Note: I am posting my old blog entries from elsewhere on the internet. This entry was originally posted on 07/16/09.
I’ve been listening to We Choose the Moon, a website that is reliving the Apollo 11 mission 40 years (!) after launch. They’re replaying the audio tapes between Mission Control and the astronauts (and also twittering them), and the website has photos and other things on it.
At this point in the mission, Apollo 11 is part-way between the Earth and the Moon. My favorite exchange thus far between the astronauts and the CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator, the person in Mission Control who speaks to the crew in space, and who is also an astronaut):
Apollo 11: Houston, 11.
CAPCOM: Go ahead,11.
Apollo 11: Join us in wishing Dr. George Mueller a happy birthday.
CAPCOM: Standing by for your birthday greetings.
Apollo 11: I think today is also the birthday of California and I believe they are 200 years old. It’s Dr. Mueller’s birthday but I don’t think he is that old.
The website will be broadcasting in real time (with a 40 year delay) until the anniversary of the first moon landing. At that time, you can go back and listen to any part at your leisure.