Moon Landing

My Granddad told me once, "I've seen Halley's Comet twice, I've seen the jet age, the space age, and computers. I'm just hanging around to see what's going to happen next!" He made it to 99, 1905-2005.

He was an amateur radio hobbyist literally from spark gap days. He hot-rodded his Model T, a Chevy and a Studebaker Special. He worked at dozens of different jobs but retired as a master machinist, patternmaker and coremaker. Even though he dropped out of school after the 6th grade to go to work, he could sketch an antenna, do the calculations on a scrap of grocery bag with a stub of pencil, and build the antenna with a Standing Wave Ratio close to perfect.

Not sure what my 14 year old is going to see, but I am going to do my darndest to see Halley's Comet again in 2061. The '86 appearance was a bust. Looking forward to full immersion Virtual Reality, fusion power and retiring to a low-gravity colony when I get old.

Great post and it brings a great memory ...

I was raised by my grandparents, who seemed to be skeptical of just about everything 'modern' ... but, not always unwise ... strange how my heart (and my understanding of them) changed over the years .

I remember once, during an Apollo launch (can't recall exactly which one), we were all watching the television (wow ... remember when all launches were BIG NEWS?). There was a lengthy explanation by the newscaster of what would happen during the launch, explaining roll and pitch, and so forth. (Was that Walter Cronkite?)

Anyway, during the launch, the cameras showed the exact sequence of events, the roll, pitch, and the stage separations (those always startled everyone, thinking something was wrong) and my grandfather said, "hmmm ... it happened just like they said."

A few days later, the astronauts were on the moon, and during a similar televised event, my grandfather said, truly worried for them, "I hope they don't take off their helmets ... there's no air on the moon ... they won't be able to breathe." I assured him they wouldn't, but at the same moment, was a little amazed that he knew there was no air there.

Thanks for the good memory, Ken .

Kind regards ...

My father was in the military, and travelled to see the launch in 1969. He brought me some postcard photos back (I was 9) and I was very thrilled... It was so exciting to me, and I was so proud of humankind for accomplishing that. I still love watching launches. Dreams, dreams, dreams. Where is the next great horizon?

I was a senior in high school the year that Apollo 13 launched. Two of my pals and I made a trip to Florida to watch the launch. Prior, we did the tourist tour of Cape Kennedy, and the day of the launch, we camped across the Banana River to watch ... I can't recall exactly how far we were from the launch pad, but the liftoff was still tremendous and amazing to watch. Unfortunately, the day was a little overcast, so there was only a limited time to see.

Of course, the three of us, all alone in Florida had 'better' things to do for the next several days. It wasn't for sometime, that we heard of the trouble, and not until actually many years later that I learned all the details.

Were those the good ol' days? You bet. Fortunately, there were many more good ol' days to follow, and as you say, there are many more good new days still to come. Fortunately, the dreams you speak of are often just foreshadowing of future realities.

Kind regards ...

You must believe it before you can see it.

It may be old hat to all of us, but think about Jules Verne, and 20K Leagues Under The Sea. He foretold what may think has to be today's nuke subs.

When I was a teenager (with all the wisdom that implies) I was talking to my Dad about how far avaiation had come, as we watched the news footage of the SR-71's first publically announced record speed run accross the US and back. My Dad pointed out that "Buck Rogers, 25th Century" (anybody else remember seeing that old print cartoon?) depicted planes that sparked, set fires, fell out of the sky ... generally, were unstable as all get out. And then, when I had a "duh" moment, my Dad pointed out that the title was 25th Century, and we were only in the 19th.

Yow, does technology ever fly past.

I'm looking forward to a whole lot more of it.

Micah

"and we were only in the 19th"

Wow...you are old!... I think you mean 20th century.

It's actually the 21st century!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century

Is it really? Nope, not THAT old. Just that bad at this sort of math.

Funny, I drive my kids nuts doing square roots on 5 digit numbers, and multiplying two numbers with 4 decimals each, both in my head. Well, probably its the insistence that THEY learn how to do it that drives them nuts, but ... hey, it's the Dad's job, right? (I mean, the batteries WILL go dead in their calculators sometime!).

But I do forget which century number this is. I guess its because it is so seldom a topic of conversation.

Micah

huh? I have a copy of the book...

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century

Addison E. Steele.

ISBN 0-440-10843-8

Dell Publishing Company

copyright 1978 by Robert C Dille

was therefore published in the 20th century, according to your link. (if 1978 comes before 2001 in your universe?)

Chris

Ow, Ow, OW! Was that to me, or to StandardsGuy. I SAID I was wrong, already!

Wimper, wimper.

Micah

ya standards guy.. but its no big deal.

I meant NOW, but it's no big deal.

I did not mean to offend anyone.. just was clarifying.

Didn't offend me! I needed awakening!

Micah