"One small step for Man......."

[R1Geezer]

It's 40 years since Armstrong said the famous line, he apparently claimed he said that it was "One small step for A man....". The tapes have been analysed and he definately said the former but presumably meant to say the latter. The experts agree that missing out the A sounds better, so was the most iconic sentence in recent history an error? As usual a Geezer blue badge goes to the first person to mention the usual thing that comes up when this subject is discussed!

[craft1948]

A truly historic year Geezer.....I got married and Ann Jones won Wimbledon.......

[Gromit]

It was all faked nah nah nah.

Do I get the badge?

[R1Geezer]

Gromit, correct you win a card board badge for getting the right subject but I know you are not sincere in that belief.

[Gromit]

Apparently, the 'a' is there for 35 milliseconds, which is too fast to be heard.

"The missing word was found this month in a software analysis of Armstrong's famous phrase by Peter Shann Ford, a Sydney, Australia-based computer programmer. Ford's company, Control Bionics, specializes in helping physically handicapped people use their nerve impulses to communicate through computers.

According to Ford, Armstrong spoke, "One small step for a man ... " with the "a" lasting a total of 35 milliseconds, 10 times too quickly to be heard."
The "a" was transmitted, though, and can be verified in an analysis using Canadian sound-editing software called GoldWave, Ford said.

From this link dated 2006
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4225 856.html

[Gromit]

Apparently, that is the same speed at which our politicians say the word 'sorry'.

[Quinlad]

Which experts agree that it sounds better without the A?

[jake-the-peg]

This story came up about a year or so ago.

Missing the A sounds better but is pretty meaningless.

The more amusing one was Pete Conrad's reputed words. He was the 3rd man on the moon.

It's quite a long way from the bottom rung of the lunar lander to the surface and Conrad was quite short. He is meant to have said:

"Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me!"

[R1Geezer]

well News24 had some expert on there with the voice print and he reckons there's no A, but who cares I think it's better with the A either missing or inaudible

[Julnar]

I remember as an excited child watching that moon landing and was full of dreams about our projected future. I'm still disappointed that we don't have flying cars like 'Supercar'. I thought they would only be a few years away when I was little.

[Haggisdj]

You mean Space Family Robinson isn't true???

PS lol at Gromit's speed post - that was funny!!

[andy-hughes]

The usual thing that comes up is the urban myth about Armstrong's next door neighbour -

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/armstro ng-gorsky.htm

[R1Geezer]

Yep that's another one Andy, Blue Geezer badge for you!

Now there's one more........

[lankeela]

Its not quite 40 years - we are only in June - I remember it well, I was on holiday in a caravan at Hopton on Sea.