It turns out to be a big week in space history. If you're a Heinlein-ist — and I am, and Elon Musk is, and Freeman Dyson was — you see the Apollo Program as the most moral act in history, because it opened the way for the survival of the human race, even in the face of massive catastrophe. Well, 56 years ago, humans for the very first time went to another place than Earth.
This is the only soundtrack for this week's Sky Candy.
Nice place.
Ever seen a sunset and a solar eclipse at the same time? Well, now you have.
— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) July 17, 2025
By Astro_Neel pic.twitter.com/2L04g8enT8
From this to the Moon in only 69 years.
The Luftschiff Zeppelin 1 made its first flight 125 years ago today over Lake Constance, Germany in 1900. Flown from a floating hangar, LZ 1 was the first successful rigid airship, even though it crashed during the test. LZ 1 only flew twice after that maiden flight – but it… pic.twitter.com/WvTbRybPYf
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 2, 2025
This was a big week. How many of you remember it?
Less than a week to go for the launch of #Apollo11 – I remember that last week before we lifted off (56 years ago) was a busy one with final preparation and testing. Training flights in helicopters, T-38s, and the parabolic aircraft, to time in the Lunar and Command Module… pic.twitter.com/bsmdu27cD3
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 12, 2025
Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins — and everyone at NASA, from Von Braun to the janitor — could have been no more excited than I was.
And no less.
Only 2 days to go to the anniversary of the Apollo11 launch! Tall and proud, gleaming white, the Saturn V rocket sat calmly poised on the launchpad. It would soon unleash a roaring fury of unimaginable and awesome power to propel us to the Moon. Things were coming down to the… pic.twitter.com/ZuwWQCrGZv
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 14, 2025
I remember it. I don't think I slept more than an hour or two at a time until that "one small step for a man."
On this day, July 16th 1969, we were “GO” for launch – and at precisely 13:32 UTC, #Apollo11 lifted off from @NASAKennedy to transport three mortal Americans – Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and myself – to the Moon. The hard work, dedication and focus across the entire @NASA… pic.twitter.com/FxBJtGn8Pl
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 16, 2025
This monument will endure for millennia. There may come a day when Richard Nixon and the United States are only remembered because of this.
Officially starting the countdown to the anniversary of #Apollo11 today. You may recall that a few months ago, India’s Space Research Organization moon orbiter Chandrayaan 2 captured photos of both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 lunar modules on the Moon’s surface. They may be small… pic.twitter.com/dLkkoBlgBL
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 8, 2025
It won't stop. But the Right Stuff soundtrack is a little short, so here's the second movement.
Home away from home.
Phobos over Olympus Mons, imaged by ESA Mars Express pic.twitter.com/E3adPEpJwE
— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) July 17, 2025
A great sightseeing trip.
The clearest images of Jupiter ever captured.
— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) July 17, 2025
NASA's latest visuals show the gas giant like never before swirling storms, vibrant colors, and raw cosmic power. pic.twitter.com/ZGfonjfvaQ
Other history happened this week.
Handshake in space 👨🚀 🤝 👨🚀
— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) July 17, 2025
The historic docking between an Apollo spacecraft and Soyuz spacecraft on this day in 1975 led to another historic moment: a handshake between American astronaut Tom Stafford and Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov. pic.twitter.com/LlP139tncQ
New real estate.
this image shows jets of silicon monoxide being ejected from a baby star outside of the solar system.
— Jasmine 🌌🔭 (@astro_jaz) July 17, 2025
we are witnessing the birth of rocky planets around a star similar to the sun ✨ pic.twitter.com/REobRfvujh
I can't turn down the Seven Sisters,
The Pleiades Star Cluster with more than 1K stars bound by gravity pic.twitter.com/BBKoM1i6Bk
— Space 8K (@uhd2020) July 17, 2025
Nice neighborhood.
The gorgeous star cluster NGC 2100 lies in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) July 17, 2025
The smaller cluster, close to the right-hand edge of the picture and just below centre, is NGC 2092
(Credit: ESO) pic.twitter.com/2xmMwDEnVH
Time to get moving.
— John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos) July 17, 2025
This is what we must remember.
Continuing the countdown to #Apollo11 with a Moon-watcher alert – tonight (July 10th ) will see what is often called the “Buck Moon.” To me, every full Moon is a reminder of the awe-inducing power on humanity of Earth’s only natural satellite. Even with all of the time we spent… pic.twitter.com/L1DsDeLPtn
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 10, 2025
