This archive report was first published on 22 July 2019.
On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, it's fascinating to look back at the early artifacts of this grand feat of exploration. These relics resemble miniature toys, expressions in miniature of giant aspirations and reminders of how engineers play and imagine the future.
The Apollo moon landings were a testament to human ingenuity and the power of imagination. As the Chinese philosopher once said, exploration is a form of play. And it's fitting that the early artifacts of the Apollo moon landings resemble nothing so much as toys.
These toys had a serious purpose, however. For protection against the rigors of high Gs during launch and re-entry, test pilots and astronauts sat on custom-made couches that were tailored to fit their bodies. The molds for these couches are a humorous reminder of the importance of comfort in space travel.
As we look back on the Apollo moon landings, it's clear that the space age was a time of great experimentation and imagination. We were kids with a cosmic gleam in our eyes, and the possibilities seemed endless.
