022 08:27 AM
I like Dave Scott's quote from Plutarch, "The mind is not just a vessel to be filled but also a fire to be lighted" and also the classic from Alan Shepard "Fix your little problem and light this candle." |
Headshot
Member Posts: 1182
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 06-19-2022 12:19 PM
I have always liked Deke Slayton's question to Wally Shirra at 3m 40s into the flight of Sigma 7, "Are you a turtle today?" |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3551
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-19-2022 01:07 PM
What about one of the best-known (and most often misquoted) quotations: "Houston, we've had a problem." Classic right-stuff understatement that has entered the language, unfortunately in the form of the present-tense misquotation. The space-age "Play it again, Sam." |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1804
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 06-19-2022 03:50 PM
One of my favorites after the STS-41D launch abort from Steve Hawley. "I thought we'd be a lot higher at MECO!" |
Headshot
Member Posts: 1182
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 06-19-2022 04:25 PM
Of course there is always Pete Conrad's pithy advice, "If you can't be good, be colorful." |
Jonnyed
Member Posts: 590
From: Dumfries, VA, USA
Registered: Aug 2014
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posted 06-19-2022 08:12 PM
Alan Shepard: "No way that any astronaut worth his salt volunteered for the space program to become a hero. You don't select astronauts who want fame and fortune. You select them because they're the best test pilots in the world, they know it, and it's a personal challenge for them." |
Henry Heatherbank
Member Posts: 307
From: Adelaide, South Australia
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 06-20-2022 04:50 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MCroft04:
One of my favorites after the STS-41D launch abort...
Close: "I thought we'd be higher when the engines quit." (Same thing really). |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1804
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 06-20-2022 06:46 AM
I just copied it from an internet link; should have looked closer. Thanks. |
David C
Member Posts: 1386
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-20-2022 01:41 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Henry Heatherbank:
Close: "I thought we'd be higher when the engines quit."
What's your source for that Henry? Every version I've heard uses MECO. Hank Hartsfield remembered it this way in his JSC oral history: "Gee, I kind of thought we'd be a little higher at MECO." |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49936
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-20-2022 02:17 PM
Mike Mullane's oral history has it as, "Gosh, I thought we'd be higher when the engines quit." |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 269
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 06-20-2022 02:37 PM
In light of recent events, I like this one:
“From out there on the Moon, international politics looks so petty.” ― Edgar Mitchell |
David C
Member Posts: 1386
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-20-2022 02:37 PM
Shame they didn’t save the tape. |
ea757grrl
Member Posts: 791
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 06-20-2022 05:10 PM
Gordon Cooper, as the systems aboard Faith 7 went south: "Well, things are beginning to stack up a little. ASCS inverter is acting up, and my CO2 is building up in the suit. Partial pressure of 02 is decreasing in the cabin. Standby inverter won't come on the line. Other than that, things are fine." |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1804
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 06-20-2022 06:48 PM
quote:
Originally posted by David C:
Shame they didn’t save the tape.
From a cS October 22, 2010 post. Perhaps we need to ask Dr. Hawley!"Gee, I thought we'd be a lot higher at MECO!" - Steve Hawley, after STS-41D's pad abort. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2140
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 06-20-2022 07:26 PM
Scott Carpenter: "God speed, John Glenn." |
Henry Heatherbank
Member Posts: 307
From: Adelaide, South Australia
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 06-21-2022 12:41 AM
quote:
Originally posted by David C:
What's your source for that Henry?
Mike Mullane in Riding Rockets, although I see Robert has also referenced Mullane’s JSC Oral History. |
drifting to the right
Member Posts: 146
From:
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 06-21-2022 06:16 AM
Pete Conrad (1959): "It's upside down." |
drifting to the right
Member Posts: 146
From:
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 06-21-2022 06:22 AM
Neil Armstrong (1969): "Somebody's upside down." |
Skylon
Member Posts: 319
From:
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 06-21-2022 07:25 AM
"What a way to come to California." - Bob Crippen during the STS-1 landing. "This is what they pay us the big bucks for." - John Young, STS-9 when a GPC crashed. After the Capcom summarized all the weather challenges facing STS-116 on landing day (questionable weather at KSC and Edwards and the first possibility in YEARS of a landing at White Sands). "Sounds like a normal landing day." - Mark Polansky "No use dying all tensed up." - Hoot Gibson, STS-27 when the crew feared the Shuttle's TPS was damaged to the extent that they might not survive re-entry. |
p51
Member Posts: 1763
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 06-21-2022 04:42 PM
A few aviation ones:"Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax."
- William Thomson, Lord Kelvin English scientist, 1899 "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre. The only time an aircraft has too much fuel on board is when it is on fire.
-Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Never fly the 'A' model of anything.
-Ed Thompson Never fly anything that doesn't have the paint worn off the Rudder Pedals.
-Harry Bill If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible.
-Bob Hoover The emergencies you train for almost never happen. It's the one you can't train for that kills you.
-Ernest K. Gann Never fly in the same cockpit with someone braver than you.
-Richard Herman Jr. quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
Of course there is always Pete Conrad's pithy advice, "If you can't be good, be colorful."
Every time I quote this, I always tell the person that Conrad could say this because he was VERY good and colorful. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3551
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-21-2022 07:17 PM
Let's not forget that seminal moment in human history:"Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The 'Eagle' has landed." That was the "land a man on the Moon" part of Kennedy's announcement. The bit about "returning him safely to the Earth" was witnessed by the crew of helicopter No. 53 from the USS Hornet and resulted in the announcement "Splashdown! Apollo has splashdown." That's when we all knew the great adventure had been successful. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 269
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 06-21-2022 07:57 PM
From "The Friday Pilots" (Co-Authored by Jim McDivitt):"All this talk about lift and drag is scientific nonsense- airplanes fly on money." "I became a millionaire in the aviation business-How did you do that?-I started out as a billionaire." "The only time in an airplane when you have too much fuel is when you are on fire." "You have never been lost until you have been lost at Mach two." |
Andy Anderson
Member Posts: 115
From: Perth, Australia
Registered: Dec 2009
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posted 06-21-2022 08:19 PM
Another Pete Conrad quote I love apparently occurred during his first attempt at applying to become an astronaut when at the end of the pysch test on being shown a blank card, he told the psychiatrist that he could not make out what it was. When asked why – "Because you got it upside down" (from Rocket Man - p 116) I also like one from Fred Haise as he was writing down the revised LM checklist prior to re-entry that was being read up by Vance Brand. CC: Roger. Next. The LMP should transfer to the CM Fred: "Okay. I'll underline that one. LMP transfers to CM". CC: Don't let them forget you. |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1804
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 06-21-2022 08:39 PM
How about Dave Scott on Apollo 15 after he and Irwin found a white crystalline rock (anorthosite); “I think we just found what we came for!” |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4506
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-22-2022 04:19 AM
“Man must explore and this is exploration at its greatest”. Dave Scott. Apollo 15 |
burnsnz
Member Posts: 79
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 06-29-2022 07:11 PM
Gus Grissom "Do good work."His entire speech to the employees at Convair who were building the Atlas Boosters. |
gareth89
Member Posts: 529
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 06-29-2022 07:40 PM
I can’t tell you all how much I’m enjoying this thread |
gareth89
Member Posts: 529
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 06-29-2022 07:42 PM
"I'm happy to report that no amount of prior study or training can fully prepare anybody for the awe and wonder this inspires." — Kathryn Sullivan |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1952
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-30-2022 07:50 AM
"I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts — all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract."John Glenn |
brianjbradley
Member Posts: 151
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 06-30-2022 09:32 AM
"Right here and now, it’s time to let freedom roar!” - Dom Gorie to Launch Director Mike Leinbach, STS-108 (Dec. 5, 2001) |
p51
Member Posts: 1763
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 06-30-2022 12:30 PM
Never heard that before, I LOVE it! |
heng44
Member Posts: 3650
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 07-02-2022 02:48 AM
Apollo 10, following undocking of Charlie Brown and Snoopy in lunar orbit:098:46:30 Young (in Charlie Brown): Keep up the good work, boys. You will never know how big this thing gets when there ain't nothing in here but one guy.
098:46:40 Cernan (in Snoopy): You will never know how small it looks when you are as far as we are. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 1182
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 07-02-2022 11:04 AM
I really like this thread and hope it continues. From my interactions with the general population I am certain any random acquaintance, with a general knowledge of "history," would come up (or recognize) at least four out of the following five. - Houston, we've had a problem ...
- Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed.
- Magnificent desolation.
- Godspeed, John Glenn.
- Son of a bitch!
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Jonnyed
Member Posts: 590
From: Dumfries, VA, USA
Registered: Aug 2014
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posted 07-02-2022 05:05 PM
How about Buzz's: "Will you get away from me?" (to Sibrel) 
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2911
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 07-02-2022 05:22 PM
This in one of my favorite Pete Conrad quotes. His first steps on the moon on Apollo 12:"Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." |
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