European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cover Story from the cover Quot roughly 35 percent of the people now living were not yet born when we went to the Moon the first time so in that sense its Damn near ancient history Quot says Apollo 14�?Ts Edgar Mitchell the sixth Man on the Moon. The . Census Bureau says 93 million americans have been bom since july 1969 a an entire generation  then some. Those who lived through that time however Are not Likely to forget it. After spending three Days speeding through trackless space to reach the Moon a Quarter million Miles away Armstrong was Down. To about 15 seconds of fuel  was dodging boulders when he brought the lunar Lander called Eagle Down on the sea of Tranquility. At the time Daniel Goldin was a Junior Engineer for an aerospace company. He Snow Nasa s Boss. Goldin considers Apollo 11 a a crowning  but he quickly notes a saying that enough is  a Goldin adds a celebrating the past is  but the past is past. We ought to be writing new history. My worst fantasy is that people Are going to be celebrating Apollo As a High water matk in what the human mind  spirit can do. That a the Downside of this 25th  a Michael Collins who watched Over the command ship Columbia in lunar orbit while Armstrong  Aldrin were on the Moon would love a moratorium. So would Armstrong. They Are avoiding reporters  ceremonies Lea ing Aldrin the Lone participant in the grand adventure to speak for Apollo 11 in this Silver anniversary year. A a a _ a a Armstrong Apollo Llos commander is 63  a businessman in Lebanon Ohio 80 Miles from the farm where he was bom. His involvement in space matters has been minimal since Apollo. His most visible role was As vice chairman of the presidential commission that investigated the challenger Accident. Collins 63, is writing his fifth space Book. An avid Fisherman he splits his time Between Cape Hatteras n.c.,  Marco Island Fla. Aldrin understands his . Reticence. Quot we were not chosen in that profession for our abilities to satisfy the emotional queries of the pub lie Quot says Aldrin 64, a space promoter consultant author living in Laguna Beach Calif. Just about everybody Aldrin meets a thirty somethings  up that is a feels compelled to Tell him where they were at 4 18 . Edt on the sunday the Eagle landed. Quot do i really care where they were Quot asks Aldrin. Quot of course 1 do because i realize they re telling me something that is extremely important to them that happened in their life. Not in my life in their life  its so widespread that in be begun to appreciate Quot that what happened on july 20,1969, was not at the Moon but it was Back Here a. What happened was incredible both Here  there. For eight precious Days a from the Saturn 5 rocket launch on july 16 to Armstrong so one Small step for a Man one giant leap for Mankind on july. 20 to splashdown Back on Earth on july 24 a people just about everywhere cheered  hoped  prayed As one. Then president Nixon exulted that it was a the. Greatest week in the history of the world since the  Nixon later wrote that it was the most exciting event of the first year of his presidency. Chappaquiddick Vietnam the Middle East Campus  racial unrest All that briefly was forgotten As a record 500 million to viewers watched Armstrong lift his left foot off the last ladder rung  lower it onto the lunar soil. The time was 10 56 . Edt. Aldrin emerged minutes later. Earthlings were mesmerized by the two ghostly images bouncing around in one sixth Gravity gathering rocks  erecting  saluting a . Flag. The astronauts accented americans space Victory by unveiling on the Moon a plaque that read a there men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969, . We came in peace for All  Neil Armstrong left  Buzz Aldrin flank the Flag on the Moon. Nasa even those in Mission control we re spellbound during those two hours or so that Armstrong  Aldrin walked on the Moon. A i almost thought it was animation it seemed so unreal a recalls Apollo 12�?Ts Alan bean who was up there prancing four months later. For the Apollo 11 astronauts what happened in their absence was just As amazing. After seeing videos of the celebrations Aldrin told Armstrong a they Neil we missed the whole  a a we missed it Quot Aldrin says. A a we did not share in the enthusiasm the happiness the glory that was. Shared Back Here  i mean that a heavy. That a important. That a meaningful  in a not sure i. Really understand that nor docs anybody All that  president Kennedy started America on its Moon journey on May 25,1961, when he issued this Challenge a i believe this nation should commit itself to what they said quotes  commentaries regarding Apollo 11 a a of believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before the decade is out of Landing a Man on the Moon  returning him safely to  president Kennedy in special state of the Union message. May 25,1961. A a Houston. Tranquility base Here. The Eagle has  Nei Armstrong from Moon. July 20,1969. A a a that a one Small step for a Man one giant leap for  Armstrong As he stepped onto Moon july 20,1969. A a Beautiful Beautiful. Magnificent  Buzz Aldrin As he followed Armstrong onto Moons surface july 20,1969. A a this is the greatest week in the history of the world since the  president Nixon to a quarantined Armstrong Aldrin  Collins aboard the Carrier Hornet in the Pacific Ocean. July 24, 1969. Achieving the goal before the decade is out of Landing a Man on the Moon  returning him safely to  it was an audacious move considering that the United states had Only 15 minutes total human space flight experience at that Point. But Kennedy was smarting from a Long series of second place finishes to the soviets they were the first to launch a satellite the first to put a human into  nation was awed. The space Agency was in. Credulous. Send men to the Moon after being beaten into space by the soviets the United states so far had Only managed to Send Alan Shepard on a 15-minute flight into space. It took 420,000 workers $24 billion  21 manned space flights to get those first footsteps on the Moon a six Mercury id gemini five Apollo. It took seven astronauts lives three snuffed out in the Apollo 1 launch Pat fire  four in plane crashes. It took eight years. A weight years  we started from scratch a boasts Apollo 10 commander Thomas Stafford who flew one of the rehearsal missions for the Moon Landing coming within 50,000 feet of the Moons surface Armstrong  Aldrin were Only the first to leave their imprints on the Moons Dusty surface. Ten others followed Apollo 12�?Ts Charles a a Peter Conrad  Alan Jean Apollo 14�?Ts Alan Shepard  Edgar Mitchell Apollo 15�?Ts David Scott  James Irwin Apollo 16�?Ts John Young  Charles Duke Apollo 17�?Ts Eugene Cernan  Harrison a Jack Quot Schmitt Apollo 13�?Ts James Lovell  Fred Haise missed out because of a ruptured oxygen tank. Stafford compares All this to 10 years $10 billion  counting for a space station that a still on the drawing Board. No longer space rivals the United states Hopes russian involvement will Speed things up  drive . Costs Down. A clearly an expensive  necessarily risky human space program would have to be driven by something More than science especially because robots could do so Well a says astronomer Carl Sagan. Adds Sagan a the technology will improve the Cost will get less the reasons for going will become clearer. The Only question is when will it happen  which nation or nations will  unless we destroy ourselves of course we re going to the planets. In that sense july 20,1969, was a watershed for the human  / Page 4 sunday july 17, 1994