Napton’s Assistant Head Teacher – Education, Tania Hales-Richardson, reached out to one of the first men on the moon to see if she could organise a Skype link up for the school, to honour the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
‘I thought it would be an incredible experience if the children could speak and interact with Buzz Aldrin, so I made contact. Even though he couldn’t make a Skype link, he sent back a really inspirational and personal message. I was really moved that he took the time to reply and I will be sharing it with the whole school.
I’m now thinking about who else we could ask to come and visit us.’
Buzz sent the following
Hello Tania!
Thank you so much for reaching out. Unfortunately, a Skype discussion would be difficult, but I’m so glad to hear that you’re using space exploration as inspiration for the youngsters.
Please remind your students that I once wrote the following:
“Keep in mind that progress is not always linear. It takes constant course correcting and often a lot of zigzagging. Unfortunate things happen, accidents occur, and setbacks are usually painful, but that does not mean we quit.”
This applies to getting a man to the moon in the 1960s before laptop computers were invented, but also to life! And I still believe it.
Belief and passion are key components of any achievement, and with it you can overcome any negative experience.
As for honoring(sic) the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, I would encourage your students to learn more about some of the people who were involved and the challenges they faced in their own lives. This could lead to a discussion about how individual people all came together from different walks of life to play a role in accomplishing one of humanity’s greatest feats.
You’re doing great work, Tania.
Thanks again for reaching out and take care,
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin was the pilot of the lunar lander on the first mission to land on the moon. He and mission commander Neil Armstrong were the first humans to set foot on another world on 20 July 1969.
Some fascinating facts
The Apollo spacecraft had less computing power than a smart phone and an average car.
Buzz Aldrin’s mother’s maiden name was Moon.