The fourth human on the moon has passed away
May 26, 2018 12:18 PM Subscribe
Alan Bean, astronaut and artist, died today.
His passing leaves only four moon-walkers with us.
Fourth Man on the Moon
Alan Bean on Colbert.
(Was going to link to his gallery, but the site appears to be having difficulty right now.)
His passing leaves only four moon-walkers with us.
Fourth Man on the Moon
Alan Bean on Colbert.
(Was going to link to his gallery, but the site appears to be having difficulty right now.)
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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 12:41 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 12:41 PM on May 26, 2018
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Oh man. Kinda fighting back tears, here.
Al, I hope you're driving your Corvette up there somewhere.
posted by rp at 12:45 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oh man. Kinda fighting back tears, here.
Al, I hope you're driving your Corvette up there somewhere.
posted by rp at 12:45 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
🌕
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:55 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:55 PM on May 26, 2018
I’ve watched almost every documentary about the Apollo missions, and Al Bean was probably my favorite Astronaut of them all. He just seemed to be about the only one of them to shuck aside the test pilot machismo. With Al Bean, you had a humble guy that seemed genuinely awed to have walked the freaking Moon!
“Frequently on the lunar surface I said to myself, 'This is the Moon, that is the Earth. I'm really here, I'm really here!”
And he got the last lines of the AMAZING documentary In the Shadow of the Moon:
“I feel blessed *every* *single* *day*. Not a day goes by that I don't think, this is great, this was wonderful, somebody had to go, and they happened to pick me. So it was great.”
posted by zooropa at 1:11 PM on May 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
“Frequently on the lunar surface I said to myself, 'This is the Moon, that is the Earth. I'm really here, I'm really here!”
And he got the last lines of the AMAZING documentary In the Shadow of the Moon:
“I feel blessed *every* *single* *day*. Not a day goes by that I don't think, this is great, this was wonderful, somebody had to go, and they happened to pick me. So it was great.”
posted by zooropa at 1:11 PM on May 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
I loved the Alan Bean-viewpoint episode in HBO's miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon", where actor Dave Foley did a pretty good job portraying his personality. One of the nicest astronauts, and he really seemed to love painting and talking about his experiences.
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posted by seasparrow at 1:25 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
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posted by seasparrow at 1:25 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
🌙.
posted by sexyrobot at 1:27 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sexyrobot at 1:27 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
I was also about to recommend the Apollo 12 episode of From the Earth to the Moon. Bean just seemed like a genuinely nice dude in everything I ever saw him in. He had fun in space.
Dude also spent 59 days on Skylab.
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posted by bondcliff at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Dude also spent 59 days on Skylab.
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posted by bondcliff at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
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posted by but no cigar at 1:42 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by but no cigar at 1:42 PM on May 26, 2018
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posted by Smart Dalek at 2:02 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:02 PM on May 26, 2018
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Only four moon walkers left? It seems likely we will lose the last one before we create any more.
posted by notyou at 2:15 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Only four moon walkers left? It seems likely we will lose the last one before we create any more.
posted by notyou at 2:15 PM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
🌙.
i really wish he had managed to sneak that timer aboard the LEM.
posted by entropicamericana at 2:30 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
i really wish he had managed to sneak that timer aboard the LEM.
posted by entropicamericana at 2:30 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:40 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:40 PM on May 26, 2018
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posted by Brodiggitty at 3:48 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by Brodiggitty at 3:48 PM on May 26, 2018
Shine on, moon Bean!
posted by chavenet at 3:55 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 3:55 PM on May 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
When lighting struck the Apollo 12 rocket on launch, Bean helped save the mission. I've read he was a real details oriented type and that really helped when the rocket became a lighting rod.
Helluva thing to walk on the Moon on your very first spaceflight!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:16 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Helluva thing to walk on the Moon on your very first spaceflight!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:16 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
I always thought it would be neat to own one of his paintings, but was reluctant to pay that much; I guess they won't be getting any cheaper now.
Only four moon walkers left? It seems likely we will lose the last one before we create any more.
Maybe the Chinese will get someone up there.
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posted by TedW at 6:26 PM on May 26, 2018
Only four moon walkers left? It seems likely we will lose the last one before we create any more.
Maybe the Chinese will get someone up there.
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posted by TedW at 6:26 PM on May 26, 2018
The moon will not rest until it takes out all the others.
posted by delfin at 6:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by delfin at 6:35 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
i really wish he had managed to sneak that timer aboard the LEM.
According to From the Earth to the Moon, he did -- but tossed it when time was running out and he had too much to do. He even painted "The Fantasy" version, with all three.
posted by Rash at 8:08 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
According to From the Earth to the Moon, he did -- but tossed it when time was running out and he had too much to do. He even painted "The Fantasy" version, with all three.
posted by Rash at 8:08 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
🌙.
posted by theartandsound at 9:54 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by theartandsound at 9:54 PM on May 26, 2018
Rest in peace
posted by coffee_monster at 11:39 PM on May 26, 2018
posted by coffee_monster at 11:39 PM on May 26, 2018
What happened?
I mean, I sort of know. We went there the stupid fast way instead of the smart slow way, it turns out that the stupid fast way isn't economically sustainable and once we "beat Russia in the space race" most people saw no point in spending the money anymore.
But seriously, what happened?
We went to the moon! And then we stopped trying to do anything big and important. Instead of saying that yes, we did it, we did it the bad way and now it's time to do it the smart way we just stopped.
And so we sit here, one planetary disaster from extinction, because somewhere we lost the will, the drive, the dream.
posted by sotonohito at 6:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
I mean, I sort of know. We went there the stupid fast way instead of the smart slow way, it turns out that the stupid fast way isn't economically sustainable and once we "beat Russia in the space race" most people saw no point in spending the money anymore.
But seriously, what happened?
We went to the moon! And then we stopped trying to do anything big and important. Instead of saying that yes, we did it, we did it the bad way and now it's time to do it the smart way we just stopped.
And so we sit here, one planetary disaster from extinction, because somewhere we lost the will, the drive, the dream.
posted by sotonohito at 6:21 AM on May 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
No natural resources on the Moon, can’t easily survive there, so no reason to stay.
Most people can’t think on planetary disaster levels.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:25 AM on May 27, 2018
Most people can’t think on planetary disaster levels.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:25 AM on May 27, 2018
There's plenty of natural resources on the moon, all sorts of useful stuff for survival and further expansion. Mostly it's silicates and aluminum, but it's got plenty of oxygen, not as much hydrogen as you'd hope for though.
It's a great place for mining what you can there so you don't have to ship it up out of Earth's gravity well.
posted by sotonohito at 11:04 AM on May 27, 2018
It's a great place for mining what you can there so you don't have to ship it up out of Earth's gravity well.
posted by sotonohito at 11:04 AM on May 27, 2018
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posted by doctornemo at 11:17 AM on May 27, 2018
posted by doctornemo at 11:17 AM on May 27, 2018
tired: 1970's dreams of space colonization, brought to you by the rand corporation and beatrice
wired: taking care of the planet we have
posted by entropicamericana at 11:44 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
wired: taking care of the planet we have
posted by entropicamericana at 11:44 AM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by DaddyNewt at 12:26 PM on May 26, 2018