h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

19.11.2015 Lunar Larks

Do you know or remember the names Charles Conrad and Alan Bean well it was along time ago. Here is a clue Richard Gordon was with them most of the time.

If you remember well done (it helps if you are from the USA). If you dont remember well thats understandable it was 19 Nov 1969.

If you were around then you can be forgiven it is the anniversary of the Apollo 12 in a lunar landing. I found it surprising it was that long ago and the event only rated a few words in the trivia section of the news. 46 years ago and almost forgotten, these 3 were brave chaps (Richard Gordon was the driver of the mother ship).

Not a word on the mainstream media all the TV channels we have stuffed full of repeats and trivial repeats and not a mention. The only one who seems to have any interest in space is Richard Branson, and he only gets coverage when something goes wrong.

Someone said (and I don't know who) "the future is in the stars". It looks like we forget things or give up to soon.

Th USA should be proud of Charles Conrad, Alan Bean and Richard Gordon


Well done chaps well done USA

Now heres a question what were the names of the first men to walk on the moon, it will take some time to remember and half of us will need to look it up.

As I remember it there was quite a lot of interest in the second lunar landing... Right up to the point when Alan Bean accidentally pointed the surface TV camera directly at the Sun and burnt out the imaging receiver. At that point the American TV companies lost almost all interest and cancelled most of the relayed transmissions.

I was watching at the time and well remember the awful disappointment when I realised that the pictures weren't going to be resumed. Apparently they only had the one camera. Nevertheless I followed the sound only transmissions that were relayed back, but it wasn't the same.

Mind you, Armstrong and Aldrins pictures were pretty ropey as well, so it wasn't until Apollo 14 that we ever really got to see clearly, and first hand, what the surface was like.

But it was all amazing stuff. I nearly got sacked from my job for taking so much unofficial and 'sick' time off.

It was so exciting at the time then they lost interest after such a good start it was such a letdown

[Amy P]

I watched it on my grandparents' black-and-white TV. I remember everyone being hooked, and the weird bleepy noises. I also remember the Clangers which came out at the same time. Even now I confuse the two in some respects.

The Clangers had longer noses