APOLLO 11 AND 13 - NEWSPAPER REFLECTIONS

APOLLO 11 AND APOLLO 13

NEWSPAPER REFLECTIONS

Several weeks ago, I came across some newspapers that I had collected and tucked away. Rarely have these papers seen the light of day! They are 45 years old. They have held up pretty well over time, considering I had no idea how to preserve them. Occasionally, I pull them out, read and reflect on the significance of the wonderful achievements associated with space exploration. The excitement and wonder of these milestones from the 1960s has not diminished over time. For all the technological advancements that have come and gone since then, nothing compares with the fascination of the "space race" of the '60s.

I was 15 years old when Apollo 11 made its historic mission to the moon. On the day that the first man walked upon the moon, I suddenly got sick with a mysterious illness. Nothing too serious, mind you! Just enough to keep me at home so I could watch the moon walk on our old black and white TV. I suspect mum know all along that I was faking it!!

Viewing that grainy video in real-time was such a buzz. At times it was difficult to tell from the TV screen what was happening as the astronauts bounded across the lunar surface. I guess that imagination helped to fill in what the eye could not see clearly.

So, today I thought I'd share with you my local newspaper front pages from that time. They include the Apollo 11 reports from July 17 to 25, 1969 (that is, from blast-off to splash-down). And there are also the even more astonishing front pages of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission from April 15 to 18, 1970, where the whole world waited anxiously as the the intrepid space travellers struggled to make it back home.

SIDE NOTE: Last year, I read the engrossing account of all the early space missions in a book called Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by former mission director, Gene Kranz. It's still available from Amazon, Audible and other book distributors. Much of what appeared in the movie Apollo 13 was drawn from the experiences and insights provided by Kranz and others. I highly recommend it!!

PHOTOS: You can click on the images to enlarge the newspapers for easier reading. They may take slightly longer to download.

For some of our "older" readers, I hope this blog post brings back some memories of where YOU were on the day that man first walked on the moon.

73 and good DX to all,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

APOLLO 11

Melbourne Sun, Thursday July 17, 1969

Melbourne Herald, Monday July 21, 1969

Melbourne Herald, Monday July 21, 1969

Melbourne Herald, Tuesday July 22, 1969

Melbourne Herald, Friday July 25, 1969

APOLLO 13

Melbourne Herald, Wednesday April 15, 1970

Melbourne Sun, Thursday April 16, 1970

Melbourne Herald, Saturday April 18, 1970

Melbourne Herald, Saturday April 18, 1970

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