I am a man of somewhat diverse tastes, and nowhere is that better expressed than in the men I consider as my heroes. There’s Clarkson, there’s Stephen Fry, there’s Darwin, there’s Richard Dawkins, there’s John F Kennedy… well, the list goes on, but sitting right up at the top of it, I reckon, are three men whose names you should all know, and shame on you if you don’t.
Neil Alden Armstrong, Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Jr and Michael Collins…
Yup, the crew of Apollo 11, the first ever manned mission to land on the moon. 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of man walking on the moon, with the actual 40th birthday coming up this month. It’s fair to say, I’m already getting a bit misty-eyed, because, let’s face it, it is easily one of mankind’s greatest achievements. Man’s first walk on the moon was watched by god knows how many people round the entire world (and if you want to know about the TV broadcast of it, go watch the film The Dish… yes, it’s a fictionalised account of the landing, seen from the perspective of Parkes Radio Telescope, but you’ll never see a film with more heart in it, and it’s got Sam Neill in).
According to Pocket Lint, I’m not the only one celebrating. You see, Motorola were involved in the Apollo 11 mission; let’s not forget, and this is addressed to anyone who knocks Motorola, they helped send man to the moon, and they ain’t something to sneeze at! They made the radio transponder that actually sent those TV broadcasts back from the moon to Earth, and to commemorate the 40th anniversary, they’ve released the Motorola Aura Celestial Edition.
The first one off the production line is getting sent to Neil Armstrong. That is a good thing. I sincerely hope they’ll be sending the next one off the line to Aldrin, though, or I shall officially kick off, ‘cos he walked on the moon, too. And if they forget Michael Collins, who stayed in the orbiting Command Module but played as important a role as Armstrong and Aldrin, I shall proper kick off.
Anyway, enough of that. 1969. Mankind’s finest hour. And yet, also, one of my greatest sources of annoyance, thanks to people who still keep wittering on, saying the moon landings were faked, especially the ones who go out of their way to publicly attack the Apollo 11 crew. It’s not big, it’s not clever, and you’re seeing a conspiracy where there isn’t one. So stop trying to ruin what is possibly the greatest moment in human history.
And on that note, I leave you with my favourite video of Buzz Aldrin, who has earned my eternal respect for what he does in this video, when he was set upon by one of those in-denial conspiracy nutjobs:
Yep, he panned him one! Buzz Aldrin, the hardest man to ever walk on the moon. You, sir, are a god amongst men. And to all three of the Apollo 11 crew, if by some miraculous off-chance you should be reading this, you are all real heroes.
And I realise I sound like a relentless, fawning fanboy (which I am), so I’ll stop there…
Would you buy the Aura just for the NASA content? Do you rate the Apollo 11 crew as some of the greatest men in history? Leave us a comment (but not if you’re a conspiracy nutjob) and have your say!