Neil Armstrong dead at 82

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

RIP

A reminder that it won't be long before we become a planet with no living moonwalkers.

8 of the 12 people to walk on the moon (let's avoid the confusing term moonwalkers) are still alive. While they are all about 80. There's a good chance there'll be another manned mission in the 2020s, and there's a decent chance one of those 8 might still be alive then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_and_future_lunar_missions#Proposed_manned_missions

I understand that at least a few of the eight living moonwalkers will live through the next couple of decades, but I doubt the seriousness of the proposed launch dates of future manned lunar missions.

I take China the most seriously.

[Joe Republic]

I wouldn't want to be Buzz Aldrin right now.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Wow, RIP.

[Zioneer]

RIP, Mr. Armstrong. May you take one small step into eternity.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

RIP

A reminder that it won't be long before we become a planet with no living moonwalkers.

8 of the 12 people to walk on the moon (let's avoid the confusing term moonwalkers) are still alive. While they are all about 80. There's a good chance there'll be another manned mission in the 2020s, and there's a decent chance one of those 8 might still be alive then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_and_future_lunar_missions#Proposed_manned_missions

I understand that at least a few of the eight living moonwalkers will live through the next couple of decades, but I doubt the seriousness of the proposed launch dates of future manned lunar missions.

I take China the most seriously.

Agreed, but it's telling that CLEP has the latest and vaguest launch date of any program listed.

Yes, it means they aren't just making up a date for propaganda purposes.  They've been hitting their announced goals for the Shenzhou missions.  The Chang'e 3 lunar lander has been delayed about a year because of delays in development of the Long March 5 rocket and the resulting need to scale back the design to fit on a Long March 3.

The limiting factor for a manned Chinese lunar mission will likely be if the Chinese go ahead with the development of a heavy lift rocket.  Alternatively, it would be possible to assemble a lunar mission in LEO if they stick with the Long March 5.  It wouldn't be as dramatic, and it would add problems not faced by the Apollo program but it would avoid the expense of developing a rocket whose only likely purpose would be to launch manned missions beyond LEO. [Long March 5 is rated as 25 tons LEO, Saturn V was rated 140 tons LEO, so you'd need to assemble 6 or so Long March 5 payloads to get the equivalent of one Saturn V mission.

[Tender Branson]

RIP, Neil. 82 was a good and lengthy age though.

The legends are all going to die now, the next could be Shatner and Nimoy ...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

RIP

[後援会]

My reaction before resorting to Wikipedia was: "who?"

[Tender Branson]

My reaction before resorting to Wikipedia was: "who?"

How old are you ? 10 ?

(even though I think you are joking, would be sad if you are not)

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I heard that there's some isolated stone age tribe that knows nothing about continents, world wars, airplanes, cars, television, computers, radio, and so on, but knows that man walked on the moon.

[Pingvin]

RIP...a giant loss for mankind.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A terrible event, to be sure.

[後援会]

I'm not sure how much people in the next generation will know much about the space programs other than "oh I guess we beat the Soviets to the moon". Despite capturing a lot of attention in the American pop culture, I'm not sure how much sway it has outside of that, and thus I'm doubtful of how salient space will be in future culture, especially considering that for obvious scientific/logistical/financial reasons, manned space travel is waning.

For me personally, a Jamie Dimon and a Mario Draghi-type will impact my life more heavily than any astronaut, even Lance Armstrong, so it's never really a cultural pursuit I bothered to get interested in, much like sports or cinema.

[TJ in Oregon]

Being raised in Northwest Ohio, everyone knows who Neil Armstrong was.

RIP.

[J. J.]

RIP, Neil Armstrong.  You had a long and full life, and you, personally, extended mankind.

I remember seeing the moon landing on TV, as it was happening, looking up at the moon while he was on it.  It was no longer the "Man in the Moon."  It was "The Man on the Moon."  People's idiom changed.  It was now, "If we can put a man on the moon ... ."