They Shot for the Moon
Apollo XI
They were the first.
During the course
of events, Dad photographed all three astronauts who would eventually make
up the crew of Apollo XI. Neil Armstrong was assigned to command the mission
and make man's first footprints on the moon. Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin would
pilot the lunar lander "Eagle" and be the second man to set foot on the
moon while Michael Collins waited for them in orbit aboard the command
module, Columbia.
Michael Collins
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Neil Armstrong
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Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin
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Neil Armstrong
Dad made several more
photographs of Armstrong than he did of some of the other Gemini astronauts.
He had no way of knowing at the time he was photographing the man who would
be the first to set foot on lunar soil. Armstrong was an X-15 pilot and
my dad was an X-15 junkie. At the time it was the fastest and highest flying
bird in the sky. On one occasion he called me at work and asked if I could
have dinner with them that night. The guest of honor was to be Joe Walker,
another X-15 driver. Walker died when his F-104 collided with the XB-70
above Edwards Air Force Base in California. Walker failed to eject.
While training for
the Apollo mission, Armstrong was flying the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle
(LLTV), when he lost control. The LLTV affectionately known as the "flying
bedstead" tipped violently, triggering the automatic eject sequence. Armstrong
was rocketed to safety riding a seat similar to the Gemini ejection seats.
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin
was the second man to set foot on the moon. Aldrin lobbied to be the first
to be out the door but Armstrong was given the official nod since the physical
layout of the LEM, Eagle, placed him next to the hatch. Another consideration
may have been political. Armstrong, being a civilian would help avoid the
the appearance that the United States was wanting to establish a military
presence in space. Since Armstrong took most of the pictures with a specially
modified Hasselblad, the central figure in those first photographs is Aldrin.
Armstrong rarely appears except as a shadow or reflected in Aldrin's visor.
Michael Collins
He was the second man
to fly an Apollo capsule solo around the back side of the moon. Collins
had a heavy responsibility. His mission was to rendezvous with the Eagle
after they lifted off from the moon. If Eagle's engine failed to fire or
his mission was not successful he would have had to return to earth alone.
As history tells us the mission was a complete success and he and his comrades
returned to a hero's welcome.
