San Diego Space Society

Popular Mechanics looks forward — & backward — for Apollo XI Anniversary

Posted by Jeff Berkwits in News on June 15, 2009

For a lot of folks, Popular Mechanics magazine may seem old-school, but their recent June issue – which celebrates the 40^th Anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing – features a nice selection of both soul-searching retrospectives and forward-thinking space articles. Of particular note is the exclusive oral history of the Apollo XI mission from multiple key players and an article that asks the question ‘Is America’s Space Administration Over-the-Hill?’

The latter piece starts off with this important question:

It has been 40 years since NASA first placed man on the moon. Not only was the space agency still young, but most of its employees were fresh out of college. Today, less than 20 percent of NASA’s employees are under the age of 40, leading one report to call the agency “mono-generational.” This leads to a disturbing question: As the baby boomers retire, who will get astronauts back to the lunar surface?

All in all, it’s great reading!