Only 12 people have ever been there...
There are two aspects of ultimate achievement I find fascinating, the first, is the unlikely climb, coincidences and shier luck that lead to it and then, “what happened after wards?” There are firsts for everything, many of which have been forgotten by time, but let’s explore what happened to twelve individuals who landed on the Moon, the most rare of feats.
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong was the first to land and walk on the Moon, he made that famous speech that is at the tip of everybody’s tongue. How did he react? Well, he shied away from the spotlight and went into teaching and running a business. He later came out of his shell for a biographical book about his achievement but is rumored to be skipping-out on the anniversary party with NASA. His admiration for all the hard work and sacrifices by others along with his patriotic duty have forced him into a corner of thinking of the entire experience as a fringe benefit to his job with NASA… though, I am sure deep-down, he had a hell of a time! He was described as a reserved.
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin
Yes, that is where Toy Story got the name from, now that we have that out of the way, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin took the opposite route of his co-worker Neil Armstrong. He went on lecture and book writing binge and continues to play an active role in space exploration with a plan to reach Mars and three patent applications relating to space station devices. He shows all the enthusiasm you would expect for a guy lucky enough to walk on the Moon, and he isn’t afraid of showing it! He was described as an avid explorer.
Charles “Pete” Comrad
As the first man to ever dance on the Moon and I prefer his reaction to walking ont he Moon to Neils which was:
“Whoopie! That may have been one small step for Neil, but it’s a long one for me!”
After retiring from NASA, Charles “Pete” Comrad went into business but died from a motorcycle accident in 1999 at the age of 69 years old which happens to be the same digits as his Moon landing, in 1969. He was described as anything but reserved, a cowboy at heart.
Alan Bean
Alan got into painting soon after his return from the Moon. He has tried to recreate the excitement and emotions he felt while he was there on canvas, including parts of lunar dust and memorabilia with each of them. He was described as an artist.
Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard was doubly lucky, the first man in space and the fifth to ever set foot on the Moon! He is probably most recognized for playing golf on the Moon. Although he died of leukemia in 1998, he left around a legacy illustrating how fragile our Earth really is. He is described as mix between a jock and a philosopher.
Edgar Michell
The entire experience of landing on the Moon profoundly affected Edgar Michell, he came back convinced that aliens are a real phenomena (which they are) but that they are visiting us (which I doubt, the smart ones at least). The shier number of galaxies out there in the universe points to the fact that there is intelligent life out there, the argument is now whether one civilization would be able to visit another in their given lifetimes as the distances involved are massive, even if light-speed travel were possible. He is described as a maverick.
James Irwin
James Irwin walked on the Moon and came back a very religious man after seeing such a fragile and small Earth from outerspace. He was forever changed by the experience and dedicated his life to his beliefs soon after returning. He died of a heart attack in 1991 at 61 years of age. He was described as the spiritual anchor.
David Scott
After dedicated his life towards becoming an astronaut, once he returned from the Moon, he got hit by the “what do I do next with my life?” disease. What did he do? He started a company specializing in space project management. He was described as the youngster of the class of 12, being only 39 when he walked on the Moon!
John Young
John Young has pushed heavily on the development of colonies on other planets because, as he describes it, all of humanity can be wiped-out in one shot by any host of cosmic or Earth born afflictions. He is described as the futurist.
Charles Duke
At the age of 36, Charles Duke spent more than 71 hours on the Moon! After leaving NASA, he started his own company and ministry. He is described as the wide-eyed.
Eugene Cernan
Eugene Cernan was forever changed from the entire 73 hours he spent on the Moon, he found a spiritual calling and is quoted as saying:
“I felt that the world was just too beautiful to have happened by accident. There has to be something bigger than you and bigger than me,” Cernan said “In the Shadow of the Moon.” “And I mean this in a spiritual sense, not a religious sense. There has to be a creator of the universe who stands above the religions that we ourselves create to govern our lives.”
Which I find interesting, as, he is essentially saying that all religions on Earth are created by Man. Now, I just hope this would sink into people and would stop the silly “my religion is better than yours” crap that plagues far too many minds on this planet. He is described as a philosopher.
Harrison “Jack” Schmitt
Harrison “Jack” Schmitt was the last man to ever walk on the Moon. He joined politics after returning then a freelance consultant and writer.
“But sometimes people just want a description of what it was like,” he continued, “The black sky, the brilliantly illuminated slopes of the mountains, the bright sun, and then our Earth as a big blue marble hanging over one of the mountains. The physical feeling of walking on the moon is like walking on a giant trampoline, to some degree.”
So what can we learn?
Astronauts are no different than other high achievers, they are changed after going through their experience, trying to find a new goal to work towards. I do find it interesting that most of the astronauts decided to leave NASA and were never given an opportunity to return to the Moon. I also wonder why the program was ever stopped, they had momentum on their side and, it seems, the experience gained from having a colony on the Moon would have been incredibly valuable towards discovering what would be possible on Mars.
The Bottom Line
Turning a lifelong goal into reality is only getting half way, it’s what you do afterwards that turns a life into something truely distinguished.
Buzvia: The 12 Moonwalkers: Where Are They Now?, NASA
