British scientist claims he coined Neil Armstong's moon landing quote
To those who heard them live they are among the most unforgettable words uttered anywhere on - or off - the earth. But was Neil Armstrong’s “one small step” speech as he became the first man to set foot on the moon actually coined by a British scientist based at a deep space tracking station in the Australian outback?
He was stationed at Tidbinilla, an 85ft satellite dish near Canberra, and in the run up to the landing was wondering what the first words spoken on the moon would be. He was concerned that the Apollo 11 astronauts, both former US Navy fighter pilots chosen for their steady nerves rather than their eloquence, might fail to capture the momentous nature of man’s first footstep on another planet.
Mr Peach, now 73 and living in retirement in Newbury, Berkshire, says he raised the issue with a senior Nasa official visiting Tidbinilla shortly before the launch. The official, a Mr Monkton, entered the Deep Space Control Room where Mr Peach was making some last minute checks and asked if there were any problems.
Read entire article at The Times (UK)
He was stationed at Tidbinilla, an 85ft satellite dish near Canberra, and in the run up to the landing was wondering what the first words spoken on the moon would be. He was concerned that the Apollo 11 astronauts, both former US Navy fighter pilots chosen for their steady nerves rather than their eloquence, might fail to capture the momentous nature of man’s first footstep on another planet.
Mr Peach, now 73 and living in retirement in Newbury, Berkshire, says he raised the issue with a senior Nasa official visiting Tidbinilla shortly before the launch. The official, a Mr Monkton, entered the Deep Space Control Room where Mr Peach was making some last minute checks and asked if there were any problems.
Mr Peach said: “I replied no technical problems, but I am concerned about the historic moment when the first man sets foot upon the Moon. In the excitement, knowing the Yanks as I do, it’ll probably be something like ‘Holy chicken s**t look at all that f***ing dust’.
“He asked: ‘Well what would you say?’.” Mr Peach, who had been mulling it over for several days, replied: “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Five days later Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface and fluffed his most important line. Instead of “that’s one small step for a man...” he said “that’s one small step for man...” committing a tautological error. Despite the error it remains one of the most momentous statements ever made.