John
07-26-2009, 01:38 PM
A British scientist claims he came up with Neil Armstrong's historic "one small step for man" Moon landing phrase.
Gary Peach, 73, feared the first words after the Apollo 11 touchdown might have been unsuitable, reports The Sun.
He said: "I thought, being Americans, they might say something like, 'Holy chicken s**t. Look at all that f***ing dust'.
"I felt that would not be a suitable thing to be quoted in history books until eternity."
Gary was at a space tracking station in Australia in 1969 as the Apollo 11 mission was preparing to blast off.
He was asked his opinion about what should be said by the first person to walk on the Moon.
Gary suggested: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind".
An American at the base passed on the idea to Nasa's mission control in the US and Armstrong went on to use the words on July 20, 1969.
Gary, a grandfather from Newbury, Berks, added: "I heard what he said but I just got on with my job."
But Armstrong famously forgot to say the "a". He said later he hoped history would "grant me leeway for dropping the syllable and understand it was certainly intended, even if it was not said".
Gary Peach, 73, feared the first words after the Apollo 11 touchdown might have been unsuitable, reports The Sun.
He said: "I thought, being Americans, they might say something like, 'Holy chicken s**t. Look at all that f***ing dust'.
"I felt that would not be a suitable thing to be quoted in history books until eternity."
Gary was at a space tracking station in Australia in 1969 as the Apollo 11 mission was preparing to blast off.
He was asked his opinion about what should be said by the first person to walk on the Moon.
Gary suggested: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind".
An American at the base passed on the idea to Nasa's mission control in the US and Armstrong went on to use the words on July 20, 1969.
Gary, a grandfather from Newbury, Berks, added: "I heard what he said but I just got on with my job."
But Armstrong famously forgot to say the "a". He said later he hoped history would "grant me leeway for dropping the syllable and understand it was certainly intended, even if it was not said".