I read 98 pages in Moon Shot and 10 pages in the book of Esther from the Bible this week.

Quotes of the Week

All quotes this week are taken from Moon Shot by Shepard, Slayton, Benedict, and Barbee

1. “Zond.”

2. About Apollo 8: “It was the single greatest gamble in space flight then and since.”

3. “On the lunar dust they placed mementoes for the five American and Soviet spacemen, Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee, Vladimir Komarov, and Yuri Gagarin, who died in a plane crash in 1961.”

Responses

1. This one simple word meant everything to the race for the moon. Zond was the Soviet space program to get to the moon. Incorrect information from reconnaissance satellites told the U.S. that they had to move quickly to beat the Soviets to the moon. That is why Apollo 8 flew over Christmas.
2. Apollo 8 was a great gamble; it sent to the moon a rocket that had not yet been tested manned in earth orbit. They were also the first manned mission to leave earth orbit.
3. I am stunned by the thoughtfulness of the astronauts of Apollo 11 to honor both American and Soviet men lost in the pursuit of greater knowledge about space.

2. Response post:

I remember being in grade school and being afraid of what the teacher would think. “Rain” by Naomi Shihab Nye just struck a cord with me from when I would get critical comments back from my teacher about what I wrote. I remember the big handwriting and trying hard to get the letters right. For me however, this time period happened sooner than third grade. I wanted to cry for Paul, because that touch on his shoulder must have really meant something to him.