Walking on the Moon

Eppie says:

Scary dreams. While you fulfill all of our good ones, jurvetson. Better you - I would be tongue tied talking to Neil...
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

kytheria says:

Oh my god!! you spoke to him in real?!! and when i first saw the pic i thought its a wax statue..!!
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

Sunburn says:

No way-- he's drinking wine! Wax statues always drink liquor on ice.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³    says:

Hey! why all this fuzz?! just because he walked on the moon? Oh, sorry, I forgot that you -humans- are not used to the space yet. Neil walked on the moon and ain´t no doubt about it. You have a lot to thank to these astronauts. For their success, you celebrate International Friend´s Day in July 20.

And now, with my head down to Earth, I see space and cyberspace conquerors gather together in this photo. Quite unique. My deepest respect. |-)
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

carignan    says:

I'm absolutely shattered. They didn't use Tang. I used to drink that every morning. My childhood breakfast was a farce.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer    says:

I can't wait to talk to my uncle about this and see what he says about that chemical ignition system. He was working on the space program from the very beginning and retired after he finished the Challenger. He was the Project Engineer for the Challenger. When he'd visit us, we'd all get something space related. I got a couple of tiles from the shuttle program once (test tiles) and I have a window of an Apollo capsule also. He said they cost something like $30,000 each. He had 5 and gave me one after he bought them at a "garage sale" at Rockwell International one time. Unfortunately, someone swiped the ones he had. I still have mine. I'll find it one day soon and show you a photo of it. It's about an inch think of "optically perfect" glass with a anti-reflective coating. Very cool stuff.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

artwitness says:

Wow. I'm so envious, words cannot express.

Weird, he looks almost the same as he did 35 years ago.

You're VERY lucky you got a chance to chat with him. From what I've seen he never gives interviews of any sort about the landing in person. I think Frontline or Nova tried to get him for a segment and they ended up having to do a writeup.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

cxJeff    says:

Hypergolic fuels. They achieved their useful quality of igniting upon contact with each other at the expense of being extremely nasty substances. I believe the reaction control thrusters on the orbiter use the same fuels, and that's why they bring out those big blower fans on the runway after landing, before they let anyone approach.

Also, anyone interested in the Apollo project should check out Apollo by Charles Murray and Catherine Bly Cox. It's not about the astronauts, it's about the engineers, systems people, and flight controllers--the people who designed and controlled those missions with scratch pads, slide rules, and b&w screens full of numbers (and no fancy graphics). I can't recommend it highly enough--it's the best non-fiction I've ever read.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

Sunburn says:

I'm really impressed, Steve, at such an interesting question-- I can't imagine he's gotten that one before, and perhaps (who can say) it's elicited a valuable insight into the man's mind. Definitely something you can't get from the hundred-millionth iteration of "What was it like to walk on the moon for the first time?"

Sound like the guy's still as sharp as a tack, too. Anyway, asking the question suggests to m that you must be really good at what you do.

My dad runs into Captain James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13, from time to time, as they're both retired Navy captains in similar post-navy careers. One could fairly guess what his answer to that question would be, but if my dad's game, I'll see if he can try it out on the man, heh.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

lysdexia [deleted] says:

I can beat those punks at NASA.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

Billy The Kid says:

This is why Steve is the best technology photo blogger in existance. Where else are you going to find a candid photo of Niel Armstrong, Bill Gates, among others, in addition to cutting edge technology and acient history.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer    says:

Dittos, Billy. Nobody I've found outdoes Steve on technology blogging. I really appreciate him sharing his exciting life with us through his blog and his photos.
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

{blush}

Here's a more serious photo of Neil in action...
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

sam_    says:

But... I love Tang...
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

_sarchi    says:

Did armstrong know I wonder? they used bombs in the run-up to all up controversa
to ignite the waterfall of fuel that cascaded through each of the five engine nozzles on stage one article
Posted 57 months ago. ( permalink )

gdsanders    says:

Amazing! Talk about rubbing shoulders with a celebrity. To heck with Hollywood, this guy is a REAL celebrity.

People 1,000 years from now will know about Neil Armstrong.
Posted 56 months ago. ( permalink )

Funny Fish    says:

I just like the way you look into the camera! Like coming from another planet!
Posted 55 months ago. ( permalink )

TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³    says:

he does. |-)
Posted 55 months ago. ( permalink )

BombDog    says:

He's a star indeed - but, gdsanders, 1000 years from now people will remember the name of the man/woman who first walked on Mars.

Steve - how long were you holding the Tang pack for in this pose? Looks like you're beginning to lose Neil to a passing tray of canapes!
; )
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

not long... it was more of an ambush shot. ;-)
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Voe.    says:

Neil Armstrong have never walked on the moon. All this "moon landing" was a big hoax made by NASA and Stanley Kubrick which is easy to proof.
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

Pirates are always right. I have proof too:


Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

_sarchi    says:

..that's got to be one of the dumbest human traits always willing to listen to facts that's like saying hurricane katrina never happened..spoilers please? bad astronomy does the tiresome crawl out of the sea..
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³    says:

"Pirates are always right. I have proof too"

best.comeback.ever.arrrrrr! P-)
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

My Symbiosis    says:

Very cool! Glad you had a chance to interview him :>

Thank you for sharing your photo on our 4th of July thread.

The World Through My Eyes
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

~Reshma~    says:

holy cow! what an honor!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

holotone    says:

Tang?!? Nigga, please...
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

roddh    says:

interesting story. funny picture.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

worm628    says:

You are the man, I bow to your superiority. He's on the list of people I'd like to meet, along with Stephen Hawking and Michio Kaku.
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

Haroldo Kennedy    says:

Eu já sabia!
I already knew!

USA Marketing 1000 X Global Consumers 0
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Philippe Lejeanvre    says:

Argh!! How lucky you are!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

london3609 says:

Wow, I'm jealous!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

ideastoday says:

Armstrong is awesome! I ran into him in the airport last summer.
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

AH in Pgh    says:

He had nightmares for 2 years but he still climbed in and blasted off. That's courage.
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

Jeff Clow    says:

Great story, Steve.....I've read a lot about him but never that story about his nightmares.
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

thanks. I just read this interesting passage in Apollo (p.359):

For Mike Collins, circling the moon alone, the lunar liftoff was the most nerve-wracking moment of his long flying career: During the six months since he had been selected to be the command module pilot, his secret terror had been that he might have to come back to Earth alone.

london3609 says:

If you haven't already you must pick up a copy of Mike Collins's Carrying the Fire. I've read just about all the astronaut books and his is by far the best!
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

ideastoday says:

Agreed! Carrying the Fire is excellent.
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

Thanks! Will read that one next.
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

ParishTorch    says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called People Who have Had Their Photos taken With Celebrities, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson    says:

And this just in from the LRO... footsteps from Apollo 11...


Posted 6 weeks ago. ( permalink )