Reflections of the 50 anniversary of Apollo 11

July 2019

One small step to secure

Harry Scherer
Class of 2022

Curiosity about space travel is indicative of broader internal human considerations concerning the limits of human physical ability. The sentiment used to be "if we can fly a man to the moon, what can we not do?" Now, the question has shifted to "if we cannot fly a man to Mars, what can we do?" It is natural for us to seek for higher, wider and greater pursuits if the achievement of these dreams leads to human glory.

Many Americans remember the day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 as a triumphant day for the country. On an anecdotal level, my mother remembers the day as a young girl: "I remember looking up into the sky to try and see them landing on the moon." The innocence and wonder which went along with this action was probably applicable to many Americans, even adults, who were awe-inspired by the notion that human beings were capable of flying to the moon.

The amazement that necessarily went along with this event points to a powerful metaphysic regarding the relationship between man and the moon. The star is the primary light for man in the darkness of night. The moon, a reflection of light from the sun, reminds us that the possibility of a new day is on the horizon.

The moon also has religious significance which can feed the wonder and amazement of the unique event. In Christianity, the moon is the footstool for the woman described in Revelation: "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (12:1). The woman, in this particular section of the Scripture, is seen as a symbol for Israel. This parallel requires a look into Genesis, a book prayed with and studied by both Christians and Jews, in which Joseph has a dream during which "the sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to [him]" (37:9). This dream served as a prefigurement from the Almighty that Joseph would be the leader of the Jewish people.

From both a metaphysical and religious perspective, the moon has significance beyond mere astronomy. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a person to whom I often look for deeper understanding, wisely said, "God who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun." When we look to the moon, we look to the creation of God, an object which is present to remind us of essential realities like hope and complementarity.

However, on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the perception of Americans with regard to space exploration seems to have shifted. Recently, engagement with the discovery of new objects in space and the technology to travel to these locations seems to have been limited to the persons who are making these discoveries and a small subset of interested astrophiles on social media. Just in recent months, the tide of interest in space seems to have expanded to a national intrigue from the lens of the White House. In the beginning of March 2019, Vice President Mike Pence said that "before the year is out, President Trump will launch the sixth branch of our Armed Forces, the United States Space Force."

The way in which the government and civilians look at space is different than the perspective of the late 1960’s. The momentous moon landing was a "first" for space travel, sparking an imaginative edge for adults and children alike. Now, space is viewed as battlefield. The "race to space" in the 60’s was the early and adulterated version of space conflict. NASA was formed as an independent agency of the federal government. Conversely, the Space Force will be formed as a member organization of the Armed Forces. The reaction to form the body as a fighting power would likely be seen as a response to the emerging threats from adversarial powers. In June 2018, Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said, "Russia and China continue to launch ‘experimental’ satellites that conduct sophisticated on-orbit activities, at least some of which are intended to advance counterspace capabilities." In other words, adversaries are building technologies not for the purpose of furthering space exploration, but to destroy the technologies built by their enemies, in this case the United States.

Because the area of space is no longer a playground for astronauts, but rather a battlefield for soldiers, the wonder which accompanies space travel is tarnished by the global competition for this real estate. Now, the race to space is not about mere occupation, but about dominance. Those who rightly fear rapid globalization should also be wary of the accelerating competition between global powers to assert dominance in space. Western powers would benefit themselves and the world by coming behind the originator of space travel, the United States, in this race for space power. Otherwise, the spoils are left in the hands of erratic and dangerous communist powers like Russia and China.

Since America led one small step for man and a giant leap for mankind, many other nations have climbed onto that leap. Because the States took credit for this great achievement, it is her responsibility to secure the safety and stability of those who could be harmed by foreign powers from space. As has been analyzed, space, particularly the moon, is of social, metaphysical and political importance to persons and nations. It is the growing responsibility of nations to look beyond emerging domestic and even international issues and look up. Because of anatomical design, human beings have the unique ability to look straight up into the sky. The ability to look up at the wonderful creation of God is no less powerful today than it was in 1969 and should be considered a privilege to be marvel and protect that which God has given us.

Read other articles by Harry Scherer

A giant leap

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

A giant leap. That is exactly what the lunar landing was. I can still remember learning about it as a small child. There were picture books about the planets, and the moon always had an American flag sticking out of it. Curiously enough, I only remember the name of Neil Armstrong, though there were two astronauts at the time: Armstrong and another man named Buzz Aldrin.

In 1969, Apollo 11 flew out the first two people to ever set foot on the moon. While in itself, the action was momentous. It also signaled for the end of the Space Race. The Space Race is a 14-year competition between the Soviet Union and the United States, and it was basically a race to see who would dominate space first.

During a time when country loyalty and patriotism were at an all-time high. America desperately needed a win against the Soviets. As a result of this, when President John F. Kennedy introduced a proposal that stated, "before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth", America had something to root for.

While in its foundation, the reasons for the race weren’t the best as it had certainly been fueled by military agendas. But in hindsight, it was also a vital and much-needed win for the United States. After the second World War, President Kennedy believed that it was important that the United States was perceived as superior, even if in actuality that had not been entirely true. And when challenged by the Soviet’s to prove their adequacy in space, the United States had to step up to the plate.

At the time, the two countries were in the middle of the Cold War: a war which began shortly after World War 2 where, interestingly enough, the two countries were allies. The Cold War is cold because of the fact that there was no heavy, direct fighting between the two sides. Instead they supported opposing local conflicts as a way to show that they were not on the same side.

Twice, the Soviets beat America. The first loss was Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. It was released by the Soviets on October 4, 1957 and caused fear that the Soviets would eventually be able to launch ballistic missiles into space. The second loss was when the Soviets were successful in sending the first person to orbit space in a spacecraft. His name was Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin.

My mother, being only 7 at the time, does not remember much about the lunar landing and was only able to tell me one thing when I asked: "America won". And it was true. We won. At the time, us winning the Space Race was a big deal. The first man on the moon was American! The United States proved that it was capable of commanding the sky, and that it was technologically and scientifically advanced enough to give the Soviet Union a run for their money. To have two Americans stand upon the surface of the moon meant everything. Which was just the rush they needed after the hit they took when Sputnik was released.

On this 50th Anniversary of the lunar landing, I think it’s important for us to remember the feelings of patriotism and unity. Especially in today’s political and social climate, the United States seems more divided than it ever was. The Space Race allowed everyone to be on the same team. The Space Race brought the people of this country together, as one. And I believe that we need to find more reasons to be on the same team again.

I must say that this anniversary is truly a reminder that we were once the best. We were the innovators, the leaders, the frontrunners in education, science, and countless other areas. And it reminds us that we can become the best again. America has fallen behind, but this is not because we are not capable or good enough, but because we no longer give the same importance to these issues. We need to do better! We need to start giving importance to the things that will make us the best again. And that is through the improvement and advancement in our education and the increase in concern for our future.

We have done so much to be proud of. And for some reason, we stopped. We stopped being proud. We stopped pushing. We stopped striving to be the best. We’re complacent and satisfied. We fail to recognize that just because we have stopped, it does not mean that the rest of the world has done the same.

This anniversary let us remember that we have every capability and opportunity to become the best again. We are America. The Space Race was just a glimpse into how great we can be when we push beyond our boundaries and reach towards our greatest potential.

As President Kennedy stated in his "Urgent National Needs" speech on May 25, 1961, "…it will not be one man going to the Moon… it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there." In this same way, we must all strive towards the same goal. We should all work together, unite, and realize that what makes America great again is its ability to come together, support one another, and achieve its goals.

This 50th anniversary, let us take a giant leap in the right direction. We are America. The country that has proved its worth and capability time and time again. We are America. The country that’s spearheaded discovery and creation with the understanding that leading the way into the future is much better than sitting back and watching it happen. We are America. We produced the first man on the moon. And our discoveries will not end there.

Read other articles by Angela (Tongohan) Guiano

Looking to the future

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

I would be surprised if every child who was able did not lay outside at night staring into the sky at some point. It is beautiful to lay down in the grass and stare in awe at all the stars and galaxies that are visible to the human eye. I remember when I was a young kid and my dad bought me my very first telescope. I was overjoyed and we spent many hours that night outside looking up at the stars and the moon. I even remember commenting on the surface of the moon, thinking that it looked like the Death Star that I had recently seen in Star Wars just a few days prior. The moon seemed so far. I can imagine for a child of an earlier generation, going to the moon was only something to daydream about, or maybe even write a fiction story about. For newer generations, this dream feels so much more realistic.

On July 20, 1969, man reached a milestone that one could only dream of prior. Millions of Americans remember hearing the words that the Eagle had landed. America had truly done it. America landed on the moon. Not only did we win the race to space against the USSR, but all of the country watched in awe as Neil Armstrong took mankind’s very first steps on the moon, closely followed by Buzz Aldrin just minutes later.

"That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for humanity." The first words said by Armstrong upon stepping foot on the moon say it all. It was a great victory for Americans.

When asked to write about the moon landing for the 50-year anniversary of one of the greatest events in history, I was surprised it had been so long since then. I was told about the moon landing as a child, and I didn’t imagine it so far away, as it occurred after the birth of both of my parents. However, my parents had been far too young at the time to remember the event. I knew exactly who to contact about my further questions: my grandmother. She was just another hardworking American with four children at the time, watching the events unfold like everybody else. I decided to get into contact with my grandmother to hear about her thoughts when the moon landing occurred.

"It was amazing! I was spellbound!" She told me. "I still remember his words when he stepped on the surface of the moon." She told me Armstrong’s quote from her memory, word by word. My grandmother explained to me that she couldn’t even imagine what it could have been like before it happened. It didn’t even seem like it was possible.

After watching more about the moon landing, including a documentary about Apollo 11, and watching the original broadcast with Walter Concrite, I could see the reaction of the newscasters which was not much different from what my grandmother described. They looked excited, overjoyed, and most of all, filled with anticipation. I’m sure that giddiness that the men expressed was not exclusive to them but spread throughout the entire nation. During this time, the future was going to be in space, which was now in our grasp.

Now, however, there definitely seems to have been a shift. When I think about the future, I honestly don’t know what to think. Will it be a world taken over by AI (even more than it already has been)? Will the world be turned into a wasteland that we will no longer be able to thrive in? Will our space exploration continue to the point that we can live elsewhere like in my favorite sci-fi films?

I know it isn’t always fair to compare different parts of a timeline because each one has its advantages and disadvantages. I know that I am very privileged because of where I was born and the time I was born but it’s not all that easy either. Being in "today" also has its drawbacks.

We live in a time where we can have all the information in the world at our fingertips in a matter of seconds. I don’t need to remember things like I did ten years ago. It’s all in a device I keep in my pocket where I have immediate access to my own AI assistant. When I take a step and look at the world I’m living in, I realize that it truly is being taken over by this information that can be used however you see fit.

This has its drawbacks too, as certain people become a walking zombie that cannot spend a moment away from their phone. I like to think that I am not like this but I know I definitely plead guilty in certain situations. It seemed like we live in a different world now based on what I have been told by the older generations. Some things have improved, others have changed for the worse. It wouldn’t be fair to choose one side over the other when there are so many things to consider.

We have all of this information at the push of a button, but at this time, it is obvious that we are not pursuing this travel to expand outside our own world. We aren’t currently prepared to find our way back to the moon or elsewhere. Our hearts and minds are not looking ahead to a future in outer space, nor is it the priority in this country. The dream that we all had at one time seems to be dwindling as we get older. Maybe I try to think with more realistic goals in mind, but often I forget the importance of aiming high. Aiming beyond our very own atmosphere and into space. I believe we still have potential in space, even if it doesn’t seem like we are headed in that direction. The moon landing was an important win for our country and it certainly wasn’t our last.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney

Keep leaping, America

Shea Rowell
MSMU Class of 2019

On July 20, 1969, the United States accomplished the impossible; they sent a team of astronauts to the moon, and two men, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on its dusty, cratered surface for the first time in history. The lunar landing was the event of the decade – some may say the century, and it was America’s way to prove her power to the world and to herself during the Cold War, a time of national fear and doubt. The strange truth is that the event that was once considered impossible is now taken for granted. My peers and I were raised in a scientific world for which walking on the moon was just a "first step." The National Space Program has moved further than the moon: probing Mars, capturing images of stars in the various stages of their formation, piecing together a model of our galaxy and others. The universe is much larger than we could have imagined in 1969, and our exploration has given us knowledge of our universe and our place within it.

The lunar landing, however, was a notable first in space exploration. To get a sense of the impact Apollo 11 had on everyday life, I asked a few family members about their memories of the event. My grandmother, Rosanne Alessi, reflects on the landing: "It was a huge event at the time. Now, there’s so much going on, we don’t even think about it, but at that time, it was huge." In fact, she remembers where she was 50 years ago when she saw the television broadcast of the landing. She says, "I was walking in an area where stores were, and it [the landing] was playing on television at the store. And that was how we saw it." She especially remembers seeing Armstrong and Aldrin placing the American flag on the surface of the moon.

My paternal grandmother, Peggy Pinter, has a more personal connection with the landing. She, like Alessi, remembers feeling amazed when she saw the landing on television. "It was unbelievable," she recalls, "It was kind of like a miracle. Can you imagine, at that time, thinking of that? A man on the moon!" She remembers feeling incredulous: "In many ways, it was unbelievable... It was kind of like science fiction. Like it wasn’t real, but it was." Many years, later, however, she would meet and eventually marry Warren Pinter, a NASA engineer who helped to design the environmental systems on the spacecraft during the Apollo 11 mission. Pinter reflects that this was "one of the most stressful times" of her late husband’s life. "And," she adds, "he had nine kids!"

According to Pinter, her husband’s environmental system was the one that brought the team back to earth after the first system failed. She reflects that "Warren was amazed himself that it worked." Warren Pinter retired shortly after Apollo 11’s success, but he was proud of his contribution to the space program. A thank you message from NASA, signed personally by Buzz Aldrin, still hangs on the wall at Pinter’s home.

The fifty-year-old memories, storefront televisions, and souvenirs hung on the wall tell the story of the moon landing’s impression on those who witnessed it in various ways. America was proud when it saw its flag planted on the surface of the moon, but the days of astronauts walking the moon are now over. Does this mean our nation has abandoned its space exploration to collect dust as a once-impressive moment of history? The space landing is part of my family’s history as well, and, while NASA is no longer sending astronauts to the moon, my family’s connection with the space program continues with my astrophysics enthusiast brother, Joseph Rowell, who will be attending MIT in the fall to study aerospace engineering.

Joseph has been studying astronomy and physics independently since he was a young child; his passion speaks for itself. When I asked Joseph whether he thought the nation was better in 1969 when NASA was still sending men to the moon, he responded with a firm negative. Now, according to Joseph, the space program’s reasons for continuing space exploration are more scientific and practical today than they were in 1969. He explained, "The only reason we went to the moon in 1969 was for military reasons against the Soviets. Now we have switched to science, which is much more practical to do on the space station. Now, going back to the moon is not about putting people there, but about setting up technology there."

Joseph acknowledges the difficulties the NASA is facing after the conclusion of the Cold War: "It’s not a race anymore, and the budget has been cut because of that." He does, however, think that NASA has a lot more to do than putting a man on the moon. The next step is not bringing people to the moon for brief visits, but bringing them beyond earth, potentially permanently. Joseph excitedly continued: "It has to do with human expansion. If you believe that all humans were meant to do is stay on earth, there is very little practical reason to go to space. But if we want to expand into space, we need to understand how earth’s ecosystems operate away from earth, from gravity to zero-gravity, and to environments with higher radiation." The future of space exploration, then, is to learn more about how to bring "earth" to new planets.

There is more space, infinite space, to explore. The moon landing was a feat to be proud of, but it was only the beginning. There is a new "impossible" to be accomplished, and a new generation to dream it up. America’s new goal should not be to flaunt her strength to other nations, or even to test her own limits, but to make the world – the universe – a better place for humans to live. Now, without the competition and threat that drove our first steps, we can focus ore purely on the reasons for our efforts, and the good that they might accomplish.

Read other articles by Shea Rowell

Read Past Editions of Four Years at the Mount