Thoughts on the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11

[cmdr_zoom]

The opening narration to the classic Forbidden Planet says that men and women, in rocket ships, first landed on the Moon in the last decade of the 21st century, and that by 2200 they'd reached the other planets.
I wonder if the audiences of 1956 would have believed we'd do the first part in only thirteen years... or that, having accomplished that, the second date might yet be accurate.

(Then again, the other thing I was promised as a child was nuclear Armageddon. So I suppose I should count my blessings.)

Comments

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

Having grown up in a target rich environment (all within 80 miles of my home: Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Baltimore, Washington, Fort Indian Town Gap, the Hanover Shoe factory (where Lee was headed when the rode into Gettysburg), York (at that time home to Catepillar tractor's parts division), Three Mile Island and enough other targets to guarantee we'd be MIRVed to hell and back, I have to say I was happy to skip out on Armageddon.

I wonder if the audiences of 1956 would have believed we'd do the first part in only thirteen years
Or that we'd not go back for decades at least. The worst thing to happen to space exploration was the space race.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I grew up outside of Philly when the navy yard was still going.

It is ironic to me that I grew up under the Cold War Nuke threat, spent my 20's without it, and am now watching the kids who grew up without the belief that the Bomb could drop any time adjust to the perpentual terror hype. I watched the first World Trade Center bombing; figured that periodic bombings would occur; shrugged; and moved on. I suspect my reaction to all this is related to being part of the last generation of people who grew up under constant nuclear threat.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

In a word: Yup. We still 'grok' vague yet possibly inevitable doom. I wish they didn't have to learn.

(I only lived in a real target area - Eugene - for the last five years or so, but getting it in the first strike sounded preferable to living through the aftermath. So that was MY experience.)

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I pretty much assumed we'd be dead quickly. I also agreed that was for the best, especially after I saw the Hiroshima/Nagasaki aftermath photos.

I really recognise myself in that Copland quote about "mental ground zero," though.

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

I suspect you're right. I really can't remember at any time in my life when I wasn't aware that there were nuclear weapons targeted at my general vicinity.

[jadiana.livejournal.com]

I still want my flying car and personal jetpack though.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

Don't we all.