ololol
Really happy to be one of the "witnesses" of this great Event and Accomplishment, it's almost like a modern version of the first Moon Mission I imagine.
As someone who stayed up late on July 20, 1969, in front of the TV, I can tell you that this, as big as it is, wasn't even close!!! Something about it being done with men, I suppose.
There is also a monstrous difference in perception of space missions in the general public. The moon landing was a National Goal put in place to develop the space technology to keep us ahead of the Russians. You know, since we were behind them when Kennedy made his little speech.
Since then, people have realized what it costs to do this stuff, and even though NASA's budget is a small fraction of the full budget, the perception of large numbers "going to waste" is very prevelant amongst the ignorant savages. Consider that the MSL is about the same price as a B-2, and a fraction of an aircraft carrier.
This public perception changed rapidly enough to shorten the Apollo project. After 13, and the realization that Bad Things could happen in space, the missions continued without the attention the earlier ones had, and by 15 people said, "Are we
still doing those? WHY?????!?!?" So at least 3 missions were dropped from the schedule and Apollo 17 was the last manned landing somewere not Earth. Ever. (So far.)
So being umanned, there is nothing like the excitement of the first Apollo landings, despite the level of accomplishment it represents.
In that picture above, there's a tether line. How the hell did they get
that carried along??!?!?!
