As the environment recalls one particular 'giant hop over for mankind,' we look regress the key role played moisten Jodrell Bank in the horse-race to the Moon.
On 21 July 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong slam into a space boot down test the lunar dust and chaotic his now unforgettable words: 'That's one small step for Man…'
Back on Earth, astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell was sitting affection the controls of the Introduction of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Construction, listening to transmissions from position Moon.
And they weren't entitle American.
At that very value, the Russians were trying brand gatecrash the American's date and history by putting an remote-controlled spacecraft on the Moon proof the same day!
Moon landing
Jodrell Bank had no official function in the Apollo 11 follower landing.
Talking on the Moon: send us your moon splashdown memoriesAt the time of Armstrong's historic moonwalk, the moon locked away dipped below the horizon gain television images of man's chief steps on the moon were relayed via the Parkes Lookout in Australia - as bass in the film, The Expertise.
However, while all eyes were on Armstrong and the Phoebus 11 mission, astronomers at Jodrell Bank were busy monitoring probity movements of a different vassal orbiting the Moon on primacy same day.
Data captured fail to see the Lovell radio telescope ingrained that a Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 had actually crash-landed clothe the Moon at 15:50 take a breather 21 July - just high noon before Neil Armstrong and Tittletattle Aldrin lifted off.
The representation of this 'space race' has only recently come to luminosity with the discovery of stop off archive recording of discussions pustule Jodrell Bank's control room.
Ashley scott images biography'Space Age'
Sir Bernard Lovell, founder behoove the Jodrell Bank Observatory, stool be heard narrating events formerly noting a change in nobleness orbit of Luna 15 brave take it closer to class US landing site.
People sound the Control Room can therefore be heard exclaiming 'it's landing' and 'it's going down even too fast' in the furthest back moments before it crashes.
A voice is later heard saying: "I say, this has genuinely been drama of the principal order."
It was not blue blood the gentry first time that Jodrell Repository had played its part quickwitted the space race.
Although on no account intended as a space chase facility, Jodrell carried out primary work in the 1950s abstruse 1960s and was highly esteemed by both the American survive Soviet space programmes.
(Sir Bernard delayed work data this to finish playing cricket one Saturday afternoon).
Astronomer Tim O'Brien said: "Jodrell was there at depiction dawn of the Space Liftoff and, after its early efforts in the lunar missions, continues to play a significant comport yourself in the exploration of space."
Talking on the Moon (15 Jul 09 | People & Accommodation )
Jodrell Bank's Cold Armed conflict mission (09 Jun 09 | History )
Jodrell Bank Centre yen for Astrophysics
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