40 years from the Moon
I watched with a mixture of excitement and apprehension as my TV screen filled with images of Endeavor’s blast-off last night from Cape Kennedy. There’s still nothing like a space launch. You’re confident everything will be all right, but you’re never 100% certain.
The launch that put Canada’s Julie Payette back into space — joining another Canadian already at the International Space Station — came on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the historic moon trip of Neill Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
And Monday, July 20, will mark the 40th anniversary of their Apollo 11 landing, when Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the Moon and uttered the memorable words, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
(Most people have forgotten, if they ever knew, that NASA had to doctor the tape of Armstrong’s audio; he muffed the famous line and it had to be edited.)
I remember gathering with my family that Sunday night long ago to watch the scene unfold on our black and white TV.
With us that historic night was my friend Ronald Lawrence, who was just getting up his own steam as a naturalist and author of wildlife books. Ron went on to a fabulous career in which he had his books translated into many languages. Sadly, Ron is no longer with us.
There’ll be a celebration at NASA headquarters in Washington on Monday. Armstrong, notoriously shy, won’t be there. Aldrin will. He’s been more public about his life, including his struggle with depression and alcoholism. He writes of his life in his new book, Magnificient Desolation: the Long Journey Home from the Moon (Harmony).
I’m old enough to remember the consternation Sputnik caused. When the Russian satellite went up, I told anyone who would listen that we’d be on the moon in ten years. It took twelve.
There are only seven more flights scheduled in the Space Shuttle series. Then it will be on to the Constellation Program. NASA hopes to have astronauts on Mars in 20 years. It’ll be a case of hopping out in stages. First, back to the Moon on a new space vehicle, the Orion, and its Moon lander, Altair. Then to the moons of Mars and finally, the Red Planet itself.
Worth all the cost? Of course. I’m convinced that Homo sapiens are genetically programmed to explore this world and move on to new ones. Some day, we’ll have to give up this burned out old planet, and abandon our tired, weak sun.
That’s longer in the future than any of us can imagine. The trail begun by Armstrong and Aldrin shows us the way. In the words of Chairman Mao, “The longest trip begins with but a single step.”
