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Author Topic: Apollo 11 50th anniversary  (Read 13880 times)

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TopNotch

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Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« on: July 17, 2019, 02:16:09 pm »
I'm going to present a few things in this topic about the Apollo missions. The first is President Kennedy's complete speech to Rice University about space and the moon mission.
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TopNotch

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Re: Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2019, 08:38:57 am »
Today is the 50th anniversary of the landing on the Moon. This unique video log has both the flight-ground conversations (left speaker or earphone if you have stereo), and the control room conversations (right speaker). At the beginning is an explanation of the landing process.
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Raydar

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Re: Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2019, 03:50:35 pm »
Without having seen the video (at least not yet) there is not anything I can say that will add to the spectacle of this event. I am still in awe that we actually made it happen. (In spite of the conspiracy theorists who believe it was done in a studio. :D )
I have heard it said that the guidance system that handled all the calculations for the landing was the functional equivalent of a 486. Just yikes. Even the cheapest smartphone has much more computing power than that.

I am disappointed that we didn't continue our exploration of other heavenly bodies. (Heather Locklear notwithstanding.)
2001 is still one of my favorite films. It seemed so... possible, at the time. Now, not so much.
When I think of all the "spinoff" technology that has now become commonplace - like the computer I'm sitting at - I wonder what could have been...
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Fierofool

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Re: Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2019, 06:02:42 pm »
I remember this very clearly.  I was teaching at the military school where I had once been a student.  Melanie and I were just a few weeks away from getting married and getting . 

I had a student from South Georgia and Melanie and I went to he and his wife's house and we stayed up to watch tv and listen to the event as it happened.  And Steve, the computer I was using in my line of work was a huge cabinet the size of an entertainment center and used big wide magnetic tape.  It was made by IBM. 
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TopNotch

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Re: Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2019, 06:29:11 pm »
The Apollo 11 astronauts left a kind of proof of their visit on the Moon that can be checked. They left a laser reflector to be used in determining the exact earth-moon distance. If a strong enough laser is pointed at it, the beam will be reflected back.
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GTRS Fiero

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Re: Apollo 11 50th anniversary
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2019, 06:58:27 pm »
Not to diminish this accomplishment in any way, but for the people who do not believe, it would have probably been more difficult to fake the moon landing, than to do it, 50 years ago.  Of course, anyone can fake it in their home, now.

Very cool accomplishment.
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