FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2023-134 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (July 20, 2023) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps from Steve Kovacs, we celebrate the small step of one man making a historical “giant leap for mankind”.

Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, The Eagle lunar module landed on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission.

As we all know, on that day the first humans stepped on the surface of the moon and later came home safely.

Many things went wrong during this mission, but each was successfully addressed.

For example, the onboard computer started to send multiple warnings during the Eagle’s descend, because it processed too many radar inputs.  Eventually Commander Armstrong took partial control but in the meantime, they overshot the intended landing site and the computer was taking them to a rocky area. 

Armstrong kept his cool (heart rate 125) and maneuvered the craft to an acceptable relatively level spot to land, with about 10 seconds worth of fuel left.

On the return, the landing site in the Pacific was moved at the last moment to avoid a developing storm.  The USS Hornet aircraft carrier barely made it to the new location to pick up the astronauts and their capsule.

I’ve shared the map and views of the moon by Doppelmayr before, but it is a magnificent representation of our companion created in 1737.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.