Space And Stuff, IDK

Jun 24 Reblogged

asonlynasacan: vintagenasa: When Neil Armstrong, who we all knew was of Scottish ancestry, put his foot on the moon, i knew what i wanted to do with my life. From that moment on i would do whatever it took to be Scotland’s first astronaut. (I must have really wanted to get away.) I had enough innate practical sense, though, to realize that Scotland would be unlikely to develop its own space program in my lifetime, so i decided i would throw my lot in with the Americans. My amused mother helped me draft a letter to NASA headquarters informing them of my decision, and then walked me to the big red post office box at the end of our street, where I mailed it. I think my mother was as surprised as i was when the big buff envelope containing NASA’s response landed on our doorstep two weeks later. NASA was, I suppose, on something of a high at the time and had sent me a book of photographs of Saturn 5 rockets and astronauts along with the two wall posters that would obsess me for years. One depicted the moon, up close and detailed with the names of all the craters and rock formations indicated. The other was of the galaxy, the planets and their moons all accounted for and showing their placement in relation to the sun. It still amazes me that this kind of stuff was sent out to any kid, American or otherwise, who wrote to NASA expressing an interest in space. (excerpt from American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot  by Craig Ferguson) I got a HUGE package of stuff when I was a kid from NASA. I still have the package to this day! I need to photograph the stuff it came with. Craig Ferguson is one of the best people. Also, do they still do this? They should.

asonlynasacan:

vintagenasa:

When Neil Armstrong, who we all knew was of Scottish ancestry, put his foot on the moon, i knew what i wanted to do with my life. From that moment on i would do whatever it took to be Scotland’s first astronaut. (I must have really wanted to get away.) I had enough innate practical sense, though, to realize that Scotland would be unlikely to develop its own space program in my lifetime, so i decided i would throw my lot in with the Americans. My amused mother helped me draft a letter to NASA headquarters informing them of my decision, and then walked me to the big red post office box at the end of our street, where I mailed it.

I think my mother was as surprised as i was when the big buff envelope containing NASA’s response landed on our doorstep two weeks later. NASA was, I suppose, on something of a high at the time and had sent me a book of photographs of Saturn 5 rockets and astronauts along with the two wall posters that would obsess me for years. One depicted the moon, up close and detailed with the names of all the craters and rock formations indicated. The other was of the galaxy, the planets and their moons all accounted for and showing their placement in relation to the sun. It still amazes me that this kind of stuff was sent out to any kid, American or otherwise, who wrote to NASA expressing an interest in space.

(excerpt from American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot  by Craig Ferguson)

I got a HUGE package of stuff when I was a kid from NASA. I still have the package to this day! I need to photograph the stuff it came with.

Craig Ferguson is one of the best people.

Also, do they still do this? They should.

Notes

  1. asonlynasacan reblogged this from spaceandstuffidk and added:
    I’m not sure if they do. I discussed this with a retired NASA worker at the Space Walk of Fame Museum in February, and...
  2. spaceandstuffidk reblogged this from asonlynasacan and added:
    Craig Ferguson is one of the best people. Also, do they still do this? They should.

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