# "In Event of Moon Disaster:" when would they have shut down communication? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804 "2015-07-21T18:10:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/41 "2015-08-08T09:59:13Z")
If the LM had tipped over while landing, I imagine Buzz Aldrin would have just gotten out and punched it upright. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/42 "2015-08-08T12:29:33Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If the LM had tipped over while landing, I imagine Buzz Aldrin would have just gotten out and punched it upright. 😃 I’m sure[you are correct](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wptn5RE2I-k). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/43 "2015-08-08T17:05:41Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Then I think the two astronauts would simply have turned off their transmitter long before their final moments. What reason would they have not to? What difference would that make. I’m sure that our new insect overlords would simply turn the transmitter back on in order to taunt us about the deaths of our astronauts and the impending takeover of our planet. You of all people should know that. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/44 "2015-08-08T21:13:12Z")
> [@dr\_zippermeyer](#): > > keeping the line open might have been extremely traumatizing for guys down on Earth. Depending of an individual, the death can be peaceful or really ugly sounding, with cursing, blaming and moaning etc. Occupational hazard. Comes with the job. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/45 "2015-08-08T21:25:14Z")
Not only ‘comes with the job’; it is anticipated and there are mission protocols for dealing with an astronaut death during a mission, as there are with any other imaginably contingency, and they don’t consist of turning off the radio and pretending that there is nothing wrong. Whether or not some presidential speechwriter claims that such a command would have been given–even if it was actually approved by the President–NASA Mission Control would continue to maintain contact and keep systems going even in the face of seemingly impossible odds, if for no other reason than to do every possible thing to understand what can go wrong and how it can be avoided in the future. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/46 "2015-08-08T21:58:24Z")
> [@Corporal\_Nobbs](#): > > I see absolutely no way they would cut communication whilst the astronauts were still alive, I would be very surprised if they cut comms whilst any telemetary was being received. If I was stranded in space or on the moon, I would rather speak to an engineer who was working on a solution however remote than a priest. I imagine not many Astronauts (despite what they say for sound bites) are into God bothering. Cutting comms would be cowardly and against the bond between support and front line… Because Apollo 11 didn’t have Buzz Aldrin take communion on the surface of the moon… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/47 "2015-08-08T22:49:10Z")
> [@Darth\_Sensitive](#): > > Because Apollo 11 didn’t have Buzz Aldrin take communion on the surface of the moon… And being an Observant Catholic relates to this how? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804/48 "2015-08-09T02:33:40Z")
Safire was a speechwriter, not a rocket scientist. I doubt he held a clear understanding of the exact technical protocol in the event of a disaster. In fact, NASA most likely never shared (or probably even wrote down) the actual protocol, because if they had, vultures in the media would have chewed on it for weeks leading up to the mission. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-event-of-moon-disaster-when-would-they-have-shut-down-communication/725804.md?page=2)