Minute 009: Give Me a Lever Long Enough

07/05/18 • 29 min

1 Listener

Guest Host: Jennifer Levasseur
Curator, National Air & Space Museum

Jim Lovell is narrating a tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building. He explains that astronauts are only the most visible members of a very large team.

” — right down to the guy sweeping the floor, are honored to be a part of it,” explains Lovell. “What did the man say? ‘Give me a lever long enough and I’ll move the world?’ Well, that’s exactly what we’re doing here. This is divine inspiration, folks. It’s the best part of each one of us – – the belief that anything is possible. Things like: a computer that can fit into a single room, and hold millions of pieces of information. Or the Saturn V rocket.”

A group of VIP visitors stands on a balcony high inside the VAB. Overhead, an S-IV-B stage is about to be mated to an S-II stage in the high bay.

“Now, this is the actual launch vehicle that will be taking Alan Shepard and his crew on the first leg of the Apollo Thirteen mission,” explains Lovell.

“When are you going up again, Jim?” asks a Congressman.

“I’m slated to be the commander of Apollo Fourteen, sometime late next year,” replies Lovell.

The Congressman grins. “If there is an Apollo Fourteen,” says the Congressman.

Lovell smiles weakly.

“Now, Jim,” continues the Congressman, “People in my state have been asking, why we’re continuing to fund this program, now that we’ve beat the Russians to the Moon?”

“Imagine if — if Christopher Columbus had come back from the New World, and no one returned in his footsteps, ” replies Lovell.
IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
Congressman: Roger Corman
NASA PAO Henry Hurt: Xander Berkeley

Guest Host: Jennifer Levasseur
Curator, National Air & Space Museum

Jim Lovell is narrating a tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building. He explains that astronauts are only the most visible members of a very large team.

A group of VIP visitors stands on a balcony high inside the VAB. Overhead, an S-IV-B stage is about to be mated to an S-II stage in the high bay.

“Now, this is the actual launch vehicle that will be taking Alan Shepard and his crew on the first leg of the Apollo Thirteen mission,” explains Lovell.

“When are you going up again, Jim?” asks a Congressman.

“I’m slated to be the commander of Apollo Fourteen, sometime late next year,” replies Lovell.

The Congressman grins. “If there is an Apollo Fourteen,” says the Congressman.

Lovell smiles weakly.

“Now, Jim,” continues the Congressman, “People in my state have been asking, why we’re continuing to fund this program, now that we’ve beat the Russians to the Moon?”

“Imagine if — if Christopher Columbus had come back from the New World, and no one returned in his footsteps, ” replies Lovell.
IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
Congressman: Roger Corman
NASA PAO Henry Hurt: Xander Berkeley

Previous Episode

Minute 008: Where’s My Mountain?

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Marilyn and Jim Lovell are in their backyard, in lounge chairs, after the Apollo XI Moonwalk party is over. Jim holds his thumb up, obscuring the distant Moon.

“Where’s my mountain?” asks Marilyn.

“Well, it -” begins Jim, “It’s right up by the — okay, you see where the shadow crosses — the white area there? That’s the Sea of Tranquility. And your mountain’s right there on the edge of that. Your mountain. Your mountain, Marilyn: Mount Marilyn.”

Marilyn looks up at the Moon. “I don’t see it,” she says, shaking her head.

Jim looks over at her. “Well, you’ve got to look harder,” he replies. “You – -look harder.” Jim rolls out of his chair and crawls into Marilyn’s chair. Marilyn starts laughing as he climbs on top of Marilyn. The song “Cruisin'” by Smokey Robinson starts playing as the scene fades.

An aerial view of the Vehicle Assembly Building fills the scene.

TITLE: “VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING, CAPE KENNEDY, FLORIDA, OCTOBER 30, 1969”

Jim Lovell is narrating a tour.

“The astronaut,” he says, “is only the most visible member of a very large team, and all of us -”
IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
Marilyn Lovell: Kathleen Quinlan

Next Episode

Minute 010: Something’s Come Up

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Jim Lovell is explaining to Congressional VIPs why further Apollo missions are necessary. Behind them, inside the VAB, the S-IV-B being lowered from the ceiling connects with the S-II stage.

“Are there any other questions?” asks Lovell.

A female visitor timidly raises her hand. “How – how do you go to the bathroom in space?” she smiles.

“Well, I’ll tell you – – it’s a highly technical process, of cranking down the window and looking for a gas station, which –” replies Lovell.

Everyone laughs. The VAB elevator door opens.

“Ah, there’s Deke Slayton,” Jim Lovell points out the man exiting the elevator. “Deke, you may be able to answer this lady’s question better than I – Deke is one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, ladies and gentlemen, and now he’s our boss. He hands out the astronauts’ flight assignments, so naturally, we kick back part of our salaries to Deke every month. How much this month, Deke?”

Slayton rubs his nose, “Uh, Jim, can I have a minute? Something’s come up.”

“Sure, you bet,” says Lovell. He looks at the NASA Public Affairs Officer. “Henry?”

Later, at the Lovell home, Jim steps in the front door. “Hey!” he yells, “Anybody home?” He walks through the house, carrying a flight bag. Upstairs, Marilyn is having an argument with her daughter, Barbara.

“That’s the thing!” says Barbara, “I”m not being a cheerleader, Mom! I worked so hard on this!” Barbara is wearing a leather miniskirt , a tie-dye t-shirt, and a headband. Her younger brother, dressed in a Halloween skeleton costume, is jumping on her bed.

“Barbara, maybe I don’t understand,” replies Marilyn, “but you are not wearing that out in this neighborhood. That’s the end of it!”

“She’s not even wearing a bra!” says her little sister, dressed as a ballerina. “You can see everything!”

“Shut up!” replies Barbara.

Jim Lovell arrives at the top of the stairs.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Jim Lovell: Tom Hanks
Congressman: Roger Corman
NASA PAO Henry Hurt: Xander Berkeley
Deke Slayton: Chris Ellis
Marilyn Lovell: Kathleen Quinlan
Barbara Lovell: Mary Kate Schelhardt
Susan Lovell: Emily Ann Lloyd
Jeffrey Lovell: Miko Hughes