To the moon and back

MISSION

- RAVI GOVENDER

IN MY LAST column, | discussed a few con-spiracy theories and | realised through feed-back that it is a popular subject. The first was the theory that the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first humans on the moon in July 20,1969, did not take place, but was staged on a Hollywood film set.

Theory aside, let’s delve deeper into the event.

Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz" Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon’s surface, while Michael Collins stayed behind and manned the lunar module.

“The Eagle had landed”. After spending 22 hours on the moon, the three lifted off and began the earthly journey.

Armstrong famously said: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

But urban legend has it that he uttered another line, not as distinct, but as an aside. It has intrigued people for decades. The line was: “Good luck, Mr Gorsky.”

After much investigation, the following context of that sentence was revealed. In 1938, when Armstrong was a kid in a small western town, he had apparently been playing baseball in the backyard of the family house with a friend. At one point, his friend hit the ball and it landed in his neighbour's yard just under their bedroom window.

His neighbours were Mr and Mrs Gorsky.

As Armstrong bent down to retrieve the ball, he heard Mrs Gorsky yelling to her husband: “Sex! You want sex?... You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon.”