Death in space is relatively rare, but the fact remains that manned space exploration is a dangerous business. The risks are all too real, but the rewards have been great as well. Probably the most dangerous mission was the first Moon landing which was accomplished by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Only Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin actually landed and set foot on the Moon, however. An interesting question is what would have happened in the event that both Armstrong and Aldrin were stranded on the Moon?What would be some ethical concerns? Michael Collins, the command module pilot, would have to travel back to Earth alone, and with a overriding sense of guilt. The fact is, there was no rescue mission in place, and if something went wrong on the surface of the Moon, then that would seal the fate of Armstrong and Aldrin.
Luckily, this didn’t happen, thank goodness! But in the event it did for some reason, how would President Nixon have addressed the American people, and the world for that matter? What would he have said? Were there plans in place for this unfortunate catastrophe? The fact is that there was no hope of rescue in the event the Eagle spacecraft failed to lift off from the Moon. The command module which was piloted by Michael Collins and was orbiting the Moon had no ability to land and rescue Armstrong and Aldrin, and Collins would have had a sad and lonely journey back to Earth.
There was a speech written by the presidential speechwriter William Safire that addressed this very issue. Here it is in it’s entirety…..
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Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace.
These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for Mankind in their sacrifice.
These two men are laying down their lives in Mankind’s most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding. They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by the nation; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, to bind more tightly the brotherhood of Man.
In ancient days, men looked at the stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times we do much the same, but our heroes our epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the Moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever Mankind.
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That is a well written, powerful speech. We are lucky that it never had to be spoken to the masses, but it is an interesting footnote to what would have happened if there had been a death in our conquest of the Moon.
