ON THIS DAY {APRIL 21, 1972} APOLLO 16 LANDS ON THE MOON!

{ left to right: Ken Mattingly. John Young, and Charles Moss Duke {source: wikipedia}

The Moon was the most spectacularly beautiful desert you could ever imagine. Unspoilt. Untouched. It had a vibrancy about it and the contrast between it and the black sky was so vivid, it just made this impression of excitement and wonder.

-Charles Duke

ON THIS DAY

APRIL 21, 1972

NASA successfully completes its fifth mission of sending man to the moon! The APOLLO 16 mission would also be the second time implementing a “J-Type Mission” using their Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), and would become the second last ever mission to the moon.

“There you are: Mysterious and Unknown Descartes. Highland plains. Apollo 16 is gonna change your image. I’m sure glad they got ol’ Brer Rabbit, here, back in the briar patch where he belongs.”

-Charles Duke

(taking his first step onto the lunar surface, and effectively becoming the ninth man to walk on the moon.}

It’s incredible the things we are capable of when we set our mind to task. . . that is of course, assuming this is real (but that’s a whole other can of worms)!

We’ve been to the Moon nine times. Why would we fake it nine times, if we faked it?

-CHARLES DUKE

Definitely am appreciating the retro futuristic aesthetic of these clips and photos. There was definitely a more optimistic approach to it all. . . the satisfaction of discovery, learning, and pushing the boundaries of possibility. Indeed, these three gentlemen were very courageous to venture into space to collect a few rocks and survey the barren moonscape.

Its funny because almost fifty years later, not much more about the moon is known. Apollo 16 saw the biggest exploration of the lunar highlands yet, but no one has ever been on the dark side of the moon. Or have they?

I was able to look out the window to see this incredible sight of the whole circle of the Earth. Oceans were crystal blue, the land was brown, and the clouds and the snow were pure white. And that jewel of Earth was just hung up in the blackness of space.

-Charles Duke

APOLLO 16 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:54 PM EST on April 16, 1972, the mission lasted 11 days, 1 hour, and 51 minutes, and concluded at 2:45 p.m. EST on April 27. In total the mission lasted 265 hours, 51 minutes, 5 seconds after liftoff until their landing in the Pacific Ocean. . .

NASA actually produced a sweet documentary called “NOTHING SO HIDDEN” about the mission which you will find below. There is always something so magical watching this world in action . . . so much retro technology! Love the grainy film aesthetic as well. 70s style is still going strong out there today, so best to soak in the inspiration now, before someone else does.

I find it so remarkable we can look at these photos and clips from the past and see just how dated it is, when in the moment, it must have felt like some serious leaps into the future. There was such a huge push for change during this time, however, the technology available just wasn’t what it is now. . . nowadays, technology literally has a mind of its own, but yet…we’ve never made our way back to the moon.

Speaking of the MOON, remember that tomorrow at approximately 10:26pm EST is the official start of the NEW MOON in Taurus . . . opening for a time of the season to get grounded and enjoy the beauty around you. Its also an opportunity to release anything holding you back…so take time to enjoy your time and space and its value to YOU.