Tag: Apollo Missions

On Lunar Trash Bags

Did you realize that there’s an experiment that was left on the moon that is still ongoing? It’s true.

The United States made six successful trips to the moon with humans onboard. Those journeys, from July of 1969 to December 1972 (Apollo 11 to Apollo 17), were summed up (somewhat grammatically awkwardly) by Neil Armstrong when he said that stepping onto the surface of the satellite was a small step in one way but a giant leap for mankind in another sense. And he was right. Those six landings captivated the world and still do to this day.

However, wherever mankind goes, trash goes with mankind. That’s certainly true of the moon as well. And besides the mechanical stuff that the astronauts left, things like the lunar rover, the landing “gear” that the modules took off from, various tools, and the now-bleached out flags and poles, there is another classification of garbage that the humans left that particularly interests scientists today, more than 50 years after humans last visited the moon.

The astronauts left this type of garbage on purpose. And this garbage is in 96 bags. They knew when they left it on the moon’s surface that the composition of the bags was teeming with life. Over 1,000 different types of microbes and species of bacteria are in those bags according to scientists. And it’s possible that fungi could have formed in the microbial bags. Thus, these 96 bags represent an interesting experiment in how living things can–or even if they can–live in an environment as sterile as the moon’s surface.

The extreme temperatures of the moon are a great test tube for this experiment. And, to be fair, the likelihood of anything surviving is slim. However, if the microbes can survive on the moon, well, they could be a signal that we can send things like seedlings or the basic building blocks of life long distances in space. Microbes can survive in the most unlikely places and in ultra-extreme conditions. This experiment might help us understand if we can maybe send life to planets that could be somehow “greened” or made habitable over time. This entire enterprise makes astro-microbiologists (yes, that’s a thing) really excited about the possibilities here on earth and the beginnings of life on our own planet. And the lunar experiment is still waiting for mankind to return to the moon to see how–and if–the microbes and bacteria survived in these bags.

And to think, all of this excitement over 96 bags of human poop.

On an Famous Golf Shot

The Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, has always been a marker for spring for me. The beautifully manicured greens and fairways, the gorgeous azaleas in full flower, and the pageantry of the donning of the famous Green Jacket by the winner represent the popularity of the sport of golf in the United States and around the world. In 1971, a man named Charles Coody recorded his only career major tournament win by besting Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller for the victory by two strokes.

In an ordinary year, that would have been the major golf news of the year, but a golfing amateur upstaged Coody in February that year. This amateur’s name was Alan, and his impact on golf is still celebrated today. We may not remember much about that 1971 Masters Tournament, but we certainly remember what Alan did that year. In fact, it is said that Alan hit the most famous golf shot ever made.

The shot Alan made was with a 6-iron, a club that was made by the sporting goods company Wilson and the style of club was called a Dynapower. And that’s part of the story. You see, it wasn’t that Alan made a golf shot that was accurate or that defied the laws of physics or bounced around and settled in the hole or even that he made a hole-in-one. No, Alan’s 6-iron golf shot is significant because of the distance he hit the golf ball with that 6-iron.

Now, most amateurs would hit a 6-iron about 150 yards on a good day. Not Alan. After a couple of practice swings, Alan addressed the ball and took a rather unorthodox swing at the ball; he hit it one-handed. Please know that the average golf shot with a driver (the larger clubs) stays in the air for about 6 or 7 seconds. Alan’s ball took off…and was airborne for over 30 seconds. In fact, the shot Alan took was measured by one scientist as having traveled one mile.

Yes. One mile.

Alan passed away in 1998, but, before he died, he donated the 6-iron with which he hit his famous shot to the United States Golf Association Museum in Liberty Corner, N.J. The club can be seen there today, and it is one of the most popular exhibits at the museum. People want to see the club that made the most famous shot in history.

After all, it’s not everyday you see a golf club that astronaut Alan Shepard used to hit a ball on the moon.