Why Apollo 10 Stopped Just 47,000 Feet From The Moon – The New York Times
With the recent release of the Anniversary Speedmaster from Omega now behind us, it’s easy to forget that while Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins get the lion’s share of the glory (mostly Armstrong and Aldrin, if we’re honest) they stood on the shoulders of those who had gone before, in the extremely hazardous early days of manned space flight. Apollo 10 was the dress rehearsal for the moon landing, and the New York Times has produced an homage to Apollo 10 and her crew that’s absolutely chock full of stunning photography, and wonderful details about the voyage that came within 47,000 feet of the lunar surface, but did not actually land – including the fact that the Lunar Module had been deliberately loaded with insufficient fuel for a landing and return, as NASA didn’t want the crew to do something, you know, impulsive. Being close enough to practically reach out and touch the lunar surface, without going the final few miles, must have been a little hard on the crew – mission commander Thomas Stafford remarking at one point, wistfully, “It looks like we’re getting so close all you have to do is put your tail hook down and we’re there.”
-Jack Forster, Editor-In-Chief
from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2EhTu2L