Ex Apollo astronaut Michael Collins Surprised Everyone by sharing his Insights about the Apollo Mission about Whether the moonlanding was fake or not He also described in detail what Happened when astronauts first walked on The moon what strange things they found There and what was the most difficult Part of the Moon also Michael Collins Opened up about the biggest mistake that They made during the Apollo mission that Was not made public but most of all Michael provided some mindboggling Details about the Apollo mission that no One knew until now this is a very Interesting story about how an ex Apollo Astronaut explains the mistake of the Moon landing that changed everything Before being selected for the Apollo Program Michael Collins had a decorated Career in the US Air Force a graduate of The US Military Academy at West Point he Became a fighter pilot and later a test Pilot ACR vast experience in the Mechanics and nuances of high-speed Flight his foundational skills and Aeronautics were instrumental in Preparing him for the challenges of Space travel Collins was selected by NASA in 1963 as part of the third group of Astronauts prior to Apollo 11 he served As a backup pilot for the Gemini 7 Mission Collins had been to space once
Before Apollo 11 in 19 1966 he was on The Gemini 10 Mission with John W young Who later went to the moon on Apollo 16 During that mission Collins did Something pretty cool he went outside The spacecraft while floating in space Which only two people had done before he Was also the person who talked between Mission control and the astronauts During the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 that mission was the first one Where humans cir cled around the Moon These missions helped NASA understand Long duration space flight Rondevu and Docking Maneuvers crucial components of The later Apollo lunar missions in the Apollo program Collins was initially Assigned to the Apollo 8 crew as the Lunar module pilot however because of Crew shuffles and the decision to fly Apollo 8 as a lunar orbital Mission Without the lunar module Collins was Moved to the Apollo 11 crew Venturing into space is not just about Confronting the vast expanse of the Cosmos it's also about navigating the Myriad of uncertainties and challenges That come with exploring unknown Realms The Apollo program with its ambitious Goal of Landing humans on the moon and Returning them safely to Earth was Emblematic of this Venture into the Uncharted for astronauts like Michael Collins preparing for the unexpected was
A rigorous Endeavor a melding of the Mind body and machine I mean what sort Of people should they be who should you Select all sorts of crazy Notions came Out of the closets for example they said Well there's no air up there and Mountain climbers are used to a very Thin atmosphere so we may ought to get Mountain climbers other people said well It's dangerous maybe we ought to pick Bull fighters they'd be good Colin said Simulation-based training formed the Bedrock of astronaut preparation by Replicating the spacecraft's control System and potential scenarios in a Controlled environment NASA could expose Astronauts to a broad range of mission Specific challenges within the confines Of these simulators Collins and his Peers faced both the routine and the Unexpected from standard Mission Profiles to sudden system failures and Guidance anomalies ensuring they were Well-versed in immediate problem solving Physical and psychological preparedness Were twin pillars for astronauts Venturing into space The unique environment of the cosmos Demanded that they be in Peak physical Condition to navigate the rigors of La The disorienting realm of weightlessness And the punishing forces of re-entry Achieving this physical Readiness Involved a rigorous exercise regimes in
Underwater training which simulated the Weightlessness of space and taught them To operate in an environment where Terrestrial physics were upended Simultaneously the mental challenges Were equally d hunting especially the Profound sense of isolation as Experienced by Collins when he orbited The moon solo to fortify their mental Resilience astronauts underwent training In isolation Chambers and faced high Stress simulations ensuring they Maintain their composure and sharp Decision-making capabilities even when Isolated miles away from any known Comfort technical proficiency was Non-negotiable astronauts weren't just Passengers on a voyage they were the Frontline technicians responsible for The spacecraft's health detailed Training sessions on every component of Their craft from the primary propulsion Mechanisms to the nuances of life Support systems ensured they could Handle any technical challenge although Collins's primary role on Apollo 11 did Not have him set foot on the moon he was Extensively trained for space walks or Extra vehicular activities or Evas this Ensured he could handle emergencies that Might require him to step outside the Command Module further expanding their Skill set astronauts were schooled by Geologists to understand lunar features
Enabling them to document observations Capture photographs and conduct Experiences to deepen our lunar Understanding what's more the Unpredictable nature of space admissions Meant that astronauts had to be ready For unintended Earth re-entries Comprehensive survival training ensured They were equipped to handle a variety Of terrains from deserts and jungles to Open Waters enabling them to survive and Signal for pending rescue as it was Revealed the biggest mistake by NASA During the Apollo missions was the Oxygen tank explosion that occurred on Apollo 13 the explosion occurred on April 13th 1970 while the spacecraft was In route to the moon the explosion Damaged the command service module or CSM which provided life support for the Crew and forced the crew to abort the Mission and return turn to Earth the Explosion was caused by a combination of Factors including a manufacturing defect In the oxygen tank and a design flaw in The Tank's plumbing system NASA had been Aware of the manufacturing defect but Had decided to fly the tank anyway the Design flaw was not known to NASA at the Time of the explosion the Apollo 13 Accident was a major setback for the Apollo program but it also showed the Resilience of the NASA team the crew of Apollo 13 was able to successfully
Returned to Earth using only the lunar Module which was not designed for the Journey back to Earth the accident also Led to improvements in the design of the Apollo spacecraft which helped to Prevent similar accidents from happening In the future in addition to the Apollo 13 accident there were a few other major Mishaps during the Apollo program in 1967 a fire during a ground test of Apollo 1 killed all three astronauts on Board and in 1969 a guidance computer Malfunction caused the Apollo 10 Spacecraft to Veer off course during its Lunar orbit however these mishaps did Not prevent NASA from achieving its goal Of Landing humans on the moon overall The Apollo program was a remarkable Success NASA overcame many challenges to Safely land humans on the moon and Return them to Earth the Apollo program Also paved the way for future space Exploration missions in addition on July 20th 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren set foot on the moon for the First time Michael Collins was the Astronaut orbiting nearby in space he Had an important role if it wasn't for Collins Armstrong and Aldren couldn't Have gone to the moon or come back Safely did I have the best seat on Apollo 11 no was I happy with the seat I Did have yes I really was and to be any Small part of that suited me very very
Well and besides I was their ticket home They couldn't get home without me Collins said right after Apollo 11 took Off Collins had a job to do he had to Steer The Command Module Colombia so it Would separate from the big Saturn 5 Rocket that had taken them into space This let the lunar Landing module Eagle Come out Eagle was hiding in the Rocket's third stage Collins had to spin Colombia around and pointed in the right Direction so it could connect with eagle Buzz Aldren later recalled that this Separation and docking into the man Module and the lunar modu was a critical Maneuver in the flight plan if it didn't Work they'd have to return to Earth There was also also the possibility of a Collision in space which could have Caused their cabin to depressurize That's why they were still wearing their Space suits when Michael Collins Separated them from the Saturn third Stage after a couple of days while Armstrong and Aldren were exploring the Moon Collins was up in the Colombia Spacecraft circling the moon all by Himself for about 21 1/2 hours he had Moments when he was completely cut off From Earth and his fellow astronauts Lasting for 48 minutes each time he was On the moon's Far Side imagine being in A tiny spacecraft with a huge 2100 M Wide Moon blocking you from everyone
Else who's ever lived on earth Michael Collins said if there was a count of People on the moon there would be three Billion plus two on the other side and One plus an unknown number on his side He said that he didn't feel lonely During those moments and that the Experience was more inspiring and Exhilarating than frightening the food Was terrible but I enjoyed my time Behind the moon it's a more rugged place And not a a very comfortable one Collins Remarked during those 21 1/2 hours when Collins was by himself going around the Moon his main concern was whether Armstrong and Aldren would come back Nobody was really sure if the lunar Lander called Eagle could successfully Take off from the moon's surface the Engine that would lift it off hadn't Been tested there before Armstrong and Alren were taking a bit of a risk hoping The engine would even work and burn long Enough to escape the moon's pull and Meet up with Collins in Columbia The astronauts thought it was about a 50/50 chance that things would work out But they decided to go ahead with the Plan anyway when Collins was asked about What the Earth looked like after he Circled back to the bright side of the Moon he described it as follows being Very close to the moon was impressive in Many ways but the moon's nothing
Compared to our home planet it was Center Stage the blue of the ocean the White of the clouds and the little Streaks of tan that we call continents It's about the size of your thumbnail if You hold it out in front when they Needed to land on the moon Armstrong was The one steering the lunar module down But when it came to connecting the two Spacecraft back together that was Collins's job Collins had been preparing For this moment while Armstrong and Aldren were practicing how to use the Lunar module and get ready for their Moonwalk all that practice turned out to Be really useful after all the anxious Hours of concern the three astronauts Started their Journey back home together Yet amid the Euphoria and worldwide Celebrations that followed their Successful mission an often overlooked Part of the story is the quarantine Period the astronauts underwent upon Their return to Earth the chief reason For the quarantine was the concern about Back Contamination scientists at the time did Not have definitive proof about the Absence of life on the Moon there was a Legitimate fear that the astronauts Might bring back lunar pathogens Microbes or organisms that could be Harmful to life on Earth in the face of Such uncertainty NASA took the prudent
Approach to ensure that if there were Any lunar microorganisms they wouldn't Jeopardize life on our planet as days Turned into weeks it became clear that The astronauts were in good health and Showed no signs of carrying any lunar Pathogens similarly the lunar samples Displayed no signs of Life by the end of The quarantine period it was evident That the moon at least in the area Sampled was devoid of life and the fears Of back contamination were Unfounded
