IF YOU BELIEVE …
|| By FITSNEWS || This week marks the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, when human beings first set foot on another world.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” astronaut Neil Armstrong said after placing his left space boot on the surface of the moon at 10:56 p.m. ET.
Years later Armstrong told Esquire‘s George Plimpton he wrote his famous quote en route to the moon.
“I always knew there was a good chance of being able to return to Earth, but I thought the chances of a successful touchdown on the moon surface were about even money—fifty-fifty,” Armstrong told Plimpton. “Most people don’t realize how difficult the mission was. So it didn’t seem to me there was much point in thinking of something to say if we’d have to abort landing.”
You know … all this is assuming you believe the whole thing wasn’t a hoax.
If you do think that, we’d recommend not sharing your views with Buzz Aldrin, who accompanied Armstrong on that first lunar excursion. In 2002, Aldrin punched a documentary filmmaker named Bart Sibrel in the face after Sibrel referred to the then-72-year-old as a “liar” and a “coward.”
Aldrin is now 85 years old. Armstrong? He died three years ago at the age of 82.
Real American heroes …
Aldrin’s view on the anniversary?
“The next giant leap will be Mars,” he wrote on his Twitter page.
It's the 46th Anniversary Apollo 11 moon landing. Mankind's first small step-The next giant leap will be #Mars #GYATM pic.twitter.com/c2ADqSN72G
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 20, 2015
Will it, though?
We support Mars exploration … although we do believe such an effort should be privately funded. In fact we’ve been pushing for the privatization of the space program for some time. At the very least, government’s role in such an endeavor should be limited.
For the record, we believe the moon landing was legit … and not just because we’d prefer not to be punched in the face by Aldrin.
“Our founding editor met up with Apollo 16 moon walker (and Lancaster, S.C. native) Charlie Duke once, back in the day, and he told Sic Willie the whole thing was on the up and up,” we wrote a few years back.
Of interest? The Smithsonian Museum is currently raising money online to preserve Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit. We support that effort … if for no other reason than we believe all museums ought to be funded with private money.
57 comments
I vote we take up a private collection for a Donald Trump Museum on the Moon.
Exhibit A: Donald Trump.
I’ll bet you are a liberal Democrat.
No — I am a radicalized redneck Jew.
No — I am a radicalized redneck Jew.
Dad????
I thought all those were in Atlanta.
:)
You know I have to say this is rich. I got upvotes from Rogue Elephant and Erneba. Guys, my comment was sarcastic. There are no Liberal Democrats criticizing Donald Trump. Liberal Democrats are happy to run against Donald Trump in the general election. You people are being duped by the Republican Establishment. They are the ones afraid of Trump. They are trying to kill him before the primaries. Especially the Koch Brothers. They hate Trump. They spent a ton of money on Walker and Cruz and don’t want to lose their investment. Trump can’t be bought. If you want to know who is demonizing Trump, look in their direction first and the forces of Jeb second.
His hair already looks like it’s in zero gravity…
+20
http://cdn.soundpublishing.com/dailyweekly/mooning.jpg
New moons rising.
Is space exploration a core function of government???
probably not, but because it was at the very least historic it is a core function of government to preserve, display, and educate the public on what their money paid for
Excellent comment.
“core function of government” is completely devoid of any principle. It’s just someone’s opinion.
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bp.
http://www.followcareersdevelopersangus/quick/dollars….
It is not a core function. But the government was the only entity that could afford to finance research, development, and build the infrastructure to get to the moon.
The next venture to the moon will probably be privately financed and many decades from now.
Can’t believe it was forty-six years ago.
Can’t believe we haven’t been back since the 1970s. Space exploration spending should be mandated to be 1% of GDP as it was during the space race.
“Can’t believe we haven’t been back since the 1970s.”
It could be the ole “Been there, done that” syndrome.
Being the “first” really meant something, going back again as an encore performance, not so much.
I don’t think that’s what it was.
What do you think? FUNDING?
theres also something to be said about the beneficence of government over a private company.
the Polio vaccine was developed by an individual and then given to the government because he felt it was too valuable to keep to himself. Since that time we havent cured anything. most drug research is done by private companies who are more focused on the bottom line (which means sustained longterm treatments) than curing diseases.
imagine the same for space travel, if private companies were the ones to do it who knows what would happen to the resources, sciences, and other discoveries they would find in space. when something is as big and as important as space travel its better for the tax payer in general for it to be paid for by tax payers, and therefore the results belong to the tax payers. Unless were talking about a football stadium
“theres also something to be said about the beneficence of government over a private company.”
“The foundation was an alliance between scientists and volunteers, with volunteers raising money to support research and education efforts.”-Wiki
It wasn’t government funded….it was a non-profit started by Roosevelt.
Yes. Moron.
Bettering the prospects of the people and it’s economy, which space exploration had proven to do, is a core function of government. Moreso than the Coast Guard, that’s for sure.
So what about universal health care?
Yay, we could open a “free clinic” on the moon.
http://www.alaskacommons.com/2013/05/25/smf-37/libertarian-society-vs-socialist-society-mad-max-star-trek
Ha!
That’s some funny shit. So how does a socialist country build a Star Trek spaceship when people who can barely afford toilet paper can’t find any on store shelves?
Are we going to get the Socialist version of a replicator that will create some free toilet paper for us so we can all wipe our asses and then work on a space ship together? Or will the replicator be big enough to just say, “One USS Enterprise please!”?!?!
Maybe instead we can just have Soviet style bread lines for TP to get that project off the ground.
The soviets were Communist not Socialists. But in reality I gest. The Star Trek society was not so much a socialist society as a society without need. Everyone had food, clothing, shelter, instantaneous transportation, and education at no cost. Technology made that possible. That left everyone to do what Abraham Maslow referred to as “self actualize.” . Each person was free to pursue his best vision of himself, be it in art, science, exploration, etc. You could even recreate need by moving to a plant without all the technology.
It did however eliminate one of the benefits of being rich. The power wealth brings. The wealthy have no power when there is no need.
“The soviets were Communist not Socialists.”
“Union of Soviet Socialist Republics”
“But in reality I gest.”- Well, that’s good to know.
Communism is an extreme form of Socialism, just as Plutocracy is an extreme form of Capitalism. Both lead to the control of many by a few, Both are equally cruel. Both are enemies of Democracy. As in all things balance is the key.
The problem is neither side sees the threat from their own side. The Russians were seeking a Socialist Utopia and did not recognize the looming threat of Communist. Just as the right in this Country is seeking a Capitalist utopia, and fails to recognize the looming threat of Plutocracy.
“Both are enemies of Democracy.”
If you think democracy solves problems then you should think twice.
Sometimes life sucks, but its a hell of a lot better than the alternative. Sometimes Democracy sucks for some, but as with life it is a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
“Sometimes Democracy sucks for some, but as with life it is a hell of a lot better than the alternative.”
What alternative do you speak of? That’s the thing- we don’t know if there’s anything better because we’re mired in shit.
Not only that, but “democracy” was never supposed to be the plan. Republicanism was supposed to be the core tenet, the thing that made King George laugh at the Revolution as an absurd concept.
“we believe all museums ought to be funded with private money.”
hey what a great idea, because that would make them private entities, and in the case of things like the smithsonian would be in possession of many millions of dollars with of government property that belong to the tax payer and they could then charge out the nose to allow the tax payer to look at their own belongings.
museums (especially military and history), governmental archives, and congressional/presidential libraries all belong to the taxpayers, everything in them belongs to the tax payers, and as such should not be forced to use private money
NASA = better American math and science students and innovation for the future.
SpaceX = More profits.
Privatizing space exploration is short sighted and stupid.
Do you know why NASA never sent a woman to the moon?
There are no kitchens up there yet?
This is like that program on TV.
“Good Answer, Good answer.”
And the moon did not need cleaning.
Wouldn’t a women orbiting around the moon be in a constant “that time of the month” mode? Aren’t their periods tied to the moon or some shit supposedly?
How can you communicate with a women in that mode between the screaming and crying? They wouldn’t be able to get anything done.
Boy, You’re going to rile up all the moon witches with that answer.
TANG, Beetchez!!!!
Ok, yea, but did it really improve the quality of life for man? Maybe a few astronaut dreamer kids….but was was the development cost really worth it? lol
Moontang WOW.
Urban myth – Tang was invented in 1957 and not used in the space program until 1962.
Urban myth – Tang was invented in 1957 and not used in the space program until 1962.
Well, what about…
Velcro?
Microchips?
Teflon?
The list is endless!!!
*smiles*
Sorry,
Velcro – 1958
Teflon – 1938
Integrated virtue – 1949
NASA made great use of all of this technology and can be credited with advancing many technological innovations but very little was “invented” as a result of the space race.
*sobs*
*Runs out of classroom*
Here is where I have to part ways with the Liberaltarians . Space travel and exploration IS a core function of govt. The worst mistake President Bush made in his term was to ground the space shuttles and hire Russia to haul our stuff to the space station. What happens when Russia, China, or whoever comes up with a space based weapon ? The US needs to be the leader in this like we should be in everything else. This really IS rocket science.
What? No recap of last weekend’s events at the State house?
It wasn’t horrific or racially motivated enough.
I doubt we will ever make it to the moon…all those smart engineers have mostly died out and our colleges and our government appear to no longer value achievement…hard work is actually punished via taxation whilst sloth is rewarded via our metastatic unemployment rewards programme…even the O Administration announced a few years back that Muslim evangelism was a top priority for NASA…besides, we have to pay Putin to send our cosmonauts to the Space Station…
Palin and Bachmann could get us there!
Palin can see the moon from Alaska, so it must be close.
We could save a lot of money by putting cape Canaveral on top of mount Everest.
Mocking Palin for NASA’S current sclerosis seems puerile and petty.
The moon is much brighter in Kenya than Alaska.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” astronaut Neil Armstrong said….
It’s been said that Armstrong’s actual words were, “[t]hat’s one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.” If you listen to the audio recording, which used voice-actuated microphones, there’s a dropout.
I’ve also seen reports that Armstrong showed the prepared text of the above to a relative, before the flight.