
Alan Bean, 4th Person to Walk on the Moon, Dies at 86 - ingve
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/obituaries/alan-bean-astronaut-dies.html
======
wpietri
Just looking at the Wikipedia category, there are 12 people who have ever
walked on the moon:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_who_have_walke...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_who_have_walked_on_the_Moon)

It looks like we have 4 left:

Buzz Aldrin, age 88:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_who_have_walke...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_who_have_walked_on_the_Moon)

David Scott, age 85:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Scott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Scott)

Harrison Schmitt, age 82:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Schmitt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Schmitt)

Charles Duke, age 82:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Duke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Duke)

It will be a sad day for me when there's nobody left who has walked on our
nearest neighbor. It feels like a turning away from possibility.

~~~
Animats
Just 13 months to the 50th anniversary. Wonder if Buzz Aldrin will make it.

Mission Control in Houston is being restored to its 1969 look. Funding is from
a completed Kickstarter.[1]

[1] [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/589813043/restore-
histo...](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/589813043/restore-historic-
mission-control)

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ColinWright
When my wife and I met Alan Bean he was witty, charming, warm, friendly, and a
real joy to chat with. Subsequent email conversations only served to cement
that impression.

From another article[0]:

 _“Alan Bean was the most extraordinary person I ever met,” said astronaut
Mike Massimino, who flew on two space shuttle missions to service the Hubble
Space Telescope. “He was a one of a kind combination of technical achievement
as an astronaut and artistic achievement as a painter.”_

 _“But what was truly extraordinary was his deep caring for others and his
willingness to inspire and teach by sharing his personal journey so openly.
Anyone who had the opportunity to know Alan was a better person for it, and we
were better astronauts by following his example. I am so grateful he was my
mentor and friend, and I will miss him terribly. He was a great man and this
is a great loss,” Massimino said._

I had a brief hint of that, and couldn't say it better. The world is poorer
without him.

[0] [https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/family-release-
regarding-...](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/family-release-regarding-
the-passing-of-apollo-skylab-astronaut-alan-bean)

------
endymi0n
While I can't vouch for its accuracy, the portrayal of the Apollo 12 mission
is my absolute favorite from the "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries.
While the Apollo 11 were diehard professionals and excelled in the spotlight
of one of the most prominent moments of humankind, the Apollo 12 crew seemed
like just a bunch of regular (and obviously very talented) friends having
enormous fun and the ride of their lifetime on their way to the moon.

If it serves of any proof, here are the words of the second crew setting their
foot on the moon (which, contrary to the first one, almost nobody knows):

"Whooopeee! That might have been a small one for Neil, but it's a long one for
me..."

~~~
geekpowa
Audio of apollo 12 mission is online.
[https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/audio/audioindex.html](https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/audio/audioindex.html)

In EVA 1, Conrad and Bean carry on like kids at an amusement park. There is a
genuine sense of joy and amazement.

Their partnership was unique in Apollo, a genuine and moving warmth and
friendship. In defense of other crews, the work schedule was gruelling and
hyper-competitive, with alot of people vying for seats seeking opportunity to
advance their chances.

I enjoy watching recent interviews with Bean, he comes across as an 80+ year
old man-child. Had Apollo 12 been the first crew to land on the moon, at the
time this was a distinct possibility, then the very human aspect of how we
connect with that extraordinary event in history would be markedly different
to how things are. RIP Alan Bean.

~~~
adamcharnock
For anyone looking for the "Whooopeee! That might have been a small one for
Neil, but it's a long one for me..." audio, it is a little after 6:20 here:

[https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/audio/a12a_115_15_43_to_...](https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/audio/a12a_115_15_43_to_115_54_05.mp3)

------
NaOH
Along with all the other great comments here about Bean, one of my favorite
aspects of his time as an astronaut is that he was the one in the rocket for
the renowned SCE to Aux situation. This 4-minute clip from the "Failure Is Not
An Option" documentary explains.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWQIryll8y8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWQIryll8y8)

~~~
interfixus
From time to time I enjoy listening to the soundtrack of that launch. Two
strikes of lightning, every instrument reading going bonkers, all red lamps
lighting up in unprecedented manner, sitting atop the chemical equivalent of
half a Hiroshima bomb 30 seconds into a flight to the Moon.

And nowhere does any voice match my fluster when I phone home from the
supermarket to report some item unavailable.

------
mrcslws
One of my favorite photos from space is a photo of Alan Bean:
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Apollo12...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Apollo12Visor.jpg)

~~~
projectapollo
this is my iPhone case. it’s an amazing photo by pete conrad.

[https://society6.com/product/apollo-12-face-of-an-
astronaut_...](https://society6.com/product/apollo-12-face-of-an-
astronaut_iphone-case?sku=s6-7967818p20a9v510a52v377)

------
mast
I have a book, "Misson Control, This is Apollo"
([https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6082047-mission-
control-...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6082047-mission-control-this-
is-apollo)) that features a lot of Alan Bean's paintings. I always thought
they were quite good but I'm no art expert.

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pangratz
Watched "In The Shadow Of The Moon" [0] lately, a wonderful documentation from
2007 where, amongst the other astronauts, Mr. Bean drops some wonderful wisdom
he gathered after being on the moon and coming back to earth.

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl9sDYDPqs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl9sDYDPqs)

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ThinkingGuy
Coincidentally, the Space Rocket History Podcast is currently chronicling the
Apollo 12 mission:

[http://spacerockethistory.com/](http://spacerockethistory.com/)

I recommend this series. He covers the US and Soviet space programs, with a
balance of technical detail and human drama.

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InternetOfStuff
There's a wonderful miniseries called "From the Earth to the Moon" which is
sort of a dramatic retelling of the Apollo program. Think the "Apollo 13"
movie, but longer and more diverse.

My favourite episode, "That's All There Is" (#7) is told from Alan Bean's
perspective.

It portrays him, and the entire crew, as an amazingly capable, funny, and
tight-knit group. The entire episode has a humorous tone which, after my
impression from watching several interviews with Al bean, probably fits his
personality.

If you're an aerospace nerd like me, you'll love it. I probably watch the
whole series several times a year.

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troymc
He has a website at [http://www.alanbean.com/](http://www.alanbean.com/) where
you can buy his paintings, look at photos from his life, and learn more about
him.

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ddp
My dad ran into him on a plane once. I still have my dad's business card that
he signed along with a coffee table book of his artwork. What a live he lived!

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projectapollo
I’m obsessed about Apollo. Having grown up in the cape.

I created this site a while back, after I had spent years going thru the
Hasselblad reels. You can view great Apollo images and buy frames, iphone
cases, sheets. Check out Top 20.

Check it out at
[http://www.projectapolloprints.com](http://www.projectapolloprints.com)

I’ve been migrating stuff to Society6 this weekend.

~~~
direction534
Where can I download those images?

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thomasmarriott
Live long and prosper, Captain.

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martincmartin
Randall Munroe, any chance of an updated
[https://xkcd.com/893/](https://xkcd.com/893/) ?

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elcomet
So you're telling me Mr. Bean walked on the moon!

