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| Photo credit NASA |
10 Things You Might Not Know About the First Moon Landing
Number 10.
The astronauts discovered the Moon has an odor -- and it doesn't smell like green cheese. The smell of Moon dust was described "burnt gunpowder." Oddly enough, once sample were back on Earth and its oxygen rich environmental, the Moon dust had no odor!
Number 9.
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| Photo Credit NASA |
The American Flag didn't cooperative. The lunar surface was harder than expected and the astronauts fought to embed the pole's base deep enough that the flag wouldn't fall over--a scene they wanted to avoid broadcasting on global television! After many long minutes they got the telescoping pole buried enough for the flag to stand upright, and snapped that historic photo of the astronaut's salute. But when the Lunar Module's ascent stage blasted off to carry the astronauts back to the Command Module, Buzz Aldrin observed the blast knocking the flag over.
Number 8.
Why was Neil Armstrong the first to step on the Moon? Both Aldrin and Armstrong enthusiastically lobbied NASA officials for the honor, but the deciding factor was quite simple. The design of the Lunar Module determined the order. Neil Armstrong, as mission commander, was closest to the hatch and had to exit first.
Number 7.
Buzz Aldrin got his nickname because his little sister couldn't properly pronounce "brother," instead calling him "buzzer." The nickname took and the entire family soon was calling him "Buzz." His real name was Edwin Aldrin, Jr., but he legally changed his name to Buzz in 1988.
Number 6.
The maiden name of the mother of Buzz Aldrin was Marion Moon.
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| Photo Credit NASA |
Astronaut Jim Lovell, of Apollo 13 fame, was Neil Armstrong's backup.
Number 4.
The official Apollo 11 patch which was designed by astronaut Michael Collins doesn't bear the astronauts' names, as does every other mission patch. The reason is that NASA wanted the patch to represent everyone who had worked so hard to make the landing a reality and the mission a success.
Number 3.
NASA turned down Buzz Aldrin's initial application to become an astronaut. Not one to give up, he reapplied and was later included among the third group of astronauts to be accepted in 1963. (If at first you don't succeed...)
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| Photo credit NASA |
Astronaut Michael Collins, who remained behind in the Command Module orbiting the Moon, was the first human in history to be totally cut off from Earth and human civilization. During his 22 hours of solitude, he wrote, "I am alone, now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it." His experience inspired a song written by Ian Anderson of the band Jethro Tull for the Benefit album. The title is "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me."
...and the Number 1 thing you may not have known about the Moon landing...
The mission and the lives of the two pioneering astronauts was saved by a...pen? As Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin prepared to return home, they discovered a crucial circuit breaker was broken, leaving them without a way to ignite the engines to launch the ascent vehicle! NASA's mission control tried to work out a solution, but Buzz Aldrin eventually decided to try his own fix. He forced a felt tip pen into the breaker. It worked! And that's why there are not two long-dead astronauts stranded on the surface of the Moon today.
I hope you've enjoyed this Apollo 11 50th Anniversary series.
Have a wonderful week!
Sources:
- http://magazine.foxnews.com/at-home/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-first-moon-landing
- http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/11-strange-facts-you-didnt-know-about-the-first-moon-landing.html
- http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/07/18/10-surprising-secrets-from-apollo-11s-historic-moon-landing/#.V0zcdMv2aUk
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