Blast

[crfriend]

It's another sad day for those of us with long memories and, in a way that's becoming more and more real, the end of an era -- and a very heady era at that. Today it was announced that self-proclaimed "white-sock, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer" Neil Armstrong slipped the bounds of the surly gravity that he'd escaped once, only to return and see the dream die; he slipped it again today, this time permanently.

Rest in peace, Mr. Armstrong. Even if the dream died in what passes for the minds of the ignorant, the superstitious, and the downright stupid, it shone brightly for many, this writer included; it was a dream that not only got us to the moon (and let's not forget back again!), but inspired a generation to take up engineering and technology and do great things with them -- for those were times when we were challenged to dream big, aim high, and execute on those dreams even if it meant that there was risk involved. We've lost all of those. In the absolutely risk-averse world we live in now, in which risk is assiduously ferretted out and done away with, we have lost the notion of dreaming big (we might get hurt); we are not allowed to aim high (we might fail); and we're not allowed to execute on those notions -- if the notions got that far -- as something might go wrong.

Well, wake up world -- we still live in a life that's fraught with risk, whether we like to admit it or not, chastise our governments for allowing risk to exist, or sticking our heads in the sand. Risk is part of life, and without risk -- and the potential rewards -- life loses much. The key is not eliminating risk, it's managing it.

Now, I'm not about to claim that shoving both legs down one tube of fabric -- if you're a guy, that is -- is comparable to sitting atop 7.5 million pounds of thrust vectoring upwards through the base of what might as well have been a pencil, but there are parallels.

The Saturn V rocket system was one of the most reliable constructs going, and it was so because of meticulous attention to detail and rigourous testing and verification of all aspects of the building, erection, and last-second-before-launch testing -- interestingly, the first rocket system to make use of computerised testing and verification techniques. Do we go though a similar regime when we decide to challenge the convetional wisdom that we cannot, as men, wear skirts -- just as convention wisdom held at the time that landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth was impossible (and note, still, the persistence of conspiracy-theories on the Apollo landings)? I'd posit not, and in that supposition I shall also posit that we raise the risk of failure (failure, in this case, means getting laughed at or, in very rare circumstances, worse). So, like Mr. Armstrong and his many associates who are far too numerous to name (nerdy, white-socked, and all) we need to manage that risk and do our level best to make the ideas and the dreams work.

Thank you Mr. Armstrong for your inspiration, and thank you to all the other folks of that generation who inspired a then-youngster to take up the tools and mantle of technology to change the world, in what small ways we could. My hat's off to you, sir. Godspeed.

[Sarongman]

A true loss indeed. A late good friend who just missed out on pilot training for WW1,and went on to gain a degree in science and engineering. Ron died 13 years ago aged 99 was always fascinated with technology and had nothing but scorn for those who derided the moon landing as a scam. HE put his fascination with science down to a juvenile fascination with the writings of Jules Verne. So let's remember the generations of science fiction writers who made many generations dream and dare to push the boundaries. "Nerds" aren't a new phenomenon, they go back to the Industrial revolution and beyond, let the rest of us thank them for their wit and ability.

[crfriend]

[...] Ron died 13 years ago aged 99 was always fascinated with technology and had nothing but scorn for those who derided the moon landing as a scam. HE put his fascination with science down to a juvenile fascination with the writings of Jules Verne.

An interesting and touching piece about Mr. Armstrong could be found in his family's statement: "[Neil] never lost his boyhood wonder of [aviation and exploration throughout his life.]" One of the things I have found in myself is that I remain acutely and passionately curious about the world around me; in fact I believe that when I lose that curiosity I shall be either dead or well on the way to dying. Your friend Ron sounds the same way. I wish curiosity was as cherished today as material things: the rewards are so much greater.

On science fiction: Yes, much, if not most, of what happened during the Apollo Programme and the subsequent forays into the void of space had been described by science fiction writers -- and they got a stunning amount of it right. However, for this writer, the "heavy lifting" was done by "nerds with slide-rules" and engineers who would not say, "This is impossible." The stroke of genius was to say, "We can't do this with the technology we have, let's develop the technology to make it possible!"

"Nerds" aren't a new phenomenon, they go back to the Industrial revolution and beyond, let the rest of us thank them for their wit and ability.

Hear hear!!

[skirtyscot]

Now, I'm not about to claim that shoving both legs down one tube of fabric -- if you're a guy, that is -- is comparable to sitting atop 7.5 million pounds of thrust vectoring upwards through the base of what might as well have been a pencil, but there are parallels.

You read about the death of an astronaut, and your musings on him somehow came round to the subject of men in skirts. Fantastic!

I wonder what the scientists thought Mr Armstrong's chance was of landing safely on the moon and back on earth in one piece? And did they ever tell him and his colleagues?

[Milfmog]

I wonder what the scientists thought Mr Armstrong's chance was of landing safely on the moon and back on earth in one piece? And did they ever tell him and his colleagues?

I don't know about the scientists, but I suspect the engineers who made it happen reckoned the probability was well above 90% or they would not have signed off on the project...

Have fun,


Ian.

[Kirbstone]

I reckon Neil Armstrong played that one throughout his life subsequent to his moon landing just about right. He rarely gave interviews, never sought fame or glory and when pressed on the subject he always made it clear that he was merely the guy chosen to pilot the brainchild of Werner von Braun & the result of all the combined endeavours of nearly half a million people to its designed destination.

He did a very fine job when it came to it, of course.

T.

[crfriend]

You read about the death of an astronaut, and your musings on him somehow came round to the subject of men in skirts. Fantastic!

It's all about pioneers and risk management. The world needs more of the former and better execution of the latter instead of risk-avoidance or risk-elimination.

I wonder what the scientists thought Mr Armstrong's chance was of landing safely on the moon and back on earth in one piece? And did they ever tell him and his colleagues?

Ian summed that up nicely. It wasn't up to the scientists -- they already knew that the thing was possible, although perhaps not with the technology of the 1960s -- it was up to the engineers who created the required technology, designed the craft, paper-tested their hypotheses, then tested the physical articles without manning them, and only then were they willing to put men in the capsule and send them on their way.

[BobM]

We were snorkeling in the Barrents Sea that July day in 1969. We got the whip antenna up just in time to catch the live broadcast of the decent and landing. It is/was one of the few defining moments of my live. Thank you, Mr. Armstrong, and rest in peace.

[skirtedMarine]

Here here, fair winds and following seas Mr. Armstrong, Thank You for Your Service.

[Sarongman]

It is somehow fitting that his funeral was, not only on a full moon, but also on a fairly rare "blue moon". Fly happily up there Neil!