Categories: MoonPodcasts

Who Flew the Ship When Mike Collins Went to Sleep?

I mentioned in a previous post that upcoming, there would be lots of fun ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and here’s one I hope you enjoy. My latest podcast on the 365 Days of Astronomy is my reminiscences about that event, which includes another song I wrote. It’s about Apollo 11 through the eyes of a young girl, (which I was at the time), with all the interesting questions and the unique viewpoint that children can bring.

Back on July 20 1969, with everyone focusing on whether Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would make it down to the lunar surface, my thoughts stayed with Mike Collins up orbiting all alone in the command and service module, which is what the song is about. I was inspired and brought back to that time by a children’s book, “The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins” by Bea Uusma Schyffert. It’s a wonderful book that focuses on Michael Collins and what he did, and what he saw, and the things he thought about in space.

The book brought me back to that time, and how I sat in front of the TV watching history unfold. I don’t remember exactly what I was thinking or the questions I had, but I’m sure there was a lot going on inside my little head, and likely, that event was part of what brought me to where I am today.

I hope you enjoy it. Apollo 11 Through the Eyes of a Young Girl

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/

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