NASA Erased Apollo 11 Tape (Oops!)
When I was growing up we lived in the Space Age. We were fascinated with the ideas and possibilities of space travel and exploration. I was 5 years old when men first walked on the moon in 1969 and I can vividly remember watching those images on television. I do not think I understood the significance of the event at the time, but I remember it well. For years following that first moonwalk I remember hearing rumors in school and other places that perhaps the Apollo 11 film was a staged event. You can probably still Google about Apollo 11 rumors and find theories continuing.
This week, in the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, we learn that the original tape no longer exists. NASA apparently erased or taped over the original. Oops! Thanks to Hollywood and technology they have restored an even better quality copy of the original. That is good, because I do not think there were many home VCR’s or DVR’s recording the event live. You can read a story about the mishap HERE.
It was a good reminder to me that mistakes happen, even for organizations as big and advanced as NASA. I would say among employee mistakes, however, this one probably ranks as fairly significant, yet it does not seem to be that big of a news story.
Do you think we have lost some of our passion for space? Does space exploration still fascinate you? Is it important? Do you remember July 20, 1969?
