July 20, 1969 - 2009: 40 years since the first moon landing!

If you are over a certain age, you'd remember seeing the live pictures of the first moon landing of Apollo 11. It was awesome, and as kids (I was fourteen) we could not believe what we were seeing. I remember it like yesterday, even though it was very late at night and I had to go to school (it was in the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, unlike the US kids who where on summer vacation). I did stay late and never forgot the moment and the live, somewhat fuzzy live images.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon surface! Michael Collins orbiting the moon.



Did you know that the Lunar Module, Eagle landed on the moon with only enough fuel to continue for another 25 seconds, and flight computers overloaded by radar data?

It is a pity we stopped going to the moon long ago. The missions were unfortunately not about science, but about politics, and the cold war. Image what kind of moon base we could have had by now. The science, and minerals we could be obtaining from there. Maybe someday, a commercial mining operation will pay for itself and allows us to man bases, and do science the way it should be done. Hopefully the next generation might get to see it realized.

YouTube video