In the hypothetical case that the famous 1969 space mission to the Moon had ended in disaster – since there was a possibility that NASA astronauts could not return from the surface of the Moon – this would have been the speech of the By then President of the United States, Richard Nixon:
“ Fate has wanted the men who went to the moon to explore in peace to remain on the moon to rest in peace. These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for humanity because of their sacrifice. These two men have sacrificed their lives in the noblest goal of humanity: the search for truth and understanding.
They will be mourned by their family and friends; they will mourn for their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth who dared to send two of her children into the unknown.
In their exploration, they encouraged people around the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they unite more strongly the brotherhood of man.
In ancient times, men looked at the stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and they will surely find their way home. The search for man will not be denied. But these men were the first, and will continue to be the first in our hearts.
For every human being who looks at the moon in the nights to come, he will know that there is a corner of another world that is humanity forever ”.
Fortunately, this speech written by William Safire – an award-winning columnist for The New York Times – extolling the sacrifice of the astronauts because, in the event that they could not return, “the astronauts would end up starving or would have to commit suicide”, It never had to be pronounced, since the mission was a success and man stepped on the Moon for the first time.
Do you want to know the 12 astronauts who stepped on the Moon from 1969 to 1972? These are their names and their stories.
