Saturday 25 August 2012

The Eagle Has Landed

Neil Armstrong, first man to step on the moon has died at the age of 82. He was a man who singularly inspired not only a generation by his and his crew's courage, but who also left a lasting legacy of hope for every man, woman and child on the planet with a single sentence  "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." 

The space race and decades of scientific advance and discovery beyond created many heroes. Some gave their lives in the endeavour to help man reach his dreams beyond the bounds of this planet.

I am sure I speak on behalf of all the crew of Dropship and all of us bound in our vision of a future that lays in the stars, "RIP Neil". And to everyone who had the right stuff, we raise our glasses and say "Thank you. Per ardua ad astra. " 

  

Cheers
Mark

8 comments:

  1. The world has lost a great man. RIP.

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  2. True American Hero. I know he inspired me. RIP

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  3. He inspired me too. My first interest in the world was dinosaurs. Seeing one of his speeches on TV when I was six changed my interest to astronomy, and inspired a lifetime love of both true science and science fiction.

    Farewell, Neil. May your final moonwalk last forever.

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  4. I wanted to go and play in the garden. My Dad made me watch the first moon landing on a small black and white TV instead. I am so glad that he did. My thoughts and memories are with you this day Neil. RIP

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  5. Heather tells a story of her parents holding a party to celebrate the night that Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. She was only four at the time and remembers looking at the moon and "seeing" him on it. Last night, when I broke the news to her she said that in her mind he was still up there.

    Neil's passing comes on the passing of a seminal milestone for me and marks childhoods end. Maybe just maybe, Neil's death and the loss of the first man to step on another 'planet' will spur the desire to put a man or woman on Mars.

    Cheers
    Mark

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  6. I was in school. We all packed into a room where a teacher had set up a tele. What a thing to get to see.

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  7. Amazing guy, and he tried really hard to live a normal life despite being the first human ever to set foot on another world.

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  8. I Think Neil himself said that he said "a man" but the scratchy playback here didn't pick up the subtlety of the "a" as he voiced it. In the quote, man and mankind would be exactly the same. But adding the "a" back in gives the full meaning of what Neil meant. He was a pioneer and a brave man. Brilliant and charismatic. Thanks for doing a write up Mark. Nice to hear from you.

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