Buffering the outside world from the technical decisions these guys had to make. Part, peoplein like kraft had the same experiences you had, wouldnt you say as a formal as a former flight director he knew . Washristopher columbus entirely appropriate for this guy. Pioneer in Mission Control. He launched each one of the mercury missions. But he was the mentor, teacher and tutor for this young generation who became known as Mission Controllers. He set the mold for everything that would be done thereafter and in particular, he set the and for the flight director the flight director being able to take any action necessary for crew safety and mission success. He had done that in the beauty of the thing was even though he physically had left the console, wase he knew his job now to give them the confidence to make the technical decisions and he was going to broker whatever political fallout might occur. A spectacular man. He was the interface between the top level and politics. I found that
When you were a little kid. You saw a rocket go off and said i want to do that. Is it that simple or that complex . I was interested in rockets in astronomy long before people get spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try to build some rockets. I wanted to become a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. Worked at the rocket society. I wanted to become a rocket engineer but essentially they said you have to go to mit or to caltech. I cannot afford either. So i took a secondary goal. I got an rotc appointment to wisconsin. From there i went to the Naval Academy. I got to the flight training. I became a naval air aviator. In 1958, nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. I was one of the original 110 people who were selected. Let me go back to the Naval Academy . That is right. This was right after world war ii. I got down to preflight. My mother, when i was at the university of wisconsin, told me to apply to the Naval Academy. 7z3 vi did it,
There i got into flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 1958 nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. So i was one of the original 110 people selected to go for interviews. Lets go back to your Naval Academy days, you almost didnt go, is that right . That is right. I had two years at wisconsin. I informs a Naval Aviation program after world war ii. Have been the most important project in this century. I became the first alternate that usually doesnt make it, are and i got orders for the physical to be inducted into the academy if you so desired. And then i said should i go to the academy, they said dont do that, you two years of college, you have Naval Aviation, if you go back you have to start all over again, you might not get back in aviation, but there was an old captain there and he said if you want to make the navy your career, get yourself to the academy, that is what hatppened. I term paper, my first term paper, i wrote on the development o
Explosion on board. The interview is from the Oral History Program at the Johnson Space center. This is the Johnson Space Center Original history project, may 25th, 1999, at the Johnson Space center. When you were a little kid, you saw a rocket go off and you said i want to do that . Is it that simple or that complex . You know, i was interested in rockets and astronomy long before the glenns and the shepherds of the world could spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try and build some rockets. I wanted to be a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. I wrote to the American Rocket Society at that time which is now the aaia or Something Like that, and i said i want to be a rocket engineer, and they wrote back and said you need to go to i. T. Or cal tech, and i couldnt afford either so i got an rotc appointment to wisconsin and then from there i went to the Navel Academy and then i got the flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 195
Free cspan radio app. The eagle has landed. Ill step off the land now. Thats one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind. On this 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing, todays washington journal in conjunction with cspans American History tv will focus on this historic event and its influence on modern space flight. For the next three hour, we are live from the national air and space museum here in washington, d. C. , where we will talk about apollo 11 historians and michael collins. You want to talk about that day, your impressions of it, 2027488000 and for all others, 2027488001. You can post cspanwj your thoughts and impressions of the 50th anniversary. You can do the same at our Facebook Page at facebook. Com cspan. Our show will be based to hear from the national air and space museum. A couple of facts of the apollo 11 mission. It was astronauts Neil Armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins, the team for that day and the launch, youll remember took place july 16,