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Unit10AGlimpseoftheAgePartIGettingreadyIn1969,oneofthegreatesttechnologicalachievementsofthehumanracewasaccomplished.Ahumanfirstsetfootonanothercelestialbody.AudioscriptThirty-fiveyearsago,onJuly20.1969.humansfirstsetfootonanotherworld.U.S.Apollo11astronautNeilArmstrongdescendedfromalandingcraftnamedEagletobecomethefirstpersontosteponthemoon,amomentouseventheeloquentlyconsecrated.That'sonesmallstepforaman,onegiantleapformankind.Duringtheirtwo-and-a-halfhourmoonwalk,theApollocrewmenplantedtheU.S.flaginthesoilandreceivedaphonecallfromPresidentRichardNixon,whopaidtributetowhathecalledtheirimmensefeat.Becauseofwhatyouhavedone,theheavenshavebecomeapartofman'sworld.Foronepricelessmomentinthewholehistoryofman,allthepeopleonthisEartharetrulyone,oneintheirprideinwhatyouhavedone.21.5hoursafterdescent,astronautsArmstrongandAldrinfiredtheirascentrocketsandrejoinedMichaelCollinsaboardtheorbitingColumbiacommandmodulefortheflighthome,establishingforeverwhatMr.ArmstronghascalledApollo11'slastinglegacy.TheimportantachievementofApollowasademonstrationthathumanityisnotforeverchainedtothisplanet,andourvisionsgoratherfurtherthanthatandouropportunitiesareunlimited.PartIIStandingonthemoonAlanShepardisaU.S.astronaut,whowalkedonthemoonin1971.Inaninterview,AlanShepardreminiscedabouthisexperienceonthemoon.AudioscriptOnFebruary4,1971,AlanShepard,commanderoftheApollo14spacemission,becamethefifthpersontowalkonthemoon.HeandfellowastronautEdgarMitchellspentninehoursand23minutesinspacesuitsonthelunarsurface.Theirmajorjobwastogatherandphotographsamplesofthematerialsonthemoon'ssurface,includingrocksandstones,totakebacktogeologistsonearth.Whenhewasaskedabouthislunarexperience,Mitchellsaid,Whatitdidformeisreallyforcemetogetapictureoftheuniversefromatotallydifferentperspectiveandthenstarttoquestionourconventionalwaysoflookingatourselves,ourplaceintheuniverse,ourplaceinlife,whatit'sallabout.Ayearandahalfearlier,onJuly20,1969,theastronautsofApollo11hadmadethefirstlandingonthemoon.Atthattime,CommanderNeilArmstrongwasthefirstpersontowalkonthemoon.Ashetookhisfirststepoutofthelunarmodule,heradioedthesewordstotheearth:That'sonesmallstepforaman;onegiantleapformankind.InaJuly1994interviewwithawriterfortheNewYorkTimes,AlanShepardtalkedaboutlookingatearth:Irememberbeingstruckbythefactthatitlookssopeacefulfromthatdistance,butrememberingontheotherhandalltheconfrontationgoingonalloverthatplanetandfeelingalittlesadthatpeopleonplanetEarthcouldn'tseethatsamesightbecauseobviouslyallthemilitaryandpoliticaldifferencesbecomesoinsignificantseeingitfromthedistance.AudioscriptT--TerryGrossA--AlanShepardTWhatsurprisedyoumostabouthowthesurfaceofthemoonlooked?AIdon'tthinkwehadanysurprisesabouttheactualsurfaceofthemoon--aboutthebarrenness.Wehadlookedatpicturesofourlandingsitetakenbypreviousmissions.Wehadworkedwithmodelsthatweremadefromthosepictures.Weknewthegeneralconfigurationofwherethecratersweresupposedtobe.WeknewtheobjectiveofConeCrater,whichwastheoneweclimbedupthesideoftogetrocksamples.Thereweren'tanysurprisesthere.ThesurpriseIhadwasstandingonthesurfaceafterwe'dbeenthereforafewminutes,havingachancetorestalittlebit,andlookingupattheearthforthefirsttime--youhavetolookupbecausethat'swhereitis.Andtheskyistotallyblack,andhereyouhaveaplanetwhichisfourtimesthesizeofthemoonaswelookatitfromtheearth,andyoualsohavecolor.Youhaveablueocean(s)andthebrownlandmasses--thebrowncontinents--andyoucanseeiceontheicecapsontheNorthPole,andsoon.It'sjustanabsolute,incredibleview,andthenyousay--ah--hey--um--thatlooksalittlesmalltome.Itlookslikeit--itdoeshavelimits.It'salittlefragile.Youknow,downherewethinkit'sinfinite.Wedon'tworryaboutresourcesum.Upthereyou'resaying,Gosh,youknow,it'sashamethosefolksdowntherecan'tgetalongtogether--ah--andthinkabouttryingtoconserve,tosavewhatlimitedresourcestheyhave.Andit'sjustveryemotional.Iactuallyshedacoupleoftearslookingupattheearthandhavingthosefeelings.PartIIINelsonMandela--TheFatherofSouthAfricaAsIwalkedoutthedoortowardthegatethatwouldleadtomyfreedom,IknewifIdidn'tleavemybitternessandhatredbehind,I'dstillbeinprison,Mandelasaidafterhewasfreedin1990.Theprisoner-turned-presidentreconciledSouthAfricaaftertheendoftheapartheid.Heheldaspecialplaceintheconsciousnessofthenationandtheworld.Ontheeveningof5December,2013,NelsonMandelajoinedtheancestors.AudioscriptJustbeforemidnightlocaltimeinSouthAfrica,PresidentJacobZumaappearedonnationaltelevisiontoannouncethatthefatherofmodernSouthAfricahaddied.NelsonMandelawas95.JacobZuma:FellowsofAfricans,ourbelovedNelsonRolihlahlaMandela,thefoundingpresidentofourdemocraticnation,hasdeparted.NelsonMandelahadbeensufferingfromalunginfectionforsometime.HespentthreemonthsinhospitalearlierthisyearbeforebeingallowedhomefortreatmentinSeptember.Thenewsofhisdeathmayhavebeenexpected,butthatdidn'tsoftentheblowformanySouthAfricans.TheSouthAfricanpresidentJacobZumamadeatelevisedspeechannouncingdetailsofMrMandela'sfuneral.JacobZuma:He'llbelaidtorestonthe15thofDecemberinQunuintheEasternCapeProvince.Weshouldallworktogethertoorganizethemostbefitt