Raoul Lannoy
- About Me
- My Reports
- Member Since: Dec 2009
Report
Last saturday, I was in Brussels at Palace 2 (Heyzel) for the opening of a Space expo (Gateway to Space) and a bit early at the entry and who comes at the entry? It took me a second to recognize them: Charlie and Dotty Duke! (I hoped it would turn out that way...Nobody else but the 3 of us for about 10 seconds).
I quickly managed a question: no video exists from inside the LM on the surface of the Moon for all Apollo flights.....Ok, I had to let him in the museum and wait for the gates to open for the guests (I was invited).
Then later, after the presentations (french, flemish, english) and Charlie’s speech,
I had the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions and share some memories...
Apparently, John Young is fine, but he won’t travel anymore (even in the US).
Charlie had his body (up to mid-thighs) above the hatch during the spacewalk back from the Moon, saw no stars and had no feeling of endlessly falling (like some astronauts have closer to Earth). He could only see stars (even with the poor window quality) above the Monn’s dark side.
He was enthusiastic when I told him John Glenn had turned 94 the same day july 18! (Lot’s of messages on the internet, he expected).
I also told him about his walk back to the LRV from House Rock. Our national TV had those pictures (for the documentary about Apollo 16) with Richard Strauss 2001 music..and the tempo and crescendo of the music matched his walk (that made him laugh). Here’s a short recording:
He said he slept in a hammoc below Young in the LM and slipped into it one foot at a time (not simultaneously like in zero G) .
The first time he saw the whole Earth was about 25.000 km from it, so he couldn’t say at what minimum altitude can you see the whole entire Earth at once with your eyes.
He said he felt enormously lucky for having had such an active part in such a great adventure (capcom for Apollo 10, 11; reserve for Apollo 13 and stepping on the Moon during the more complex J flights and being the youngest to have done this....He is not yet 80.....that will be in october).
I told him our job was to teach the younger people what had happened during those magic years (today it’s 46 years ago for Apollo 11), how and why it happened.
Then he extended his hand and we shook hands to say goodbye.....
Here are pictures:
Unforgettable.....Very nice people!
Raoul Lannoy21 July 2015Picture from Etienne Lefebvre
You need to be logged in to leave a comment
My Recent Reports
About Me
Born in Belgium in 1957 (from a Belgian father and an American mother). Here, everything seems a lot more complicated: more taxes, more government, more languages, more people per square kilometer or mile, more light pollution, but, nevertheless, as much passion for things going on up there, naturally or man made. This was thanks to the first time I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey back in 1968, followed by the promises of the Moon. One weakness was my dislike for maths, which led to human science studies (law and a specialization in insurance). I've been working since 1982 in the...
| Our Sponsors |  |
 |
Become a Sponsor |
| |
Copyright © 2009-2020 Astronomers Without Borders
Back to Top |
|
Comments