posted February 27, 2008 04:11 PM            

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Originally posted by Tahir:
Where can I get a copy of that Francis? Thanks for letting me know.

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posted April 21, 2008 06:45 PM            

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Originally posted by fabfivefreddy:
I am excited to announce that "We Came in Peace for all Mankind" won the Eric Hoffer notable book award. The award was in the "culture" category as a "notable" book.

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posted May 01, 2008 02:20 PM               

In the summer of 1969, partly as a race against the Soviets but mostly as a promise to an assassinated President (JFK), the U.S. space program reached the culmination of an amazing journey by landing on the moon. Soon after that first boot print in dusty the lunar surface, a world-famous US flag was erected in the Sea of Tranquility, along with a lunar plaque and a tiny silicon disc. Rahman, in his beautiful coffee table book, tells the story of that disc and the glad tidings of the entire planet that accompanies it. It makes you long for the days of universal harmony.

- from the editors of Best New Writing 2008, Hopewell Productions

posted May 01, 2008 07:42 PM               

However, the moon landings did have a special place and interest for most people. It did unite most people. That says something about exploration in general. It says something about our own humility.

posted May 21, 2008 11:06 PM               

• Book signing:
  June 7, 2008; 1:00 - 2:00pm
  Barnes & Noble (Town Center Plaza)
  Leawood, Kansas

• Presentation and book signing
  June 21, 2008; 2:00 - 3:30pm
  Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
  Hutchinson, Kansas

posted May 22, 2008 02:12 PM               

• Family Day:
  July 12, 2008; 1:00 - 3:00pm
  National Air and Space Museum
  Washington, DC

• Book signing:
  August 16, 2008; 2:00 - 4:00pm
  Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
  Chantilly, Virginia

posted June 06, 2008 07:28 PM               

I can't say enough about Tahir's book. It is great and should be on the shelf of every fan of the space program.

posted June 15, 2008 11:11 PM               

I recently corresponded with a man that worked on the disc project at Sprague Electric Company.

The disc was encased in an aluminum holder, similar to a lady's compact mirror. It had eleven sides to symbolize Apollo-11. Only five cases were made- one of which flew to the Moon.

posted June 22, 2008 04:46 PM               

How did you get the silicon disc messages?

They were in the Library of Congress Files.

Were all countires asked to submit a message?

Yes. Most replied but some did not. THe USSR is a notable example.

Did you meet Neil Armstrong?

Yes, I shook his hand at the SETP conference in California.

I also corresponded with Mr. Armstrong and sent him a copy of the book. He has read it and helped me correct a few errors I made (I initially misquoted him twice). He has granted me permission to use the photos and quotes of him as presented in the book.

I must say that many quotes attributed to him on the internet are wrong. I am amazed at how many of these erroneous quotes are out there. Some are fairly popular web sites.

Did you meet Buzz Aldrin?

Yes. Andrew Chaikin introduced me to Dr. Aldrin in Phoenix. Dr. Aldrin gave me permission to use quotes, photos and provided the communion card images for the book. He told me that the disc was in his sleeve pocket during the Apollo 11 EVA and that it was in a white Beta cloth pouch. He enjoyed seeing the images.

What will happen to the disc?

It is my hope that the Apollo 11 landing site remains undisturbed for future generations to enjoy as a historical landmark. I kind of think of it as the USS Arizona, just leave it the way it is found.

I am not sure if the U.S. Congress has ever addressed the issue of memorializing the landing site, but I hope it does some day. Since the Moon does not belong to any country, it can't exactly become a National Park.

There are two plaques at the landing site, one on the LEM and one on the silicon disc. Since they state, "We Came in Peace for all Mankind"- it is my hope that all mankind can repect and enjoy the place that humans first ventured off their planet.

posted July 29, 2008 01:38 PM               

I look forward to seeing the Udvar-Hazy museum at the Dulles airport in two weeks for my next signing. I have never been there before.

posted October 07, 2008 09:44 AM               

NASA Glenn Research Center
October 18-19, 2008

Smithsonian Steven Udvar-Hazy Museum
November 28, 2008 (12-5 PM)

posted December 28, 2008 11:36 AM               

Reaching for the Moon: How the Gemini Program Culminated in Apollo 11

Award-winning Kansas City author Tahir Rahman will give a presentation on the NASA space program in the 1960s, focusing on Gemini’s contribution to development of the Apollo missions that eventually put men on the moon. In celebration of the upcoming fortieth anniversary of the first moon landing in 1969, Rahman will also discuss his new book, We Came in Peace for all Mankind. This book explores the role the U.S. space program played in global peace initiatives, with particular emphasis on the silicon disc left on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin containing messages of peace and hope from world leaders.

posted January 12, 2009 11:00 AM               

Reaching for the Moon: How the Gemini Program Culminated in Apollo 11

Award-winning Kansas City author Tahir Rahman will give a presentation on the NASA space program in the 1960s, focusing on Gemini’s contribution to development of the Apollo missions that eventually put men on the moon. In celebration of the upcoming fortieth anniversary of the first moon landing in 1969, Rahman will also discuss his new book, We Came in Peace for all Mankind. This book explores the role the U.S. space program played in global peace initiatives, with particular emphasis on the silicon disc left on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin containing messages of peace and hope from world leaders.

posted February 04, 2009 06:51 PM               

Space Historian to present Insights on Apollo, Gemini at the Society

The early history of the United States space program will be examined by author Tahir Rahman during his program "Reaching for the Moon: How the Gemini Project Culminated in Apollo 11" on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. in The State Historical Society of Missouri Conference Room. Rahman will discuss the aspects of Project Gemini that made possible the Apollo missions and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth," as well as his book, We Came in Peace for All Mankind: The Untold Story of the Apollo 11 Silicon Disc.

Tahir Rahman is a Johns Hopkins University-trained psychiatrist who practices in Leawood, Kansas, but who has always maintained an interest in space history. Although he had previously studied many artifacts and documents related to the space program, it was his access to the Apollo 11 silicon disc that inspired him to write We Came in Peace for All Mankind. The disc, containing messages of peace and hope from world leaders, was left on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon's surface.

"Reaching for the Moon" is free and open to the public and is presented in conjunction with The St. Louis Gemini Story, an exhibit containing photos, documents, and editorial cartoons related to NASA's Gemini program currently on display in the Society's North-South Corridor Gallery. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

About The State Historical Society of Missouri

Founded in 1898 by the Missouri Press Association and a trustee of the state since 1899, the Society is the preeminent research facility for the study of the Show Me State's heritage and a leader in programming designed to share that heritage with the public. Through educational outreach, such as the Missouri History Speakers' Bureau and genealogy workshops, or the performing arts, like MoHiP Theatre, the Society not only brings Missouri history to the state's citizens, but also gives Missourians the tools to uncover the history in their own lives.

posted February 22, 2009 07:31 PM               

I learned a lot about McDonnell in St. Loius. They built all of the Gemini space capsules. I saw some very cool unpublished pictures of Kennedy's visit there. Also several editorial cartoons questioning the spending on space exploration.

posted February 24, 2009 10:54 AM               

• Book signing:
  June 20, 2009; 10:00 - 5:00pm
  National Air and Space Museum
  Washington, DC

• Book signing:
  July 18 - 19, 2009; 10:00 - 5:00pm
  Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
  Chantilly, Virginia

posted June 04, 2009 01:30 PM               

Neil Armstrong's Eloquent Words for Mankind Captured in Book that Details Intriguing and Unknown Story of Apollo 11 Lunar Landing

What influenced Neil Armstrong to utter his famous words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind?" Could it have been the "forward step for all mankind" theme that Willis Shapley, a largely unknown figure at NASA, proposed to decision makers in February 1969? Exactly 40 years later, that is one of the topics that is explored in the acclaimed book "We Came in Peace for all Mankind: The Untold Story of the Apollo 11 Silicon Disc" by Tahir Rahman. Rahman, a space author, plans a book signing tour that kicks off at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum this summer.

What influenced Neil Armstrong to utter his famous words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind?" Could it have been the "forward step for all mankind" theme that Willis Shapley, a largely unknown figure at NASA, proposed to decision makers in February 1969?

Exactly 40 years later, that is one of the topics that is explored in the acclaimed book "We Came in Peace for all Mankind: The Untold Story of the Apollo 11 Silicon Disc" by Tahir Rahman. Rahman, a space author, plans a book signing tour that kicks off at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum this summer.

The Apollo 11 astronauts left the stars and stripes, a plaque declaring "We Came in Peace for All Mankind," and a tiny silicon disc with encrypted messages from many world leaders. As U.S. State Department officials scrambled to solicit messages of goodwill from many nations, brilliant engineers used the latest semiconductor technology in 1969 to enshrine the messages on material suitable for the harsh lunar environment. NASA officials also wanted to make it clear that it was an American accomplishment while balancing "good taste" from a world perspective, without implying U.S. sovereignty on the moon, Rahman writes. Many leaders responded to the request.

One such message from the Ivory Coast stated: "...I also hope that he (first moonwalker) would tell the moon how beautiful it is when it illuminates the nights of the Ivory Coast. I especially wish that he would turn towards our planet Earth and cry out how insignificant the problems which torture men are, when viewed from up there..."

Another message from Eric Williams, the Prime Minister of Trinadad and Tobago, simply warned: "It is our earnest hope for mankind, that while we gain the moon, we shall not lose the world."

The second moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin, landed with Armstrong at the same time. Aldrin revealed some tense moments.

"Neil Armstrong and I almost forgot to leave the silicon disc on the moon, but no one should forget the messages beautifully portrayed in 'We Came in Peace for All Mankind.' The disc will last on the lunar surface for 1,000 years."

Aldrin had already climbed back into the lunar module when Armstrong reminded him about the disc. He removed the tiny package from his sleeve pocket and literally threw it onto the moon near the Sea of Tranquility.

Rahman, a space enthusiast for the past 15 years who lives in Kansas City, stumbled upon the fascinating story of the disc and a replica while searching for some space memorabilia in Florida. After much research, he found great stories behind the creation of the disc, which the first lunar astronauts almost forgot to leave on the moon. The fragile disc contains microscopic messages from 73 world leaders including Queen Elizabeth II, Indira Gandhi, the Shah of Iran and Pope Paul VI.

The book traces the history of the disc's development and includes a library of all the messages in their native script, such as Chinese, Arabic and Hebrew. There is an ornate framed microscopic message from Pope Paul VI.

The book is receiving rave reviews from space historians.

"Tahir Rahman's book tells for the first time the full story of this unique object--and in doing so, offers a fresh look at the symbolic importance of the first moon landing," writes Margaret A. Weitekamp, curator of the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. "The glossy, elegant layout allows the reader to consider fully each note and its source."

The book was recently recognized with the Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing.

For more information, email info(at)silicondisc.com. Rahman's book is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

posted June 26, 2009 01:06 PM            

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Originally posted by fabfivefreddy:
Looks like the Smithsonian has a great line up: Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Mike Collins and Andrew Chaikin will all be signing there for the Apollo 11 40th Anniversary.

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posted July 10, 2009 01:45 PM               

• Auburn University - "The Eagle Has Landed" symposium. July 16, 2009. I will be giving a talk there also.

• Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Museum - July 18-19. Silicon Disc project engineer will be there to sign the books as well.

posted July 13, 2009 04:18 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by fabfivefreddy:
I just found out that John Sprague, the lead engineer of the silicon disc project from Sprague Electric will be attending the book signing with me on July 19 and 20 at the Udvar-Hazy museum in Chantilly, VA. He is willing to sign some books too.

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