Krulwich And Armstrong

Robert Krulwich of NPR asked last week why Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin didn't stay on the lunar surface longer and roam farther from the lunar module than they did during the Apollo 11 mission, which was the first manned landing on another world. Armstrong responded via e-mail, patiently explaining that no one had ever walked on the Moon before, NASA wasn't entirely sure what would happen, NASA wanted the astronauts to stay within the field of view of the single television camera the astronauts had set up-- and NASA wanted to get the men back safely. Armstrong went on to point out that subsequent Apollo astronauts did roam farther from their lunar modules.

Perhaps a good question is why Mr. Krulwich asked his question. Assuming any basic appreciation at all of the achievement of Apollo 11, a few moments of reflection should tell anyone why Armstrong and Aldrin didn't sprint across the lunar surface. Of course, journalists get paid to ask questions-- often provocative questions-- not necessarily to reflect. Still, Krulwich did enough research to note that the surface explorations of the two astronauts could fit within a football field, or a baseball diamond. Such research-- with all due respect to Mr. Krulwich-- misses the point. The relevant distances that are important in the story of Apollo 11 are the distance from Earth to the Moon, the last several thousand feet separating the closest approach to the Moon of Apollo 10's lunar module from the lunar surface, and the distance home.