The destiny has disposed so that people going to the moon for its peaceful development, destined to rest there in the world. These courageous people, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that they have no hope. But they also know that their victim a sense of hope for all mankind. Both of them give their lives for the sake of one of the most noble goals set before mankind: for the sake of knowledge and the search for truth. They mourn their families and friends; they mourn their homeland; they mourn the peoples of the world; their mourns the homeland itself, the Earth who dared to send two of his sons into the unknown distance.


Their expedition has United all peoples of the world in one single nation; their sacrifice will strengthen the unity of all people. In ancient times people are looking at the skies, that among the constellations to behold the image of their characters. Since then, not much has changed - except that our heroes are people of flesh and blood. More will follow and will certainly find the way home. Quest them will not be in vain. However, were these people, and they will remain the first in our hearts. From now on all who rushes would look to the moon, will remember that tiny corner of this alien world forever belongs to humanity.

On that happy day, July 20, 1969, when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon and to them on the radio addressed the President of the USA, in the table Richard Nixon was prepared text of a speech he was preparing to say soon after the session "moon of negotiations". If the astronauts will not be able to return on Board the Apollo, Nixon was going to say that both of these hero "give your life for one of the most noble goals set before mankind: for the sake of knowledge and the search for truth. From now on all who rushes would look to the moon, will remember that tiny corner of this alien world forever belongs to humanity."

In pre-compiled program of events to mark the landing people on the moon after a mourning speech of the President was listed funeral service.

In the worst believed not only Nixon, his speechwriters and his entourage. The worst was expecting himself Edwin Aldrin. Going into the flight, he believed that the probability of a successful landing equal to only 50 - 60 percent. Fatal expectations fueled the recent tragedy. In 1967, during a fire at the start, was killed the crew of Apollo 1", also consisting of three people. In the same year in the USSR at the end of the program the flight on the Soyuz-1" was lost cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov.

Most of all fears among specialists caused the descent, who made the moon landing. When in the summer of 1968, the first prototype of this device was delivered to Cape Kennedy from departments of the concern Grumman Aerospace, specialists grabbed his head.

In the first test of this fragile device, covered with a kind of film, it turned out that all its basic elements have serious, fatal problem. The number of defects exceeded expectations biggest pessimists NASA.

Of course, the model was further developed and improved, were testing for tests, and still left a lot of questions. In addition, no checking on the ground can not be compared with what was to experience on the moon. To recreate the extreme conditions prevailing on the body, was not possible in any terrestrial laboratories, and even in earth orbit. Astronauts waited absolute vacuum, extreme temperatures several hundred degrees, hard cosmic radiation, shock tiny meteorites, as well as penetrating everywhere moon dust.

...The twentieth of July, 1969 in 18 hours and 47 minutes CET descent vehicle undocked from the Orbiter and began a flight to the moon's surface. In 21 hours, 05 minutes apparatus began to come in for a landing. She was scheduled around the Sea of Tranquility. Passed 103 hours after launch from Cape Kennedy.

Eighteen seconds Armstrong turned off the motor and got in contact:

- Houston, point of arrival - base of Tranquillity. "The eagle has landed.

In 21 hours 17 minutes came the response from the mission control Center:

"Roger. People here just turned blue. Now we'll breathe calmly.

However, Armstrong and Aldrin were thinking about alone. With bated breath they waited for further developments. It was unclear how will react the surface of the moon on the appearance of the device weighing two and a half tons. What if his support fall through a cleft or becoming mired in the lunar dust? And if the stone will bounce and pierce a tank of fuel? How, then, to fly to the moon?

However, the astronauts were faced entirely with other emergency situation. Right after the landing, they began to pump out air from a helium tank; helium cooled to us, penetrated into the fuel line. It formed an ice plug. Meanwhile, heat the cooling of the engine warmed up fuel. The pressure in muted ice plug the line began to grow. If it burst, the fuel would get into the engine and he would explode the device is turned into a time bomb.

It took half an hour of intense expectation of an explosion, until it became clear that the trouble was over. Wire took a load. Rising Sun melted the ice plug.

Finally astronauts began to prepare for the first walk on the moon. Another surprise! Dressed in a bulky space suits and hooking backpacks, where was the life-support systems, they noticed a new bobble designers. Cabin, full of instruments, was close to them. People in suits would feel like the proverbial elephant, marooned in a China shop. Everywhere was sticking monitors, cables, switches. One awkward movement, and they break something.

In 3 hours 39 minutes CET Armstrong and Aldrin opened the hatch and left Eagle. What was waiting for them there?.. Billions of years on the moon meteorites fall. There is no atmosphere, so nothing is holding them back flight. At any time bomb from the sky can punch moon "Shuttle".

According to scientists, if the hull was formed hole with a diameter of up to twelve inches, then for two minutes oxygen system still could maintain normal blood pressure. This time would be enough to connect the spacesuits directly to the on-Board systems of life-support, unless, of course, the astronauts would not have received injuries at the moment of impact. Worse would broke the glass window. Both of these situations were processed in preparation for the flight.

The same danger could wait astronauts on a walk. If a meteorite - say, a tiny little stone - fell in some of them, you probably broke the suit. After depressurization you could live just two minutes. This time would not be enough to slow the suit reach the "Shuttle", climb the stairs and to squeeze through a narrow manhole. The astronaut has a chance to be saved, if only the hole will be smaller than three millimeters. In this case, the emergency oxygen system of the suit will work for another half hour, maintaining a normal blood pressure.

And still, even with this tiny damage to escape would be difficult. The victim must climb aboard the "Shuttle" and turn on the system, pressure builders. The second astronaut will remain outside and will wait until a colleague will not fix the spacesuit. Only in this case it can come back on Board, it should again be pressure inside the cabin.

...But the trip was successful. The astronauts spent on the moon two and a half hours. In 6 hours 11 minutes CET they were again on Board Eagle and closed the hatch from the inside. Aboard Shuttle astronauts were waiting for trouble.

I looked around and began to pack things - remembered Edwin Aldrin. - When I looked at the floor, she saw a little black thing. I knew immediately what it is...

It was a button. It broke. Edwin looked up at the long row of buttons to understand what it flew. It turned out that without which it could not fly, - button ignition engine.

It was hard to believe! On the dashboard there were a couple of hundreds of buttons and switches. One of them broke the one and only-the most important, without which it will not do! Go for a walk, Aldrin touched his bulky spacesuit the damn button. Without it not to start the engine!

Had to radiowall to Earth and tell about his mistake. Aldrin reported:

- Houston, Tranquility base. You can't determine in what is now the situation is a button ignition engine?

Silence. The question, of course, strange. Wouldn't it be easier to look up? Then I witnessed the following dialog...

Aldrin: " the Reason of my question: breakdown of a button.

Houston: " Roger. Clear. Stay in touch, please.

Then in the Protocol is the first time you receive the mark: "a Long pause.

In the mission control Center were all shocked. The astronauts, however, experienced the same feeling. "Certainly there are many other ways to include ignition engine - convinced myself Aldrin, because without security, we will not survive, so surely it somehow duplicated".

In addition, clumsily turning and pressing the button, Aldrin could turn on the ignition. Then all this time, while the astronauts walked on the moon, in the "Shuttle" was all ready to start.

The seconds stretched long lunar night. Finally in the speakers came a voice:

- Tranquility base here in Houston. Telemetry data shows that currently button ignition is in the off position. We ask you to leave her so before the planned inclusion.

Inclusion? But as you press the button, which not? Astronauts frantically rushed to search than to put pressure on the rest of the buttons, completely drowned in a niche. About us... the Most expensive in the history of mankind aircraft managed to include using... ballpoint pen. She poked a hole left after the loss of a button.

...Like hell! The engine has not been launched. This engine had disrepute. Thus, on 1 September 1965 during tests at the Arnold Engineering Development Center is the engine of this model exploded. At the end of April 1967, two motor burned during tests at Bell Aerosystems Test Facility. "It should be recognized that this starting the engine causes the most complaints among the engines of the program "Saturn" - "Apollo", - quite frankly it was said in one of the documents NASA.

What if the engine will not start? To commit suicide? There were rumors that the astronauts were in possession of capsules with poison, but this is just idle chatter that confirmed astronauts: "Just couldn't be situations in which ought to think about suicide. And even if so - because anything could be, there were ways to achieve this and easier than poison poison. Cost, for example, only to lose all the oxygen out of the cab, and it would be all over. The air instantly would blow lungs, blood literally boiled... that would shock the body would be lost easily. After a couple of seconds all would have ended, MiG - and no pain".

"In case of engine failure astronauts, instead of thinking about death, would remaining time to do his fix it," said Neil Armstrong. The problem was that we had a very hurry. Many systems "Shuttle" were designed for only 48 hours. On the moon by the astronauts spent 22 hours. Hence, they could only 26 hours to get to flying around the moon ship.

...First running out of food. Its on Board the "Shuttle" would suffice only for two Lunches and a couple of the Breakfast room. For main meals prepared ham, beef, chicken soup, pies with dates, muffins and peaches; Breakfast - fruits, two slices of bread, pate and sweets. Supply of water was 209 liters. She needed for drinking and cooling systems "Shuttle" and suits. Part of the water has already spent some margin remained. But in comparison with water and electricity - oxygen was in excess.

Worse was that soon and carbon dioxide will be in excess. This gas is released when breathing, and if its content in the air will rise to only one percent, a person will have the first symptoms of poisoning. If this value will increase to four percent, will sharply frequent breathing and heartbeat, body begins to cepnet. Then people will lose consciousness. When the carbon dioxide will reach nine percent of people die within five to ten minutes. At concentrations equal to 14 percent, extinguished the candle. With 18 percent of people die almost instantly.

The service life of filter, protecting from carbon dioxide, was exactly 49.5 hours. If breathing is very smoothly and to make the least possible movement, it is possible to prolong their life up to seventy hours, that is, the astronauts had left two days of life. In addition, you can use the filters that are available in the suits, because while walking on the moon were used only two filters of six. This is a extra day of life. And if to bring the activity to a minimum, then dials are, maybe, thirty hours.

So, in total, all of these filters were designed to 78 hours or a little more than three days of work. After that, the astronauts had only one thing: to wear space suits and oxygen, preserved in emergency systems. This would prolong the life for another couple of hours. Then the astronauts could still some time to breathe the air remaining in the cabin. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and therefore he will accumulate in the beginning at the bottom of the cab, and then slowly creeping up. The astronauts would have to rise to the ceiling, waiting, like in Hollywood movies that they now will save. Alas, their hopes on it was not.

Three days - this was too little to hold out until the arrival of the next expedition, it was scheduled for November 1969. To prepare the Apollo 12" to start in just a couple of days it was impossible, especially to send him to the moon. In addition, any other moon "Shuttle" simply could not take on Board two extra astronauts had a weight limit.

In the USSR, where he started his lunar project, also could not immediately launch a spacecraft to the moon to save Armstrong and Aldrin, and the Soviet landers again failed to take on Board two extra passengers. From rescue of astronauts would decide the fate of all "lunar program" NASA, most of this organization and even the United States government. In Houston appeared again a long pause. What about radio? What will the astronauts, learning that doomed to death? What damage the prestige of the country they will do? What if they from carbon dioxide, will begin to scold those who sent them to the moon?

In the midst was the cold war, and American astronauts befitted to die as heroes. The text of the speech had to be Richard Nixon, had remark addressed only by "dedicated". The heads NASA was directed to disconnect the connection with the astronauts immediately after the President's address. "They have done their duty; they can rest". Eternal rest to you, heroes!

But how to break the link with the "hook"? NASA could disable their receiving antenna, but disable transmitters aboard the lunar it was impossible. Thousands of radio Amateurs around the globe stress catching signals from the Board of the Eagle. Even before the start of the Apollo-11" many magazines published a circuit Assembly "lunar receiver".

Even if the signal does not reach the Ground they will hear Michael Collins is the only member of the crew remained on Board the ship. He will certainly contact with the Earth and everything will be reported.

"I didn't want to go home alone, " said later Collins in response to a question about what he would do if his friends did not return, but if ordered, I'm back". How to silence him after his return?

So ripe for a major scandal. The authorities intended to conceal the state of emergency and stop all communication with the astronauts. However, this idea was strongly criticized. It would have caused irreparable harm to the U.S. government. No wife astronauts nor the public would not be silent, knowing that the crew of a Shuttle " was thrown to the mercy of fate and all connection with him interrupted. In this nefarious deed easy would recognize the actual order the crew to commit suicide, so as to save them, obviously not going to. Suicide among the puritans, significantly influencing public opinion of America, remains impious deed, and push to it anyone is unacceptable.

We can only guess how would react the public at a memorial service for still living persons who at that moment had died a long, painful death. Any of these senseless and inhuman actions would have electrified the nation and brought people to the streets.

...on July 22, 1969 in 5 hours 40 minutes CET Armstrong and Aldrin opened the pyrovalves separating tanks with helium and fuel that under the pressure of the compressed helium fuel rushed to the engine. Usually the pressure in helium tanks after this fall, but in the fuel increases. However, the second valve helium tank, it seems, did not work. Aldrin reported:

- We are not sure that they have received in the engine fuel from the second tank. The pressure in helium tank is still very high.

Houston: - Confirm it. Try again!

Aldrin: " okay! Again we will try to repeat with the second tank.

Houston: " Roger. Consent.

Later Aldrin again said: - No fire (No spark").

A couple of minutes there was an uncertainty. Finally the pressure in the second helium tank fell. Houston gave the command to prepare for launch. In 5 hours and 57 minutes cut off the bolts between the "Shuttle" and a landing stage system, as well as valves and wires connecting them. In a few milliseconds finally earned the engine and astronauts left the moon. Their flight was successful.