RIP Neil Armstong

[outabounds]

At one time, the most famous person in the world. A true hero and a name history will never forget.

 

[Broken]

RIP Neil.

I hope, despite him rarely talking about it, that he has left a tell-all memoir of his Apollo 11 mission.

 

[A Swallow]

I have no idea how accurate this is (or how well I can recount it), but heard a great story about Neil Armstrong years ago.

When he landed on the moon, aside from all the famous quotes he provided, apparently he said something along the lines of "Sorry Mr. Smith". He was asked about this many times in interviews after the landing, but always refused to elaborate on the comment. Until some 15 years on from the moon landing when he was asked about it for the thousandth time. He explained that when he was about 10 years old he had jumped the neighbours fence to fetch a stray ball, only to hear his neighbours arguing inside the house. The wife was asking the husband why he never goes down on her, to which the husband replied angrily "I'll go down on you when the boy next door walks on the moon!". Hence the apology when Neil did in fact walk on the moon.

RIP.

 

[Bluelegs]

Vale. An important part of the greatest achievement in human advancement.

 

[Natho]

Rip Mr Armstrong.

 

[Silent Alarm]

He just seemed like one of those timeless figures, I never even thought "I wonder how old he is now?"

Although my parents were only kids during the moon landing, I can appreciate (to a degree) the immensity of his achievement. When you think about it, it's absolutely crazy – he was the first person to truly leave Earth – and it symbolised leaving everything we knew, and were familiar with. He left a place we'd inhabited for our entire existence. It's insane.

And to leave at that age, and to accomplish the things he did? I'd imagine he was a hero to millions of young kids as well. No one could complain about a life like that.

 

[grizzlym]

I have no idea how accurate this is (or how well I can recount it), but heard a great story about Neil Armstrong years ago.

When he landed on the moon, aside from all the famous quotes he provided, apparently he said something along the lines of "Sorry Mr. Smith". He was asked about this many times in interviews after the landing, but always refused to elaborate on the comment. Until some 15 years on from the moon landing when he was asked about it for the thousandth time. He explained that when he was about 10 years old he had jumped the neighbours fence to fetch a stray ball, only to hear his neighbours arguing inside the house. The wife was asking the husband why he never goes down on her, to which the husband replied angrily "I'll go down on you when the boy next door walks on the moon!". Hence the apology when Neil did in fact walk on the moon.

RIP.

Good story, but an urban myth. Did the rounds as 'good luck Mr Gorsky' but comprehensively debunked.

Yep, Armstrong led an amazing life and to be the first man on the moon, is something that the years passing will only make more legendary.

Check out the recent interview with Armstrong on the CPA site.

http://thebottomline.cpaaustralia.com.au/

 

[Caesar]

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/mrgorsky.asp

 

[E92_]

RIP Neil.

 

[Tiff]

I heard it was mooningococcal that got him. Sad stuff.

Massive figure in history.

 

[Tiff]

Seriously though. What those guys did was completely insane.

I get a bit white knuckly on small rough plane flights.

Imagine going to the ****ing moon and back with the shitty technology they had back then. It really is incredible that we even did it, and even more incredible that these guys had the balls to go.

 

[Wallaby]

Here is the best interview I have seen with Neil Armstrong. How the hell the CPA managed to swing it, I'll never know. But, whatever, it's great viewing. And only a few months old.....

http://thebottomline.cpaaustralia.com.au/

 

[Dont be a lemon]

He was a great cyclist.

Good night, sweet prince.

 

[JDC!]

Not a good week for the Armstrongs.

 

[Partridge]

Seriously though. What those guys did was completely insane.

I get a bit white knuckly on small rough plane flights.

Imagine going to the ******* moon and back with the shitty technology they had back then. It really is incredible that we even did it, and even more incredible that these guys had the balls to go.

Yep all on a 32K computer. No shortage of nerve those guys. I've got 3 incredible (and true) Armstrong stories:

1. He landed on the moon with 17 seconds of fuel remaining. Thanks to the most famous software bug of all time (the 1202 program alarm) they weren't where they were supposed to be, so he had to fly manually and find a suitable landing area. Slight amount of pressure, but no problem. Objective achieved.

2. On his previous mission - Gemini 8 - he and David Scott were in big, big trouble when the spacecraft started rolling at 400 degrees a second. They weren't far away from blacking out, however Armstrong reached over his head during this to activate the re-entry rockets and correct the spin. Scott maintained Armstrong remained completely cool throughout.

3. My personal favourite. While test piloting the infamous LLTV in 1968 (3 of the 4 NASA had built crashed, which indicates how unforgiving it was), Armstrong was forced to parachute out only moments before it crashed and exploded. His reaction was to go back to his desk and keep working. Imagine that now. 6 months' leave minimum.

Legend. Pure and simple. And completely humble about it until the end.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Sad news, hugely underrated historical figure.

I think people have a bad habit of viewing the moon landing through the lense of 21st century aeronautics, and assuming that it was more or less a matter of sitting tight, letting the technology do the work, and hoping for no catastrophic failures from the technology. In actual fact, the moon landing plan basically relied on armstrong and co being exceptionally brilliant pilots with balls of steel. Forgetting the minor 'leaving the earth's atmosphere and flying to the moon' part of the mission, the descent module computer had the 60s equivalent of a blue screen error message, and then tried to land them in a crater, to the point where Armstrong had to manually pilot the descent with Aldrin giving him verbal updates on height.

You can make a strong case to argue that no one person in human history has ever had, and given the subsequent advances in technology and moves towards highly automated technology, will ever have again, as great a focus of planning, resources, human interest and national prestige invested in and depending on them not to screw up as was the case with Armstrong when he piloted the lunar module.

If someone proposed something as hazardous and uncertain as the lunar landing missions to modern day NASA, they would smile politely and call security in.

Imagine if someone asked you to fly a biplane to england, land it, and fly back, first try, after nothing but a lot of time on microsoft flight simulator, and you get some idea of what Armstrong was being asked to deliver. The fact that he did deliver that is just a testament to what an exceptionally calm, gutsy and methodically brilliant individual he was. The only reason the apollo program was successful was because, for a variety of reasons, the USA had access to a group of insanely high quality people, of which Armstrong was front and centre.

 

[Silent Alarm]

So in a sense, what Armstrong did was pull off a 1-percent-er, but with, almost literally, the eyes of the world on him. What a champion.

 

[Partridge]

If someone proposed something as hazardous and uncertain as the lunar landing missions to modern day NASA, they would smile politely and call security in.

Imagine if someone asked you to fly a biplane to england, land it, and fly back, first try, after nothing but a lot of time on microsoft flight simulator, and you get some idea of what Armstrong was being asked to deliver. The fact that he did delvier that is just a testament to what an exceptionally calm, gutsy and methodically brilliant individual he was. The only reason the apollo program was successful was because, for a variety of reasons, the USA had access to a group of insanely high quality people, of which Armstrong was front and centre.

No chance they'd fly half the missions NASA did then; society as a whole has completely lost its testicles and is now nowhere near courageous enough to take chances for scientific advancement. It's become a risk-averse society.

Interesting thing too is Armstrong wasn't regarded as the best pilot in the Astronaut Corps; that was probably Jim McDivitt or Frank Borman (commanders of Apollos 9 and 8 respectively). However, the consensus was for someone who understood the engineering aspects of a spacecraft and how its performance correlated to that, he had absolutely no peer. Nerves of steel too didn't hurt.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

 

[Maroon Goon]

Another important part of my childhood gone, be sadly missed.

 

[Ghostwriter]

The vision they showed on the news tonight still looks dodgy, slo mo leaping around, the questions remain...

 

[Northworth]

I read the book of apollo 13 by jim lovell
in addition to all of the drama of that voyage it did a good retelling of the whole space program
those guys are true heroes - and we use that term loosely these days I know but they were
- at peak physical fitness
- the best pilots in the land which was a profession only 50 or so years old
- brilliant mathematicians needing to do very complex calculations in genuine life/death scenarios
- amazing leaders

I always respected how low key Neil Armstrong was... he could have been selling Nike for years and made millions but he kept it cool.

rest in peace

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

RIP Neil.

 

[funk44]

just sat down and watched 'The Right Stuff' again. While not directly related to Armstrong it's amazing what those guys went through

 

[Werewolf]

The term 'hero' is often overused, but Armstrong certainly deserved the title for risking his life as a fighter pilot and astronaut

BTW my ambition in primary school was to become an astronaut and walk on the moon. Can't see it happening now