Have been enjoying a real treat these past few days: NASA is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing mission by webcasting the entire Apollo 11 mission in real time. Basically it's all of the space-to-ground radio communication between Mission Control in Houston and the Apollo 11 crew, with occasional comments by a Public Affairs Officer to explain what's going on, just as it was originally recorded in July 1969.

Since it's in real time, there's a lot of dead air, with just the sound of the carrier wave punctuated by static every so often. The webcast began a few days ago -- at the very moment of the 40th anniversary of the launch -- and continues through next week. The highlights, of course, come tomorrow (July 20th, 1969) with the landing, and the moonwalk a few hours later.

Right now, Apollo 11 is in lunar orbit and Neil and Buzz are pressurizing the LEM. It's pretty cool to listen to... I've had it on all day for the past few days. Can't wait to hear the complete landing phase tomorrow afternoon... the link is Listen to the Apollo 11 Radiocast (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/apollo11_radio/index.html)

Hey, thanks! I was nine years old when all this happened.

You're sure right about the dead air. I was just downloading WMP 11 (thinking I must need it) when someone finally spoke. It was Buzz Aldrin.

Yeah, at this point right now they're in a sleep period (or rather, they were at this point 40 years ago), so it's kinda quiet at the moment. The radio activity should pick up quite a bit tomorrow since it's the lunar landing in the afternoon and the EVA on the moon tomorrow night.

Complete silence right now; makes me wonder if this thing is working...

Say, Chris, have you seen this link for "real time" television coverage? Now I'm torn.
Apollo 11 Live TV Coverage (http://kottke.org/apollo-11/)

Edit: Just heard them talking. I thought I heard, "The Eagle has landed," and thought, "Did I miss it AGAIN?!?" :)

Thanks for that link, Lorinda...

About an hour ago -- when you posted -- I think the webcast was completely down, because I wasn't even hearing a carrier wave. Just went out to run errands, and now that I'm back, it's definitely on again: Mike Collins just relayed some some message to Eagle from Houston.

There are entire 45 minute periods of silence as the spacecraft go around the back side of the Moon and are therefore out of communication range, and there's not a whole lot that goes on then except for some occasional Public Affairs announcements.

They just gave the "go" for DOI, descent orbit insertion, and the landing phase begins soon. Right now Neil Armstrong is talking to Charlie Duke, they're about to lose the radio signal going behind the Moon, and all the action, the actual landing which was quite a nail-biter picks back up again about an hour from now...

Yeah, sounds like nothing's there, like it's not on, during the loss-of-signal phase when they're behind the Moon, but actually it is on, there's occasional PAO statements and such. The seemingly empty aspect of it is due to the real-time playback, is all. When something happens, it comes on again.

...and all the action, the actual landing which was quite a nail-biter picks back up again about an hour from now...
I've been reading about it! Had no idea. Bet my stomach will be in knots hearing it 40 years later--just like a great movie! Of course, we won't hear Buzz Aldrin's "body English." :)

12 02 Alarm! Heh.

Even better now that I'm old enough to really appreciate the drama of this...

Wow! I just watched the landing at Lorinda's link. It was quite emotional. I guess I remember more than I thought from the original, when I was only 7.

Thanks for this, Chris and Lorinda. Amazing stuff what humans can do.

I don't have the words...

Except, thank you, Chris. If not for you I would have missed this.

Oh man, I just heard Neil Armstrong talking about the "nail-biting" part! :D

Houston: "Lots of smiling faces in this room...all over the world, over." Oh yeah.

Gene Kranz, flight director, was just mentioned!

...and Armstrong and Aldrin just said they don't know just where they are yet! Wow!

Sorry, this is just too much fun. I'll log off for awhile... :)

Well, the drama still ain't over just yet...

"Tranquility, Houston, please vent fuel and ox again, over, it's building back up."

"Tranquility, Houston, you can open both fuel and ox vent now, over."

"Tranquility, Houston, please vent the fuel, it's increasing rapidly, over."

Tranquility, Houston, please take the fuel vent switch and hold it open, over."

"Tranquility, Houston. We have indication that we've frozen up the descent fuel helium
heat exchanger and there's some fuel trapped in the line between air and the valves
and the pressure we're looking at is increasing there, over."

At this point, only the first half of Kennedy's goal has been achieved...
the other part, returning safely to the Earth, was still up in the air.

The PAO just announced that Armstrong's heart rate was 156bpm at touchdown.

That would be enough to get a guy's heart racing, all right.

How about Michael Collins asking Houston, "Let me know when it's lunch time?" Houston didn't hear it, when asked to repeat Collins said, "Disregard," so now we get to smile at the comment 40 years later.

Drat... I missed most of the landing sequence, which of course was the most dramatic, getting logged back in at about 45 feet (meters ?) before touch down. I had lost my hookup as I tried to figure out a way to record, and lost the connection.

Edit, found this version on line, from Honeysuckle station recording: http://www.honeysucklecreek.net/msfn_missions/Apollo_11_mission/apollo11_audio.html

"One small step..." Wow.

This webcast is one of the best things I've ever heard the Net.

Yes, it's amazing. I'm watching the tv broadcast version, and it's interesting to see how tentative Armstrong is in his movements.

We're so jaded with Sci-fi flicks where everyone is zipping about with total abandon. This guy is standing on the moon! He'd better be careful.

When the titles came up "Live from the surface of the moon", I recognized them immediately from 40 years ago. I can't believe it...

I agree Vito; it was a bit surreal. Some of the images looked like moving X-rays to me. By the way, I listened to the NASA webcast on my headphones while watching the televised version on another computer. Early on it was almost 8 seconds out of sync; later it was almost right. Very odd.

Anyway, I ended up with some questions:

I wonder if the craters Houston referred to as "the irregular-looking" "old-looking" "small bright crater" were named later.

When Neil Armstrong says, "You can really throw things a long way up here," what did he throw? A rock?

I had to leave so missed some of the moon walk. Did Buzz Aldrin say, "Here's for you Mr (don't remember the name)" or is the joke I've been told is true just a joke? He's obviously got a sense of humor; I liked it when he said he was partially closing the hatch "making sure I don't lock it on my way out." :)

1. I think so... take a look at Apollo 11 Telescopic Views (http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11site.html) and http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11_lpi_trvrsmap.gif
(see also http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11traverse.gif and http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/A11LBL5447.jpg and
Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal : EVA Photo Map (http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11prsci3-15.html) and http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/A11LBL5437.jpg -- and if that
ain't enough, see Apollo 11 Image Library (http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/images11.html#Maps) for more).

2. The handle of the scoop that he used to collect the contingency sample (that is, the first moonrock).

3. False. Debunked at snopes.com: Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky! (http://www.snopes.com/quotes/mrgorsky.asp)

Holy Moonwalk, CH, that's a lot of info! :) Thanks so much, and yes, I think it's safe to say all the craters around there were named.

As for the joke, the guy who told me even had the wrong astronaut. And he's telling everyone it's true.

One more question, and I hope it's not as ignorant as I feel asking it. It's been said that unless the moon was hit by a meteor in that very spot, the footprints should still be there. If that's the case, why hasn't a more recent photo been taken to shut down the claim that the whole thing was a hoax?

Scrolling down the Apollo Image Library page I ran across this:

Jim Scotti has provided a cropped version showing West Crater and the landing site. René and Jonathan Cantin have created a film of the Apollo 11 Final Approach ( 10 Mb, wmv ) that is a side-by-side composite of the landing film and LO 5076_h3, with a number of craters matched up in the two views.

That wmv is a link. Have you watched it? No wonder everyone was on pins and needles during the descent. It took a long time, considering the limited fuel.

One more question, and I hope it's not as ignorant as I feel asking it. It's been said that unless the moon was hit by a meteor in that very spot, the footprints should still be there. If that's the case, why hasn't a more recent photo been taken to shut down the claim that the whole thing was a hoax?

There is a satelite circling the moon right now that is mapping the surface, and they just recently sent posted pictures with the LEM base was still visible at the Tranquility Base. The camera is not good enough to resolve footprints, barely making out the LEM base. They may need a Canon 5D.

They also have pictures at other sites, where the lunar rover is still sitting there after all these years, hubcaps and everything still on them.

"They may need a Canon 5D." :)

Interesting! Then why on earth are people still talking hoax??? (You don't have to answer that.)

Thanks, Chris.

"Just left the Lunar sphere of influence".

Damn you, Chris! I'm hooked!

LOL. I should say you are! Thanks for the update, Vito. Tuning back in now...

Tell me about it... I've had this thing on for days now. And most
of the big moments are over... but I still want to hear how it ends.
This is the longest I've ever had any webcast tuned in.

...the footprints should still be there.

There is a satelite circling the moon right now that is mapping the surface, and they just recently sent posted pictures with the LEM base was still visible at the Tranquility Base. The camera is not good enough to resolve footprints, barely making out the LEM base.

Here's some info about the three cameras onboard the LRO: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) (http://www.msss.com/lro/lroc/index.html) and What is LROC? (What is LROC) @ LROC (http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/EPO/LROC/lroc.php)

See also NASA - Abandoned Spaceships and Moon Buggies (http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/11jul_lroc.htm) -- and you can track LRO in real time: Where is LRO? @ LROC (http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/whereislro/)

LRO actually has photographed the walking trails left behind on the lunar surface by Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell during their two Apollo 14 EVAs: NASA - LRO Sees Apollo Landing Sites (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html) -- that's about as good as it gets with regard to resolving footprints from lunar orbit!

If that's the case, why hasn't a more recent photo been taken to shut down the claim that the whole thing was a hoax?

Two reasons... first, if the overwhelming scientific and technical evidence and the vast historical record accumulated 40 years ago aren't enough to convince the lunar landing hoax believers, then what difference would an image from LRO make today? After all, LRO is a NASA project and therefore just another part of that massive conspiracy, right? The other day I saw somebody's blog that pointed to the header data in one of the LRO images of the Apollo 11 landing site. The header data said "Photoshop," which was proof enough for the blogger to believe that the image was fake. Well, of course that image had been run through Photoshop, as that's a very common way to convert an image to .JPG format and re-size it for web delivery! Sheesh.

Second, I'm not so sure that the lunar landing hoax claims need to be shut down. All of that nonsense has long since been thoroughly de-bunked, and the accomplishments of the Apollo program don't require any more validation. Conspiracy theorists are drawn to the Internet like June bugs to a porch light, but there's never any agreement or consistency among them -- just a lot of willful ignorance. In my opinion, the lunar landing hoax claims really do serve a worthwhile purpose: they're an opportunity to educate (to learn, for example, about the dynamic range of film and why stars aren't recorded on exposures set to f/16 at 1/500th, and about the specular illumination of back-lit objects on the highly reflective lunar surface). Ultimately these hoax theories present an excellent example of Occam's Razor in action... if you weigh all of the enormity, complexities and self-contradictions of the proposed hoax, it becomes far more believable and easier to accept that yes we really did go to the Moon.

There's a lot of hoax de-bunking available online, but a couple of the best are Clavius Moon Base - debunking the moon hoax (http://www.clavius.org/index.html) and The Moon Hoax Debate (http://www.braeunig.us/space/hoax.htm) as well as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Moon_Landing_hoax_conspiracy_theories -- leaving NASA with little else to do on this matter beyond showing off their new LRO images of Tranquility Base.

To put your name in a line from my favorite movie, "You just keep thinkin', Chris--that's what you're good at."

Believe it or not it makes sense to me now that you've spelled it out. And I mean *spelled* it out. Great stuff! I have learned so much in the last few days.

After all, LRO is a NASA project and therefore just another part of that massive conspiracy, right?
Right. Now don't I feel silly!

And do you also know what movie I quoted? ;)