I’m old enough to have viewed the grainy TV images of the first Moon landings by Apollo 11 in 1969. I can never look at the Moon without recalling Neil Armstrong’s ‘One small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind’. It seems even more heroic in retrospect, considering how they depended on primitive computing and untested equipment.

Once the race to the Moon was won, there was no motivation for continuing with the space race and the gargantuan costs involved.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Keep reading with a free trial
Get your first month free when you subscribe. After that it’s just £1 a week for full website and app access. There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.
Offer ends in:
${days} days ${hours} hrs ${minutes} mins ${seconds} secs
Or
Comments
Flash sale:
10 weeks of unlimited digital access for £1
Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
CLAIM OFFERGet 10 weeks of online and app access for just £1. That's a saving of more than 80% off the usual rate.
Already a subscriber? Log in