UPDATE: The winner is…Beth Caudill!
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Were you alive on July 20th, 1969? I was eleven years old and still vividly remember watching Neil Armstrong take the first step a human ever took onto the Moon’s surface. We had gathered in someone’s living room (I don’t think it was ours) with some neighbors. The children were all lined up, sitting cross-legged in front of an old black-and-white TV, you know, the kind that was on legs, waiting for the broadcast.
I remember when it started. Everyone was silent. I think some of the adults were crying, it was such a proud moment. For this kid it was surreal. I was already a certified space nerd. I adored Star Trek and Lost in Space. I daydreamed about space exploration. (I often dreamed I was Judy Robinson, and that the robot was my best friend.) When I went to the library, I checked out books on the planets and stars. To see Buzz and Neil jumping around the moon, unimpeded by gravity, left me with a lasting feeling of awe and possibility.
Here’s a picture of our intrepid crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.
A side note. When I worked at a large insurance company, Buzz Aldrin came for a booksigning of his co-authored novel, The Return. Naturally, I bought a copy and had him sign it. I was like a fan at a rock concert. I met the second man who stepped on the moon. 🙂
So, my question to you, for a chance to win a free download of one of my books, is…
Are you ready for us to go back? Are you eager to see if we can make the flight to Mars?
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While I understand the need to explore and the moon and Mars are still mysterious, I think helping those that need it is a better us of the funds. As long as there are children living on the streets, I do not see the need to spend millions exploring space.
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I am more than ready! I thought is was a shame they stopped the exploration in the first place. We need the exploration. We need to grow. Being a space nerd myself, I see the potential of space, and yes, I believe, we are not alone. We need to meet our future.
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No I don’t think that we really shouldn’t be spending money just to explore Mars when the money can be use to help the homeless and the veterans that really needs help the most.
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We have so much more we could be doing right here on earth, but Yes I am waiting with baited breathe for Mars landing to happen.
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Is the ROI really worth it? It’s not like the experiments done on the space station that produced advances in medicine. I think that money would be better spent on dealing with climate change, upcoming pandemics, etc.
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I would like to see more space exploration… but I personally would not want to go.
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The last manned mission to the moon happened right before I was born. I would love to be able to go space. For me, yes it is totally worth exploring…along with exploring our own oceans.
Something that is forgotten are all the side inventions and benefits that came about because of space travel – pyrex, expansion of plastics (controversial now years later), medicine equipment and drugs, the need for better and smaller computers and other electronics, etc. Space has a massive weight restriction when we launch from earth so everything had to be made smaller and lighter which required a lot of research (money) but lead to laptops and smart phones and better TVs.
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sure
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I am excited. I used to take my students to a museum where they were able to have an experience similar to being on a space ship or in mission control.
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I know we have problems here we need to pour money into to fix, but Beth is right about the innovations that are now integrated into our lives that came out of space exploration. Besides feeding our hunger to learn more, I really do think we need to get space travel conquered because we don’t know when we might need to be able to pull an “Armageddon” someday to redirect an asteroid or comet or to fight a war for our survival against some spaceborne germ (Andromeda Strain) or an alien enemy (War of the Worlds).
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I wasn’t alive yet for the moon. So I guess we will wait and see if I see the next.
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Humans are always challenging themselves and reaching for the stars. I do think we need to go back to the moon. We have a lot to learn from it.
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Thanks for all sharing your opinions, folks!
The winner of the download of her choice from among my books, is…Beth Caudill!
Beth! Congratulations! Email me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com to let me know which story you would like to read!