There's one thing I've always wondered about Neil Armstrong, and that is how he and Buzz came to the decision that Neil got to go first.
Was it predefined by impersonal procedures, imposed from the bureaucratic context by cold discursive logic?
Was it a team effort among the whole organization, where the discussion rolled back and forth between all those other things that had to be done? How did these discussions go? What did the two have to say about it?
Did they do a rock-paper-scissors on the descent?
These are the kinds of things I think about. Sometimes in greater detail than at other times. Sometimes to the exclusion of other things.
The moon, you say?
I could be wrong... but I think I read NASA gave command to Armstrong because out of the three pilots he was the only one no longer officially serving with the Air Force, and even if all the pilots had trained as military men they wanted a civilian to be in charge :)
ReplyDeleteAh, the public relations angle! Always present. ^^
DeleteMoonlings, I come in peace! (Psst: but don't talk to Buzz, he TOTALLY doesn't)
DeleteMoonlings! Take me to your democratically elected leader!
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAaWvVFERVA
DeleteWe should use the term "anarchosyndicalist commune" more often. In the most random of contexts. ;)
Delete