# ‘First Man’ anticipation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2018, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510 "2018-08-30T09:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/81 "2018-11-06T15:54:50Z")
Except, perhaps, to show the emotional gap between Armstrong and his wife. But it was a depressingly downbeat note on which to end the movie, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/82 "2018-11-06T16:47:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I saw the film yesterday. My only criticism is that I think it should have ended immediately after he dropped the rosary (?) into the crater. The quarantine scene added nothing to the film. Excellent point. I did not think of it when I watched, but in retrospect this would have been much, much better. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Except, perhaps, to show the emotional gap between Armstrong and his wife. But it was a depressingly downbeat note on which to end the movie, I think. This is what I thought too. But in retrospect almost the entire movie did that, and we know (or at least can easily find) that they split up. They split much later, separating in 1990 and divorcing in 1994. > [@](#): > > Armstrong and his first wife, Janet, separated in 1990 and divorced in 1994, after 38 years of marriage. He met his second wife, Carol Held Knight, in 1992 at a golf tournament, where they were seated together at the breakfast table. She said little to Armstrong, but two weeks later she received a call from him asking what she was doing—she replied she was cutting down a cherry tree; 35 minutes later Armstrong was at her house to help out. They were married on June 12, 1994, in Ohio, and then had a second ceremony, at San Ysidro Ranch, in California. He lived in Indian Hill, Ohio. Wiki: [Neil Armstrong - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong#Personal_life) I like Quartz’s take on the ending. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/83 "2018-11-06T17:12:48Z")
Here’s video footage of [Gemini 10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs81_raO2WM). At about T -1:55 the mission communicator calls it _jehminn-KNEE_ Here’s [Gemini 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0EZ3dc400). It may be the same person. It’s definitely the same pronunciation. And here’s [Gemini 6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kGrXPUoNMQ). The mission communicator is identified as Paul Haney. Same pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/84 "2018-11-07T01:44:13Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Here’s video footage of [Gemini 10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs81_raO2WM). At about T -1:55 the mission communicator calls it _jehminn-KNEE_ > > Here’s [Gemini 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0EZ3dc400). It may be the same person. It’s definitely the same pronunciation. > > And here’s [Gemini 6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kGrXPUoNMQ). The mission communicator is identified as Paul Haney. Same pronunciation. In the movie I heard it pronounced both ways, knee and nigh. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/85 "2018-11-07T06:16:23Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Aside from … dropping the hammer and feather, Armstrong and Aldrin did no real science on the Moon. r That was David Scott in Apollo 15. My biggest complaint of the movie? Hold the damn camera still! And FOCUS! Dammit, I thought we were done with that shit-assed “realistic” filmmaking. Second, the spaceflights were not that shaky, especially Gemini 8. It was one thruster failed on. There’s not going to be any shaking, just spinning. And not as fast as shown in the film. And the warning lights don’t flash like Christmas time, as was in that scene. And the LM wouldn’t be so noisy. I don’t even think they had the ubiquitous KLAXXON that movies seem to love. You can’t concentrate on the emergency if there’s A LOUD BLARING HORN GOING OFF THAT WON’T STOP MAKE IT STOP FER CRIPES SAKE! [You can hear the actual audio of Buzz in the LM - no LOUD ALARMS.](https://youtu.be/RONIax0_1ec?t=650) I won’t ever watch this movie again because the filmmaking pissed me off so much, and that’s a shame. Both because the parts that were good were pretty good, and now no one will ever make a decent movie about Armstrong. Oh well, at least I still have From the Earth to the Moon ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/86 "2018-11-07T15:54:59Z")
Gemini 8 got up to 296 degrees per second rate of spin- that’s not quite once around per second. It was definitely a serious thing. But I agree about the vibration; while they got launch vibration right- it’s due to the atmosphere, I’ve always read that most of the orbital rocket use was pretty mild by comparison- watching videos of the Shuttle OMS firing shows the crew just start drifting across the cabin- no shaking, no vibration, etc… I guess Chazelle felt like they had to amp that up to build suspense. ---
**Author:** ![joema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@joema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joema)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/87 "2018-11-10T12:57:24Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > …the spaceflights were not that shaky…the LM wouldn’t be so noisy. I don’t even think they had the ubiquitous KLAXXON that movies seem to love. You can’t concentrate on the emergency if there’s A LOUD BLARING HORN GOING OFF THAT WON’T STOP MAKE IT STOP FER CRIPES SAKE! [You can hear the actual audio of Buzz in the LM - no LOUD ALARMS.](https://youtu.be/RONIax0_1ec?t=650)… The problem is the “shaky” depiction is inconsistent with reality, but I accept the filmmakers used artistic license to portrey overall risk factor to the audience. It is more difficult to visually convey risk when spacecraft flight is quiet and smooth. But it’s not impossible to convey risk and and tension without an overt visual proxy, just more difficult. E.g, in this audio remix of various flight controller loops during the Apollo 11 landing, you can hear the tension as the mission control “back room” discussed the computer problem: 4 min 39 sec MP3 audio file: [Apollo\_11\_Landing.mp3 - Google Drive](https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B68EcQJkG9eeaDl6UnR0T3pWbGc/edit) Description: [Apollo 11 lunar landing audio - Flight and Guidance loops](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35230.0) Here are 24-yr-old Jack Garman’s hand written notes which he referenced during the 1201 and 1202 program alarms: [Jack Garman and Apollo 11 - joema](https://joema.smugmug.com/Aerospace/Jack-Garman-and-Apollo-11/i-WGTT9Fv) The Saturn V 1st stage had lots of vibration. Some astronauts likened it to driving a pickup truck over furrows in a plowed field. The 3rd stage was very smooth. The LM descent engine was so smooth and quiet when it first ignited at 40% thrust, they initially weren’t sure it fired. So there was a lot of variation. I think the film got the audio alarms during the lunar descent somewhat accurate. In fact astronaut Pete Conrad and NASA manager Bill Tindall complained about the loud “master alarm” triggered by the low fuel quantity indicator, which meant two minutes fuel remaining. It was typical they’d be into that quantity on _any_ mission, although Apollo 11 got deeper into that. The LM pilot (actually co-pilot) was calling out fuel remaining verbally, so Tindall and Conrad argued the last thing they needed was a loud alarm telling the astronaut what he already knew: [http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/06/gee-whiz-that-master-alarm-certainly.html](http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/06/gee-whiz-that-master-alarm-certainly.html) As a result of these complaints the loud alarm for low fuel was removed from all missions after Apollo 14. The 1202 and 1201 computer “program alarms” also triggered the master alarm light and audio klaxon, so the movie got that right. I think the alarms aren’t audible on the period audio recordings because the astronauts had helmets on, and transmit and receive audio were isolated. Similarly the film depicted control of the LM as an intuitive “stick and rudder” experience, but it was actually under total or partial computer control the entire time. Armstrong took over pitch and yaw but even those were digitally maintained, and descent rate was digitally controlled. They simply toggled a switch to add or subtract descent rate, like pressing the +/- buttons on an automotive cruise control. The digital aspect of LM flight control can be seen in the below Apollo 11 Youtube video if you skip to about 2:30 then fast forward (SHIFT+right angle bracket several times to speed up, left angle bracket to slow down playback). When the LM pitches around for docking alignment it looks like it snaps into a groove. That’s not a steady hand on the controls, and it’s not a film artifact – it’s a computer intercepting and executing human control input. Of course showing this in a film would be distracting and would detract from the filmmaker’s goal of depicting the technology as “primitive”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TB4TenTk-Bc/maxresdefault.jpg "Apollo 11 - 16-mm magazine 1122-D") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB4TenTk-Bc) In an attempt to visually convey the less advanced technology of that era, the film depicted the spacecraft (esp. interiors) as dark, dingy, beat-up places, almost like the cab of a diesel locomotive at night. In reality they were well illuminated, although limitations of the period photography and film could not capture that very well. The Apollo and Gemini spacecraft were all brand new, pristine and manufactured in clean rooms. Astronauts commented they smelled like a new car. Gemini manufacturing: [![](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-PVKsDzr/0/ff6735b8/X2/i-PVKsDzr-X2.jpg) ](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-PVKsDzr/0/ff6735b8/X2/i-PVKsDzr-X2.jpg) The film depicted the spacecraft as clunky, rusted, imprecise creations. In reality the outermost uneven surface of the LM was just a thin micrometeoroid shield, not structural. Underneath it was a highly technical precision vehicle. LM manufacturing: [![](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9MxQjZC/0/2bf8b4c7/X2/i-9MxQjZC-X2.jpg) ](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9MxQjZC/0/2bf8b4c7/X2/i-9MxQjZC-X2.jpg) Apollo 9 docking, showing LM and CM exteriors: [![](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-q397MZD/0/dab2f8f4/X3/i-q397MZD-X3.jpg) ](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-q397MZD/0/dab2f8f4/X3/i-q397MZD-X3.jpg) The film depicted the instrument panels as dark, feebly illuminated as if by an oil lamp. In reality, great attention was given to instrument illumination and legibility. Pete Conrad advocated Apollo’s use of glowing electroluminescent lettering. This is rarely shown in period photos or film because in those days they didn’t have high-ISO imaging sensors to capture it. Even actual flight articles in museums are powered down, so this is not obvious. The Apollo 13 movie better conveyed the visual truth of the instrument panels and spacecraft interiors. Armstrong in LM (likely simulator). Again, I don’t see any scuffed paint or rusted switches: [https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mKQCjwd/0/26fc574a/X3/i-mKQCjwd-X3.jpg](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mKQCjwd/0/26fc574a/X3/i-mKQCjwd-X3.jpg) Electroluminescent CM instrument panel: [https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tWwTLpr/0/f04b74b1/X3/i-tWwTLpr-X3.jpg](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tWwTLpr/0/f04b74b1/X3/i-tWwTLpr-X3.jpg) Electroluminescent LM instrument panel. The panel color is shifted to red, possibly due to white balance – remember this was film. The actual panel color was as shown in the previous Armstrong photo. Note the switch lettering is glowing even when shadowed: [https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-5gbjxB2/0/89cbfc05/X3/i-5gbjxB2-X3.jpg](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-5gbjxB2/0/89cbfc05/X3/i-5gbjxB2-X3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510/88 "2018-11-11T05:10:52Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Aside from some sample collection and dropping the hammer and feather, Armstrong and Aldrin did no real science on the Moon. Other than being the first to land, the first to walk, and the first to return and talk about it, no, they did nothing else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-man-anticipation-thread/820510.md?page=4)