The landing of the first humans on the moon in 1969, was a moment of deep anxiety, and ebullience. NASA civil servants and contractors shattered the frontier of what was once thought impossible. A new benchmark for human space exploration had set the bar.
Our NASA ham radio clubs are comprised of many persons who contributed to this Apollo 11 mission event. For us, this moon landing was sweetened by knowing that radio communications was a key enabling aspect of this historic event.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s edge-of-the-seat landing of the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) was only possible with the rigorously designed and tested radio communication system. Radio communications technology served a critical highway for voice, video, and telemetry, which enabled critical guidance, navigation and control decisions between the Lunar Exploration Module and the Mission Control Center.
The Apollo 11 breathtaking landing represents one of the finest moments for NASA. Additionally, there is a nod of pride by all the NASA amateur radio operator, who recognize and celebrate the role that radio communications serves for space exploration.