The Apollo computers had less processing power than a smartphone. What went into landing a man on the moon ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.
Americans watched with wonder as Buzz Aldrin bounded across the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969."Make that silly bastard get back in the LM!" he recalled thinking, referring to the Lunar Module, the first manned craft to land on the moon.
Though Reihm had spent nearly a decade with his team perfecting every stitch of the suits as project manager, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong's moon walk was the first full test of their design and craftsmanship. And Reihm had reason for concern: The moon is not so harmless as astronauts have come to make it seem by running, jumping, and even golfing on its surface. Extreme temperatures, corrosive dust and unfiltered solar radiation are just a few threats that would make a poorly-planned visit more quixotic than quotidian.
"The background for the basic fabric of a spacesuit was there in Playtex," Reihm said."They had the technology."
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