Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14) died 04-feb-2016

[Allan F]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/apollo-14-astronaut-edgar-mitchell-85-dies-in-west/nqKdg/

[bknight]

Ah man that is too bad.

[smartcooky]

“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.”
― Edgar D. Mitchell (on seeing the the earth from the moon...)

[Apollo 957]

Darn, I just finished reading Earthrise, which was one of my Xmas presents ...

ISBN 978-1-61374-901-2  if any of you would like to honour him by buying a copy....

[bknight]

I remember a recent video in which he was telling the interviewer that he didn't know what it felt to walk on the Moon.  He could tell him what he did, just not how it felt.  I guess that is why he went to a hypnotist in an attempt to bring back the feeling of being on the Moon.  From the sound of the interview that hypnotist was not able to bring back the feelings he was looking.

[DD Brock]

That is a shame. Those men are living history, sad to lose one of them.

[JayUtah]

Of all the Apollo astronauts, Ed was the most approachable.  Even on the points where we disagreed, such as UFOs and psychic phenomena, he remained a gentleman.  On his (now departed) blog, he paid me the highest compliment I think a man of his stature could:  he recommended me by name to people who had questions about his missions on details he couldn't recall.

[DD Brock]

That is quite an honor. I've always thought his UFO and psychic beliefs were a little loopy and off the wall, but if Al Shepard could overlook it, so can I, lol.

[bknight]

Of all the Apollo astronauts, Ed was the most approachable.  Even on the points where we disagreed, such as UFOs and psychic phenomena, he remained a gentleman.  On his (now departed) blog, he paid me the highest compliment I think a man of his stature could:  he recommended me by name to people who had questions about his missions on details he couldn't recall.

Uumm, were any of the other astronauts not as approachable or gentlemanly? 

[Count Zero]

xkcd #893 "65 Years"

(Image used with permission)

“The universe is probably littered with the one-planet graves of cultures which made the sensible economic decision that there’s no good reason to go into space – each discovered, studied and remembered by the ones who made the irrational decision.”
-- Randall Munroe

[JayUtah]

Uumm, were any of the other astronauts not as approachable or gentlemanly?

They're all gentlemen, but living in the public eye for so long wears one down when it comes to meeting new people.  Ed was genuinely friendly to everyone he met.  Not to speak ill of Ed's commander, but when I met Al -- let's just say he lived up to his reputation.  Not everyone is cut out to be a people person.  That doesn't mean they're not fascinating and that time spent with them is wasted.

[LunarOrbit]

I remember taking part in the bulletin board that Mr. Mitchell had on his website back in the early 2000s, and I was amazed that he actually participated. This was before Facebook and Twitter, so he was ahead of the times.

I helped the person who managed the bulletin board solve a minor technical problem and was rewarded with an autographed photo, which I still have. I'm sure Ed was not even aware of my involvement and the photo was probably pre-signed for sale on his website, but it still felt good to help him out in a small way.

[onebigmonkey]

There's a nice story posted on the Space Hipsters facebook group of Ed attending a space convention at which he was making a PA, and catching a bus and waiting in line with everyone else while checking in to the hotel.

He also kicked Bart Sibrel in the ass.

[Apollo 957]

He also kicked Bart Sibrel in the ass.

Kudos.

[bknight]

There's a nice story posted on the Space Hipsters facebook group of Ed attending a space convention at which he was making a PA, and catching a bus and waiting in line with everyone else while checking in to the hotel.

He also kicked Bart Sibrel in the ass.

A kick in the ass and punch to the face was NOT enough punishment.