I noticed that the launch of AnnArbor.com is happening during the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing!

This past week I have been enjoying watching the rebroadcasts of the first moon landing that occurred on July 20th, 1969. I am fascinated with all things about outer space. When I was a little girl I used to dream about being an astronaut. (Trying to understand Quantum Physics made me decide to keep Astronomy more as a hobby though).

I grew up learning about the great feats NASA accomplished, especially the first landing on the moon. We are all familiar with Neil Armstrong’s famous words “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” and there are many documentaries telling us about what an amazing feat it was. How the astronauts trained hard and the scientists and technicians were brilliant in their designs. But do we know anything about, say, the seamstresses of the astronaut suits?

Catherine Thimmesh’s book Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon gives insight to the lesser know members on “Team Moon”. We learn the spacesuits’ seamstresses reaction to the moon walk. “We didn’t worry too much until the guys on the moon started jumping up and down”, Eleanor Foracker, head seamstress, explained. We are also given insight to some of the unexpected challenges "Team Moon" faced, like almost running out of fuel while attempting the moon landing and how high winds in Australia almost cancelled the reception of the transmissions from the astronauts - meaning the world almost missed seeing the moon walk live!

Team Moon is more of an information book with an index and glossary, than a traditional picture story book. Catherine Thimmesh starts the story with President Kennedy’s speech and follows the adventure until splash down into the Pacific Ocean with the iconic orange and white parachutes, highlighting eight challenges the Apollo 11 program overcame. Her book is chuck-full of awesome vintage NASA photos from the Apollo 11 launch and many quotes from those involved with the project that any space-geek would love to flip through.

After you read Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh visit NASA Kid’s Club to test your space knowledge and skills or learn more about NASA here.

Photo: examiner.com