It maddens when people who really know better talk about the "hoax" of the moon landings. It smacks of ignorance and a total lack of respect for those that gave their lives. Over 400,000 people worked on the Apollo program. Grissom, Chaffee and White died for it. It truly was mankind's greatest endeavour. Those remaining Apollo astronauts are real 100% heroes.
So did the less well known Elliot See and Charles Bassett. Neil Armstrong nearly lost his life three times. That was the main reason he was chosen for the the landing. I totally agree with you that the hoax theorist just do not have a clue what they are talking about. I am proud of all the contributers to this thread and other ones that quickly show what a load of nonsense the hoax theory is.
I love the Mr Gorsky story however but it is a JOKE.
Also Vladimar Komarov gave his life in the race for the moon. Yuri Gagarin did not lose his life directly in the race to the moon but he was earmarked to be the first lunanaut.
No the race to the moon was one of the most exciting things ever. I guess "you had to be there".
I found Apollo 13 every bit as exciting and incredible as the first moon landing. I still watch the film Apollo 13, about once a year every year. What they accomplished in getting them back in one piece (after what was expected to be a fatal explosion) was the stuff dreams are made of - utterly incredible - right up at the pinnacle of human ingenuity and technological achievement. The film was very much as I remember the actual events too - they did a great job on that (in the time available).
The film is great and one of my favourites. It's another fascinating topic. I wasn't around at the time, but my mum always used to say they really didn't expect the astronauts to get back safely.
My father was part of the BBC team that produced the programs covering the live moon landings landings in the UK. There were numerous technical challenges getting TV pictures from the moon to the living room in the UK. The signal processing required was ground breaking and won the BBC a Queens award to Industry.
It's worth noting that the first moon landing was less than two years after the first live international TV production on the Intelsat 1 (Early Bird) sat. My father also worked on that broadcast and the whole production team were given commemorative lighters by the BBC.
I was 9 when Apollo 11 landed and most of the children at my school had figure 8 charts and would race home to plot the position of each apollo moon mission and find out what had happened that day. Events like the Saturn 5 engine ground tests were hot topics of discussion in the playground.
It's well known that the first pictures from the moon arrived upside down. If I remember correctly my father said this was even a surprise to some people involved with the production and there was some confusion as to the cause initially.
At the time everyone was very aware of the danger the astronauts were in although for some reason I personally didn't realise the significance of the countdown during the landing of Apollo 11 until at least 20 years later. If you don't know what I'm talking about look it up.
There have been numerous documentaries and films over the years but none really capture the prolonged nature of the trip to the moon...it was the Big Brother of it's day except the challenges were somewhat more difficult and dangerous (please don't get too worked up about that comparison).
Will there be exploding bolts on the next moon shot I wonder?
The film is great and one of my favourites. It's another fascinating topic. I wasn't around at the time, but my mum always used to say they really didn't expect the astronauts to get back safely.
I have the Apollo 13 film on the shelf but have never watched it. To be honest no matter how good it was it would be a pale imitation of the real thing.
I think few people realise just unlikely it was that the crew of Apollo 13 would ever get home. When the accident happened they were on a course that would not bring them freely back to earth and their only usable engine was never designed to execute mid course corrections.
First Jim Lovell had to fire the lunar module engine in order to bring the craft back on a free return course. However at that time they were heading for a splash down in the Indian ocean on Saturday morning. A further burn was required to speed them up so that they splash down on Friday evening.
I well remember huddling by a tranny radio, in the early hours of the morning, listening for news of that second burn. When it was completed successfuly there was great relief but still it was a very long way home with countless difficulties. The professionalism of Lovell, Swigert and Haise was unbelievable in the way they coaxed a very ailing craft home. I do believe that the TV audience for splash down of Apollo 13 was a record for many years and I am sure is still one of the biggest ever.
When the capsule appeared out of the clouds that day over the Pacific it was an incredible moment. I am not sure that old Tricky Dicky was not there to meet them. Of course they had not got to be quarantined like previous moon crews because they had not landed on the moon.
Of course Swigert was not supposed to be on the flight. He was a last minute replacement for Ken Mattingly who had got himself exposed to German measles.
I can't imagine how the astronauts would have felt to have been so close to the moon, yet having to abort the mission, as well as coming so close to death.
As they are retiring the Space Shuttle, it'll be fascinating to see what the designs and ideas for the next crafts will be. I've always wanted to see a shuttle launch, but looks like I never will!
I can't imagine how the astronauts would have felt to have been so close to the moon, yet having to abort the mission, as well as coming so close to death.
As they are retiring the Space Shuttle, it'll be fascinating to see what the designs and ideas for the next crafts will be. I've always wanted to see a shuttle launch, but looks like I never will!
Only about 14 shuttle flights left.
Well remember those pictures of the damaged service module were only taken as they plunged toward the earth atmosphere.
It was the second time Lovell had been to the moon. He was on what I will think was the most daring flight viz. Apollo 8. A lot of people thought they would not come back and with a lot of good reason given the state of flight readiness of the Saturn V.
When Challenger blew up some journalists talked about going back to old reliable Saturn technology. In reality only 13 Saturn Vs ever flewand three of those were unmanned. and two of the unmanned rockets had some malfunction. Indeed the Saturn V that lofted Apollo 13 malfunctioned in that the middle J2 engine of the second stage cut out 13seconds early...a lifetime in rocketry. The outher engine fired longer to try to compensate but it still was not quite right. Maybe 13 is an unlucky 13 and it was launched at 13.13 EST.
By the time Challeger blew up the shuttle was on flight 25.
One interesting thing is that when Challenger blew up people assumed that the crew were killed in the explosion. There is evidence that that is not so. Some of the astronaus were alive when the crew pod hit the water.
BTW where have all those conspiracy theorist gone??
The Challenger disaster freaked me out big time as a kid. Had a big impact. I remember thinking the astronauts might be still alive in the cabin on the sea and could be still rescued - my mum had to try and explain to me they were dead. It's one of my earliest memories (I was 4).
It should never have happened, but I guess the lessons were learnt. Didn't really blow up though did it? (Picking holes;)) Yes they're pretty sure the astronauts were still alive after the Challenger was torn apart. Hopefully, (I'd like to think so anyway) they were unconscious. 2 and a half minutes or so until impact with the sea....and yet some of the emergency oxygen bottles had been activated....It's not nice to think about!
I think what made it worse was Christa McAuliffe being on the shuttle. She was, by all accounts, a pretty remarkable person. Her back-up (Barbara Morgan) in 86 made it into space last August with the shuttle Endeavor. It sort of came full-circle.
(I wonder where the conspiracy theorists have gone too.....)
The Challenger disaster freaked me out big time as a kid. Had a big impact. I remember thinking the astronauts might be still alive in the cabin on the sea and could be still rescued - my mum had to try and explain to me they were dead. It's one of my earliest memories (I was 4).
It should never have happened, but I guess the lessons were learnt. Didn't really blow up though did it? (Picking holes;)) Yes they're pretty sure the astronauts were still alive after the Challenger was torn apart. Hopefully, (I'd like to think so anyway) they were unconscious. 2 and a half minutes or so until impact with the sea....and yet some of the emergency oxygen bottles had been activated....It's not nice to think about!
I think what made it worse was Christa McAuliffe being on the shuttle. She was, by all accounts, a pretty remarkable person. Her back-up (Barbara Morgan) in 86 made it into space last August with the shuttle Endeavor. It sort of came full-circle.
(I wonder where the conspiracy theorists have gone too.....)
I think that is the Descarte region of the moon so it would be Apollo 16.
I have seen a transcript of telemetry picked up from Challenger by radio hams. If you are interested I will try and dig it out.
I'm positive that they tested the DPS MCC solution before Apollo 13, Apollo 8 rings a bell but a quick glance at the mission report doesn't seem to agree with me.
Apollo 13 was a good film, but I agree with you Henry, it's a far call away from the actual mission that was Apollo 13. If you'd read through the mission report and the review board document then you'd understand what I mean. You will find the apollo 13 documentation on my website http://www.landingapollo.com/documentation/apollo13.php if you want to have a look.
For all those who haven't seen it, go and watch Magnificent Desolation which was also produced by Tom Hanks.
His from the Earth to the Moon series is good as well. However the ultimate Apollo resource has goto be the films made by Spacecraft films. Absolutely fantastic.
We are currently embroiled in a war that was so clearly about oil and nothing else, yet we were told it was to fight an enemy we cant even find (and was actually in an american hospital 1 month before 9/11, despite being wanted)
Osama Bin Laden in an american hospital?
Excuse me whilst I require just a bit more than an unnamed french source, being quoted in a french newspaper. :rolleyes:
I'm positive that they tested the DPS MCC solution before Apollo 13, Apollo 8 rings a bell but a quick glance at the mission report doesn't seem to agree with me.
I'm positive that they tested the DPS MCC solution before Apollo 13, Apollo 8 rings a bell but a quick glance at the mission report doesn't seem to agree with me.
Apollo 13 was a good film, but I agree with you Henry, it's a far call away from the actual mission that was Apollo 13. If you'd read through the mission report and the review board document then you'd understand what I mean. You will find the apollo 13 documentation on my website http://www.landingapollo.com/documentation/apollo13.php if you want to have a look.
Here is a link which will get you going. See Last words
Interesting. I've seen that transcript before on another site (can't remember where) and read that it was a hoax. But I hadn't seen the other links before...
Thank you to all the posters contributing such interesting information. I grew up watching all the space missions and will never forget the moon landing (especially as it was on my birthday). Thank you also for the links, I feel several hours will be lost reading it all.
I would just like to ask if any of you well informed posters can remember back to the 70's when one of the capsules was displayed in the UK? If so which one was it? I can clearly remember walking round it and looking into the capsule but for the life of me can not remember which one it was.
I t never happened! simple as that! just another hoax by the u.s! years back looking at the millenium i thought after landing on the moon in the 60's we would all be space travelers! but no not even one astronaut stepped back on the moon! as we embark into the new century! unbelievable!
Comments
So did the less well known Elliot See and Charles Bassett. Neil Armstrong nearly lost his life three times. That was the main reason he was chosen for the the landing. I totally agree with you that the hoax theorist just do not have a clue what they are talking about. I am proud of all the contributers to this thread and other ones that quickly show what a load of nonsense the hoax theory is.
I love the Mr Gorsky story however but it is a JOKE.
Also Vladimar Komarov gave his life in the race for the moon. Yuri Gagarin did not lose his life directly in the race to the moon but he was earmarked to be the first lunanaut.
No the race to the moon was one of the most exciting things ever. I guess "you had to be there".
See Mr Gorsky
The film is great and one of my favourites. It's another fascinating topic. I wasn't around at the time, but my mum always used to say they really didn't expect the astronauts to get back safely.
Great post, thanks for sharing!
I have the Apollo 13 film on the shelf but have never watched it. To be honest no matter how good it was it would be a pale imitation of the real thing.
I think few people realise just unlikely it was that the crew of Apollo 13 would ever get home. When the accident happened they were on a course that would not bring them freely back to earth and their only usable engine was never designed to execute mid course corrections.
First Jim Lovell had to fire the lunar module engine in order to bring the craft back on a free return course. However at that time they were heading for a splash down in the Indian ocean on Saturday morning. A further burn was required to speed them up so that they splash down on Friday evening.
I well remember huddling by a tranny radio, in the early hours of the morning, listening for news of that second burn. When it was completed successfuly there was great relief but still it was a very long way home with countless difficulties. The professionalism of Lovell, Swigert and Haise was unbelievable in the way they coaxed a very ailing craft home. I do believe that the TV audience for splash down of Apollo 13 was a record for many years and I am sure is still one of the biggest ever.
When the capsule appeared out of the clouds that day over the Pacific it was an incredible moment. I am not sure that old Tricky Dicky was not there to meet them. Of course they had not got to be quarantined like previous moon crews because they had not landed on the moon.
Of course Swigert was not supposed to be on the flight. He was a last minute replacement for Ken Mattingly who had got himself exposed to German measles.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ap13_damage.gif
I can't imagine how the astronauts would have felt to have been so close to the moon, yet having to abort the mission, as well as coming so close to death.
As they are retiring the Space Shuttle, it'll be fascinating to see what the designs and ideas for the next crafts will be. I've always wanted to see a shuttle launch, but looks like I never will!
Only about 14 shuttle flights left.
Well remember those pictures of the damaged service module were only taken as they plunged toward the earth atmosphere.
It was the second time Lovell had been to the moon. He was on what I will think was the most daring flight viz. Apollo 8. A lot of people thought they would not come back and with a lot of good reason given the state of flight readiness of the Saturn V.
When Challenger blew up some journalists talked about going back to old reliable Saturn technology. In reality only 13 Saturn Vs ever flewand three of those were unmanned. and two of the unmanned rockets had some malfunction. Indeed the Saturn V that lofted Apollo 13 malfunctioned in that the middle J2 engine of the second stage cut out 13seconds early...a lifetime in rocketry. The outher engine fired longer to try to compensate but it still was not quite right. Maybe 13 is an unlucky 13 and it was launched at 13.13 EST.
By the time Challeger blew up the shuttle was on flight 25.
One interesting thing is that when Challenger blew up people assumed that the crew were killed in the explosion. There is evidence that that is not so. Some of the astronaus were alive when the crew pod hit the water.
BTW where have all those conspiracy theorist gone??
Cool video. Not sure what Apollo mission it is though.
The Challenger disaster freaked me out big time as a kid. Had a big impact. I remember thinking the astronauts might be still alive in the cabin on the sea and could be still rescued - my mum had to try and explain to me they were dead. It's one of my earliest memories (I was 4).
It should never have happened, but I guess the lessons were learnt. Didn't really blow up though did it? (Picking holes;)) Yes they're pretty sure the astronauts were still alive after the Challenger was torn apart. Hopefully, (I'd like to think so anyway) they were unconscious. 2 and a half minutes or so until impact with the sea....and yet some of the emergency oxygen bottles had been activated....It's not nice to think about!
I think what made it worse was Christa McAuliffe being on the shuttle. She was, by all accounts, a pretty remarkable person. Her back-up (Barbara Morgan) in 86 made it into space last August with the shuttle Endeavor. It sort of came full-circle.
(I wonder where the conspiracy theorists have gone too.....)
I think that is the Descarte region of the moon so it would be Apollo 16.
I have seen a transcript of telemetry picked up from Challenger by radio hams. If you are interested I will try and dig it out.
Oo yes please! Much appreciated.
I have got it somewhere so it will not be 5 minutes. Probably PM it to you as it arouses emotions.
I'd be interested in that too. Thanks.
Thanks!
Apollo 13 was a good film, but I agree with you Henry, it's a far call away from the actual mission that was Apollo 13. If you'd read through the mission report and the review board document then you'd understand what I mean. You will find the apollo 13 documentation on my website http://www.landingapollo.com/documentation/apollo13.php if you want to have a look.
His from the Earth to the Moon series is good as well. However the ultimate Apollo resource has goto be the films made by Spacecraft films. Absolutely fantastic.
Osama Bin Laden in an american hospital?
Excuse me whilst I require just a bit more than an unnamed french source, being quoted in a french newspaper. :rolleyes:
SOmebody's been watching loose change.
Sorry what was the DPS MCC solution?
Thanks.
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
I'll check that out!
I'm sure that they tested the DPS on the LM for mid course corrections prior to Apollo 13.
Interesting. I've seen that transcript before on another site (can't remember where) and read that it was a hoax. But I hadn't seen the other links before...
I would just like to ask if any of you well informed posters can remember back to the 70's when one of the capsules was displayed in the UK? If so which one was it? I can clearly remember walking round it and looking into the capsule but for the life of me can not remember which one it was.