♫ SOARING HARP MELODY
Although early images of the crescent Earth
floating above the Moon
had been sent back from robotic probes,
it was not until the 70 mm Haselblad
camera’s coloured “Earthrise” photograph
was taken by Apollo 8 crew member William Anders
in December 1968
that the world fully appreciated seeing planet Earth
from a quarter of a million miles away.
Lunar distances truly convey the isolation,
fragility and beauty
that “oasis” Earth possesses
amidst the blackness of space.
So, here were images of a strikingly beautiful
and colourful blue-white-green planet,
set above the browny-grey and apparently
sterile and desolate lunar surface.
The “Earthrise” image contrasted vividly,
showing the Earth as a lonely vulnerable object in the darkness of space.
Apollo 8’s Anders famously stated,
“We came all this way to explore the Moon
and the most important thing is
that we discovered the Earth”.
His crew-mate, Jim Lovell,
said of space and the planet,
“The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring
and it makes you realise just what you have
back there on Earth”.
Home planet Earth became small to the Apollo astronauts.
Neil Armstrong, himself,
noted how he could blot-out the Earth
with just with one space-suit gloved finger from the lunar surface.
The famous astronomer, Carl Sagan,
referred to the environmental message
of the Earth images of the NASA lunar programme
as being a key ‘gift’.
For the first time,
humanity began to fully appreciate
the unique beauty and value
of Earth’s delicate biosphere.
The Apollo 17 full earth “Blue Marble” image
that was taken by Harrison Schmitt,
Astronaut on board in 1972,
is now used in countless biology books
and by the United Nations
as the inspirational image for the work of UNESCO.
Space engineer and writer Dr. David Baker,
referred to Apollo programme as
“mobilising the environmental movement”.
Friends of the Earth was formed in 1969,
Greenpeace in 1971
and, by 1972, the “Club of Rome” academic environmental group
had issued its key 'Limits to Growth' warning
of pollution dangers and resource depletion
across the planet.
Professor James Lovelock
produced his “Gaia” hypotheses in the late 1960’s.
And Buckminster Fuller referred to the planet
as being 'Spaceship Earth' from 1968 onwards.
So, one key environmental message
from the success of Apollo is,
that mankind can achieve almost anything
if resources are there.
Thanks to the space programme
and its Earth observation data,
we are now more acutely aware
of the dangers of climate change and global warming.
The planet has tackled ozone depletion internationally via CFC controls
and we now monitor their depletion level from space.
So, Apollo left an unexpected but hugely important legacy
from its photos of the Earth from the Moon.
♫ HAUNTING HARP MELODY