Off-Topic: "For All Mankind"...
Posted 02-15-2008 at 08:07 PM by Chris Clark
Confession time: I am a geek.
I am fascinated by the Apollo space program. Unfortunately I was born too late, I missed it. I was born into a world where man had already walked on the moon, and hasn't returned as long as I've been alive. Bummer.
I'm not sure where I got the fascination, but there is something epic, noble, courageous, bold, and maybe a even a little romantic about exploring new and beautiful places. I believe it's good for the spirit, good for the soul............
JFK May 25, 1961:
"I therefore ask the Congress, above and beyond the increases I have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet the following national goals:
First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."
Followed up by JFK at Rice University on September 12, 1962:
"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
...........................................
Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."
Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."
Seriously!............ Who writes this stuff?!
Anyway, because my parents apparently took their sweet time getting hitched and subsequently "getting it on", I missed out on the first hand experience of the time, and, as a result have been forced to get my fix from books, movies and documentaries.
Which brings me to last Wednesday night.
On my weekly trip to the DVD section of Best Buy, I stumbled on a documentary on the moon missions called "In the Shadow of the Moon : Remember When The Whole World Looked Up?", directed by fellow moon-geek Ron Howard, who also directed the Hollywood blockbuster "Apollo 13".
If you are even remotely interested in this time in our history I highly suggest either buying or renting this documentary. Extraordinary stuff.
The movie consists of archival photo's, videos, and interviews with many of the principals involved. Names like Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, and Jim Lovell. The only dissapointment is the lack of an appearance by Neil Armstrong, who has become somewhat of a recluse over the years.
The documentary covers the Apollo 1 tragedy, moves to Apollo 8, which was one of the few bright spots of a very turbulent 1968. And it of course covers the Apollo 11 moon landing in-depth.
Among the many things discussed, the one thing that struck me the most was the unity of the world..... The Americans didn't do it... WE did it. Mankind. WE landed on the moon, not just America. As someone who grew up during the later years of the Cold-War, and the first Gulf War. Not to mention 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this worldwide "unity" was astounding to see. African villagers jumping up and down in celebration, Europeans cheering in the streets, ALL of us celebrating. WE did it. Mankind.
The history of mankind is written on a timeline of exploration.
I wonder....... where will we go next?...... And when will that be?
I am fascinated by the Apollo space program. Unfortunately I was born too late, I missed it. I was born into a world where man had already walked on the moon, and hasn't returned as long as I've been alive. Bummer.
I'm not sure where I got the fascination, but there is something epic, noble, courageous, bold, and maybe a even a little romantic about exploring new and beautiful places. I believe it's good for the spirit, good for the soul............
JFK May 25, 1961:
"I therefore ask the Congress, above and beyond the increases I have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet the following national goals:
First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."
Followed up by JFK at Rice University on September 12, 1962:
"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.
There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?
We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
...........................................
Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."
Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."
Seriously!............ Who writes this stuff?!
Anyway, because my parents apparently took their sweet time getting hitched and subsequently "getting it on", I missed out on the first hand experience of the time, and, as a result have been forced to get my fix from books, movies and documentaries.
Which brings me to last Wednesday night.
On my weekly trip to the DVD section of Best Buy, I stumbled on a documentary on the moon missions called "In the Shadow of the Moon : Remember When The Whole World Looked Up?", directed by fellow moon-geek Ron Howard, who also directed the Hollywood blockbuster "Apollo 13".
If you are even remotely interested in this time in our history I highly suggest either buying or renting this documentary. Extraordinary stuff.
The movie consists of archival photo's, videos, and interviews with many of the principals involved. Names like Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, and Jim Lovell. The only dissapointment is the lack of an appearance by Neil Armstrong, who has become somewhat of a recluse over the years.
The documentary covers the Apollo 1 tragedy, moves to Apollo 8, which was one of the few bright spots of a very turbulent 1968. And it of course covers the Apollo 11 moon landing in-depth.
Among the many things discussed, the one thing that struck me the most was the unity of the world..... The Americans didn't do it... WE did it. Mankind. WE landed on the moon, not just America. As someone who grew up during the later years of the Cold-War, and the first Gulf War. Not to mention 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this worldwide "unity" was astounding to see. African villagers jumping up and down in celebration, Europeans cheering in the streets, ALL of us celebrating. WE did it. Mankind.
The history of mankind is written on a timeline of exploration.
I wonder....... where will we go next?...... And when will that be?
Total Comments 3
Comments
 |  Chris: Without "dating" myself, I an tell you firsthand, it was almost surreal. I recall in junior high, they gathered us in the cafeteria to have the entire student body watch the first manned space flights (Mercury) - The first one was simply up... then down. Then, John Glenn ultimately orbited the earth. As I recall he did four orbits. It was so amazing... nightly news was fixated on this blip... going around the earth. 24/7 literally everyone knew where he was on his trek. And, remember... there was no 24 hour television.. or cable news etc. It was 3 major networks. All of this came at a time that in retrospect seemed filled with hope... but we saw the assasination of JFK, the war in Viet Nam and a growing distrust of our own government and leaders... But what I find interesting is over the years, the "hippies" of the 60's seemed to abandon their hardcore values of "peace and love"... sharing and caring for others. Many fell back into a greedy, self grandizing lifestyle. What I am seeing now, though... is a deluge of people from that same generation, giving. It seems that many of the successful people who are baby boomer's and products of the 60's are giving of themselves and their fortunes. It's very encouraging... and I hope our generation (and yours) show up on your Mankind Timeline as people who made a difference. And, as people what refused to accept things as "just the way it is." Two highly recommended books... actually three, now I think of it: Clapton - his autobiography is quite a snapshot of his generation. His final (current) chapter of his ife is quite uplifting and a great example of doing what you can do to help. Giving - by Bill Clinton. Not a gripping read, but a fantastic narration about people around the world... great people and regular people, rich and poor... and how they are giving back. The brief stories he tells are truly inspiring. And when you read how much Bill Gates and his wife give away... and what hard work that is, you can't help but respect their efforts. And when you read that Warren Buffet gave the Gates foundation (because he figured they already had the structure in place to do the most good) the bulk of his fortune your jaw will hit the floor. When asked why, he responded, that he had enough money to live comfortably and takes great satisfaction knowing the money can be used to help the less fortunate. But the stories of the poor people who've dedicated their lives to others are the most humbling. Cradle to Cradle - Remakng The Way We Make Things (William McDonough. I'm still delving into this one... but you can view his keynote speech on ted.com - Just an amazing outlook on how we live.. and how we inhabit the planet. He addresses design, architecture and manufacturing and how simple it is to rethink our ways and leave the planet the way we found it. And this ain't tree hugging mentality... this is very, very techy and cool stuff. Anyway... sorry for digressing on the space theme of your blog... I saw your mankind time line.. and I too am intrigued by how we'll look once we're just a blip on the screen. Do check out www.ted.com - some incredible thinkers giving 20 minute keynotes. I use it as a break in the day. Thanks for the thoughtful blog. JT |
Posted 02-16-2008 at 11:07 AM by John Thawley  |
| |  I do remember the first launches into space and the first moon landing. I was very young. I remember my Dad taking a picture of the TV screen as Neil Armstrong took that world changing step. I didn't understand what the big deal was. It was just TV, right? The idea that we couldn't go to the moon before never crossed my mind. To me, everything was still possible, even probable. I was that young. Later of course, I came to realize just how important and impressive that step really was. I have just finished watching From the Earth to the Moon. I know it is an old series, but it does a good job of documenting a lot of the behind the scenes and human parts of the story. I thought it was quite well done. One thing that was interesting were some of the go/no go decisions that were made and how "on the edge" the whole program was. Many of us don't appreciate just how balsy these astronauts were, and still are. Many of us just assume that if some smart Engineer built it, it has to work, right? But going into an unknown and alien environment has huge challenges that you couldn't possibly think of all at once. The Apollo 1 accident goes to prove that. I will have to look into the DVD you mention. My son and I would probably enjoy watching it. Eric |
| Posted 02-18-2008 at 08:34 PM by Hallen |
| | From the Earth to the Moon is a fantastic mini-series. If you enjoyed that you really should read the book it was based on: A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin. As good as the mini-series is, it doesn't do the book justice. Incredible read. JT, Thanks for the recommendations. I could spend days on TED.com, and probably will. As for books: I just started Boom!, Tom Brokaws latest book about the sixities, so far so good. I might pick up Clapton's next... -chris |
| Posted 02-18-2008 at 09:48 PM by Chris Clark |
Recent Blog Entries by Chris Clark
- Mid-Ohio Photography Guide.... (06-07-2008)
- No good deed goes unpunished..... (03-26-2008)
- Off-Topic: "For All Mankind"... (02-15-2008)
- The Underground Windtunnel.... (10-30-2007)
- Diary of a Madman.... (10-28-2007)
