This is it. Today is July 20th, 2019. The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. To say that I’m excited would be an understatement — it’s just something different to think it’s been 50 years, half a century, since this event. I remember the 25th anniversary well enough (I have a poster related to it on one of my walls) and, well, it’s one of those things that reminds me of how time sneaks up on you. How fast everything begins to go the older you get.
Not that I was around for the landing, of course — I was born in the Shuttle era — but still, perspective changes as time goes on. You get more knowledge about a subject and, conveniently for me, the internet has become what is has allowing me to learn every detail I could want to, and then some, about an event like Apollo 11 with ease — up to and including running through the event in real time via the website http://www.apolloinrealtime.org.
I woke up late today, and went to the site just in time to see Columbia and Eagle separate. I’m listening to it as I type this, and will have it going through my day while I’m here at home. I have a few things to go out and do, but I should be home for the two important moment — the landing of Eagle on the lunar surface, and the actual EVA itself 6 hours later.
Were this sometime in the past few years I’d probably spend my time writing about every little detail of the landing, and hell, I may still slip in more information that I otherwise would want to here, but right now, no. Now I simply wish to share my feelings at this moment, as I watch these events in real time (albeit from half a century ago) and really just enjoy the experience.
I had a friend at work say I was born in the wrong time period — that I would have enjoyed growing up in the 60’s and getting to live all this, and while that might well be true I’m lucky in another way to be here at the time I am where I can experience the events with more detail and accuracy than even those who were alive in 1969 could have — save for those “in the trenches” at Mission Control, the three men of Apollo 11.
More to come throughout the day. Right now, all I can say is “The Eagle has wings” and in 2 hours time will be on the Moon.