Last Christmas whilst buying presents for the grandchildren I was searching for a toy space rocket. The result was dispiriting to say the least. Whilst there were toy cars and even boats that had a realistic look, all the rockets were cartoon-like. There were the spin-offs-- Toy Story and the like, and lots of chubby rockets with faces, and fantasy rockets that turn into other fantastic monsters, but no realistic, miniature Apollo-type rockets. I eventually ordered one of the last of the toys available from NASA toy-shop (I still don't know if it's real NASA!) It was the last of a discontinued line.
My point is -- now that most of the population were not alive on that day on July 1969 when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, are we trying to downplay the achievement by belittling it and relegating it to the realms of fancy? People now don't believe it happened-- I remember GTV 9 here in Melbourne broadcast the whole thing for 3 days non-stop! It was playing non-stop in shops, banks, schools and our house! You don't fake that!
We should not let it all be forgotten because it's too hard to follow! The death of Armstrong this week has, I think, not produced the sort of discussion I thought it would. Why are we not critical of the inertia that has finished our exploration of space? It would probably be less expensive to reach Mars than fund the crazy wars we are currently fighting in.
I certainly never thought that the dreams of Space would end up as a bright plastic rocket with a smiley face!
