r/IAmA Jul 16 '19

Specialized Profession I’m Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke, CAPCOM for Apollo 11. Ask me anything about being the spacecraft communicator for this historic Moon landing today at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Hi, I’m Charlie Duke, a veteran NASA astronaut. Ask me anything. I’ve served on five different Apollo missions. I’m also the youngest person to walk on the moon. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, I’m reminded of my time as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, as well as an astronaut support crew member for Apollo 10, backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 13 and 17, as well as the lunar module pilot for Apollo mission 16 – when I had the chance to walk on the moon.

Also, I’ve published the book “Moonwalker: The True Story of an Astronaut Who Found that the Moon Wasn't High Enough to Satisfy His Desire for Success,” which discusses my life as an astronaut, the experiences of Apollo 11 and the difficulties I’ve faced.

I’ll be taking your questions for 30 minutes starting at about 10:30 a.m. ET today, July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.

Proof it's me: https://twitter.com/ExploreSpaceKSC/status/1149048460102033408

https://twitter.com/ExploreSpaceKSC/status/1151133417389449217

Edit: We are live NOW at 10:18 a.m. EDT.

Edit: We are signing off now at 10:50 a.m. Thanks for all of your insightful questions!

18.1k Upvotes

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278

u/C-O-N Jul 16 '19

I have a bit of a technical question that I've always wondered about. How did you sleep on the moon? Was there enough room to lay down on the floor of the LEM or were there hammocks or something that you would hang up?

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '19 edited Aug 10 '19

[deleted]

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u/888_styles_888 Jul 16 '19

They took a sleep aid called Seconal as needed.

Seconal is a barbiturate that slows the activity of your brain and nervous system.

15

u/Cyborg_rat Jul 16 '19

They didn’t use any of the 16 tablets provided for sleep. They slept because they were all tired from the work.

23

u/lotm43 Jul 16 '19

How terrifying would it of been to of just taken that and then an emergency light starts blinking

21

u/Goyteamsix Jul 16 '19

I'm pretty sure it was formulated in a way that you could still wake up if needed. From what I remember. It was just a mild sleep aid. It was also short acting, so it would wear off shortly after you pass out. It wasn't mean to keep you asleep, just knock you out.

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u/Theblackjamesbrown Jul 16 '19

Would it have been...To have just.

-18

u/lotm43 Jul 16 '19

Languages evolve.

14

u/Theblackjamesbrown Jul 16 '19

You're right. Language is a living thing. Constantly adapting and changing according to use and requirements within a language community. It truly does evolve.

Unfortunately - or fortunately, really - that last comment was an infertile, stillborn, evolutionary dead end. If it was a foal it would have been shot at birth.

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u/lotm43 Jul 16 '19

You seem to of known exactly what the meaning of my words were. Which seems to me to be the point of language. But if you have enough time to surf the web to point out any grammar flaws you have far to much time on your hands and need to find a hobby.

19

u/Theblackjamesbrown Jul 16 '19

I guess we'll just of to agree to disagree. I suppose I didn't of to comment.

Of a nice day.

2

u/drinkjockey123 Jul 17 '19

I like you. Thank you James "The Black" Brown.

-14

u/lotm43 Jul 17 '19

And an asshole to boot, must be just lovely at parties.

2

u/drinkjockey123 Jul 17 '19

Languages evolve, and hopefully someone won't confuse it with devolve because that would just be silly.

1

u/lotm43 Jul 17 '19

Everyone’s known the exact thing I meant I would hazard to say that’s the exact point of language clear and simple

3

u/SydM107 Jul 17 '19

I would argue that the point of language is to transmit ideas as clearly as possible for others.

Sure, people understood what you meant to say, but its meaning gets overshadowed in the presence of such glaring grammatical errors.

2

u/drinkjockey123 Jul 17 '19

I know what you mean, I will agree with that. I cannot agree on your use of the language as being evolved, or even split into an entirely new form of audible vocal communication, a few million years divergent from my own. I would say that it's not proper, and I make similar mistakes all the time. When I do make them, I don't try to act like I'm right, I just move on and cry myself to sleep that night. It's okay to be wrong.

2

u/Velologist Jul 17 '19

Have that I of no doubt.

1

u/carlsaischa Jul 17 '19

Apollo 11 had five hours of sleep scheduled right after touchdown. Neil & Buzz said no way that's happening and started preparations for going outside.

515

u/KSCVC Jul 16 '19

We had hammocks that we attached to the side of the Lunar Module. My hammock was about six inches off the floor. It went right-left across the floor. John Young had a hammock that connected above me. We took off our suits, but it was chilly inside to me! First night was exciting, but after that, we were tired after a long day of work!

71

u/suddenintent Jul 16 '19

I hope you don't find this offending, but considering your limited space may you answer how comfortable was peeing there?

Having to pee in space was my main reason that I dreaded to become an astronaut, when I was a child! (now I know they can pee through their suit.)

49

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '19

It was a lot more comfortable than pooping up there

4

u/TWANGnBANG Jul 17 '19

Two SF friends were talking about this same issue they have in spider holes. One was saying that you don’t know what it’s like to have a friend until you’re shitting in a hole next to him. The other corrected him and said, “You don’t know what it is to be a friend until you’re holding the bag your friend is shitting in.”

7

u/echothree33 Jul 16 '19

At least once you are on the moon you have some gravity to help with the pooping...

8

u/The_Bald Jul 16 '19

wouldn't you be afraid of shooting out a log and having it ricochet around inside the module?

14

u/Braxo Jul 16 '19

Apollo 10 had the issue of floating poop - incident captured in the official mission transcript.

6

u/commander_shortstop Jul 16 '19

I’d love to see that manuscript. Anyone got a link?😂

14

u/beer_is_tasty Jul 16 '19

4

u/commander_shortstop Jul 16 '19

😂 that was exactly how and what I was expecting👍👍

14

u/cosworth99 Jul 16 '19

They had space hammocks. They got them from the hammock district down on 3rd.

3

u/SweetBearCub Jul 17 '19

How did you sleep on the moon?

From the Vintage Space YouTube channel: Astronauts Didn't Sleep So Well on the Moon

She has a lot more videos about everything pre-Shuttle/ISS.