Apollo 11 – 50 YEARS LATER!

July 16, 1969.  Cape Canaveral Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.  A place that was now well accustomed to flying manned American rockets from Mercury to Gemini and now Apollo.

But today, the epitomy and central goal of all before was about to have it’s chance.  Today was a day along the lines of Leif Erickson’s voyage from Iceland to North America hundreds of years before Columbus . . .

At Launch Control, a familiar countdown was finishing . . .

“Ten . . Nine . . . Ignition Sequence Start . . . Six . . . Five . . . Four . . . Three . . . Two . . . One . . . All Engines Running . . . . And Liftoff!  We have a Liftoff!  Thirty Two minutes past the hour (9:32 AM) . . . Liftoff of Apollo 11!!!”

The most powerful rocket on Earth, Saturn V, shook the Earth for miles as it rose into the sky, and this time NOT to orbit Earth or just orbit the Moon . . . but LAND on it.

Apollo 11 has become an iconic legend for both scientist and the public alike.  Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins set out on the greatest space mission in the history (to that time and possibly since) of Space Flight. A mission that would fill children’s science books, libraries, museums, and countless documentaries and movies about the historic trip to Earth’s nearest planetary neighbor . . . The Moon.

People worldwide are reliving and celebrating the Half-Century anniversary of Apollo 11, and fortunately two of the three men who traveled there are still with us (Buzz and Michael) to celebrate.

Although it’s hard for anyone not to know about Apollo 11 and the subsequent missions Apollos 12 through 17, many may wonder how they can both celebrate and learn more about this great event in Human history. Just to name a few, here are some items of interest to look at.

Movies

In time for this anniversary, there are several new films out (and some older ones) about Apollo 11:

I plan to write more extensive reviews about these shortly in the Cosmic Cinema column of “The Gimmick”, but for now I’ll list several films:

1. There’s the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon about the full Apollo moon missions with very engaging and compelling acting to take viewers into the Apollo era and behind the scenes detail about the astronauts themselves.
2. There is the new Apollo 11 which just came out.  My recommendation is to GET IT AND WATCH IT as fast as you can!! It’s very good, even if you missed seeing it on the IMAX screens at select theatres.
3. I also recommend the film First Man about Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling) which does much of what other dramas have done to give biopics about the famed astronauts behind our quest for space.
4. Lastly (for now), I just heard that they came out with a documentary similar to Apollo 11’s, but it’s about Neil Armstrong himself (with voiceover by Harrison Ford).

1. You can also visit an earlier article about some other Space Films I reviewed (and recommend) by going HERE or clicking the image here. Most of these can be looked up on Amazon Prime if you want to watch them.

Space Toys

I recently published an article here at The Great Galactic Space Gimmick about a unique special Lego set that was released last month.  It’s of the Apollo 11 Moon Lander LEGO Set, complete with high details and even Lego figures of Neil Armstrong and Buzz.  You can visit the article in more detail by clicking here or the image shown here.

I also want to mention that LEGO has also produced a fantastic model of the Apollo 11 Saturn V, complete with stage separation, a LEM Lander, and other painstakingly fine details. I happen to own one and can attest to this! If you can’t find it or the Lander at a Lego store, you can always look it up on eBay (which I needed to do for the Saturn V).

Mobile Apps

Mobile App JFKMoonShot.

THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!! To experience Apollo 11 on the go (from your Smart Phone), download the free JFKMoonShot app.  You get a VR model of the Apollo 11 Saturn V that you can walk around, perform static motor tests, and even launch. 

Thus far, I believe this is the best one. You can watch (if it’s the 50th Anniversary week) where Apollo 11 was in transit to the Moon, complete with virtual holographic displays of info on the rocket, mission, astronauts, and other items. 

Here’s some images of me using it in my home office. Besides getting fantastic graphical recreations, you can even hear real-time broadcasts (plus 50 exact years of course) of the communication between Apollo 11 and Mission Control. It’s incredible.

On 07-20-2019, at the exact moment PLUS 50 years, I used the app to watch the Eagle land and touch down. It was fantastic, and available for viewing on the app.

Social Media

Finally, there’s many Facebook pages and groups made specifically or close to the purpose of the Anniversary. Check out Apollo 11 and US Space History Center’s groups for interesting and detailed info.

This is a great anniversary date in the history of Space Exploration. I’m enjoying all the ways others are celebrating this time in history.

For The Great Galactic Space Gimmick, I’m Gimmick Commander Ben Faltinowski. 🔭 ⭐️

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