20.07.2009 20:17 - T Minus 0, Part 5 : Contact Light.
This is my favorite picture from Apollo 11. It shows the first man to set foot on the moon, minutes after finally climbing into the Lunar Module. He looks tired, but happy. Months of training, including surviving a near-fatal accident on the trainer for the LM, have paid off. It's a moment where he's momentarily allowed himself a respite from the constant vigilance required in such an alien environment. The journey back to the Earth lies before him. Hopefully, the LM return stage engine will ignite, otherwise he and Aldrin will be staying rather longer than expected. Otherwise, as he relaxes in their tiny compartment of life and warmth on the cold, dead moon, he is happy.
