Holiday Snaps

I thought the earth was flat ? No no no I'm just kidding ! I'm not one of those flat earth flakes lol

I wonder how many of the crew reflexively checked the SPS fuel gauges as that rather small object rose above the horizon. ;)

Just goes to show, there a big difference between knowing something and actually seeing it. Merry Christmas, Fran and followers.

Michael S Wilhelm

Merry Xmas Fran and you are right, I remember my 16 year old self watch those guys going to the moon and knew it would be a brand new day ever afterwards. I met and spoke to Gene Kranz who was walking through Mission Control in Houston...wasn't wearing his vest though.

The guy sitting next to the photographer at the time, a Mr. James Lovell, signed a twenty dollar bill for my brother after a chance meeting while he was in Florida to watch the Apollo 15 launch. Anyone else met any of the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo era astronauts? Or know of someone who has?

PS Best wishes for the Holidays and hope you have a Happier New Year.

Sadiq Mohamed

I forgot it was today. It's also my Great-Nephew Freddie's 1st birthday!I have a 10 x 8 print of that photo, which I found recently with some artwork that had been in storage. It had been kept flat in a plastic sleeve. I can't remember how I got it, but I suspect I wrote to NASA's PR department sometime around then.

Sadiq Mohamed

Thanks Fran! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Thomas Froitzheim

We are of the little blue ball and may we be good stewards this year! Happiness to you and yours!

I still get a lump in my throat when I see this image. I was 13 the first time I saw it. I was just old enough to have caught the last of the "Duck and Cover" drills in elementary school, and had seen our nuclear arsenals multiply, and seen the quagmire of Vietnam. This image, and the moon landing that soon followed, gave me hope in the midst of existential dread. I see our arc over the past 50 years. There are 90% fewer nuclear warheads in the world. While population has grown, poverty, disease and hunger have been markedly reduced. The people of the world are connected like never before, and more and better education is having its impact. Despite those gains, there is still much to be done. We still need this kind of hope just as much as we ever have. However, we do need more than a photo from half a century ago. That was our inspiration. What image or event will inspire the next generation?

BobC

Nice Christmas Eve card. Grew up with those missions. After Apollo 11, I used a redbrick wall divided by a drain pipe at the school yard at primary school as imaginary LEM pilot stations. Many happy lunar landings :) Definitely wet my appetite for science and technology.

Merry Christmas Fran. Thank you for posting that picture and remembering that moment in history. I was 11 years old at the time and remember it as if it was yesterday. Today I’m listening to the mission audio of that day via the magic of the internet! It is as dramatic now as it was then. It’s amazing what humans can do when we put our minds to it.

I remember it vividly and collected the stamp which featured that photo; <a href="http://www.livefromsiliconvalley.com/space/usaapollo.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.livefromsiliconvalley.com/space/usaapollo.html</a>

Bill Karkula

happy holidays Fran .

Dr Andy Hill

I think this is probably the most beautiful photograph even taken! I recently watched the Apollo 8 documentary on youtube. I didn't know much about this mission but I remember watching the Apollo 11 mission in tv as 5 year old.

Dr Andy Hill

Merry Christmas and love to you, Fran. ❤️🎄

Simon Mikkelsen

If you look really closely, you can see my house as it was in 1968. Not! Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks Fran for a year of great vids. Looking forward to seeing your new digs in a few months.

&lt;3 It's a fantastically beautiful photo! :D

Martel DuVigneaud

Gorgeous

AESFTW