4 ms·

I disagree that Michael Collins is forgotten.

by KC8ZKF 17y ago

RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
I agree with you that Mike Collins is not forgotten. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what proportion of the population can name all three astronauts on Apollo 11, both of those that walked on the Moon, which it was that was first, or none. But then again, how many here on HN can name all twelve who walked on the Moon? Does it matter who they were? They were, after all, as Neil Armstrong says, just the most visible of the half million people who made it possible.
- evgen 17y ago
  In my childhood nerd days I could name all the apollo crews and CM/LM names and could name all the gemini and mercury astronauts (could never keep the gemini missions/pairs straight though.) It did not win me many friends or bar bets but it was time well spent IMHO. For some reason I never managed to get excited about or care very much about missions once Cernan's foot left the surface of the moon (except for Deke Slayton finally getting his shot on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.)
- doug_m 17y ago
  http://www.cmcpr.co.uk/main/news.php?content=news_article&article_id=389 http://www.cmcpr.co.uk/main/news.php?content=news_article&#3... The Institution of Engineering and Technology in the UK did a survey recently but they seemingly haven't published the full results though they do mention they might provide them on request. Some of the stats are a little discouraging though
mechanical_fish 17y ago
Particularly when you compare him to the engineers who designed that engine that, the very first time it was fired on the surface of the moon, worked and brought the astronauts home instead of marooning them to listen to Walter Cronkite narrate their obituaries on national television. Yikes. Except in certain special cases, engineering is not actually a job for rock stars. When you succeed, the projects usually get the glory, not you. From the article, it sounds like Collins understands that perfectly well.
DannoHung 17y ago
Mike Collins has a marketing problem: his name's too boring. He should have immediately commissioned someone to name a Tom Collins derivative drink after him when he got back from the mission. I mean, seriously, you go and do a job with two guys named Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. And you wonder why people forget your name.
- mechanical_fish 17y ago
  Yeah, if Bootsy Collins had orbited the moon nobody would ever have forgotten it. As it was, it took Frank Zappa to figure out the marketing angle and name his child "Moon Unit".
  - DannoHung 17y ago
    Yeah, the only problem with that is that Bootsy Collins has been way higher than the moon. He's completely out of this galaxy.
- 10ren 17y ago
  Buzz legally changed his name http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin#Biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin#Biography
ErrantX 17y ago
Agreed. THe real forgotten Astronaut of Apollo 11 would be Charles Moss Duke - the CapCom that was on duty when Eagle landed (and surely must be considered lynch pin to the whole landing)

I disagree that Michael Collins is forgotten.

by KC8ZKF 17y ago

I disagree that Michael Collins is forgotten.

I agree with you that Mike Collins is not forgotten. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what proportion of the population can name all three astronauts on Apollo 11, both of those that walked on the Moon, which it was that was first, or none. But then again, how many here on HN can name all twelve who walked on the Moon? Does it matter who they were? They were, after all, as Neil Armstrong says, just the most visible of the half million people who made it possible.

evgen 17y ago
In my childhood nerd days I could name all the apollo crews and CM/LM names and could name all the gemini and mercury astronauts (could never keep the gemini missions/pairs straight though.) It did not win me many friends or bar bets but it was time well spent IMHO. For some reason I never managed to get excited about or care very much about missions once Cernan's foot left the surface of the moon (except for Deke Slayton finally getting his shot on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.)
doug_m 17y ago
http://www.cmcpr.co.uk/main/news.php?content=news_article&article_id=389 http://www.cmcpr.co.uk/main/news.php?content=news_article&#3... The Institution of Engineering and Technology in the UK did a survey recently but they seemingly haven't published the full results though they do mention they might provide them on request. Some of the stats are a little discouraging though

mechanical_fish 17y ago

Particularly when you compare him to the engineers who designed that engine that, the very first time it was fired on the surface of the moon, worked and brought the astronauts home instead of marooning them to listen to Walter Cronkite narrate their obituaries on national television. Yikes. Except in certain special cases, engineering is not actually a job for rock stars. When you succeed, the projects usually get the glory, not you. From the article, it sounds like Collins understands that perfectly well.

DannoHung 17y ago

Mike Collins has a marketing problem: his name's too boring. He should have immediately commissioned someone to name a Tom Collins derivative drink after him when he got back from the mission. I mean, seriously, you go and do a job with two guys named Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. And you wonder why people forget your name.

mechanical_fish 17y ago
Yeah, if Bootsy Collins had orbited the moon nobody would ever have forgotten it. As it was, it took Frank Zappa to figure out the marketing angle and name his child "Moon Unit".
- DannoHung 17y ago
  Yeah, the only problem with that is that Bootsy Collins has been way higher than the moon. He's completely out of this galaxy.
10ren 17y ago
Buzz legally changed his name http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin#Biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin#Biography

ErrantX 17y ago

Agreed. THe real forgotten Astronaut of Apollo 11 would be Charles Moss Duke - the CapCom that was on duty when Eagle landed (and surely must be considered lynch pin to the whole landing)