1 Question for a Moonwalker
Discussion
Why go the moon or even why human spaceflight?
It's not because I want an answer or justification but rather that I fail to hear a truly cohesive strategy/reason or even soundbite for the general public.
FWIW I couldn't be a bigger space geek ( I follow mission checklists while watching NASA TV) but wish more people were onboard.
The old reason of supremacy whether purely technological or over the Red Menace (whether Russia or China) doesn't seem to cut it any more.
It's next works well enough for me but but is only the first part of the answer.
I don't know quite what I want; I think it's Kennedys address at Rice in 61 (...but because it is hard) to today's generation.
It's not because I want an answer or justification but rather that I fail to hear a truly cohesive strategy/reason or even soundbite for the general public.
FWIW I couldn't be a bigger space geek ( I follow mission checklists while watching NASA TV) but wish more people were onboard.
The old reason of supremacy whether purely technological or over the Red Menace (whether Russia or China) doesn't seem to cut it any more.
It's next works well enough for me but but is only the first part of the answer.
I don't know quite what I want; I think it's Kennedys address at Rice in 61 (...but because it is hard) to today's generation.
Caruso said:
If you had the opportunity to meet someone who had walked on the moon, and ask them one question, what would it be?
Why do you ask this? are you goin go to meet a moon walker at one of the various signing events they hold throughout the year?I find this an interesting topic as i have met many apollo and shuttle astonauts over the last couple of years with work.
I find if you want to strike up a proper conversation with them talk about their test pilot days or NASA training as most of them are bored of saying the same stories to people who don't understand half of what they are saying.
Hope you get some good replys to this topic.
El Diablo said:
Why do you ask this? are you goin go to meet a moon walker at one of the various signing events they hold throughout the year?
I find this an interesting topic as i have met many apollo and shuttle astonauts over the last couple of years with work.
I find if you want to strike up a proper conversation with them talk about their test pilot days or NASA training as most of them are bored of saying the same stories to people who don't understand half of what they are saying.
Hope you get some good replys to this topic.
I am meeting Charlie Duke in September. Thanks for the tip!I find this an interesting topic as i have met many apollo and shuttle astonauts over the last couple of years with work.
I find if you want to strike up a proper conversation with them talk about their test pilot days or NASA training as most of them are bored of saying the same stories to people who don't understand half of what they are saying.
Hope you get some good replys to this topic.
bobthemonkey said:
Why go the moon or even why human spaceflight?
Same reason Columbus went to America, Amundsen went to the pole and Hilary went to Everest. If we weren't explorers we'd still be living in trees in the Rift Valley.But as you say, there's no political will, and back in the 1960s no-one said 'Ooh, what about the starving Africans?' or 'Ooh, think of the carbon footprint'. In our media-sodden introverted and fearful internet society, we're all too busy thumping our keyboard actually to DO anything.
Simpo Two said:
bobthemonkey said:
Why go the moon or even why human spaceflight?
Same reason Columbus went to America, Amundsen went to the pole and Hilary went to Everest. If we weren't explorers we'd still be living in trees in the Rift Valley.But as you say, there's no political will, and back in the 1960s no-one said 'Ooh, what about the starving Africans?' or 'Ooh, think of the carbon footprint'. In our media-sodden introverted and fearful internet society, we're all too busy thumping our keyboard actually to DO anything.
One if the best modern explanations talked of an artist who was included on one if yeh voyager golden records. He died penniless alone in the ruins of his burnt down house but his music just left the solar system.
The test pilot questions will be good. Gordon Fullerton used to tell some great stories about flying balls 8. The NASA guys I'd really want to sit down with over a bottle of scotch and maybe some Sodium thiopental are/were George Abbey and Deke Slayton.
I'd love to have a chat with Charlie Duke. About 30 years aho he became a fundamentalist Baptist Christian and has been quoted as saying he believes that the moon is 6,000 years old. I'm not sure if he still holds that view but I'd definitely like to discuss the issue with him.
I'm sure he would be mightilly bored with the question he must have been asked umpty-billion times i.e. "What was it like to walk on the moon".
I'd be more inclined to ask him about the current state of US Manned Spaceflight i.e. what does he think of the current situation where it is likely that the US is going to lose its manned launcher capability for the first time in almost half a century.
Duke is a very open and affable chap (from all the interviews I've seen him do) and will be very polite and answer whatever you ask him.
I'm sure he would be mightilly bored with the question he must have been asked umpty-billion times i.e. "What was it like to walk on the moon".
I'd be more inclined to ask him about the current state of US Manned Spaceflight i.e. what does he think of the current situation where it is likely that the US is going to lose its manned launcher capability for the first time in almost half a century.
Duke is a very open and affable chap (from all the interviews I've seen him do) and will be very polite and answer whatever you ask him.
Eric Mc said:
I'd love to have a chat with Charlie Duke. About 30 years aho he became a fundamentalist Baptist Christian and has been quoted as saying he believes that the moon is 6,000 years old. I'm not sure if he still holds that view but I'd definitely like to discuss the issue with him.
I'm sure he would be mightilly bored with the question he must have been asked umpty-billion times i.e. "What was it like to walk on the moon".
I'd be more inclined to ask him about the current state of US Manned Spaceflight i.e. what does he think of the current situation where it is likely that the US is going to lose its manned launcher capability for the first time in almost half a century.
Duke is a very open and affable chap (from all the interviews I've seen him do) and will be very polite and answer whatever you ask him.
Eric, this may interest you. I'm sure he would be mightilly bored with the question he must have been asked umpty-billion times i.e. "What was it like to walk on the moon".
I'd be more inclined to ask him about the current state of US Manned Spaceflight i.e. what does he think of the current situation where it is likely that the US is going to lose its manned launcher capability for the first time in almost half a century.
Duke is a very open and affable chap (from all the interviews I've seen him do) and will be very polite and answer whatever you ask him.
http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/CONSTELLATION/CARPE...
bobthemonkey said:
This is the "it's next" reasoning. I buy it in it's entirity but as you say it isn't enough anymore. Space can't just be inspirational or educational; it needs a distinct goal.
Agreed, and ever since Apollo stopped, NASA hasn't had a goal. It can't even get to and from Earth orbit reliably.Maybe one reason why 'yoof' is happy not to believe the moon landings ever happended is that to them it must all seem like an impossible fairytale. We can't even make car brakes work - how could we possibly have got men to the moon a generation before they were born?
If I was ever lucky enough to meet Neil Armstrong I'd be more interested in his time in the X-15 a rocket plane "with the sort of perfomance that any self respecting fighter jock would give his left nut for" to quote Milton O Thompson.
While the Apollo missions brought back moon rock the X-15 gave us the Baltic!
1 shot of vodka
1 shot of gin
Tonic water
Twist of lime
Mix well and drink
After a few of them you can understand the crash sequence at the beginning of the Six Million Dollar Man just that little bit better
While the Apollo missions brought back moon rock the X-15 gave us the Baltic!
1 shot of vodka
1 shot of gin
Tonic water
Twist of lime
Mix well and drink
After a few of them you can understand the crash sequence at the beginning of the Six Million Dollar Man just that little bit better
Well, a complete fail I'm afraid. I had a decent chat with him, but we ended up talking about how bad the traffic was in Glasgow!
Still he did a great after dinner speech and I got him to sign the book I bought from the Geological Museum when I was a youngster on the page for Apollo 16.
Still he did a great after dinner speech and I got him to sign the book I bought from the Geological Museum when I was a youngster on the page for Apollo 16.
Caruso said:
Well, a complete fail I'm afraid. I had a decent chat with him, but we ended up talking about how bad the traffic was in Glasgow!
Still he did a great after dinner speech and I got him to sign the book I bought from the Geological Museum when I was a youngster on the page for Apollo 16.
In a way it's great that they are happier chatting about such mundane matters. To them, their Apollo days are so long ago and they have had so much "life" since then, they are more interestedc in what they are doing now than what they did a lifetime ago.Still he did a great after dinner speech and I got him to sign the book I bought from the Geological Museum when I was a youngster on the page for Apollo 16.
All the decent and original questions have already been asked;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTKedyQQkZQ&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTKedyQQkZQ&fea...
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