Gene Cernan, Apollo 17, 1972: "Once I finally stepped on the moon, no matter what was to come of the next three days - or the rest of my life - nobody could take those steps from me. I really was focused, and I don’t think that’s unusual for explorers when they go into new terrain, here on Earth or in space. And then there were always what we call the “housekeeping activities” that had to be done in order for the mission to proceed. I’m a geologist and wanted to get as much exploration time in as I possibly could. And so when I stepped on the moon, my most important feeling, I think, was, 'Let’s get with it, because we don’t have a lot of time.' There’s a lot to be done. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17, 1972: "The operation of an Apollo mission is one of relentless loss of time. Earth was directly overhead, and, when I looked up, I saw the top of my helmet!" You could see Earth, but where we were - a little south of the center of the moon - it was difficult. The sun was always shining, so you didn’t see stars or planets. The gray was so bright it was almost white - a sharp break between the surface and the horizon. It’s a great deal!"Ĭharlie Duke, Apollo 16, 1972: "My most vivid memory on the moon is the beauty: the stark contrast between the brilliant gray of the moon and the blackness of space. Then again, I had all these people watching everything else for me. I never paid attention to my suit, backpack or anything - I was doing what I was trained to do in terms of the geology. When a halfback goes through the line, everything slows down - zoning! And when your wife goes to the department store, she’s zoning. Sport psychologists have that figured out now. We learn more and more about how humans function. It’s exhilarating, and very satisfying too, that you get a chance to do those kinds of things. Apollo 14 was to start doing science."ĭave Scott, Apollo 15, 1971: "As they all tell you, it’s beautiful up there. Apollo 11 and 12 were just to prove physically we could get down, and then back safely. And, of course, our mission was to be the first to do science on the moon, so we had to be very careful about getting everything in during the allotted time. We would go through the whole routine, modify it, rewrite it, modify it again until we were comfortable with the order. You can get the job done, instead of for other things."Įdgar Mitchell, Apollo 14, 1971: "Sure it was wonderful, we were pleased to do it and it was enjoyable to be among the first on the moon, but it was just part of a checklist we had practiced week after week at Cape Kennedy. I had to get to work and not fall behind on our timeline. So I didn't have anything philosophical to think - it was all business. Pete had that job, sort of like Neil had and Buzz didn't. And I wanted to get on with my checklist. I knew it would take four or five minutes from Buzz and Neil talking about it. I was impressed with the total 'magnificent desolation' I saw in front of me: black sky, no stars and the horizon clearly curving away."Īlan Bean, Apollo 12, 1969: "I'm feeling like I need to get my balance. They're there, of course, but you can't make them out because they're too faint with all the ambient light in your eyes. The sky is black as can be, but there's no way you can see stars. Your pupils close down, just as in orbit when the sun is on the spacecraft. And, of course, the brightness of the sunlit surface was almost like looking out at sunlit snow. ![]() Off in the distance was a very clear horizon, maybe with a boulder. ![]() The immediate surface was very powdery, as best we could see looking down from 15 feet. This was the time to think positively."īuzz Aldrin, Apollo 11, 1969: "Obviously, when we touched down on the moon, we were very relieved. ![]() On the lunar surface, it did not weigh on my mind at all. But that was in the two years prior to the flight. I had been very concerned about the technical details of assuring that the ascent engine could be started and would do the job of getting us back into lunar orbit. So we were focused on doing the very best job of completing our observations and experiments in the limited time we had available. But it was genuine exploration at a place where no other human so far as we knew had ever stepped before. Walking on the surface was, in my opinion at the time, far less risky. ![]() The landing was a very high-risk situation. It was really over 200 degrees F outside. It was a real moon's surface outside our window. The real thing differed from simulation because it was 'the real thing.' It was a real lunar module, alive and operating. Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11, 1969: "We followed our checklist precisely.
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