Space Rocket History Archive

Space Rocket History #213 – Apollo 11 – The Launch

On July 16th 1969, nearly a million people crowded the Florida highways, byways, and beaches to watch man’s departure from the earth to walk on the moon. Twenty thousand guests looked on from special vantage points.

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Space Rocket History #212 – Apollo 11 – Prelaunch

In addition to the ordinary taxpayers who gathered on the beaches and roads of eastern Florida, 20,000 VIPs were invited by NASA to watch the lift off from viewing stands near the Vehicle Assembly Building.

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Space Rocket History #211 – Apollo 11 – Mission Training – Part 3 & Contamination

In addition to the fixed-base lunar module simulators in Houston and at the Cape, astronauts also practiced at Langley Research Center on the suspended lunar landing trainer which was equipped with realistic surface views and lighting.

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Space Rocket History #210 – Apollo 11 – Mission Training – Part 2

Steve Bales (Guido) made a new entry to the trajectory and guidance section of the rules book which excluded lunar module computer program alarms 1201 and 1202 from the abort list.

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Space Rocket History #209 – Apollo 11 – Mission Training – Part 1

Crew training for Apollo 11 was already complicated by the need to master the controls of two different and very complex spacecrafts, as well as the space suit, but now the mission took on new dimensions, principally in learning how to set a 14.5-metric-ton lunar module safely down on the moon.

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Space Rocket History #208 – Apollo 11 – Commander Neil Armstrong – Part 3

After his death, Armstrong was described, in a statement released by the White House, as “among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time.”

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Space Rocket History #207 – Apollo 11 – Commander Neil Armstrong – Part 2

Armstrong became more and more excited about the prospects of both the Apollo program and of investigating a new aeronautical environment.

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Space Rocket History #206 – Apollo 11 – Commander Neil Armstrong – Part 1

When Neil was 2 years old his father took him to a flying event called the Cleveland Air Races. This could have been the beginning of Neil’s love for flying.

 

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Space Rocket History #205 – Apollo 11 – Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin – Part 2

Unfortunately Aldrin’s life became difficult shortly after he emerged from quarantine and began months of public appearances.

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Space Rocket History #204 – Apollo 11 – Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin – Part 1

After Buzz graduated from Montclair High School in 1946, he turned down a full scholarship offer from the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and went to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

 

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