It’s almost like a powder

It’s sometimes left out of the clips you see, but I like what Neil Armstrong says right before he steps on the moon.

… the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It’s almost like a powder.  Down there, it’s very fine.

The question, silently: do you really know where you are at this point in time and space and in reality and in existence?

(not great image quality there but the audio! from one of my favs:

(avail on FilmStruck streaming, possibly Netflix as well)

Fitful sleep on the moon

source. Photographer: Neil Armstrong.

After our heroes walked around for two hours, it was time for a restful nap on the surface of the Moon.

from:

About Deke:

One reason why the moon landing is so compelling is that it was pointless.  Sure, the Cold War blah blah but really we did it just because it was cool.

Like climbing Mount Everest: the point is just to see if we (humans) can.

source

Imagine sleeping in this thing:

source

Where is the capsule now?  Crashed on the moon someplace.

The fate of the LM is not known, but it is assumed that it crashed into the lunar surface sometime within the following 1 to 4 months.

Tranquility Base

photo credit: Neil Armstong

The same society that was doing Vietnam, at the same time, did this.

source

During training, Armstrong and Aldrin had exclusively used the callsign “Eagle” in simulated ground conversations, both before and after landing. Armstrong and Aldrin decided on using “Tranquility Base” just before the flight, telling only Capsule Communicator Charles Duke before the mission, so Duke would not be taken by surprise.

We came in peace for all mankind.

Wild.  America: a land of contrasts.