Yes, a lot of humour in this one, and in reality there had to be, as the astronauts weren't exactly expected to get back alive. President Nixon had his memorial speech ready to hand declaring their deaths.
*
escape velocity
the moon pulls oceans
behind Apollo 11
Alan Summers
“Rocket Dreams” Commission 2007
Read/performed U.K. National Poetry Day October 4th 2007 with Space Historian Piers Bizony and NASA images, as part of World Space Week
Apollo 11 facts: 17 things you may not know about the first Moon Landing
Facts about Apollo 11 and the Moon Landing; from how the astronauts went toilet to Neil Armstrong's promise to his nan and the plan if they were stranded
Did a felt-tip save their lives?
"Yes! Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins nearly didn’t make it home when a switch broke. The circuit breaker that activated the ascent engine – ie what got them off the Moon – broke. Aldrin came up with a great solution and used his felt-tip pen to get inside and flick the switch."
British Radio Times quote
I've actually touched a remarkable scale model accurate to 100% and I could have pushed a pencil through it, it was so fragile. How did they do it, meeting so many obstacles?
I'm not even sure there was such a thing as a remote TV gadget when I first saw it, unless my parents said get up and change the channel! :-)
Thanks Alan….yeh, I watched it live and there were definitely no remote controls back then, in the UK at least. I was talking about the anniversary itself, becoming increasingly disillusioned with each one and preferring to cling to the original memory…..though I'll admit this recent set of celebrations has left me feeling pretty emotional.
I found this very humorous, Helen as, in our house, someone would lose the remote or sit on it and turns off the sound at the most important part of a programme! :)
July 22nd, 2019 at 8:48 am
Yes, a lot of humour in this one, and in reality there had to be, as the astronauts weren't exactly expected to get back alive. President Nixon had his memorial speech ready to hand declaring their deaths.
*
escape velocity
the moon pulls oceans
behind Apollo 11
Alan Summers
“Rocket Dreams” Commission 2007
Read/performed U.K. National Poetry Day October 4th 2007 with Space Historian Piers Bizony and NASA images, as part of World Space Week
Apollo 11 facts: 17 things you may not know about the first Moon Landing
Facts about Apollo 11 and the Moon Landing; from how the astronauts went toilet to Neil Armstrong's promise to his nan and the plan if they were stranded
Did a felt-tip save their lives?
"Yes! Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins nearly didn’t make it home when a switch broke. The circuit breaker that activated the ascent engine – ie what got them off the Moon – broke. Aldrin came up with a great solution and used his felt-tip pen to get inside and flick the switch."
British Radio Times quote
I've actually touched a remarkable scale model accurate to 100% and I could have pushed a pencil through it, it was so fragile. How did they do it, meeting so many obstacles?
I'm not even sure there was such a thing as a remote TV gadget when I first saw it, unless my parents said get up and change the channel! :-)
Alan
July 22nd, 2019 at 9:21 am
Thanks Alan….yeh, I watched it live and there were definitely no remote controls back then, in the UK at least. I was talking about the anniversary itself, becoming increasingly disillusioned with each one and preferring to cling to the original memory…..though I'll admit this recent set of celebrations has left me feeling pretty emotional.
July 22nd, 2019 at 9:25 am
The National Geographic drama-documentary of the Mars landing was interesting though!
stargazers
a glimpse of Mars along
the streets of Hull
Alan Summers
Publication Credit: Blithe Spirit 26.2 (Summer 2016)
I'm sure you'll get the musical reference too! :-)
July 22nd, 2019 at 9:47 am
Moon …
Land…
The Loneliness is
Cracked
Warmly…
Don’t leave me
July 22nd, 2019 at 3:35 pm
Wonderful humorous and astute senryu capturing the way we depend on technology on the grand scale as well as the ridiculously small scale. Well-done!
July 22nd, 2019 at 10:20 pm
Thanks so much, Annette!
August 6th, 2019 at 6:20 am
I found this very humorous, Helen as, in our house, someone would lose the remote or sit on it and turns off the sound at the most important part of a programme! :)
marion