Apollo 11 Astronaut Reveals Spooky Secret About Mission To Far Side Of The Moon!
Apollo 11 Astronaut Reveals Spooky Secret About Mission To Far Side Of The Moon!
Michael Collins, the third astronaut on the Apollo 11 mission, has shared his thoughts on the profound experience of orbiting the Moon while his colleagues, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked its surface. While Armstrong’s first steps and Aldrin’s accompanying history-making moments captured worldwide attention, Collins’s journey in the command module, Columbia, offers unique insights into the psychological and philosophical reflections that come from solitude in space.
During the 21 hours Collins spent in lunar orbit, he was often out of communication with both the Earth and his fellow astronauts, as the moon’s far side blocked radio signals. Despite the potential for isolation, Collins described the experience as serene, even spiritual, as he gazed at Earth from the vast emptiness of space. One of the most significant moments was seeing the “Earthrise” from the Moon, a sight that put into perspective how small and fragile our planet is in the cosmos.
Collins had a technical and demanding role, ensuring that the mission continued smoothly while Armstrong and Aldrin performed their historic walk. His responsibilities were critical to the success of the mission, especially the delicate rendezvous and docking procedure that brought the astronauts back together after their surface exploration. Collins’s steady presence in the command module ensured their safe return to Earth.
However, it was the quiet solitude of orbiting the moon that affected Collins most deeply. As he circled the lunar surface, with radio silence for a portion of his journey, he was the first person to see the far side of the Moon—a rugged, unexplored landscape. This profound solitude and the ability to view the Earth as a tiny blue dot against the vastness of space led Collins to contemplate humanity’s place in the universe. This view shifted his perspective, reinforcing the fragility of life on Earth.
Collins’s insights into this deeply introspective experience shed light on the psychological impact of space exploration and the ways in which solitude in the vacuum of space offers astronauts a chance for personal revelation. His reflections on the “overview effect”—the cognitive shift in awareness from seeing Earth from space—remain a poignant reminder of the transformative power of space exploration.