Discussing the Apollo 11 Moon-landing in 1969
INTRODUCTION
Neil Armstrong once said, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” (qtd in National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1). There are many events throughout history, both positive and negative, that are remarked as significant and most impactful, which has changed the perspectives on humanity and what they are capable of. The 1969 mission and moon-landing of the manned Apollo 11 shuttle is one of these events. People all across the county and around the world were in awe of the idea that human beings could leave this planet and visit another celestial body so very far away. However, despite the wonder of the original moon-landing, after this voyage few others have been made, the space programs necessity has been questioned, and some modern conspiracy theorists still argue that the whole mission was faked, filmed to mislead the public and the world. That said discussing the trip and understanding its effects and controversies is worthwhile.
BACKGROUND
In the 1960s the Cold War, the race between two super powers, Russia and the United States, battled to hold a technological, military and governmental advantage. Part of this rivalry extended to the space race. This was an era where the space programs were working frantically to be able to put a man in space, which Russia accomplished. However, it was the United States intentions was to put human being on the moon before the end of the decade, per President John F, Kennedy’s famous declaration in 1961 (Weaver 1). In 1969 the United States was prepared to make that voyage; they had finished preparing the Apollo 11 shuttle, they had chosen a location on the moon’s surface, and three brave astronauts were chosen and trained for his first time and historical mission. Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins were loaded into the Apollo 11 and waited atop the Saturn V Launch Complex at Kennedy Space Center waiting for the rocket to expend its 7.5 million pounds of thrust and launch them into space. Just after 9:30 am, on July 16, the Apollo 11 was launched and 12 minutes later the three men were successfully and safely in Earth’s orbit. In a little more than 3 days the Apollo 11 had reached the moon’s orbit (National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1).
DISCUSSION
Despite all of the dedicated work and contributions of gifted scientists, engineers and programmers, the Apollo 11 mission still did not “go off” without complications. Despite a number of communications black-outs that panicked NASA, the astronauts remained on course. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong boarded, the Eagle, the name of the lunar module, while Collins flew the shuttle in orbit, and began the descent to the moon’s surface. As the two men were landing the computers began to wildly alert, however, it proved to be a minor computer glitch that was quickly overcome (Minard 1). However, the astronauts became concerned that they were going to touch down a distance from their original target, which was concerning due to the spindly legged Eagle, which may not land well if the ground was not even. Fortunately, the site, near the lunar “Sea of Tranquility” was plenty smooth (Weaver 1) Shortly after this arrival, a message was sent, and Neil Armstrong placed the first human foot on lunar soil and spoke the now famous quote (National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1).
The feat of putting human beings on the moon dominated the media, bringing in approximately 850 foreign journalists, hailing from at least 55 different nations, in easily 33 different languages. They crowded in, along with American press, at Cape Kennedy in Houston. Human beings had not only flown, they had left the planet, and set foot on soil on the moon, where there is less gravity and no breathable air, but the American space program did it anyway. This created a mentality of pride and optimism among Americans from sea to shining sea (Weaver 1). What was once science fiction was now science fact, and what other impossible endeavors we will accomplish next? It is the success of the American space program that validated the value of a space program and the potential to explore space far and wide (Launius 163). Had the Apollo 11 mission had failed to launch, had been lost in space, or had failed to achieve the necessary landing then the American outlook on the space program would have been very different and the program might have simply faded into history. The continuing exploration of space, for example the current missions to Mars, and the information that the Mars Rover sends back to Earth, would likely never have happened.
Seeing a human being leave the atmosphere and safety of the planet and gong to another planetary body would have seemed impossible the decade before (Deresiewicz 1).The impact, however, that it had with its success, fueled the fire of future space travel and multiple missions to the moon, and other fantastical implications. This passion and fire continued through the 1970s and through the Reagan Administration space exploration and construction of satellites was heavily supported. While many Americans supported the space program in its earliest origins highlighted by the Apollo 11 moon-landing in 1969, however there have always been some naysayers. Those individuals that do not support space exploration and are not keen on the discoveries in general because it defies the teachings of the Christian Bible, which claims that the universe and the Earth is only a few millennia old. Space travel, scientific endeavors, and discoveries threaten those beliefs. However, it was not until the 1990s that a genuine conspiracy theory was brought into the light. There are many Americans and researchers across the globe that firmly believe that the Apollo 11 mission, its photographs, and samples returned to Earth were all fake (Griggs 1). These conspiracy theorists believe that the moon-landing was filmed on a private sound-stage and employing special effects available created the entire mission. The astronauts never let this planet. For more than a decade the United States was competing with Russia to build the first successful manned rockets, to establish a man on the moon, and to do something that before only could be conceived in science fiction (Deresiewicz 1). That said if the United States realized that they were not going to beat the Russians, then they may have developed this fake in order to accomplish the goal. Too many in the opposition believe that this was more than enough incentive (Griggs 1). After all, the cost of a false production would be far less costly than actual space travel. However, there is not a lot of proof available to support this unconventional theory and most Americans remain confident that the mission did occur.
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CONCLUSION
In the end, the Apollo 11 lunar landing, whether you believe in the mission or believe it is an example of a governmental fraud, its legacy had a genuine impact on the American people, the United States, and the whole of the world. These three men and those famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong changed the way humanity saw their existence. Space was no longer this overwhelming, unattainable thing, but a real place that can be reached, touched and explored by humanity. The Apollo 11 landing did change the way man perceived space and its program, and it represented a huge milestone in the human story.
WORK CITED
Deresiewicz, William. "Apollo's speed." American Scholar. (2011): 1. Print. <http://theamericanscholar.org/apollo’s-creed/>.
Griggs, Brandon. "Could moon landings have been faked? Some still think so." CNN News. 17 Jul 2009: n. page. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/07/17/moon.landing.hoax/index.html?_s=PM:TECH>.
Launius, Roger D. "Public opinion polls and perceptions of US human spaceflight." Space Policy. 19. (2003): 163-175. Print.
Minard, Anna. "Apollo 11: 5 Little-Known Facts About the Moon Landing." National Geographic. 21 Jul 2009: 1. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/090721-apollo-11-moonlanding-facts.html>.
Weaver, Kenneth F. "The Flight of Apollo 11." National Geographic. 1969: 1. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/1969/12/moon-landing/apollo-flight-text>.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, . "July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 24 Nov 2014. <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html
