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> Given the huge risks involved, a lot of different parties planned and scripted for the possible bad news. The truth, though, was that there was no Plan B. If
by tivert 3y ago
> Given the huge risks involved, a lot of different parties planned and scripted for the possible bad news. The truth, though, was that there was no Plan B. If things went sour, there was no way to fix it, and everyone involved knew it. As Christopher Klein put it, “Under the worst-case scenario, NASA planned to end communication with the [Apollo 11 crew], leaving them to either run out of oxygen or commit suicide with no further earthly contact.”
That's seems fantastically cruel. You'd think they would at least let their families radio them for some time, to say goodbye.
- Sharlin 3y agoI'm pretty sure the quote means that they planned to eventually cut comms [with the consent of the astronauts, most likely] and let them die with dignity.
- pyuser583 3y agoRichard Nixons speechwriter prepared a packet to be opened if the astronauts were stuck on the moon. It contains the most beautiful speech never given. http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/events/centennials/nixon/images/exhibit/rn100-6-1-2.pdf http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/events/centen...
- carapace 3y agoWow, I'm three paragraphs in and I'm breaking up, bawling.
- ImAnAmateur 3y agoIt was not possible for NASA to maintain 24/7 radio contact with them because of the rotation of the Earth and the Moon. There could have been a situation where the astronauts were likely to die while out of contact. That's what it is referring to.
- NhanH 3y agoThe communication cut off would have happened AFTER the astronauts said their goodbyes.