Nixon's speech after Apollo mission to the moon ends in tragedy

[CptStern]

wow, what could have been:

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin ....

very eeirie

http://gawker.com/5369364/william-safires-finest-speech

 

[AJ Rimmer]

That's a very good speech. I know it seems a bit cynical to have it pre-written, but really, some things you just don't wanna improvise.

 

[Warped]

excellent speech, i'm glad they didn't die

 

[Shamrock]

I read that aloud in a voice based off the Futurama persona of Richard Nixon. It made me lol.

 

[Tyguy]

some speechwriter was hoping they would fail

 

[MJ12]

Makes me wonder if they provided them with the means of an easy suicide if the time came.

Edit: I guess they could take off their helmets, but I don't know how painless/quick it would be

 

[CptStern]

Makes me wonder if they provided them with the means of an easy suicide if the time came.

Edit: I guess they could take off their helmets, but I don't know how painless/quick it would be

no. in fact there's a part that says mission control would cut off all communication with the stranded astronauts before they die: so as to cut off the astronauts suffering from dimentia due to lack of oxygen

 

[MJ12]

no. in fact there's a part that says mission control would cut off all communication with the stranded astronauts before they die: so as to cut off the astronauts suffering from dimentia due to lack of oxygen

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Wouldn't the Astronauts suffer more without human communication? Wouldn't that drive them even crazier?

I mean like, as a preemptive measure, they would have cyanide capsules or something.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Wouldn't the Astronauts suffer more without human communication? Wouldn't that drive them even crazier?

All NASA radio loops are recorded, and public information (me thinks). It was probably more of a "We really don't want the tapes of these two very public men slowly suffocating to death getting released to the general public"-kind of deal. If there's no communication from the LM to Earth getting through, that's not a problem. Also has the added bonus of not making their friends, colleagues and loved ones have to listen to it.

 

[Krynn72]

I read that aloud in a voice based off the Futurama persona of Richard Nixon. It made me lol.

I couldn't help but go "arrrouuu!" at the end of it.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

some speechwriter was hoping they would fail

You're an idiot.

 

[Ennui]

Watch the random hostility. What's your problem? As far as I can tell he was commenting on the fact that it's a well-written speech and would have been pretty famous in history, so the writer surely was a little sad to see it go to waste despite that he had no ill wishes on the moonwalkers.

All NASA radio loops are recorded, and public information (me thinks). It was probably more of a "We really don't want the tapes of these two very public men slowly suffocating to death getting released to the general public"-kind of deal. If there's no communication from the LM to Earth getting through, that's not a problem. Also has the added bonus of not making their friends, colleagues and loved ones have to listen to it.

This. Also, I can confirm that switching the comms off was their plan in the event of some catastrophic failure or disaster with no hope of recovery or survival for the astronauts. I've always loved this speech though, even if it never was... some poignant stuff in there

 

[Krynn72]

I didnt think it was that good tbh. And the bit about Mother Earth sending them there would have pissed me off beyond belief.

 

[Naudian]

And the bit about Mother Earth sending them there would have pissed me off beyond belief.

Why "pissed off beyond belief"?

 

[Krynn72]

Because A: Mother Earth isnt real. And B: Because its putting whatever blame there is to be had for the disaster off of themselves despite it obviously being their fault. If anyone "sent" them up there, it was us humans that sent them up there, and at the very least, it was their choice to go. This intangible thing called mother earth had nothing to do with it.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

some speechwriter was hoping they would fail

Its would of been the ultimate Money-Shot for Nixon's aide

 

[Shadow-warrior]

That's if they even went to the moon...

 

[pilot7893]

That's if they even went to the moon...

You better be joking.
Anyway, I remember this. I think they wrote it when the engine arm switch for the LM broke off.

 

[Moto]

Edit. Nevermind, dumb question.