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| Footprints on the Moon. What a legacy! From National Geographic; December, 1969 |
My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Armstrong's family and friends.
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| Neil Armstrong photographing his shadow on the Moon. From National Geographic; December, 1969 |
Life is full of ironies large and small. Here is a tiny, little irony. I fondly recall this issue of the National Geographic. As a kid, I played the flexible record inside until it fell apart. Yesterday, on my way to grab some lunch, I stopped by an estate sale. It had every National Geographic from 1964 through 1998. This is the first issue I looked for.
Yes, the images in this post are freshly scanned from a magazine I bought for $0.25 just the day before Neil Armstrong's passing.. In the scope of the Universe and geologic time, this coincidence is beyond trivial. To a space and technology nerd such as myself, it is priceless.
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| ...in peace for all mankind. |
Good post, Dwayne. Captures my thoughts as well. Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteWell written.
ReplyDeleteNeil Armstrong was modest, I think, because he recognized how much his "small step" depended on a whole nation's investment, the work of thousands of scientists and engineers, and much more -- and that the fact that some human had reached the moon was more important than the fact that it was him in particular. But of course, he had to be a very skilled, strong, and courageous man even to be chosen as a member of this mission. His name will live on for centuries and millennia, I bet.
As for a colony on the moon, I don't think it's going to happen. There's nothing there, it's a dead rock. Just my 2¢.
The Moon colony thing... well, I was maybe just a little more enthusiastic at 1:00 AM than I am most of the time. I agree: the Moon is a mostly uninteresting rock that may have some residual gases and metals that could come in handy at some point in our space faring future. It has a conveniently small gravity well and no atmosphere to destroy with combustion gas free radicals.
DeleteMy qualified statement on human habitation would be more along the lines of "mining colony". Even that would would be driven by our increasingly sophisticated robotic minions/future overlords. The concept of large cities on the Moon ranks up there with sea monkeys in my book.
A very nice post, all the same! My first grade teacher told us we could be astronauts when we grew up and we all believed her. Of course, that was about as likely as colonies on the moon, but to me it's another illustration of the sense of possibility that the space program embodied.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
ReplyDeleteI was looking for a photo of Neil stepping off the ladder when I made mine and since I could not find one my post became just some links. Nice job. I for one will always remember Neil and all his accomplishments as well as all of the astronauts from Allen Sheppard to whoever mans future flights. Neil though was special. He did not like the limelight or being a named a hero. I think it would have been fantastic had he seen a moon base established and the first human to land on Mars.
Thanks! Finding this particular magazine and having it in hand was a happy occurrence. Neil Armstrong was a hero in the best sense of the word.
DeleteI've always read that there is a ton of Hydrogen 3 which, if brought back to Earth, would be a huge, clean and efficient power source. I think a small colony, maintaining robots in a mining outfit, would be quite possible in my life time.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I need to read up on Hydrogen 3. Very interesting.
DeleteNice post, Dwayne! From what I've read over the past few days, Mr Armstrong seemed like a nice guy. And modest as all get out. Two qualities that we don't associate with the famous these days. He was certainly from a different generation, the likes of which we'll not see again, I'm afraid. Well, not in large numbers, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI've been wearing my Moonwatch since the day he died. I'm not a huge fan of the Space Race, but it was the least I could do.
Wearing a Moonwatch is a fitting tribute. I'm happily not old enough to remember all of the panics associated with the Space Race. It is easier to romanticize without having lived through "duck and cover" drills.
DeleteOh, where are my manners? Sincere condolences to his family and to those of you out there whose lives he touched in ways big and small.
ReplyDeleteMy manners were probably lacking as well. I echo your sentiments.
DeleteToday was the family memorial with flags flying at half staff all over the U.S. NASA just had another successful launch and a long space walk with a few stubborn bolts outside the International Space Station. Continued success is one of the best tributes possible.