Artemis - the NASA mission

It's on my mind
I'm left behind when I should have been there
Walking with you

Thus sings Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull in the video For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me.

However these lyrics do not accurately describe Michael Collins' thoughts as he awaited Eagle's return from the lunar surface.

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In his book Carrying the Fire, Collins says:

"My concerns are exterior ones, having to do with the vicissitudes of my two friends on the moon and their uncertain return path to me, but inside, all is well, as this familiar machine and I circle and watch and wait."

"Far from feeling lonely or abandoned, I feel very much part of what is taking place on the lunar surface. This venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two."
 
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That may be folklore, Rick.

In his book, Collins does not mention his friends saying "Mind the store".

He says he formally bids Armstrong and Aldrin goodbye with the words, "You cats take it easy on the lunar surface...", to which Buzz cheerily replies, "O.K., Mike."

This is substantiated by the onboard recording tagged 'highlight 4' on this site:

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/apollo-11-onboard-recordings-1969#0-7

The goodbyes that Collins mentions can be heard at the very end of the audio clip.
 
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Well, the two chaps on the moon had a clear incentive not to **** off Mike with any innapropriate comments

remember…
Open the door HAL
I‘m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that

😂

I’m guessing NASA would have given Mike Collins the option of a future Apollo mission had he desperately wanted to get to the surface?
 
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Artemis III plans on landing the First woman and a person of Colour on the Moon.

Did I ever tell you that I met the the First Woman in Space?

It was at the Welcombe Hotel in Stratford on Avon ca. 1966:

https://thewelcombehotel.co.uk/

She was a very nice Lady:

Valentina Tereshkova.png


Gave me, a Child at the Time, Her autograph and a Hug, though clearly exhausted by Her Adventures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentina_Tereshkova

As for Women of Colour, surely it got no better than Lt. Uhura:

Lieutenant Uhura.png


Jambo, Uhura. She ticks both boxes. 🙂

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to sail her by"

That's Poetry.
 
A quick update on the Artemis I mission:

After firing its main engine, Orion has left its distant lunar orbit.

The spacecraft is now heading for a close lunar flyby on Monday, when a second burn will send it on its course toward Earth.

Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is due on Sunday December 11.
 

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I had an "interesting" response to a comment about the video of the occultation of the Earth by the moon on the 28th. He said such a vision was only possible if the Earth orbited the moon...????? I used some "big words" like Highly elliptical and precession to describe what's going on in my response, hope he gets it.
Kudos to NASA & the guys doing navigation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rick...
 
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The last major burn of the mission, which will send Orion earthwards from its close 79 mile orbit around the moon, takes place around 12.00 EST (17.00 GMT) today.

The ESA's European Service Module provides the propulsion for Orion, and will separate and burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere as Orion makes its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday.
 

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Apologies for the short notice, but an interesting occultation of Mars, which is in opposition right now so quite bright, by the Full Moon around 4.57 UTC aka GMT time this morning Dec 8. It will last exactly one hour.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/mars-lunar-occultation-8-december/

Mars is moving retrograde in Taurus, and the splendid Orion Constellation is below. People in Northern Europe and North America should get a good view,. In North America, I guess local time will be around midnight EST. This is a rare event that I have never seen! I am setting my alarm clock! 😎
 
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In North America, I guess local time will be around
It's actually just before 11pm on the east coast. 25 minutes in my future,

But no matter. Everyplace the occult is visible is clouded-over, except around London (near you), east of Moscow, and a long stretch of the US/Can border where "nobody" lives (apology to the few who do).
clouds-07-Dec-2022.gif
 
Success! I stumbled around the back garden with my Binos and watched it at 5AM. 🙂

Astronomy Time.jpg


Live Feed from Mount Wlson California. It's happening a bit later there.


Eye-wateringly cold tonight. Binos essential due to the glare. Mission accomplished. May go out at 6AM to watch it reappear.

I have some interesting calculations which I will share later, but the old brain is a bit numb right now.
 
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