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Apollo 8 - Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station report

Stu

By Stu
in The Astro Lounge

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Stu

Stu

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I found this page bookmarked on my phone the other day, and thought I would post it today given that tomorrow is the 49th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8.

EDIT I originally put 39th anniversary, thanks for the correction furrysocks :). The fact that I'm 48 and wasn't born at the time should have made the error obvious to me but....... ;) 

It is written by a chap called Hamish Lindsay who worked at the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station and contains much interesting info and many links to further resources.

Although it happened before I was born (as did Apollo 11), I have a soft spot for Apollo 8 having read all about just what a daring mission it was, and how important it was in terms of proving many capabilities which helped the success of the actual landing.

https://www.honeysucklecreek.net/msfn_missions/Apollo_8_mission/hl_apollo8.html

Hope you enjoy it.

Stu

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tomato

tomato

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I was 11 at the time and remember playing with an Apollo 8 command and service module made from a cork and an empty Smarties tube, such was the impact on me  of those iconic images and transmissions from lunar orbit.

Funny thing is I cannot remember what I actually got for Christmas in 1968.

”God bless all of you-all of you,  on the Good Earth.”

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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I so remember the Apollo 8 mission. I was 21 and an active member of the British Interplanetary Society who produced a magnificent magazine called 'Spaceflight' which gave so much information.

So thanks Stu for the link - reading members comments makes me feel very old. 

It was a wonderful time to be involved with Astronomy and Spaceflight and I have quite a few original mags from that period. I was also honoured to meet Dr Thomas Paine - Head of NASA at the Royal Society in London in late 1969. Memories :happy11:

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Stub Mandrel

Stub Mandrel

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I remember the excitement of the Apollo program. Thus Spake Zarathustra got burnt into my brain!

I think the missions caught the world's imaginations in a way that would be impossible today, when reality is always a pale imitation of science fiction, rather than the other way around.

 

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Alan White

Alan White

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Thanks Stu, look forward to a read.

Apollo is a part of my physche and life.

I was born in 66 So was about at the time but oblivious of it.

My dear late dad was a moon lover and introduced me to the moon with binocular and lots of pictures and National Geographic images and articles. Good times indeed and led to a life so far obsessed by space science and astronomy.

I think the Gemini programme was more daring as they cut the furrow for Apollo to grow in.

Sorry to make you feel older Mark, you have aged well from you picture.

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alhiggs

alhiggs

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31 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I so remember the Apollo 8 mission. I was 21 and an active member of the British Interplanetary Society who produced a magnificent magazine called 'Spaceflight' which gave so much information.

So thanks Stu for the link - reading members comments makes me feel very old. 

It was a wonderful time to be involved with Astronomy and Spaceflight and I have quite a few original mags from that period. I was also honoured to meet Dr Thomas Paine - Head of NASA at the Royal Society in London in late 1969. Memories :happy11:

isn't  space flight magazine still going i swear i bought jt earlyier this year

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michael8554

michael8554

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Being young and single, I was one of a handful of engineers on duty at the BBC Television Centre that Christmas day.

I ran and colour-corrected a 35mm space-themed "Tom & Jerry" cartoon, which was followed by the incredibly moving Apollo 8 transmission - awesome.

Michael

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Stu

Stu

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5 hours ago, furrysocks2 said:

Turns out my wife wasn't around for this and resented the suggestion that she was.

I believe it's the 49th anniversary...

Totally right, basic maths obviously beyond me! The fact that I am 48 and wasn't borne should have been a small pointer to me!

I shall correct the original post.

Thank you! :) 

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furrysocks2

furrysocks2

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27 minutes ago, Stu said:

Totally right, basic maths obviously beyond me! The fact that I am 48 and wasn't borne should have been a small pointer to me!

I was halfway through telling the kids that their mum was alive at the time (in my head, 40>39). I didn't finish the sentence but it was too late.

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Stu

Stu

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17 minutes ago, furrysocks2 said:

I was halfway through telling the kids that their mum was alive at the time (in my head, 40>39). I didn't finish the sentence but it was too late.

My apologies for any family strife caused!! :) 

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Stu

Stu

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11 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I so remember the Apollo 8 mission. I was 21 and an active member of the British Interplanetary Society who produced a magnificent magazine called 'Spaceflight' which gave so much information.

So thanks Stu for the link - reading members comments makes me feel very old. 

It was a wonderful time to be involved with Astronomy and Spaceflight and I have quite a few original mags from that period. I was also honoured to meet Dr Thomas Paine - Head of NASA at the Royal Society in London in late 1969. Memories :happy11:

Gosh Mark, you don't look anywhere near old enough to have been 21 at the time!

Must have been a very exciting time to be involved with the British Interplanetary Society and to have been able to take it all in.

I have only fragmentary memories of Saturn V launches from either the later ones live, or repeats when I was very young. 

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Stu

Stu

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13 hours ago, tomato said:

I was 11 at the time and remember playing with an Apollo 8 command and service module made from a cork and an empty Smarties tube

Those are so often the best things to play with. Imagination is what it's all about :) 

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Stu

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12 hours ago, Alan White said:

My dear late dad was a moon lover and introduced me to the moon with binocular and lots of pictures and National Geographic images and articles. Good times indeed and led to a life so far obsessed by space science and astronomy.

It's often the case that you can be inspired to take a certain path by someone you love and respect. A lot to thank your Dad for :) 

12 hours ago, Alan White said:

I think the Gemini programme was more daring as they cut the furrow for Apollo to grow in.

Yes, I would agree that the earlier missions were possibly more likely to fail because they were still very much more experimental. The spin during Scott and Armstrong's  Gemini 8 mission springs to mind.

That said, the prospect of heading off into space, with the knowledge that if the guys in 'The Trench' messed up their calculations then you would hit the moon, or possibly worse, miss completely, must have been pretty daunting!

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Stu

Stu

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12 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

What a great link, Stu! I was 7 when Apollo 11 landed, and vividly remember the missions. Almost all boys in my class wanted to become an astronaut, myself included

Must have been a great time to be a small boy :) 

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Stu

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11 hours ago, michael8554 said:

Being young and single, I was one of a handful of engineers on duty at the BBC Television Centre that Christmas day.

I ran and colour-corrected a 35mm space-themed "Tom & Jerry" cartoon, which was followed by the incredibly moving Apollo 8 transmission - awesome.

Michael

Amazing stuff Michael, fantastic to have been involved with, a lifelong memory.

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