It was 36 years ago today that the Apollo 11 crew, made the historic first lunar landing, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in the Eagle, the lunar exploration module, while Michael collins orbited above in the command module.
On this day, it is always good to reflect and remember what it was like to watch this historic event as it was televised.
I was just a kid then, and had watched nearly every launch since the Gemini program, and this day was no different in that I was glued in front of the TV set, watching teh events as they unfolded. No different, except that this was the first time man would walk on the suface of the moon. Wild horses couldn’t get me away from that TV set. Not even dinner, which was Chinesse food from a restaurantcalled Loy-Loy.
NASA has a wonderful site with loads of info, including articles on Apollo 11.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong put his left foot on the rocky Moon. It was the first human footprint on the Moon. They had taken TV cameras with them.
So, people all over the world watched when it happened. More people watched this Moon landing than any other show on TV.
It truly was a spectacular event to have watched, and I can only imagine what it was like to have lived it, However, it set off dreams, and although my dreams changed over the years, those early dreams are still cherished to this day. Dreams that meybe one day I could also walk on the moon, or some distant world.
And the memories of the first Lunar Landing will always be with me, and maybe by sharing them, even a little at a time, someone will be inspired to pursue the life of space exploration and lead a return to the moon, or maybe a mission to Mars. And maybe, just maybe, I may still be able to go, even if only for a short while.
