Space news IX : opening eyes wide shut through a recall of Buzz Aldrin's meeting !

by Jean-Jacques COURTEY, Doctor in Economic Geography, Ph. D

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Twenty-five years ago, I happened to meet "Buzz" Edwin Aldrin (born in 1930) of the mission "Apollo 11", in Amiens (Picardie, France).

He was a guest-astronaut in a conference about the Space Conquest.

Surprisingly, the spectators were not very numerous. And the animator of this event was a bit disappointed when he pointed it out.

He thought that Cosmos might have become too common for many people, who think everything has been discovered, and feel bored to be told they are alone in the vast Universe.

So he invited us to come on the stage to shake hands with the guests representing three countries, under a different way to name them : "astronaut" for America, "cosmonaut" for Russia, and "spationaut" for France.

Buzz Aldrin went himself in my direction and shook my hand friendly, by asking me if I was speaking English. I answered yes and he engaged the conversation.

He told me I could ask him three questions and he will answer them.

I was very happy to hear that, as I never thought we could exchange words together. Thus, it was a wonderful surprise for me.

I told him I was hesitating to ask the first question as I didn't want to annoy him. But he guessed something was puzzling me about the mission of "Apollo 11" (July 16th - 24th, 1969).

I am talking about that because I saw recently "Transformers 3 - Dark of the Moon" (2011), where he was shortly appearing :  this gave a special hint to my memory !

Coming back to our encounter, he said I could ask anything to him. Then, I said I wanted to know if the mission  was real, as I read funny comments about it ?

He answered yes ! He knew about the fake argument concerning "thermosphere", which according to some funny specialists, would make impossible to travel into the space above 130 miles from Earth, without being burnt by the Sun. And he added such argument is not relevant, and comparable to the one some scientists were making about the impossibility to survive a travel by train above a speed of 20 miles per hour in the XIXth century !

When I wanted to ask him my second question about the definitive absence of life on the Moon, he took me apart, far from any microphone, and said the true problem about the mission was concerning that.

"Really", did I reply ! "And what was the problem then ?"

He said the three members of the team (Michael Collins - born in 1930 in Roma -, Neil Amstrong - 1930 ~ 2012 -, and him) had from the beginning the disagreable sensation to be observed, and not only by NASA or the telespectators of Earth. And this funny impression was confirmed on the Moon, on July 21st, 1969 !

When Amstrong got out of the LEM early on that very day, he pronounced his famous sentence : "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind !" Strangely almost everybody has forgotten he also added, that we came in a peaceful spirit in the name of all mankind ! And then he walked a bit and fell on the metallic carcass of something strange, like the remains of a huge robot.

And suddenly another event still more strange happened : Amstrong heard a silent voice coming from behind and he saw something incredible !

Aldrin took me still further in the corner of the stage and asked me if I was ready ? "Well yes", did I answer with a strong curiosity, "but if you think you better not say don't say it !"

What was incredible was this "very tall blue and diaphanous man of the Moon" talking to Amstrong by telepathy : he explained there was a terrible war on the Moon, which destroyed most "Selenians", who were living underground since. He added they almost completely lost contact with their big satellite,...Earth , after that ! So he thought someone heard at last his "M-signals". As a matter of fact, other ETs, different from them, took control of their planet, where they had a basis on the dark side of the Moon, not to be detected from Earth.

It was a shock for me, because at that time, I really thought it was impossible to live on the Moon.

He said when he himself got out of the LEM a quarter of an hour after, he saw this strange silhouette going away by making leaps on the ground.

I was voiceless. And he added that one day, it will be possible to say what fully happened on July 21st, 1969. Anyhow I told him, personally I wasn't ready yet for that (in 1990). But now it has not anymore any importance, as Earth has just chosen without realizing a radically different future, completely "u-chronic".

About the original film of the mission "Apollo 11", because of some Russian unexpected demands towards the American NASA, I recently heard it has disappeared, and that only copies are remaining.
When I was a child, I really admired equalilly Russia and America for the great dreams they allowed to a so dynamic Earth, just like my father ! We got a TV set (Radiola) to be able to watch the spatial conquest at home !

Anyhow, since "Transformers 3 - the Dark of the Moon", this can be at last narrated. And that's enough for today !
In those hot days just made for ventilators, France is not concentrated on the Moon but on the Sun, and it would wish to have a Baltic climate !