Celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Apollo 11's lunar landing.
And this:
Apollo astronauts practiced every second of their mission, even planting the flag (above), many times, indoors, outdoors, in space suits, underwater, in planes, in centrifuges, in pools, in the ocean and anywhere else NASA saw fit. They were prepared for every contingency and trained for water planned landings as well as desert and jungle survival in case their capsule missed the ocean and hit land. They learned geology, how to withstand g-forces, maneuver in low- and zero-gravity conditions, and how to drive electric rovers and land the lunar module.
Check the rest of the Apollo 11's training photo gallery, here.
Exit observation: Do you know what else stinks about massive federal debt? We can't afford a kick-ass space program anymore.
Posts
7 comments:
We can't afford band instruments for our kids. Same problem, just local.
'Dawg, +1. Same awful noise as a rocket lift-off as well.
We never should have built the space shuttle.
41 years or 42??
Anon, thanks! Corrected.
I will note this more optimistic take: When President Kennedy focused on the space program, private enterprises couldn't handle the research and materials necessary to make a launch. That is no loner true. Several private firms are poised to pick-up space development. There will now be an influx of experienced NASA engineers who will be freed of the shackles of government restrictions. As long as Obama doesn't ding them for being "corporate super-jets", the free market space vehicle program should prove superior.
Great point, Leslie. I totally neglected that angle.
Post a Comment