Skip to main content

Space Technology

An incredible convergence of technology and human ingenuity was achieved as Commander Neil Armstrong and Colonel Buzz Aldrin stepped cautiously down the ladder of the lunar module Eagle and onto the moon’s surface. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” came Armstrong’s crackled transmission from the moon's surface.

That sentence would resonate with millions on Earth for years to come. It was July 21, 1969, when I was 13 years old, watching a fuzzy black and white television transmission with fascination and anticipation; the space program held me captive. As an avid science fiction reader, I know this was not fiction - but mankind’s greatest achievement.

That memory was rekindled over four decades later while clattering along the rails in a passenger train from Kansas City to Galesburg, Illinois, recently, while listening to Buzz Aldrin’s audiobook version, Magnificent Desolation, retelling the story in detail. I was transported back in time.

The book begins with an account of the Apollo 11 mission details from launch to splashdown. Buzz shares the specifics of the potential dangers that could have terminated the mission or the astronauts, which adds a compelling aspect to the book. It is a real page-turner.

“Eagle, you are go for powered decent” was the transmission from mission control in Houston. At 33,000 feet above the moon, the guidance computer that supplied the navigation data for landing—and subsequently for takeoff from the moon malfunctioned. “Program alarm,” said Armstrong. “12:02!” It was an alarm they had not experienced during training simulations of the mission. Was it a hardware or a software problem? There was no time to run an analysis. “Houston, can you give us a readout on the 12:02?” was Neil's urgent request. Within three seconds the order came from mission control, “you’re go for landing.” Mission Control considered the malfunction as an acceptable risk. “What exactly did that alarm mean?” thought Buzz.

Colonel Aldrin described the two computers used in the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The command module piloted by Michael Collins and the lunar module pilot Neil Armstrong computer contained 74 kilobytes of memory and a 2.048-megahertz processor, [which would be considered minuscule today]. The 12:02 alarm, as it turns out, resulted from a data overload. As a safety precaution, Aldrin had left the rendezvous radar on while making the final descent. The navigation computer programmed for landing was therefore overloaded and would set them down dangerously in a very large crater . . .

While gazing out the window of the train that morning, watching the cornfields pass by, I realized that man’s achievements in computer technology have far exceeded’ NASA’s wildest dreams from 1969. As a point of contrast, the device I used to listen to the audiobook contained 32 gigabytes of memory storage and a 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor. That’s 33,554,432 times more memory storage, and a processor is 1,000 times faster than Apollo 11 had in its computers.

Looking with awe at my phone’s high-resolution retina display, I held the result of 40 years of technology’s advancement: a digital music player, an on-demand color movie viewer, my portable university, an instant text messaging device, a digital library of books, my e-mail correspondence tool, a portable internet radio, and a complete GPS navigation system. In summary, if you own a smartphone, you have a complete entertainment, learning, and communication center in your hand.

Despite these advances, man has not set foot on the moon or another planet since December 11, 1972. Developments in technology now originate from the private sectors of business.

Who would have ever dreamed such a thing would have been possible that July 20th, 1969, as the black and white TV flashed history before my eyes!

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholÄ“ , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

A Pirate's Ponderings

In this episode, A Pirate's Ponderings: Turning 69 with a Classic . . . When was the last time you were so compelled by a quest that you had your bags packed and your boots on before the first rooster crowed? For me, this summer has been exactly that, a journey where the world outside faded away and the one inside my head roared to life. I felt like that young cabin boy in training, with the vast ocean of a great story stretching out before me. My hand was on the wheel, navigating every swell, riding the waves, and eager to see what lay just beyond the horizon. This wasn't a journey across lands, but a flight of imagination that has been an exciting ride. My adventure took off on the deck of the Hispaniola as I became lost on Treasure Island . My imagination soared, and I could almost taste the salt spray and feel the ship's timbers groan as we sailed toward our destiny. Below deck, in the narrow, shadowy depths, I could smell the hearty meals Long John Silver and Jim Haw...

Lessons from 1872

In this episode, Lessons from 1872: Travel in the Age of No-WiFi . . .   Imagine having 80 days to explore the world, with no smartphones, no jet planes, and no money concerns. A thrilling thought, right? That’s the fantasy Jules Verne implies in his classic adventure, Around the World in 80 Days , and it's a question I've been pondering from my easy chair in Vista, California. This week’s On the Fly , we're traveling back in time with one of the most thrilling literary adventures ever written. Early on, it’s clear this is Phileas Fogg’s story—a man of clocks and calculations, whose every move is measured. His journey isn’t about discovery, but a bet—a mathematical challenge involving money, schedules, and perfect timing. But when you think he’s the engine of the story, someone else quietly steals the show. Meet Passepartout: The Heart of the Journey. Jean Passepartout, Fogg’s new valet, is Fogg’s complete opposite. A former circus acrobat seeking a quiet life, he joins Fo...