Posts: 2
From: Peterborough, UK
Registered: Dec 2012

Posts: 2212
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

Posts: 1309
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 12-31-2012 06:36 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Tykeanaut:
Perhaps we should appreciate, enjoy and reminiscence and not analyse?

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If only. For what it's worth, I've never regarded Armstrong as a "recluse," "hermit," etc...just a man who, despite his singular place in human history, chose to ration his public profile in a way that's perhaps difficult to comprehend for so many of us, given that the currency of "fame" today is so devalued.

As for Buzz, I also make no judgements. His personal difficulties post-career are well known here, and perhaps I cut him some slack because of that. In any case, I'm not sure why anyone might be offended by his charging for autographs. I really couldn't care less. Like any other transaction of value, either it's worth it to you, or it isn't.

Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 01-01-2013 08:50 AM               

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Enjoy Tyke.

You're spot on. Funnily enough my favourite bit of the whole programme was just 'a man', sitting at a piano and singing...

Posts: 291
From: UK
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 01-01-2013 03:35 PM               

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I am fortunate to have met Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin an honour to have met them albeit 40 years after their mission.

I found both to be brilliant and answered my questions and gave some of their time to me. Buzz gave me two autographs and Neil was very polite pleasant — cannot fault either of them.

Or indeed any other Apollo astronaut (cosmonauts) I have had the good fortune to meet — I have found a polite attitude, approach with a friendly smile has worked wonders!

I have heard stories of people demanding signatures, pushing pictures in front of them — little wonder some people have had poor experiences.

Dublin - 2003 - Neil told us that wherever possible he will always pose for photographs with people who ask him to do so - and that's what he did when I met him...

Aldrin and Armstrong complete gentlemen and the USA should be proud of them.

Posts: 1042
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 01-02-2013 01:55 PM            

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The programme was compelling and confirmed my suspicions that we, as part of our human nature, need heroic figures like Neil Armstrong.

Armstrong was probably the right man to be the first man on the Moon, but he was not as reclusive as previously suggested. We are all entitled to our privacy but I feel Armstrong owed it to human space travel to be more in the limelight like Buzz Aldrin.

Curiously, the programme either discounted or ignored his vocal criticism of the cancellation of Constellation and of commercial spaceflight in the months prior to his death.

I would like to have known why he was so passionate about this then, rather than when NASA was forced to retreat to low earth orbit a few years after he departed the Sea of Tranquility.

Posts: 2212
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-03-2013 03:19 AM               

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Compelling... and moving.

The personal tributes from Buzz and Dave Scott (amongst others) were heartfelt, as was the respect for his piloting abilities. This was one of the best biographical programmes I have seen.

Posts: 836
From: South East, UK
Registered: Apr 2008

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

Posts: 649
From: UK
Registered: Mar 2012

Posts: 836
From: South East, UK
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 01-03-2013 01:46 PM               

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I recorded it onto my sky box from the BBC HD channel when it was on the other night but I always prefer to have things like that as a DVD or Blu Ray then I know I have a copy of it whatever happens.

Maybe I'll fire off an email to the firm responsible at the weekend. This feels like too good a documentary to be left at the whim of the BBC as to whether it gets shown again.

Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-03-2013 02:23 PM               

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According to Reuters, the documentary was produced in partnership with PBS NOVA and will "air in the United States later this year."

I suspect if a DVD/Blu-ray/digital download is to be available, it will happen after the show airs in the U.S.

Posts: 176
From: Vienna, Austria
Registered: Oct 2010

Posts: 318
From: West Sussex, England
Registered: Jan 2011

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-07-2013 05:37 AM               

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I watched it again.

I thought a most interesting comment came from Jan Armstrong who said "Neil never said very much but when he did it was usually meaningful." I think explains a lot why some people considered him an "enigma" and why the programme had very little on his inter-personal relationships with family, friends, etc, beyond matters pertaining to flying or space. Those of us who attended the Dublin interview/meeting however, know how heartfelt Neil's feelings were at the losses of daughter Karen and Ed White.

I still came away with a feeling that I wanted to know more about "Neil the man", as opposed to Moonwalker #1.

Posts: 649
From: UK
Registered: Mar 2012

posted 01-09-2013 03:06 AM               

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Agreed.

You/all of us fans may want to read the brilliant Dwayne A. Day's article which describes what it was like working with Armstrong.

Also, going back to the 'Did he, Didn't he' (heated) discussion, Andy Chaikin has written a very good editorial on it.

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009

Posts: 649
From: UK
Registered: Mar 2012

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 12-04-2014 10:44 AM               

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Nice documentary, although there was nothing new or groundbreaking as far as Neil's life story as anyone on this site or with a good knowledge of space history would know. I liked the addition of interviews from Janet Armstrong, his sons and his boyhood friend (love that home movie sequence of the Apollo 11 liftoff).

One omission is the fact that Armstrong joined NACA, the forerunner of NASA, as a civilian at the then- High-Speed Flight Station, which now bears his name. When the narrator mentions 'Edwards,' uninformed people might associate him with the other military test pilots that were his contemporaries. You could certainly devote an entire program on his NACA/NASA test pilot and engineering career, which I know he loved and could talk about for hours on end.

Posts: 114
From: Maryland
Registered: Jan 2014

posted 12-17-2014 05:31 PM            

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Earlier this month PBS's show NOVA had a documentary about Neil Armstrong. They have the episode online for viewing.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

Posts: 977
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000

Posts: 243
From:
Registered: Jun 2014

posted 10-30-2015 12:59 PM               

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I just watched the NOVA documentary "First Man On the Moon" on Netflix this morning. It features the entire life of Neil Armstrong with excellent interviews with his first wife, his children, brother and sister and childhood friends. It is very well done with stories directly from people close to Mr. Armstrong.

I was very surprised how much I learned about the man during this show. For example he discussed his famous words "That's one small step..." with his brother over a game of Risk a few days before launching. Shows him speaking at a Star Trek Convention and meeting Scotty. Tons of behind the scenes friends and family 8mm footage. It is well worth the watch.

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