But of all the moon music, you can't really beat Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - here played by Wilhelm Kempff:

Here it is!

The Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories

It is quite long - I haven't read it critically yet - but, at a glance, it looks as though every doubt raised has been addressed by somebody/somebodies at the very least.

It does seem odd to me that the footage of such an important event couldn't be found by NASA, though; doesn't it to you? Perhaps the article will provide an acceptable explanation!

...and never for once believed them.

What I find funny is the number of people in Austria who believe the moon landings were faked.

Some of them are relatives of mine.

When I tell them it is bollocks they don't really make an argument. They just shrug their shoulders and say, "who knows?"

It's just an article of faith which is perpetuated by some tabloid newspapers in Europe for some reason.

I don't know, Marcus.

I just remember the authority of the man I heard and him being very persuasive. I recall him talking about the Cold War and the need for the USA to show greater scientific superiority over Russia which had been going to space for years before the US. He also mentioned it being a distraction from the Vietnam War and used so that the US could pull out without it being top billing, so to speak. There was more he said about radiation levels and other scientific stuff that was over my head but he made it sound very plausible, I must say.

Some years later I was reminded of what he said when I read that NASA couldn't find the video footage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

I had an idea (probably wrong) that the later Apollo missions all failed in some respect with reports of the lunar module crashing or the Apollo 13 flight returning with the three astronauts on board due to terrible problems and difficulties they experienced. I think I may have seen a film that was made about this ages ago.

It is probably just another one of those conspiracy theories. My son, Sam, told me today, when I asked him about it, that Mythbusters has removed most of the doubts raised and that he believes the landing occurred. And if Sam (the Authority) says it is true then who am I to doubt?!

Had you heard those doubts raised about the legitimacy of Apollo 11 and landing on the moon before?

...how about the Apollo Missions 11 to 17, excluding aborted 13? They all went to the moon.

Do you think they were all faked too?

One of the Comments below the Video says:

"This is Lehrer's way of showing how ridiculous it was that Von Braun became a hero. It's the same anger he expressed at Henry Kissinger winning the Nobel Peace Prize. These guys did horrible things, and yet all that seems to get brushed away as soon as they start working for the right people. "

Re Neil Armstrong and the moon landing, I have my doubts about anyone ever having landed on the moon. I was told a long time ago by "a man who thought he knew the lot" that it would be easier to land that lunar module on Mars than the moon.

Curious, too, that not a soul nor another lunar module - not even the space shuttle - has been "back", isn't it.

There was more than pure luck to NA: the man was a highly talented aviator, fighter pilot, test pilot, technical and scientific specialist, teacher. He worked damned hard; he got his pilot's licence when 18, when most kids his age are considered too young to buy a drink legally in the US. He made his luck by putting himself in the frame, by being the best, sharpest, coolest man on hand that was available.

If ever there is a story about how application and attitude and get you to the peak, his is one of the best.

Saw this today. Good footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...

I see Ed's already on it.

...if you remember correctly when Von Braun did die the nation mourned and the President saluted him as a hero. There were calls for him to have a state funeral and his life and works were constantly referenced.

I don't mean to belittle Armstrong. You won't hear anymore from me on this. You might read something though

"...although I believe October Sky does not specifically reference Von Braun's life. At least that's what Wikipedia says."

Actually doesn't mention him at all, does it, Joe? -- except for the scene in which the lead character receives a letter and autographed photo from von Braun on the occasion of his birthday. Speaking of occasions, it was Neil Armstrong who just died, not von Braun. And it's von Braun's name on the gate in Huntsville, not Armstrong's. Say what you like (and by all evidence, you will): He's not forgotten at all, and he was never ignored -- but he's not the one who just died the other day, either.

...through a BBC documentary,Space Race.
Yes, it took a British broadcaster to inform.

Even then they only did it as a relative comparison with Soviet Korolev. Both men were mostly ignored during their lifetimes. In the USSR it makes sense, but in the US that celebrates individual achievement?

Apparently the famous "right stuff" only dared mention Von Braun briefly, not even using his name. When I went to the bookshop books on the moon or space race either never mention Von Braun or reduce mention of him to one or two sentences.

Watch the movie.

...although I believe October Sky does not specifically reference Von Braun's life. At least that's what Wikipedia says.

Von Braun didn't just build it, he sweated bullets each launch, hardly sleeping at all making sure everything was safe. There were no fatalities on his watch so he must have been doing something right, which you can't say the same for the Soviet Program.

Apollo space program director Sam Phillips was quoted as saying that he did not think that America would have reached the moon as quickly as it did without von Braun's help. Later, after discussing it with colleagues, he amended this to say that he did not believe America would have reached the moon at all.

Can't forget October Sky...that film led to launch of model rockets by yours truly and his son.

And Neil Armstrong was more than just "lucky." He did the first jet landing on the carrier Essex, he flew combat missions in Korea, and he was a test pilot on the X-15 program before becoming the first American civilian in space. And then he went to the moon. Von Braun "built it," all right -- but damn it, so did Neil Armstrong.

Don't forget Rocket Boys, and the film version (October Sky).

(I didn't realize we're now celebrating the achievements of others on the day of someone's death...I guess it's part of the whole "you didn't build that" movement...duly noted.)

This is going too far. Who's forgotten von Braun, or written him out of the history books? I knew his name as a kid, as did most other Americans. I'd say "all," but that's assuming a bit much. The space center at Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville, Alabama) is named after him. So is a crater on the moon, but I've never been there.

Nothing about von Braun has been swept under the rug, any rug. He is in fact celebrated, as he should be. If he's not as famous as Neil Armstrong, well, damn few people are.

"Heroes", by Bryan Larsen (photo from the Quent Cordair Fine Art website).

...always written out of the history of the US and USSR space programs?

Well firstly they weren't American or Soviet and secondly they were Germans who worked for the NAZIs on the V2 rocket.

It pains both of them to remember their debt to NAZI science therefore it is simply written out of the history books.

Werner von Braun worked for NAZI and then NASA designing all rockets up until the Apollo 11 and leaving the designs for the space shuttle on his desk.

Since he left the space program has hardly advanced in "great leaps" but crawled along in baby steps.

Was he hailed as the "greatest American", were statues put up in his honour? Hell no! Better just sweep that all under the rug.

Armstrong was a great pilot who had a lot of luck, better just remember him. Fantastic achievement, but just give Americans what they want -slices of all American Hero like Apple Pie. Just don't mention the genius in the back room. It's all a bit embarrassing.

Yes, I can agree with you, but let's not sully Armstrong's memory.

Exactly. Not taking anything away from the achievements of the Curiousity mission, but it seems all America is capable of now is what the Soviets were doing back in the 1960s. In fact, the USA with its Socialist president is intent on emulating most of the Soviet "achievements".

...in referring to "unmanned missions to Mars and to Venus," I was referring to the Soviet missions of the 1960s.

Would've thought that 43 years after the USA so convincingly won the space race that the most it could achieve is to emulate the loser ("sending unmanned missions to Mars and to Venus")?

...thank you, sir. That's exactly what you should have said to him.

But: tough shit. Things are a lot worse than that, are they not?

As I believe I have pointed out -- to you, Richard, and to others -- before this.

"This is a fucking space agency."

What I would have said to Obama.

it's a lot worse than disgusting.

...instructs the men of the stars to bow down to the sand niggers!

And when he says "you didn't build that space program" you can't say anything in return.

What next for NASA?

Are dominantly Muslim nations feeling better yet?

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Way beyond DISGUSTING.

Marcus wrote: "All the west can do these days is wank off about how much we need the state, that very state having completely destroyed what was supposed to be the "space age". Not space age any more, but age of the statists!"

Ain't it the truth...Saw this yesterday, via Bosch Fawstin:

NASA Chief: Next Frontier Better Relations With Muslim World

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering," Bolden said in the interview.

...

He said the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own and that no country is going to make it to Mars without international help.

Bolden has faced criticism this year for overseeing the cancellation of the agency's Constellation program, which was building new rockets and spaceships capable of returning astronauts to the moon. Stressing the importance of international cooperation in future missions, Bolden told Al Jazeera that the moon, Mars and asteroids are still planned destinations for NASA.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politic...

"Aldrin actually carried a six-inch yellow Pickett slide to the surface of the moon itself" and emotional.

...this all again with Buzz, aren't we? I loved it when he punched out a conspiracy theorist recently who said the moon landing didn't happen.

I love the moon landing and don't need to talk about the near misses and the great human achievement.

However to those that sneer that this couldn't have happened without state involvement, I sneer back what a fucking missed opportunity.

The reason space travel (or moon exploration) has not moved one inch since then is because it has not been exploited for profit.

The west should be ashamed. The closest contender we have for a colonisation is a communist country China because they want to mine (yes mine) the moon for raw materials.

All the west can do these days is wank off about how much we need the state, that very state having completely destroyed what was supposed to be the "space age". Not space age any more, but age of the statists!

...in NZ the school terms are different.

The summer school vacation is from October/November through Christmas.

July is normal school time. There is a mid term break in August for two weeks only.

Great post. I just wish I'd have known that era myself.

Craig,

I enjoyed your tribute. We must salute anyone who achieves something remarkable, and Neil certainly qualifies and then some. As do all of the project leaders and visionaries who made the achievement possible.

I hope you don't mind if I slightly hijack your thread a bit, but staying within the same topic. It is taken for granted among Objectivists and libertarians that the capitalist engine is the greatest tool for innovation. The idea is that man's mind is free to pursue the (seemingly) impossible if he so chooses and reap the rewards of that effort (or conversely, the impact of the failure).

With the slave state that the USSR was, how do we explain their remarkable space successes, particularly the fact that they beat the U.S. on some key landmarks with respect to space travel? While both the U.S. and Soviet Union were large government programs, the U.S. had the benefit of a competitive for-profit aerospace and defense industry to draw upon. Were the Soviet scientists and program administrators motivated by national glory alone?

This question is relevant today because among the many who are pushing for a massive state intervention in the economy in the U.S., many point to the innovations that were spawned from government efforts (which coincidentally are mostly defense related, such as the beginning of networked computers, GPS etc). Many also say, perhaps correctly, that space travel and exploration was ONLY first possible with an entity like the government who can allocate vast sums of money on something that might not pan out and which was extremely dangerous. They say that the private space industry that is emerging owes quite a tip of the cap to the knowledge and technologies it is drawing upon.

You were in school at the time?

I have a similar memory myself, of Tampa, Florida.

But it was JULY, for cryin' out loud! Are we deluded or what?

A stellar salute. And you captured the era beautifully. I remember being in 6th Form geography class in a small town called Feilding listening to Richard Nixon in Washington talking to Neil Armstrong on the moon. If ever anything collective were real, it was the universal glow felt by all people of good will at that time.