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Day 194: One small step for [a] man…

Forty years ago today Mankind reached the height of civilization on this planet: We left it.  Man walked on the Moon.  A few more missions, then a program cut short because the dollars needed to be saved were “needed” elsewhere, the “end” of the Space Race…

The whole planet had been brought together for one momentous moment.  It was not just an American moment.  It belonged to the World.  Then it was over.

Nothing man has done since, NOTHING, has come close to equaling that one impossible , age old dream.

Money saved spent better elsewhere?  Look around.  Do you see anything not touched by the space program and the race to the Moon?  There isn’t much…cars, kitchen appliances, cell phones, the food we eat, satellite TV and Radio, the material things are made of and how they are made, the medicines we use…even that you are able to read this.  Computers were suppose to be as big as a house, and who would want one in their home anyway?  And what did all the money saved spent elsewhere create?

Bless the three men, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Mike Collins, and all those men and women who made it possible, for one tiny moment, to be one people on this planet.

Damn those who were too petty and small minded to keep the dream alive.  (Good thing I am not bitter!)

It was “One small step for [a] man…” but Mankind’s giant leap ended up on it’s nose.

There are links to Apollo 11 history at the end of this post, or you can Google “Apollo 11” like I did!  And the last one is on the cameras and photography they did while up there.  NASA is also restoring all of the TV footage to a higher quality.  Somebody seems to have tried to save some money and recorded over the original high quality video…<<sigh>>  (Click to Enlarge, Back to return!)

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Neil Armstrong stepping down from the Lunar Module.

The first footprint on the Moon!

Buzz Aldrin stepping down from the Lunar Module.

The US Flag unfurled (on a wavy rod so it looks like it was flapping in the wind; I don’t know, some people have strange thoughts on what looks good…even if it isn’t logical)!

Working on the Moon.

One of the few photos of Neil Armstrong: he was apparently a camera hog!  Almost all the photos you see are of Buzz Aldrin.  Here you can make out Neil in the reflection of the helmet visor.

The plaque left for future visitors to the Moon, that we were one, for a short while, anyway.

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NASA Apollo 11 30th Anniversary
http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/introduction.htm

Apollo 11 Mission
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/

The History Place – Apollo 11
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11/index.html

Apollo 11
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo11info.html

Apollo 11 Moon Landing: A YouTube Timeline
http://mashable.com/2009/07/19/apollo-11-moon-mission/

Captured Photo Collection » 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing Photos
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/07/17/40th-anniversary-of-apollo-11-moon-landing/

Apollo 11 – Google Search
http://www.google.com/search?q=Apollo+11&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=5×4&tbs=tl:1&tbo=1&ei=tOljSr5Ok-C2A_WCkWc&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=20

Apollo 11 – Google Videos
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Apollo+11&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=tOljSr5Ok-C2A_WCkWc&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=21#

Apollo 11 – 30th Anniversary
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_11_30th.html

HOW TO: Experience the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Realtime
http://mashable.com/2009/07/12/apollo-11-moon-landing/

***Mission Photography***
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/photography/

~Curtis in /\/\onTana! {!-{>

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