To say that the Apollo missions were formative to who I am now is an understatement. Of course the visceral response to a mighty rocket taking off was cool, but the tension of the first landing, imperfectly conveyed over the television, taught me lessons about technology, engineering, and bravery.
I had One Small Step pajamas; I had a banner with Snoopy on the moon, arms stretched wide, declaring “The Moon is Made of American Cheese.” I was stupid to the jingoism in the banner; I was super-stoked by the idea of my favorite cartoon dog being on the moon.
I watched today’s launch with similar wonder and anticipation. There was a shot, at roughly T minus 2:00, where they showed the nozzles of the four engines pivoting, that my preteen-space-geek and my jaded-engineer self met in a moment of wonder. They can adjust the trajectory! It would be like steering with the rear wheels of a car. Can you imagine how that moving mount can operate while under eleventy-billion meganewtons of thrust? The friction must be insane! Can you imagine software needed to control it?
I remember that same shot, back in 1969, of the engine nozzles, ready for 120 seconds of glory (don’t quote that number). I was almost vibrating with the anticipation of those mighty rockets blasting off the pad. I’m older now, but apparently I have not lost that joy.
Honestly, compared to the space shuttle, this was pretty simple. But the countdown was frozen at ten minutes when I tuned in, I think by design. I listened as each lead said “go”. I felt the excitement build in the control room. That excitement can be toxic; it will make people who want to say no say yes instead.
All the team heads said go, and the clock began ticking down. At about 33 seconds before launch the commentator said, (something like) “control has been passed to the vehicle.” The rocket was now in charge of launching itself.
It did.
Just as when I was a child, I watched the massive rocket ride a pillar of fire into the sky, and when it was a mere fiery dot, I wished for better cameras. Cameras on the rocket itself, sending data back to Earth in a way not possible last time, helped to fill that hole.
Thousands of rockets have launched since back then. Probably over a hundred with people on them. But this one is going to the moon. It’s different. Apparently the moon is not interesting enough for intrepid robot explorers like the ones we set loose on Mars. It a place for people to go, for humans to leave footprints that will outlive humanity itself.
