Met an Apollo astronaut!

[Azure]

Just came back from meeting Al Worden, the command module pilot on Apollo 15. Amazing experience, he was such an inspirational character, great talker and very down to Earth (pardon the pun).

Got some signed photos with him etc. but the best bit was just chatting to him. He was so easy to approach, it felt almost surreal to just be there talking to him.

There was some pretty cool memorabilia being sold too, most was far too expensive for me though!

Has anyone else here met one of the apollonauts/ or another astronaut? He's the second astronaut I've heard from, and I have to say, they really are amazing people. It's a shame that most people my age don't care about this sort of stuff.

[Helite]

I have never had the fortune to meet one, I was hoping to meet Ed mitchell, Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke, [removed word] Gordon and some shuttle Astronauts last year at autographica but unfortunately was working, hopefully this year I will be off, they have Gene Cernan and a few others coming. I did get all the Astronauts autographs last year though, I pre-ordered some pictures which they signed and put mission numbers on for me. I do collect all sorts of space junk though, I managed to get some space flown metal and have some beta cloth from Apollo 14 and some Columbia foil, ok im starting to ramble now, I have a thing for space and get carried away

[nephilim]

Nice one, sounds like an interesting guy. Havnt met an astronaut but i've met my childhood hero, Mr P Moore, his books led to my fascination with all things 'up there' & he also was a really nice guy ( It was about 14yrs ago when he did a lecture at Harrogate Theatre) I'd love to meet an astronaut though & grill him/her to death

Steve

[Helite]

Nice one, sounds like an interesting guy. Havnt met an astronaut but i've met my childhood hero, Mr P Moore, his books led to my fascination with all things 'up there' & he also was a really nice guy ( It was about 14yrs ago when he did a lecture at Harrogate Theatre) I'd love to meet an astronaut though & grill him/her to death

Steve

If you want to meet an astronaut or 3 this is the place to be in September....... http://autographica.co.uk/

[Helite]

Forgot to ask, where did you meet him yesterday? I presume he was doing a talk somewhere?

[John]

I met a Shuttle astronaut, Story Musgrave, when at Kennedy Space Centre a couple of years back. He was very approachable and personable. I believe the "meet & greet" role is all part of the job and they are trained for it but some no doubt are more natural than others

I'd really like to meet one of the "moon walkers" while they are still around.

[Azure]

Forgot to ask, where did you meet him yesterday? I presume he was doing a talk somewhere?

Yeah he was doing a talk up near Wakefield. Google 'space lectures', the guy who runs that organizes regular events where astronauts come to the UK and give talks. I only heard of them in time to visit this talk, but it was worth it! Great event, very well organized. Hopefully the next one will be soon too.

[Helite]

Yeah he was doing a talk up near Wakefield. Google 'space lectures', the guy who runs that organizes regular events where astronauts come to the UK and give talks. I only heard of them in time to visit this talk, but it was worth it! Great event, very well organized. Hopefully the next one will be soon too.

Just had a look at that space lectures, that was pretty good value for money, pity I didnt know about it beforehand

[LukeSkywatcher]

Call me a sad git, but i have met and shook hands with Pete Lawrence, who has shook hands with Patrick Moore, who in turn has shook hands with Neil Armstrong, Uri Gargarin and even one of the Wright brothers (Orville i think). He may have even shook hands with Albert Einstein.

And who knows how many countless others.

Its like the six degrees or seperation of Kevin Bacon, but on an scientific level between me and Einstein.

Personally i find this amazing.

Sad i know.............

[Beyondawes]

my father took my brother and i to a street where buzz, mike and neil were whizzed down in an open convertible waving all the while. ill never forgetit.

pete

[Azure]

Just had a look at that space lectures, that was pretty good value for money, pity I didnt know about it beforehand

Well there's always next time eh?

I want to try and meet as many of the apollonauts as possible, especially a moonwalker, 'cause in ten years or so most of them won't be around and after all, how long after that will it be before we can say we've met someone who's stood on another world? I don't think anyone's going back to the Moon soon (apart from China maybe), and Mars is a long way off....

[Macavity]

If I ever marvel / wonder at what makes *great* wo/men "tick", it is re. the Astronauts / Cosmonauts.

The "right stuff" - Maybe a tad "establishment" [teasing], but undoubtedly among the bravest of us.

I admire, was it 1st U.S. flight, Alan Shepard, "dozing off" during pre-launch? Now that's COOL!

[SniffTheGlove]

I was lucky to shake the hand of Buzz when I was 12 years old, Buzz was doing a talk at the Boy's College in Malvern around 1976. (A long time ago!)

[Rihard]

Just came back from meeting Al Worden, the command module pilot on Apollo 15. Amazing experience, he was such an inspirational character, great talker and very down to Earth (pardon the pun).

Got some signed photos with him etc. but the best bit was just chatting to him. He was so easy to approach, it felt almost surreal to just be there talking to him.

There was some pretty cool memorabilia being sold too, most was far too expensive for me though!

Has anyone else here met one of the apollonauts/ or another astronaut? He's the second astronaut I've heard from, and I have to say, they really are amazing people. It's a shame that most people my age don't care about this sort of stuff.

I always dreamed to meet the Apollo astronauts, particularly the Apollo 11 ones, but never had a chance .

Just over 1 year ago I had the chance to take a picture together with NASA's Shuttle Astronaut Shane Kimbrough in Cork, Ireland, who also gave away some original NASA gadgets (stickers, patches, pin badges, signed pictures etc). We had no time to talk though.

Riky

[Azure]

If I ever marvel / wonder at what makes *great* wo/men "tick", it is re. the Astronauts / Cosmonauts.

The "right stuff" - Maybe a tad "establishment" [teasing], but undoubtedly among the bravest of us.

I admire, was it 1st U.S. flight, Alan Shepard, "dozing off" during pre-launch? Now that's COOL!

I know, I always wonder what thoughts went through their heads as they looked back on Earth...Al said it was hugely humbling.

Also, when he did his spacewalk (he was the first human to do a deep space EVA) he said he went outside the spacecraft twice for mission reasons, and once 'just for kicks'. He said that sensation or floating outside between the Earth and Moon was too much to fully contemplate there and then, it was only after his return to Earth he could really mull over it. Fascinating stuff, I can only imagine what it must have been like.

And speaking of dozing off, apparently the crew of Apollo 15 all kept falling asleep on launch morning - they actually spent the night before launch staying up late with a few too many bottles of champagne! Even astronauts know how to party

[melsky]

I met Col James Irwin (Apollo 15) over 30 years ago, he'd given a lecture at the Royal Military College of Science and afterwards a small group of us from the astronomical society met him in one of the members homes and chatted to him over a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I distinctly remember him recounting how when they weren't broadcasting they would like to break the crust that formed over some of the small craters with they're boots, very sad that he was the first of the moonwalkers to pass away.

Mel