Possibly the most iconic quote of the 20th century was from Neil Armstrong, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Watched by 600 million people, that small step was responsible for many people choosing a career in the sciences. As President Obama said, "Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time, but of all time. Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step."
The 1960s was a heady time for space flight. Sputnik had ignited the Space Race, John F. Kennedy made his historic speech: "... the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." There were expectations, fed by the Golden Age writers of science fiction, that we would have colonies, if not fully fledged cities on Mars and even Ganymede.
50 years later, only 12 men have ever walked on the Moon. Eight are still alive, with the youngest being Harrison Schmitt (77 years old). "I will describe the achievements of the manned space program over the last 50 years, with a special focus on the Apollo program and prospects for the future," says, Prof Jayant Murthy.
On 10th evening at 5.30, you can attend a public lecture on 'To the Moon and Beyond: A Neil Armstrong Retrospective' by Prof. Jayant Murthy at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics campus followed by Sky Watch at 7 pm.