Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review, July 19, 2019

High Desert Hangar Stories
The Lonely Rocket Man
by Bob Alvis
special to Aerotech News
docking of the two craft. As Neil and Buzz began their descent to the surface of the Moon, Michael started on a jour-
Back in the 1970s, Elton John sang a ney that would parallel that of another haunting song about a lonely astronaut individual who faced the unknown in a fictional space fantasy, speeding alone, with no contact with fellow hu- through the universe, surrounded by man beings. As Michael circled to the the science and silence of his lonely back side of the Moon, only early avia-
journey.
Nobody in the real sense of that
song and its words could have ever come closer to that reality than Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins.
Michael Collins carried a heavy burden on the Apollo 11 mission and people don’t often give him the credit that he so deserves for the success of that Moon landing. As Collins stated in an interview once, the entire mission relied on a bunch of daisy chain events to go off without a hitch, for there to be a successful outcome. Believe it or not, the crew of Apollo 11 felt they had about a 50-50 chance of making it to the Moon and back. Collins was the pi- lot of the command module Columbia and responsible for the precision ma- neuvers required to dock with the lu- nar module Eagle, which was no easy
tor and legendary pilot Charles Lind- berg knew what he faced, as Michael became the loneliest single human be- ing to be this far from humanity with no contact in the emptiness of space.
If that wasn’t enough, for the next 22 hours Michael flew the command module under the pressure of wonder- ing if he would ever see Neil and Buzz again, and if that lonely trip home that he’d trained for would become a real- ity. Imagine the talk in that tunnel as the hatch was closed after handshakes and good wishes, and being the one left alone so far from home. Yes, Neil and Buzz were very brave explorers but Michael was also a very brave ex- plorer, with a much different task to perform and a very different form of pressure.
On the back side of the Moon, in
Astronaut Michael Collins in his spacecraft.
NASA photograph
again inspire future generations to reach for the stars.
By the way, after the mission and a passage of time, an envelope arrived at Michaels’s home. Inside was a penned letter from none other than Charles Lindberg that noted the unique aspect of isolation the two men shared, which I referred to in this story.
“Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone” was the chorus line from the Elton John song, and forever more I will always think of Michael Collins doing just that.
Until next time, Bob out! And thank God for our brave astronauts who in- spire us every day.
Michael Collins with a lot on his mind.
task. But the real drama for him was the point when that hard dock finally had to be released, and Neil and Buzz floated away to their destiny on the Moon’s surface below. That destiny is what will define Michael Collins’ life for as long as he lives.
Michael had trained for all pos- sible situations on the mission. The scenario he dreaded most was the one that would have him returning to earth alone, leaving his two fellow astronauts marooned on that lifeless celestial body, or in a low-orbit trajec- tory that was not high enough for a re-
NASA photograph
a crew compartment not much bigger than a mid-size car interior and the vastness of the universe outside his windows, he went about his tasks in conditions that would have the major- ity of us fearing the onset of claustro- phobia and paranoia. But true to his incredible character and dedication, he kept on task so he could be there to give his shipmates the ride home they were so hoping for, sparing him the unpleasant task of piloting home a very bleak spacecraft and a reception from a nation in mourning.
Columbia swept behind the Moon and Collins became Earth’s most distant solo traveler, separated from the rest of humanity by 250,000 miles of space and by the bulk of the Moon, which blocked all radio transmissions to and from Mission Con- trol. He was out of sight and out of contact with
and absolutely alone from any known life. I am it.” — he wrote in his cap- sule.
As the hours unfolded, there were a couple of incidents that did have the possibility of bringing an end to the mission but in the end, the “daisy chain” of events that Michael spoke of became a reality. The moment came when two very tired space ex- plorers reunited with a very relieved spacecraft pilot and started the jour- ney home, to a world that would now wake up to the reality of living in a time where mankind had walked on a faraway heavenly body.
Richard Nixon, then U.S. president, had prepared a speech that he would deliver in the event of the Eagle’s en- gine failing.
“Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace,” it ran. “These brave men, Neil Arm- strong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.” If the Apol- lo 11 mission had been a failure, some say the entire program may have been shelved and Michael Collins would have been the face of the mission for all time — an unwanted legacy, for sure. But on the flipside, with the mission’s success Collins became the missing as- tronaut, as his two famous crewmates became the face of the mission that we celebrate this month. When people are asked about famous space explorers, of course Neil and Buzz are usually listed as one and two, but Michael is some- where outside the top ten on most lists. Asked about this, Michael, being the
very humble man he is, says that really doesn’t bother him. When asked about those lonely hours around the Moon he just replies, “Looking back now, deep down inside I was a very happy man.”
Michael Collins, space explorer, had many hours training and serving here in our Antelope Valley at Edwards, and also as an Air Force pilot at George AFB in Victorville. He is one of the very few Apollo astronauts who are still around to share this amazing his- tory on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. We honor Neil, Buzz and Michael for bringing a spe- cial pride to our home here in America and hope and pray that someday our missions to far off planets will once
Courtesy photograph
his home planet.
“I am now truly alone
Michael with his daughters Ann and Kate and his famous spacecraft at the National Air and Space Museum.
Courtesy photograph
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