[wagglebee]

It will be great to see the new version.

[wagglebee]

Space Ping.

[bpjam]

Maybe we can use this software to truly understand what the hell Bubba was 'actually' saying during the 90's. Maybe its true that he was obsessed with Bin Laden and was talking about him all the time and we just couldn't hear it because of the quality of the television transmission.

[Phsstpok]

The transmission of the word "a" was blocked by the UFO when it passed between earth and the transmitter on the lander.

No, wait. It was blocked by interference from a good humor truck passing by the sound stage where the fake landing was filmed. Yeah. That's the ticket.

[P-40]

It was still better than saying "hey, Buzz, could you toss me down the rock hammer." :)

[JaguarXKE]

Damn, I'm glad they found it! Now maybe we can all get some sleep!

[the anti-liberal]

I still think it should have been:

"That's one giant leap for a man, one small step for mankind."

This would be more true according to scale - on the small scale of a man stepping from the Earth to the moon is a very big step, but on the much larger scale of mankind the step is relatively much smaller, though on that scale this may well have been mankind's very first (and so far only) real step.

[operation clinton cleanup]

What did Buzz say when he stepped off the LEM? "One small step for a ... no, wait, there is some other guy already here".

[KellyAdmirer]

I thought it was perfect the way it (sort of) was. It became a unique phrase. The missing "a" may make it grammatically correct, but it also reduces it in my eyes to just a simple, straightforward sentence. Sort of the difference between someone saying in a computer game, "All your base are belong to us," which is legendary, vs. saying something like, oh, "You are defeated, lamehead."

[Dixie Yooper]

I heard what he really said was;

"That's one small step for an American, one impossible dream for for anyone else who wants to give it a try"

[mission9]

I distinctly remember Neil issuing a "correction" after his return from the moon, inserting the "a". Unfortunately, a historic recording widely distributed cannot be recalled. Because it is so historic and genuine, I think it has actually shaped grammar as a result. This footnote will not change anything.

[sawmill trash]

You know ... my question has always been not what was said, but who took the pictures ?

Inquiring minds want to know...

[dr_lew]

I have always heard the 'a' . It's obscured by the nasal stop of the 'm' in "man". Just say it yourself with the midwest twang - "fer a man" - "fer man" ... very little difference.

[BallyBill]

"Roger Twanquility ..." the other goof.

[Steely Tom]

Years ago, Martin Gardner, the editor of the wonderful "Mathematical Games" column in the old Scientifc American, did a short write-up on all the ways the number "11" had turned up in the Apollo mission. He pointed out that the omitted "a" from Armstrong's famous line resulted in it's being exactly 11 words long. Even though Armstrong said that he had pronounced the "a", so strong was the numerological karma that the crucial sound was edited out of the radio transmission as it winged it's way to earth.

[monkapotamus]

"Some historians and critics have dogged Armstrong for not saying the more dramatic and grammatically correct, "One small step for a man . . ." in the version he transmitted to NASA's Mission Control."

I suspect that these same historians and critics would have been peeing their pants, hyperventilating, and screaming "mommy get me out of here!!!!!" into the microphone if they were in Armstrong's position at the time.

[truemiester]

That is the edited version.

What really happened was he slipped and said "One small step for a man and one HOLY S***!"

While Buzz did a redneck half gainer off the first step saying "Hey Y'all watch this!"

Kidding! Truly a great moment for America! I can't wait to go back. I would go if I was asked (not holding my breath). And no, I am not being sarcastic. I think the space program is money well spent! I really do.

[davisfh]

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

It's correct as spoken/written. The "...one small step for man,..." refers to genus man which includes the male and female of the species. The only problem here is that problem with the politically correct crowd and I say, "screw 'em."

[CaptRon]

Since the day I heard it, I've always thought he meant 'One small step for man (the animal), one giant leap for mankind (the toolmaker, inventor, and visionary)'.

I still think there's a meaningful distinction.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I knew it was there all along!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

In this new LIBERTY Century...

praise GOD that...
President BUSH is sending us...
back to Earth's Moon,
permanently, and...
then on to the Planet MARS,

...bringing those still living in the 7th Century AD on the Earth...
...along for the ride...?

.