Walking on the Moon by David R. Scott Lesson-6 | B.A Part-2

Walking on the Moon by David R. Scott

Author’s Introduction

David Randolph Scott (June 6, 1932- present) is an American engineer, retired Air Force Officer, former test pilot, and former NASA astronaut. He graduated from United States Military Academy and became an astronaut. He retired as a colonel.

David R. Scott served as a command module pilot of the Apollo 9 flight with commander James McDivitt and lunar Module pilot Russel Schweickart ie had n 1969. Two years later, he went on the extraterrestrial voyage as the commander of the Apollo mission to the Moon in 1971.

He made this historic moment with his fellow, James Irwin, and Alfred Worden. From 1972 to 1975, Scott was selected as a member of the administrative staff of the Apollo- Soyuz Test Project. He then became director of the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.

After leaving the space program in 1977, he entered into a private business in Los Angeles. He was the author of books, ‘Two Sides of the Moon,” Our story of the Cold War Space Race, with Soviet cosmonaut, Aleksey Leonov.

Summary “Walking on the Moon”

In this essay, David R. Scott gives us an account of his journey to the moon. He was that American who landed on the moon and stayed there for 67 hours. He visited the moon in the spaceship “Endeavours” in July 1971, with his two companions.

They had 12 revolutions of the orbit of the moon before they landed on the surface of the moon. They took two hours to move around the orbit of the moon by means of a Lunar Module. Before they landed on the surface of the moon, the moon scope stretched into the distance.

Everything had the color of milk chocolate. All the mountains, plains, and gorges of the moon looked bright. The Lunar Module raised dust before the writer and his friends landed on the surface of the moon. The writer and his friends had to spend 67 hours there.

They were those human beings who visited the moon. The earth seemed to be colorful from the moon. The Lunar Module was turned into a dwelling place by pushing a switch. They came to the surface of the moon by means of a ladder. The writer and his companions performed many scientific experiments there.

They walked on the surface of the moon. They needed extra force to start or stop walking. They experienced many things there. Firstly, they found that they were on a barren and deserted land. They were only the living soul on the surface of the moon.

Secondly, they felt that each blazing day and each day cold night stretched through 355 each hour. but they were still in touch with American times. Thirdly, when they landed on the moon, they felt a sense of freedom. They experienced weightlessness.

Fourthly, they found that falling on the moon was a childhood experience. Many times the writer fell on the surface of the moon but he received no injury. The surface of the moon was very soft. Fifthly, they faced the problem of a limited supply of oxygen.

Scott and his companions had a battery-operated jeep, Rover, to move on the moon. As proof of their visit to the moon, they left the Bible, the image of a man in a spacesuit, the Rover jeep, a clover flower, and a falcon feather.

They also left an aluminum plate, bearing the image of man, names of the members of Apollo-15, and the date of the mission. Actually, they left there all things for future history and for some future astronauts who may visit in future history,

Question 1  Discuss Scott’s visit and experience on the Moon

David R. Scott was the first American who landed on the surface of the moon. He stayed there for sixty-seven hours. His two friends, Jim and Warden were also with him. They went by a spaceship named “Endeavour”.

They had twelve revolutions of the orbit of the moon before they landed on it. They were in the Lunar Module. The Lunar Module raised dust before they landed on the moon. The moon dust was dark grey in color.

They landed on the surface of the moon with the help of a ladder. They performed many scientific experiments there. They collected much more information from the surface of the moon. The land of the moon was barren.

They observed the duration of the time. They felt each blazing day and each cold night stretched through 355 earth hours. However, they depended on American time. They felt weightlessness.

To fall on the moon and I did several times is to rediscover childhood. You go down in slow motion, the impact is slight, and the risk of injury being nil.

The writer fell on the surface of the moon several times but he received no injury because of the lunar dust the surface was very soft. Actually, it was only 1/6 of the normal weight due to the gravity of the earth. The writer and his friends enjoyed it a lot.

When they returned, they left on the surface of the moon, a falcon feather, a clover flower, the Bible, the image of a man spacesuit, and a Rover jeep. Their journey toward the moon was the first step to conquering the depth of space.

Question 2   What are Scott’s feelings on the surface of the moon?

That’s one small step of a man,One giant leap for mankind (Neil Armstrong)

David R. Scott and his two companions landed on the moon. He felt alien and everything seemed strange and unknown. Life was impossible on it. They were afraid of any malfunction in their spacesuit or lunar module.

It meant sure death. But they believed in the engineers who had made their spacesuits and the lunar module. The walking on the moon realized the importance and dignity of man and his reach to the highest knowledge of the cosmos.

It was a life about which no one can imagine. They proved to be the living marks of history. The experience they got there was unique and exceptional in human history. They observed many incidents there.

The climatic atmosphere and environment of the moon were different from the earth. Everywhere there was dust. There was no wind, and no rain, and as a result, there was no tree on the moon. Everything seemed grey. Everywhere rocks were scattered.

Initially, they felt uneasiness but at last, attached deeply to the atmosphere. The writer has given many contrasts and comparisons by providing details of his experience. The most important thing which they observed. was weightlessness.

On the moon, the weight of the writer became 1/6 of that was on the earth. He felt very light and free. They fell several times on the surface of the moon but did not receive any injury. They saw that the sky looked totally dark with stars.

They found that the earth shone on the moon as the moon shone on the earth. The writer used imaginative language to present his point of view. He thought that their prints on the surface of the moon will be forever and no rain would wipe them out.

Although they faced many problems there yet they experienced a sense of loss while leaving the place. When they came back they brought very rare information for future astronauts. He recalled his short stay there which looks like a dream.