Armstrong's seemingly casual reaction to peril left his NASA colleagues in awe when, in May 1968, he picked exactly the right time to eject from a lunar landing simulator that had spun out of control.

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The watch was used to time the duration of the Descent Orbit Insertion maneuver and to time the rendezvous maneuvers after launch from the lunar surface.

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Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt -- a geologist at the time, and the only scientist to make the lunar journey -- served a term as U.S. senator from New Mexico, but was defeated in a run for re-election in 1982.

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Three days later (42 years ago yesterday), at 12:27 Eastern Daylight Time, Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins went into lunar orbit.

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The closest most of us 'round here will ever get to outer space is blogging about the Lunar X Prize, so our inner astronauts get rather giddy any time an amateur makes it to the cusp of the gravity well.

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It's also the first time in more than 30 years that a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse are happening on the same day.

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The lunar outpost will most likely be placed on the lunar south pole, which is lit by the sun three-quarters of the time, and has possible resources to mine nearby.

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