Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Tell NASA Your, or Your Family's, Apollo 11 Moon Landing Memories: Oral History Project


                    Iconic photograph of Buzz Aldren, the second man to walk on the Moon.
                                                                 (Image Source: NASA)

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

July 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the first landing of human beings on another planetary body, the Earth's Moon. For those of you who were alive back then and observed this historic event, NASA wants to hear from you---or, if you were too young to remember this event, perhaps you can send an interview of a family member who did experience the excitement of watching history-in-the-making!

NASA is starting an Oral History Project seeking vocal comments from Americans who observed the first steps of American astronauts on the Moon, which culminated the 1960s Space Race in which the United States beat Russia to the Moon. This Oral History Project will continue for the rest of the year, with submission recordings due by 2019 December 31.

However, for those who can submit their recorded comments before June 14, those comments may be included in NASA Explorers: Apollo, a special NASA “commemorative audio series that examines the Moon’s cultural and scientific influence over the last half century, while also peering into the future of planetary exploration.”

For those of you too young to remember the Apollo Moon Landings, you can still participate in this project. Perhaps your parents, grandparents, or other relatives or friends remember this historic event. You could interview them and send that recording or recordings to NASA.

All of these recorded comments and interviews will be archived as part of the NASA Explorers: Apollo Oral History Project. And, NASA will use some of these recordings for the commemorative audio series, posted on the NASA web-site, and posted on NASA's social media platforms.

Send the completed recording(s) to the following e-mail address:

                                                apollostories@mail.nasa.gov

The following are guidelines and suggestions from NASA for completing the recordings and submitting your stories to NASA ---

How to record and submit your story

The deadline to submit your story to the Oral History Project is 2019 December 31. However, submissions received before 2019 June 14 will have the best chance at being featured within the audio series.
  1. Open the voice recording app on your mobile device. If you don’t have one, there are several free options you can download from your preferred app store.
  2. Record your story or interview. Try to follow the recording tips and guidelines below.
  3. Email your audio file to apollostories@mail.nasa.gov. In the text of your email, include your full name, your hometown and state. If you interviewed someone, please include their full name and hometown as well. Include any information you think helps give context to your story. (“I interviewed my grandma. She was 15 years old when the astronauts landed on the Moon …”).
  4. Keep an eye on your in-box. You’ll receive a thank-you email from us and we may follow up to get more detail or clarify something in your story.

Recording tips and guidelines

  • Try to keep your answers to each question under 120 seconds. Shorter stories will have a greater chance of being featured within NASA’s Apollo audio series, but longer stories may still be featured on nasa.gov or social media as a part of the Oral History Project. 
  • Start the recording by introducing yourself and telling us where you’re from. If you’re interviewing someone, do the same for them. We want to give you credit for the story!
  • Hold the recording device at least 6 inches from your face, or simply place it on a table in front of you or between you and the person you’re interviewing.
  • Allow for a natural pause between questions and answers.
  • Preferred audio file formats are .mp3, .mp4, .m4a or .wav.
Suggested questions to answer yourself or ask your interviewee
  • What does exploration mean to you?
  • What do you think it would be like to see humans walk on the Moon again?
  • When you think of the Moon, what comes to mind?
  • What do you want to know about the Moon?
If you remember the Apollo program ...
  • Where were you when humans walked on the Moon for the first time? Describe who you were with, what you were thinking, the atmosphere and how you were feeling.
  • What was your life like in 1969?
  • Do you remember learning about space in school? If so, what do you remember? 


Special Thanks: James J. Mullaney, former Curator of Exhibits and Astronomy at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

NASA News Release: "Share Your Apollo Story with NASA."
Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/apollostories

Apollo 11 ---
Link 1 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html
Link 2 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-11.html
Link 3 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/apollo11-gallery
Link 4 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.
              Wednesday, 2019 May 15.

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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
< http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
  < http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
  < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
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