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I was across the river and watched it take off, then we raced home to watch on TV. I remember the air pressure from the rockets thumping on my chest. The only other sound that has ever matched it is a steam locomotive whistle.
!!!
Wow!
This is sort of related, but a lot of people in this forum won't know who this guy is: I'm guessing that some of you veteran Apollo watchers may remember him...
Dr. Gilbert V. Levin, one of the scientists involved with the Viking landers project, passed away this week (July 28th, 2021). He was focused on the search for microbial life on Mars.
R.I.P.!
I heard about this today via The Angry Astronaut (YouTuber), and threw this together today as a nod to Dr. Levin:
I didn't know Dr. Levin, but I was in the checklist loop for launch of the Viking 1 and 2 rockets (Aug & Sept, 1975). Not officially, sitting at a desk with headphones on saying "check", but I was able to give input on lightning conditions around the launch tower. During one of the two launches my research computers indicated a large area of high electrostatic potential drifting toward the launch tower and we phoned it in to launch control. The launch was held for a few minutes until we saw the high potential drift away and gave an "all clear" message.
Dr. Levin's obituary is a fascinating read:
https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/ov7ku5/obituary_for_gil_levin_he_tested_for_life_on_mars/
His contributions as a scientist and inventor are many, it wasn't just about space science.
Anyways, here's a link to one of his last interviews, with the Angry Astronaut, where they discuss the ongoing search for life on Mars:
It appears that so far the mainstream media has so far not really noted his passing. Yes, he was 97 years old so he had a good life, but still, when someone that has made as many contributions as Dr. Levin has...
/rant off
@LeatherGryphon
That's pretty cool that you were 'on the job' when the Viking probes were launched!
There was an item in the New York Times yesterday - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/04/science/space/gilbert-v-levin-dead.html
"The Rock From Mars" redux in early Sept. 2021, heh heh - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/science/nasa-mars-rock-sample.html
I definitly saw it live on TV but I'm not sure of the details. I sort of remember watching it on TV at home but I also remember watching it on TV at school. Maybe the school one wasn't the first landing, or maybe one of them was a repeat.
Yup. I was visiting my brother staioned in Germany. His base happened to be the ones handing the the broadcast at the tme but the receiving antennas were in Egypt.
Question (I'm being Dwight Schrute), what were the first words said on the moon. Not what you might think.
Maybe, but not really sure as I was one at the time.. lol I do remember being up at sparrows in the morning watching the lift off of Columbia on TV though..