Remembering Apollo 11

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I was six at teh time of the Apollo 11 mission, but I remember many of the events in that week – and standing on the doorstep staring up at the moon.

I just watched the launch in 'real time' (+50 years) at apolloinrealtime.org/11/

What's your normal heart rate? And what does it go to when you are under stress…?

" This is Apollo Control at 36 minutes. That's the end of the tape. We have a report on the launch heart rates now from the Flight Surgeon. Commander, Neil Armstrong's heart rate 110, Command Module Pilot, Mike Collins 99, Lunar Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin 88. These compare with their first Gemini flights, their first liftoff back in the Gemini program. Armstrong's heart rate was 146 at that time, Collins was 125, Aldrin was 110. "

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember32069]

[This posting has been removed]

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I don't remember the launch, but certainly the landing.

There is a very good film called "The Dish", based on facts that have been forgotten regarding the Apollo 11 story.

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

Yep and all about Australia’s contribution to the mission !

I was still 6 months away so have only seen historical footage – it is amazing what we humans can do when we stop blowing each other up isn’t it !

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

+1 for being 6

I can remember everyone coming round for both the launch and landing. The music they use for the launches still gets the heart rate pounding, that and Thunderbirds and original Star Wars.

What I really remember is being so sleepy and finding it hard to stay awake and how long they took to come out. Then the shaky climb down, and the immortal alleged fluffing of lines.

I also remember in the 70's seeing an Apollo command module in Switerland when they had t on loan. I think it was Apollo 8. When I stuck my head in it looked like someone had been to radioshack to get the components. Brave brave men.

When my son was about 6, he asked me did people really go to the moon or is it made up. When I told him we really did, he could not understand why we still were not going.

Adrian

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

I was five and remember being taken next door where an aunt lived to watch it on their TV. Whether we didn't have a TV or it was a family get together I can't remember.

[geoff adamsParticipant @geoffadams14047]

bit older i was twelve remember collecting i think they were esso coins to put into the holder every time Dad came home wheres the coin thinking he filled up every day

Geoff

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Image taken from the BMFA (British Model Flying Association-SMAE (Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers)) of Neil Armstrong with a what looks like a control line model.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

double post removed

 

Edited By Emgee on 16/07/2019 19:50:52

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I was 28 at the time,and with my future wife we listend to the appolo events on her portable radio,while camping in the lake district it rained most days until the Saturday when the sun shone and we had to pack up and drive home to hampshire/surrey. we are still together and never been on holiday again since then. Disappointed the astronauts did not find any green men like Dan Dare did.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Thanks for the link. The launch is awe-inspiring. The things humans can do!

I remember watching the landing with my parents, brothers and sister, dressed in my pyjamas and almost too tired to stay awake. My mother was knitting a strangely misshapen but endearing red doll for my sister. She called it "Moonie". We still have it somewhere.

Resting heart rate today is around 54bpm (used to be 42). Under stress can get into the high 190's. Not been above 186 for a year or two.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember53456]

[This posting has been removed]

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Neil Armstrong's model aircraft looks like a Staggerwing Beech. https://youtu.be/JH5JwC4Oo38?t=8

Not sure if the model is c/l or free flight though.

Most of my "free flight" models when I was a kid converted to "lost flight" shortly after launch…. Nice to watch them sail away smoothly though.

 

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 16/07/2019 20:35:06

[Enough!Participant @enough]

I have 20 years on you youngsters and the moonwalk activity started here (Ontario) lateish in the evening as I recall and activity and coverage (and a beer or two) went on most of the night.

The good thing was that the company I worked for was heavily involved in the NASA space programs having made equipment for Mercury and Gemini and I was working on stuff for later Apollo flights (gamma-ray and mass-spectrometer booms and later on, sounder antennas). So it was kind of expected that we would all be up all night and no-one turned a hair when we "rolled in" next morning/lunchtime. The bosses did the same anyway.

On a later Apollo (14 I think) I managed to get a trip up to the Service Module atop the Saturn-5 on the launch pad which is one for the memory bank for me.

 

Edited By Bandersnatch on 16/07/2019 21:41:25

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

Eclipse of the moon time !

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember32069]

[This posting has been removed]

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

It was the friendly time of about 1 pm here. I took the day off school as I thought it way too important not to watch in comfort. The film The Dish is great and quite charming, however the first 2 plus minutes of the transmission came through Honeysuckle Creek outside Canberra before switching over to the Parks radio telescope. So annoyed at this forgotten contribution was one bloke that he wrote a book called Honeysuckle Creek.

[Blue HeelerParticipant @blueheeler]

I was 6 as well and we watched it live at school.

[John BaguleyParticipant @johnbaguley78655]

I would have been 15 at the time and watched the landing in my bedroom on an old 12" black and white TV that I had repaired. I stopped up all night to watch it as I think it was in the early hours in the UK? I think I scived off school the next day!

John

Edited By John Baguley on 17/07/2019 00:29:01

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well I was almost 16 at the time and can remember watching the landing with my parents and siblings, I think dad came and woke us all up as it was getting on for about 4 in the morning. Dad was and avid follower of the Apollo missions on TV, along with the Sky at Night and Tomorrows World, which I also used to watch.

Regards Nick.

[Perko7Participant @perko7]

I was a bit older, around 14 I think. My step-mum actually worked at the in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Centre during that period and remembers seeing the various components of the Saturn IV and Saturn V rockets passing through, as well as the astronauts and support staff. She was then moved in 1968 to Cape Canaveral and remembers all the staff gathering around in the mission control room to watch various launches of the Saturn V rockets. She left there in June 1969 after getting married so just missed the launch of Apollo 11.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

The launch of Apollo 11 was reckoned [in 1969] to be

'The most photographed 30 Seconds in history'

… That's the title of a memorable article in 'Photography' magazine.

MichaelG.

.

http://museedelapresse.com/archives-de-la-presse/page/15129/

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 17/07/2019 07:07:12

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 16/07/2019 15:10:31:

I was six at teh time of the Apollo 11 mission, but I remember many of the events in that week – and standing on the doorstep staring up at the moon.

I just watched the launch in 'real time' (+50 years) at apolloinrealtime.org/11/

What's your normal heart rate? And what does it go to when you are under stress…?

" This is Apollo Control at 36 minutes. That's the end of the tape. We have a report on the launch heart rates now from the Flight Surgeon. Commander, Neil Armstrong's heart rate 110, Command Module Pilot, Mike Collins 99, Lunar Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin 88. These compare with their first Gemini flights, their first liftoff back in the Gemini program. Armstrong's heart rate was 146 at that time, Collins was 125, Aldrin was 110. "

Apparently when Armstrong was piloting the lander down to the surface his heartbeat reached 160, mission control were worried! This got me thinking, is this bad for you if the elevated rate is caused by stress, as it was piloting the lander (I guess) rather than physical exertion?

I agree with the comments on "The Dish", a wonderful film, I'm hoping one of the TV networks will broadcast it as part of the moon landing celebrations.

John

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by John MC on 17/07/2019 07:59:40:

Apparently when Armstrong was piloting the lander down to the surface his heartbeat reached 160, mission control were worried! This got me thinking, is this bad for you if the elevated rate is caused by stress, as it was piloting the lander (I guess) rather than physical exertion?

.

About that time, John, I was studying 'Ergonomics with Human Biology' and participated in an experiment where 'non-drivers' were monitored whilst driving on a closed road on campus. … Armstrong's rate is consistent with the results, and I suppose the activity is 'proportional'

MichaelG.

[Author]

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