Stories and photos by Roxie LaFever (unless otherwise indicated)
Apollo 11 Preparing for Launch in 1969
What a year this has been, and one most would not dare to repeat; let us put 2020 in the historical archives and take a look at an event that pulled us all together and made us proud to be Americans.
COVID 19 hit the world and changed lives …. travel ground to a halt, day-to-day freedoms were restricted, and goodbyes left unsaid to lost family and friends. Wearing a face mask and social distancing became the norm. Many jobs were lost; small and large businesses went under, and stimulus funds were delayed.
It’s time to put 2020 in the past and move forward.
Inspiration for 2021 Reflecting On the Past
Instead, let us reflect on how resilient we are as a human race, how strong the United States is as a country, and how our world succeeds when we focus on a solution. Vaccines were developed, tested, and delivered under emergency approvals both here and around the world – at a record pace. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and 2021 will return us to a new normal. Let us remember that when we face challenges together, we all succeed.
The Space Race
My thoughts went back to times where unbelievable challenges were undertaken, and success was achieved in less time than anyone thought possible. One such time was 50+ years ago when the race to get a man on the Moon became our nation’s highest priority. Coming out of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in the late ’50s, the world was caught off guard when the Soviets launched Sputnik 1 in 1957. It was feared that if the Soviets could launch a satellite into space, they could also launch nuclear weapons across continents.
President Eisenhower, wanting to show our military strength, created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), intending to launch a man into Earth’s orbit. But the Soviets beat us again on April 12, 1961, when they put the first person in space, completing Earth’s first orbit. It took the United States another month (May 5, 1961) to launch Alan Shepard as the first American in space.
Later that same year, President Kennedy proposed a new national goal – that “before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.” He reaffirmed this objective in 1962. The goal was achieved with Neil Armstrong’s first step on the lunar surface and the historic voyage of Apollo 11 in 1969, just seven years later.
Since this historical event, it has been fifty-one years as the Smithsonian Institute commemorated last year by projecting images of Apollo 11’s voyage onto the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. The below photos were taken while attending this commemoration.
The Launch and Separation
In 1969, the event was televised in 33 countries, and more than 25 million viewers watched live from the United States. Millions more listened around the world by radio. I remember watching in awe as a small child seeing it on my family’s black and white TV. The day was July 16, 1969. Do you remember where you were?
There were three crew members aboard: Neil Armstrong, the Commander, Michael Collins, the Command Module Pilot, and Buzz Aldrin as the Lunar Module Pilot.
Apollo 11 launched at 9:32 EDT, and less than 3 minutes later, the first stage launch engines would begin shutting down and separate. Less than 10 minutes in flight, the second stage would cut off and separate.
Apollo 11 – just 12 minutes after launch – entered Earth’s orbit at 100.4 nautical miles for one and a half orbits before igniting the remaining engines and heading for the Moon.
Lunar Landing
Approximately 24 hours from launch (July 20 at 9:52 EDT), the Apollo 11 crew began preparations for lunar descent. At 14:44, the Eagle Landing Vehicle separated from the Columbia Command Mobile. They pirouetted the Eagle so that Collins aboard the Columbia could confirm that the landing gear was fully deployed. During the descent, Armstrong and Aldrin realized that they would miss their target landing by a few miles due to being a few seconds off in timing.
Two alarms went off during their descent, but the Mission Control Center confirmed it was still safe to descend.
To land, Armstrong took partial control, allowing the Eagle to land on a clear patch of ground (missing craters) to ease in the collection of geological samples. The Eagle landed at 17:17 EDT on Sunday, July 20, with the famous words “Houston, Tranquility Base here, The Eagle has landed.”
It took six hours and thirty-nine minutes to depressurize the Eagle and prepare for the astronauts to open the outside hatch.
“One Small Step for Man….”
As Commander, Neil Armstrong was the first to step onto the ladder to descend, and while doing so, he displayed a plaque with the inscription: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
Then Armstrong stepped off the Eagle, declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” To this day, I feel my heart swell in memory of those words – his voice so clear in my mind – as I watched.
The astronauts planted the American Flag on the Lunar Surface. President Nixon made “the most historic phone call ever made from the White House” via telephone-radio transmission as they saluted the Flag.
While time on exploring the lunar’s surface was limited, samples were collected, film and readings taken, and scientific instruments were left for later data transmissions.
When readying for liftoff, it was noted that the circuit breaker used to arm the main engine (for launch) had been damaged (an accident, of course). Fortunately, they could use a felt-tip pen to activate the switch, allowing them to return to orbit.
Online with the Smithsonian
Being able to see this 50th commemorative celebration in person was terrific. Crowds of people swarmed the area, expressing their surprise, gasping and cheering at crucial moments. Heart felt applause rang throughout the mall in celebration as the mission was accomplished. Reliving this proud moment brought back great childhood memories and the opportunity to share with the next generation as if it were yesterday.
On your next trip to Washington, DC, please stop by the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum to see these modules up close. For now, play the video of the 50-year celebration on their site link https://airandspace.si.edu/learn/highlighted-topics-/apollo.
High Hopes for 2021
Let us put 2020 behind us now and look forward with strength, hope, and camaraderie towards 2021! Let us learn from the last year and take courage from prior challenges like the Space Race as we move forward to our new normal. This country can achieve anything we set our minds to, whether within our own country, globally, or even in space. May we all pull together over the next few months and set a goal for a brighter future.
