FAA History Lesson -- July 20 (08)

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Jul 20, 1969: Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., became the first people to land on the Moon, while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. Later in the day, Armstrong and then Aldrin became the first to walk on the lunar surface. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Project Apollo achieved five more Moon landings between this date and Dec 11, 1972. “

“If we can send a man to the moon...” It’s hard to believe it’s been 39 years. It’s even harder to believe we haven’t done anything that has surpassed the sheer boldness of it. The Mars rovers are cool but they lack the humanity of manned missions.

Of all the discoveries we made on our voyages to the moon, perhaps none was more important than the emotions this picture represents. To know that Man has witnessed it and to empathize with the emotions it must have stirred. This tiny, blue ball in the endless black. Our home.



Don Brown
July 20, 2008