Video: 40th anniversary of mankind’s longest step; Update: Photos of lunar module on surface
posted at 11:36 am on July 20, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Today we celebrate the anniversary of the day three men — and thousands of men and women behind them — changed the trajectory of the human journey with a single step onto the Moon. Forty years ago today, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took mankind’s first steps on land other than Earth, while Michael Collins stood vigil in the command module in lunar orbit. Most of us grew up in a world where man had already walked on the Moon, but hopefully we will never forget the wonder of this moment, nor the hard work and sacrifice of the many people in the American space program who stood on the shoulders of both explorers and engineers to succeed:
This video features the restored video released last week by NASA. To see more of it, please visit NASA’s website.
Update: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took pictures of five of the six Apollo landing sites over the last few weeks. Here’s Apollo XIV’s landing site (via Instapundit):
PopSci also has one of Apollo XI’s lunar module, too. Click the link to see it.
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may the 50th or 60th anniversary not pass without another achievement worthy of similar celebration …
/and i don’t mean nasa has to be the one to do it!
Buckaroo on July 20, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Buzz Aldrin has been directly involved in two of the greatest American moments.
1. 1rst team to land on the moon.
2.Sluggng Bart Sibrel.
aquaviva on July 20, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Ain’t America grand!
We aren’t through with his story. American guts, I mean.
Limerick on July 20, 2009 at 11:42 AM
For those of you that think the footage was faked.
tommylotto on July 20, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Its fake. Its fake.
faraway on July 20, 2009 at 11:42 AM
I find it amazing that we went from Kitty Hawk to the moon in 66 years. In the 40 years since we have…ummmm…mmmmm…still thinking.
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM
In the 40 years since we have…ummmm…mmmmm…
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Moonbats, everywhere!
Limerick on July 20, 2009 at 11:44 AM
We have AllahPundit!
faraway on July 20, 2009 at 11:44 AM
BREAKING: EPA DECLARES MOON SUPER FUND SITE
EPA considering levying fines against NASA. EPA has determined NASA did not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for any of the Moon landings. Video evidence clearly shows litter and toxic waste left on Moon.
PORKULUS Funds to be re-directed for Moon clean-up.
BobMbx on July 20, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Gogurt.
Joe Caps on July 20, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I stil get chills watching clips of that as I did as a five year old watching it live.
Ain’t America Grand!
Zorg on July 20, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Meanwhile Ogabe works to make America resemble the moon, complete with craters.
Bishop on July 20, 2009 at 11:47 AM
I remember 40 years ago. We ended up with moon rocks…. Meh.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Greatest achievement in the history of mankind.
Too bad we have taken our eyes off the stars. In a few years we will have to bum rides to space off the Chinese or the Russians.
redshirt on July 20, 2009 at 11:48 AM
But we all know that we never really did land on the moon?/sarc
shick on July 20, 2009 at 11:48 AM
This video makes me sad. It only brings up memories of how great this country used to be.
Knucklehead on July 20, 2009 at 11:48 AM
“WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM”
well, sending probes into orbit and/or flyby to every planet in the solar system, having probes actually leave the system to parts unknown, crashing into a comet and photographing the effect, annnd wringing years of “extra” life out of the Hubble and the mars rovers is not nothing, just not a lot in the area of MANNED spaceflight …
Buckaroo on July 20, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Anniversary of the greatest conspiracy to fool America./sarc
shick on July 20, 2009 at 11:49 AM
and Dippin Dots. Don’t know how I forgot that.
I hate an expansive federal government, but, damn, do I want see the Constellation project succeed and see some moon walking in HD!!!
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Half of me was in my mother’s ovary. The other half wasn’t even swimming around in my father’s testes yet.
Where were you?
Abby Adams on July 20, 2009 at 11:53 AM
That’s a good list, but the manned stuffed seems more studly. It seems more inline with great history like Columbus & Magellan (not the satelite, the captain). This is what man does explores and pushes the boundaries.
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:54 AM
I have been wondering the past couple of years when Dippin Dots will cease being the “Ice Cream of the Future.” That slogan has to have some type of expiration date.
Joe Caps on July 20, 2009 at 11:54 AM
“Abby Adams on July 20, 2009 at 11:53 AM”
similar situation to yours [!]
Buckaroo on July 20, 2009 at 11:54 AM
This is the 40th anniversary of the first human footstep on another celestial body. so how does Google note this momentous occasion?
Like they have often done with any really great achievement of (or through the aid of) the United States of America.
As of 8:50 AM PDT – nada.
*spit*
least1 on July 20, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Ditto on Apollo 11. Sh*ting in my pants by Apollo 17.
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Too bad they won’t give us a report of what they see further in space and beyond once these three men depart Earth for the last time.
newton on July 20, 2009 at 11:55 AM
“WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:54 AM”
then man needs to go the Richard branson route and fly into orbit on our own dime, not the govts. …
/jus’ sayin’ …
Buckaroo on July 20, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Dang!!!!
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,357,400 FOR ‘REPAIR OF DIPPIN DOTS MACHINE’…
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Man went from the Wright Brothers 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in a 61-year time span!
SCOOPTHIScarlos on July 20, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I was hitting on your mother.
(Jus’kiddin’)
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Is there a telescope strong enough to see the U.S. Flag on the moon?
RedSoxNation on July 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM
July 1969
Ford Mustang 429 Cobra Jet, Plymouth Roadrunner or Dodge Charger 426 Hemi, Camaro SS or Firebird Trans Am GM Big Block V8s
July 2009
Toyota Prius,rubber band engine,
And We’re Broke!
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I remember watching the EVA on our b&w vacuum tube TV when I was 5. It was amazing!
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:03 PM
July 1969
John Wayne
July 2009
Sasha Baron Cohen
My God I Think I’m Going To Be Sick.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:05 PM
But Michelle Obama was only proud of her country when her hubby ran for President.
But don’t question their patriotism.
Yakko77 on July 20, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Hubble could do it, just need to move it to lunar orbit ;-)
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Trivia question: where is the Apollo 13 command module, of the most successful space failure and rescue in history, currently located?
michaelo on July 20, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Again, for the sake of catharsis, Buzz Aldrin clocking a troofer.
spmat on July 20, 2009 at 12:07 PM
July 1969
Richard Nixon American President, Patriot, Crook.
July 2009
Barrack Obama American President, Communist Traitor, Crook.
My God I Think I’m Going To Be Sick.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:08 PM
And where would MTV have been without that footage?!!
Special K on July 20, 2009 at 12:09 PM
How exactly did these space walks “change the trajectory of the human journey?” Sure, we got velcro and some other neat stuff that grew out of the space program but in what fundamental way did walking on the moon change “the human journey.” The only really exciting thing coming out of NASA these days is those unmanned rovers they’ve sent to Mars.
highhopes on July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Another reason why I hate Ted Kennedy. I was a kid and really looking forward to this. I was at my friend’s house in the basement watching it on a little B&W television. We kept getting bits and pieces of news about Teddy’s midnight swim and the thought made me sick to my stomach. 40 years later, I still can’t separate the two.
Christmas Eve, Apollo 8 looking down on earth and the astronauts reading Genesis was much more meaningful to me.
Hey! I just learned that Buzz Aldrin took communion after landing on the moon. Did I just hear AP’s sphincter tighten?
Blake on July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I raise a glass the men and the mission today.
rickyricardo on July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
July 1969
Beatles, Stones, Dead, Etc., Etc., Etc.
July 2009
Nothing
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I raise a glass to the men and the mission today.
rickyricardo on July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
How many know that the Freemason’s Scottish Rite flag was planted on the moon BEFORE the American flag?
The trusted media didn’t tell you?
It’s on display at the Mason’s DC hq.
ex-Democrat on July 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Remember when MTV played music?
highhopes on July 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutchinson, Kansas
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM
If you’re not in awe of the Hubble space telescope or the Voyager missions, you’re not paying attention.
rickyricardo on July 20, 2009 at 12:12 PM
It showed mankind’s ingenuity and ability to overcome obstacles. Kinda like Columbus.
And it proved it ain’t made outta cheese!
Special K on July 20, 2009 at 12:12 PM
July 1969
Saw future wife in high school, before I dated her, looked like a 9+ to 10
July 2009
After 36 years of marriage,eyesight worse, still looks like a 9.5-10 to me
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Al Gore got a cool picture of Earth from far away to claim that we live on a fragile planet.
WashJeff on July 20, 2009 at 12:12 PM
July 18, 1969; Teddy Kennedy proved that with the right last name one can indeed get away with murder.
highhopes on July 20, 2009 at 12:13 PM
In a trailer, at Fort Eustis, VA. Same place the CM for Apollo 1 is.
BobMbx on July 20, 2009 at 12:14 PM
July 1969 Billions wasted on moon rocks
July 2009 Trillions wasted and we don’t even get the rocks.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Aaaaawwwwwww!!!
Special K on July 20, 2009 at 12:15 PM
J
Exactly…..and Obama proved with the right skin color you can get away with tyranny.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Yes, and it used to be Rock N’ Roll too. They also played the entire video and this was before all that rap crap infested the airwaves.
Yakko77 on July 20, 2009 at 12:16 PM
LOL..that’s Gore’s second favorite older picture. His first is the cat dangling from the clothes line and the caption, “Hang In There”
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:19 PM
He is not a Communist Traitor and it’s pretty hurtful of you to state that he is a traitor to the communist cause. Take it back or I will tell my dad and he will go beat up your dad.
jmarcure on July 20, 2009 at 12:19 PM
thomasaur on July 20, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Yes, and you could it in stereo if you hooked your cable box to your FM receiver!
For the Record, Martha Q. is still hot.
BobMbx on July 20, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Don’t overlook the small details ;-)
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:20 PM
True enough but that’s a technological and engineering feat. I don’t see how it “changed the trajectory” of the human journey.
I’m partially playing devil’s advocate here. Whenever it comes to this stuff there is always an over-inflated vocabulary with terms like “changed the trajectory of the human journey” that doesn’t come close to living up to the reality of the situation. Landing on the moon was a technological accomplishment, added prestige to the US in the midst of the cold war, and did provide some level of new knowledge about the universe (debunking the cheese myth notwithstanding). I was four at the time and my parents made sure we watched this “historic moment” but I cannot say that I feel the “trajectory” of the human journey over the last 40 years has changed one bit because of Apollo 11, the space shuttle, or the international space station. In fact, the latter two programs seem to be an utter waste of money and manpower.
highhopes on July 20, 2009 at 12:21 PM
She’s looking over your shoulder isn’t she?
thomasaur on July 20, 2009 at 12:22 PM
LOL…that’s OK, she’s more blind than I am and can’t read the screen.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:23 PM
C’mon, man. NASA got some rocks, and we got Tang!
BobMbx on July 20, 2009 at 12:23 PM
LOrd, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me back to July 1969 NOW!
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Perception (or poor eyesight) is reality . . .
Special K on July 20, 2009 at 12:25 PM
I wouldn’t be too surprised to learn she’s been encased in a solid block of ice in your basement since ’74 ;-)
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:26 PM
No it couldn’t. Hubble is designed for seeing things that are very very far away, it cant focus on this that are relatively close.
doriangrey on July 20, 2009 at 12:27 PM
LOL…Now that you mention it, she has been kind of quiet.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Not fatter? Boy you got away good. I tell my wife that when I look at her I still see that 5’8″ 115lb beauty with the long hair and 22inch waist I meet over 30 years ago. She says all she sees is a skinny old lady at which time I remind her that my eyesight has gotten a lot worse.
Anyway I remember sitting up late watching the landing live on a snowy black and white TV. It will always be something I will remember.
jmarcure on July 20, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Let me get this straight. You’re suggesting that Tang changed the trajectory of the human journey????
highhopes on July 20, 2009 at 12:28 PM
As I remember, once open the Tang developed chunks as hard as rocks.
jmarcure on July 20, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Trillions for a TIME MACHINE to take me back to 1969, but not one dine for Cap & Trade, Obama Care, etc.
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:29 PM
dine=dime
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Tang?…Enough about my wife
(Jus’ kiddin’)
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:30 PM
What’s the minimum distance for focus? I doubt focus would be a problem from lunar orbit, though tracking the target probably would be.
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Hmmm, I remember watching it in class in I believe the second grade or maybe the third??? 1969 would appear to have been a long time ago… :O
doriangrey on July 20, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Sounds like me after I hit 40!
Special K on July 20, 2009 at 12:32 PM
LOL
Jeff from WI on July 20, 2009 at 12:32 PM
The best part–all done with pencils, paper and slide rulers for the most part!
patrick neid on July 20, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Hubble has a 2.4 meter aperture (mirror) which gives it a 70 meter resolution. If it were in orbit around the moon looking straight down it couldn’t focus on anything specific that was smaller then 70 meters.
doriangrey on July 20, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Good question! I don’t know. I remember the fear and tension of those days while we waited to see if they would make it back. The alternative was horrible to contemplate.
Is it the Apollo 11 capsule in the Smithsonian? When I saw it a few years ago, I was dismayed at how small the darned thing is inside.
ProfessorMiao on July 20, 2009 at 12:40 PM
LOL! Go Buzz! Man, did that a$$hat ever deserve it.
ProfessorMiao on July 20, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Hmm… I always though resolution increased with primary aperture (R = λ/D). Is that not the case? Or am I overlooking something?
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Of course there is. You can buy a telescope for home use that’ll find the lunar module.
lorien1973 on July 20, 2009 at 12:45 PM
SMALL…. He11 I have shoe boxes that have more space in them than that thing did.
doriangrey on July 20, 2009 at 12:46 PM
I was 9 years old and playing in front of the house in SOCAL. Dad came outside, brought me in, and we watched it together. What a memory! Thanks, Dad!!
Khun Joe on July 20, 2009 at 12:48 PM
The original “crack”.
BobMbx on July 20, 2009 at 12:48 PM
thomasaur on July 20, 2009 at 12:49 PM
1969 Elvis was alive
2009 Elvis is dead
faraway on July 20, 2009 at 12:50 PM
It can be seen with binoculars or even the naked eye, if you’re standing in the right place at the right time.
DarkCurrent on July 20, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Does anyone know if any museum has a lunar landing module (obviously unused!)? Those are probably even tinier since they were intended for only two men.
ProfessorMiao on July 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM
This guy explains it better than I can. (I stayed home today with a migraine so being really cognisant isn’t going to be good for me today)
doriangrey on July 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM
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