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Posted by: dvandorn Aug 25 2012, 07:42 PM

Godspeed, Neil Alden Armstrong.

-the other Doug

Posted by: MahFL Aug 25 2012, 07:51 PM

R.I.P the guy I sat up late into the night to watch walk on the Moon when I was 6 years old.

Posted by: Paolo Aug 25 2012, 08:02 PM

http://neilarmstronginfo.com/statement/

we are clouded out here in Toulouse

Posted by: climber Aug 25 2012, 08:09 PM

I can see the Moon from here, half sad, half smiling since Neil's first steps. You changed my life Sir. R.I.Tranquility

Posted by: nprev Aug 25 2012, 08:16 PM

In the distant future I have no doubt there will be a great many other first steps on many, many other worlds...but there will always be only one first "first" step for humanity.

Prof. Armstrong may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

Posted by: Paolo Aug 25 2012, 08:24 PM

there she is the Moon!
is it my impression or is it more or less the same phase of that July 1969 night?

Posted by: mcaplinger Aug 25 2012, 08:29 PM

20 JULY 1969 by W.W. Cooper

They made it, we all made it, just a bit
like Vikings leaving runes and little more.
taking the lesser light where God placed it
to show ourselves just what a heaven's for.
They loped like diving-suited kangaroos
over that sterile world of one night stands,
driving moon bugs and golf balls to amuse
the children, while the stars slipped through our hands.
They're gone now to their shrinks and shrunken space.
The praise is theirs; it's ours to wonder why
the world's still flat and dreams are out of grace.
So I, believing less each summer, pry
open that lost last year to see the bright
earth jewel smooth and blue in velvet night.

Posted by: climber Aug 25 2012, 08:42 PM

That's my feeling too Paolo.

Posted by: dvandorn Aug 25 2012, 08:43 PM

The Moon was in the same phase as 43 years ago on 7/20 about three days ago, so yeah, she's really close to the same.

-the other Doug

Posted by: nprev Aug 25 2012, 10:16 PM

For anyone who's interested, TPS is soliciting memories & tributes http://www.planetary.org/connect/share-your-story/events/20120825-armstrong/.

Posted by: Astro0 Aug 25 2012, 10:36 PM

Thank you Mr Armstrong. You changed my life here on Earth.

Let's take his passing as an opportunity to redouble our efforts and honor his legacy by inspiring the next generation to follow in his footsteps and head for the stars.

Posted by: Ant103 Aug 25 2012, 10:46 PM

Gibbous Moon tonight…

Posted by: djellison Aug 26 2012, 05:24 AM

It feels just a little further away tonight. God speed, hero.

Posted by: SFJCody Aug 26 2012, 06:35 AM

I have to turn my head to see it the 'proper' way up down here. Strange thing is I've found myself talking about the Moon and the Apollo program more than usual these past two days.

Posted by: nprev Aug 26 2012, 07:11 AM

Haven't done this for a long time...


Booted foot crunches into alien, vacuum soil
Ancient gray plain, as far as the eye can see
He made it
Despite technology's failures, he soared above the boulders
that would have spelled the end to the first step, to all of them
But his boots are on the ground.

Do the job, do the job
Do it right
Go home, he thinks

He does not think of the history
or that he will live forever
He does it right.

He has to look in a mirror and still see himself, after all.

Time to go home; the mission's done.
The ascent engine may or may not work, no matter
he and Buzz will MAKE it work somehow

Time to go home
but in his heart, he knew
that a new home for Man was just opened
and he was just the first of us to enter the door...

Posted by: Tesheiner Aug 26 2012, 07:43 AM

R.I.P. Neil Armstrong.
We were fortunate to see you make History on Jul 69.

For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

Posted by: Astro0 Aug 26 2012, 07:58 AM

In August 2011, Neil Armstrong came downunder to speak at an event by the Certified Practising Accountants of Australia.

During his visit, he sat down for an amazing interview series.
Probably one of the defintive interviews of his career.
http://thebottomline.cpaaustralia.com.au/

Remember 'Wink at the Moon'

Posted by: nprev Aug 26 2012, 08:08 AM

I've winked at the Moon several times this evening. It helps to dissapate the tears...though not all of those are sad.

Many are for a life well-lived, for an example of modesty & ability well worth emulating.

We were pretty damn lucky to have him, in so many ways.

Posted by: Keatah Aug 26 2012, 10:36 AM

I went to a concert today and one of the guests attending with us asked me why I kept looking at the sky. I had no particular reason to do so, just doing it for no reason. Then tonight I read the message boards.. When I met the guy years and years ago on technical assignment I always thought we'd live forever, and thought nothing more about it for years until now.

Posted by: Mr Valiant Aug 26 2012, 01:15 PM

Friends, I am an observer. I've posted little, but marvelled much at the great work that has been done on this forum.
And why am I here? My age alone should be a clue. I am 49.
Just like Astro0, I'm here in the antipodes, though when 'we' landed on the Moon, I was a child in England. To this day, I
thank my father for getting me out of bed to wittness the landing. When Buzz spoke those words, 'Picking up some dust',
the very few that we mere mortals could understand out of the electric mayhem, I remember my father (edge of the seat)
saying, 'They're getting close'.
I read the news on the internet this morning, I had to speak to someone. I rang home and spoke to my Mum.
"They aren't supposed to grow old", is what I said.
These people, all these people, were my Super Heroes.
God speed, Neil Armstrong.

Posted by: Oersted Aug 26 2012, 02:59 PM

We still need an official name for Mount Sharp. I'm thinking that naming it after Neil Armstrong might be a good idea?

The Apollo 11 crew gave their thoughts on their accomplishment in a TV transmission on the way back from the moon. Armstrongs words were as always very thoughtful and carefully crafted:

http://history.nasa.gov/ap11fj/25day8-reentry-stowage.htm

"Armstrong: Good evening. This is the Commander of Apollo 11. A hundred years ago, Jules Verne wrote a book about a voyage to the Moon. His spaceship, Columbia, took off from Florida and landed in the Pacific Ocean after completing a trip to the Moon. It seems appropriate to us to share with you some of the reflections of the crew as the modern-day Columbia completes its rendezvous with the planet Earth and the same Pacific Ocean tomorrow. [...]
The responsibility for this flight lies first with history and with the giants of science who have preceded this effort. Next with the American people, who have through their will, indicated their desire. Next, to four administrations, and their Congresses, for implementing that will. And then, to the agency and industry teams that built our spacecraft, the Saturn, the Columbia, the Eagle, and the little EMU; the space suit and backpack that was our small spacecraft out on the lunar surface. We'd like to give a special thanks to all those Americans who built those spacecraft, who did the construction, design, the tests, and put their - their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people, tonight, we give a special thank you, and to all the other people that are listening and watching tonight, God bless you. Good night from Apollo 11. "

Posted by: Stardust9906 Aug 26 2012, 03:01 PM

RIP Neil Armstrong and thank you for the most momentous event in human history.

Posted by: dvandorn Aug 26 2012, 04:43 PM

It's amazing to me how we tend to hold our heroes close to us, thinking of them as personal friends, even though we have never met.

For example... I work primarily in customer service for a large cable TV company, troubleshooting issues with IP services such as internet connectivity and voice-over-internet phone (VOIP) services. Yesterday, after I heard the news of Armstrong's passing, while making conversation with one of my customers I said it was a sad day for me, as we had just lost the first man to walk on the Moon. My customer responded, concern in his voice, with "Oh, Neil died? Oh, no."

These are the things that hold us together, as societies, cultures and even as an entire race.

Let us all wink at the Moon in remembrance, and in solidarity, to celebrate a great human achievement and the man at the tip of the spear who took those first steps for all of us.

-the other Doug

Posted by: djellison Aug 26 2012, 05:23 PM

It already has one appointed by the IAU from some months ago. It's not Mt Sharp, but the team are sticking with Mt Sharp as thats the unofficial name they gave it before the IAU name.

I'm sure they will name something appropriate after Neil when the right thing presents itself at Gale Crater.

Posted by: stevesliva Aug 26 2012, 06:10 PM

Can't help but think of this:
http://xkcd.com/893/

Didn't ever expect Neil to be first in the "projected" part.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonwalkers#Apollo_astronauts_who_walked_on_the_Moon

Posted by: Mr Valiant Aug 26 2012, 06:21 PM

We renamed Coprates, Valles Marineris, an unmanned, albeit, epic explorer.
Neil Armstrong and fellow explorers? Perhaps the first manned spacecraft to another
world/star may be emboldened by his name.
Godspeed Neil Armstrong

Posted by: climber Aug 26 2012, 06:36 PM

I went outside with my old JPM 115/900 I bought during Apollo 17 flight and watched the Moon. Strange feeling, realy.

Posted by: MERovingian Aug 26 2012, 07:00 PM

Neil is now flying across the universe. My thoughts are with you, Mr Armstrong, for this new journey to the unknown.

Thank you for getting the moon and the stars so much closer to us.

Posted by: jasedm Aug 26 2012, 11:11 PM

A dignified man, and a gentleman, a great role-model and ambassador.

An era ends with his passing - the next generation have a high bar to aim at.

Posted by: monty python Aug 27 2012, 06:29 AM

Thank you Oersted for the link to the apollo 11 audio. I'm sure that for those of us who were alive to remember those transmissions, just the backround hum made us nostalgic and brought a tear to the eye.

Posted by: Oersted Aug 27 2012, 10:24 PM

The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and Flight Journal are amazing web resources, I have spent many many hours there, re-living the missions that I was too young to recall when they happened.

Posted by: jmknapp Aug 28 2012, 11:53 AM

Anybody been to the Neil Armstrong Museum in Wapakoneta? Here are a few photos I took back in 2008:

High school yearbook ("He thinks, he acts, 'tis done.")

Flying pin:



Love the local boy flavor of this headline:



Amazing how he remained out of the public eye so much after that. One remarkable and uncharacteristic appearance was during the 1980s when he hosted a PBS series on Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle. He introduced each episode in his typical flat manner. Not his strong suit, but it demonstrated his commitment to science and scientific discovery, I think.

Posted by: Oersted Aug 28 2012, 10:26 PM

He actually hosted quite a few series, I believe. I remember one on aviation... There was also a quite hilarious speech at a German tv award show, 'tv program of the century'...

Thanks for those pictures of his hometown museum!

Posted by: PDP8E Aug 29 2012, 02:33 AM

Tonight, I looked at the moon for a little while through my binoculars. As I started my way back home, I remembered, and then turned around... and winked.

For the last few minutes I had been transported back to a warm and humid summer night in 1969. A wide-eyed sixteen year old kid had just witnessed the Eagle land safely around 4:30 east-coast USA time. By 8:30, I and the rest of the world were nervous and elated about the moonwalk that was about to unfold in two hours . My father gathered up my brothers and I (mainly to give Mom a break think) and then he led us to the top of the street to get a clear and unobstructed view of the western sky. And there at dusk, we looked at the moon thru Dad's old binoculars. The moon was flying between the clouds and it was just a little bigger than a crescent. But right at that moment, it had two men about to step out of a spaceship and walk upon the surface, and there was yet another man orbiting it! We strained and strained to see them! I saw the moon that night for the very first time as a destination, not just the moon of yore wandering in the sky.

Neil, thanks for all the inspiration you, your crew, the people of NASA, the universities, and industry gave to me and all the countless others on that night. The memory of that long ago moon hanging in those binoculars has lingered with me ever since. That wonderful day was the -- spark -- the trigger -- the fuse -- that has lead me try to capture the meaning and significance of that event into my every day life.

Today, this engineer, this pilot ,this father, this arm-chair adventurer to Mars, and especially the sixteen year old kid who still lives inside me... are all proud to say you were and still are... my hero.

Thank you.

Posted by: CosmicRocker Aug 29 2012, 06:41 AM

My eyes are apparently clouded, too.

Me too, PDP, me too. I think he'd want us to keep our eyes pointed upward.

Posted by: belleraphon1 Aug 29 2012, 12:45 PM

Neil Armstrong....

I shook his hand in 73. He was then teaching Aeronautical Engineering in Cincinnati. My best friend from HS had him as an instructor. I went down to Cincinnati to visit my friend. He had to get some kind of paper signed by his teacher (Neil!!!). Asked if I could tag along…. Dr. Armstrong signed the paper. I put my hand out and he shook it. He had that wonderful wry smile on his face. He knew why I was there. Did not say a word to him except thank you.

Private man.

My Grandsons start 1st grade today…. I hope when they are my age (with fond memories of their Grandpa) that they live in a cislunar civilization. Neil was one of first forays that perhaps happended too early to sustain.


Thank you Dr. Armstrong.

Craig

Posted by: climber Aug 29 2012, 01:01 PM

My father was born in 1929, the year before Neil and he was 100% Italian. He died 4 years ago.
A few years ago, I ran into a picture from Neil visiting Space mountains and I couldn't believe my eyes! On this very picture, I though it was my father and so thought members of my family.

So, from this time on, Neil became even more special to me and his passing is hurting even more.

Posted by: MahFL Sep 1 2012, 12:17 AM

I just winked at the Blue Moon, and remembered Neil Armstrong.