Failure is Not an Option

[Aim to maim]

Tonight, (Saturday 28 January) the History Channel is scheduled to air a program entitled “Failure is Not an Option.” It’s an inspiring narrative of the role of NASA Mission Control during and after the Apollo moon landing program.

The program provides a detailed look at what a free, industrious and intelligent nation can do when it sets its collective will to a goal. In terms of national accomplishment, the “space race” was like the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the building of the Panama Canal and the Manhattan Project all rolled together in one vast endeavor.

Whether it was worth the expenditure of money and effort was and will continue to be argued by some, but it was an awesome manifestation of American can-do spirit and knowhow. I fear it may have been the final such effort.

[Tall Shadow]

My youngest (14 year old) and I sat and watched it. I can still remember what it was like seeing it happen at the time.

Even today, when I think about what all of those guys (and later gals) did, and what they did it with! WOW!

All I can say is they had "them" the size of CHURCH BELLS!

I still have a 8x10 of Dr. Von Braun hanging on the wall.

I have a deep respect for what they did. I just wish that We (the US) could get back into space with the same type of effort/enthusiasm again.....

Tall Shadow

[Mil Dot]

I agree. It was inspiring when they were explaining that the time count down when Apollo12 landing craft was attempting to land on the moon was actually the time till they would have to abort due to low fuel. They touched down within 15 sec of not having enough to get back off the rock! Holy Smokes! Then when Apollo 13 had its "problem". I don't recall the Lead Engineers' name but he gathered his team together to figure out the restart sequence for the command module and told them we have not lost a man in space and we're not going to now. Failure is not an option. It doesn't get any plainer than that.

[Aim to maim]

Originally posted by Tall Shadow

I have a deep respect for what they did. I just wish that We (the US) could get back into space with the same type of effort/enthusiasm again.....

Tall Shadow

I agree that would be nice, but at this point in time I would much prefer a similarly funded, inspired, no-holds-barred program to achieve U. S. energy independence within a decade. Such an effort would be far more demanding and complex than the space program (and not very interesting to watch on televsion), but I'd like to see some of my tax $'s invested that way.

[gumpokc]

Originally posted by Aim to maim
I agree that would be nice, but at this point in time I would much prefer a similarly funded, inspired, no-holds-barred program to achieve U. S. energy independence within a decade. Such an effort would be far more demanding and complex than the space program (and not very interesting to watch on televsion), but I'd like to see some of my tax $'s invested that way.

That plus if you think about it Aimtomaim, that would actually help the space program.

One of their biggest stumbling blocks is fuel/energy production, if you start down here, it'll help when we get up there.