One Small Step, restored
I remember watching Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon as if
it happened yesterday. OK, maybe the day before yesterday, but it is still
clear in my memory. I was sitting on the floor, with my nose
about a foot from the fuzzy black-and-white picture on our living room
television. I have commemorated July 20, 1969 — Moon Day — every
year.
NASA has restored and improved the footage of Armstrong's first step,
and National Public Radio did a thorough feature on the Apollo 11
mission, including several video clips. You can see both the "before"
and "after" restoration clips on the story page
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106637066). The
actual videotapes of the broadcast from the moon were lost, so NASA
worked to improve the best television broadcast tapes available. It's
amazing to see the detail in Armstrong's helmet and suit as he takes
the first step on the lunar surface.
There's also a photo gallery of images from the Apollo 11 mission.
Several of the photos hung on my bedroom walls for years.
"The Eagle has landed."
I still get goosebumps.
