Humans on the Moon-July 20, 1969
July 20, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle landing on the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. But more remarkable than landing a vehicle on the Moon, was sending three humans to the Moon and back-safely.
Human bodies are designed for Earth, not outer space, so taking them into space and bringing them back safely was a monumental task and grave responsibility. And it was not accomplished perfectly-early on in 1967 the Apollo 1 spacecraft cabin caught fire and claimed the lives of three astronauts.
Despite the strides NASA has made in its perpetual quest to make spaceflight safer, it’s still a dangerous business. Our astronauts are stepping on top of a bomb when they climb into the capsule of a spacecraft, a bomb they trust will go off in a controlled manner.
Of the 135 space shuttle flights, two ended in disaster, claiming seven lives each.
Sam Howe Verhovek, article in National Geographic 07.2019
exploring the HEART of space travel
I grew up watching the space exploration adventure develop from Mercury to Gemini to Apollo and beyond and am still fascinated by it. My family and I never miss a chance to tour a museum exhibit featuring space and have enjoyed visits to the Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here
I’m sharing memories of my travels which I hope you enjoy.
Apollo 11 trivia
- Distance from Earth to Moon-238,855 miles
- Duration of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon-8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes
- Top speed of ship to moon 24,000 miles per hour
- Length from the ladder to the moon surface of Armstrong’s “one small step”- 3.5 feet
as reported in AARP magazine, June/July 2019
Exploring space at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois
exploring Health in space
During space flight, a medical doctor monitored the crew’s health. They were concerned with learning “can man live in space?”
They learned that man could live very nicely in space for two weeks. The cardiovascular system would adapt quite nicely.
“You get to know each other quite well.”
(How to use the toilet in space.)
There are no toilets on a small spacecraft so an astronaut’s liquid waste went into a tube, vented to the outside. Solid waste went into a plastic fecal collection bag, then stored behind their seats.
The astronauts- the HEART of space exploration
When I flew on the space shuttle and the space station, I would look at the moon…I didn’t feel like I missed something by not going there. Just knowing that people got there-regular people, very brave ones-it makes it so that I’m there a little bit.
Humans pulled this off. We can do incredible things. Impossible things.
Cady Coleman, retired astronaut , from AARP magazine
Please visit this previous post where I tell you about another astronaut who gave her life in service to her country and the space program.
On February 1, 2003 Dr. Laurel Salter Clark and the rest of the STS-107 crew perished during re-entry as Space Shuttle Columbia broke up over Texas en route to a landing in Florida. They amassed 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes in space.
exploring the HEART of health in space
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Dr Aletha
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I remember when everyone glued to their televisions to see liftoff and everything about the flights. Then, people lost interest or some did so they quit televising it. I cannot imagine the brains that figure all this out. I also can’t imagine every wanting to go out there, but can imagine how awesome the view must be for them. Thank you so much for sharing the photos.
Peabea from https://peabea.blogspot.com
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Wow, has it been that long ago?! At that time I still lived in the Netherlands:) Thanks for sharing.
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Yes,it has! I was in high school, and now I have a granddaughter in high school. And, they are trying to send people back to the moon-and to Mars. What a world we live in. thanks for visiting my blog.
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