Home / Quotes / Quote by Wally Schirra

Quote by Wally Schirra

“A little levity is appropriate in a dangerous trade.”

Quote by Wally Schirra

Author

Wally Schirra was an American astronaut and pilot, born on March 12, 1923, and passed away on May 3, 2007. He played a crucial role in NASA's Apollo program and was an important figure in the history of space exploration. He was the third American to enter space and the only astronaut to have flown Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. more

You May Also Like

“How do you expect to get us to the Moon if you people can't even hook us up with a ground station?”

People Ifs Moon Stations Hook Apollo Star Gazing

Author:Gus Grissom

“We've got a bad fire let's get out . . . We're burning up.”

Fire Burning Apollo Star Gazing

Author:Roger B. Chaffee

“In less than 70 hours, three astronauts will be launched on the flight of Apollo 8 from the Cape Kennedy Space Center on a research journey to circle the moon. This will involve known risks of great magnitude and probable risks which have not been foreseen. Apollo 8 has 5,600,000 parts and 1.5 million systems, subsystems and assemblies. With 99.9 percent reliability, we could expect 5,600 defects. Hence the striving for perfection and the use of redundancy which characterize the Apollo program.”

“Columbus did not know where he was going, how far it was, nor where he had been after his return. With Apollo, there is no such lack of information. Nevertheless, the flight will involve risks of great magnitude and probably risks that have not been foreseen.”

Knows Risk Information Return Flight Nevertheless Apollo Magnitude Star Gazing Columbus Foreseen

Author:Jerome F. Lederer

“Is the Moon made out of green cheese? No, it's American cheese.”

Made Moon Green Cheese Apollo Star Gazing

Author:William Anders

“I'm proud to be an American, I'll tell you. What a program and what a place and what an experience.”

Proud Program Apollo Star Gazing Proud To Be An American

Author:Charles Duke

“You could see the flames and the outer skin of the spacecraft glowing; and burning, baseball size chunks flying off behind us. It was an eerie feeling, like being a gnat inside a blowtorch flame.”

Feelings Behinds Skins Baseball Size Flying Burning Flames Apollo Glowing Chunks Eerie Spacecraft Gnats

Author:William Anders

“It's a strange, eerie sensation to fly a lunar landing trajectory not difficult, but somewhat complex and unforgiving.”

Difficult Strange Complexes Sensations Apollo Landing Star Gazing Trajectory Unforgiving Eerie

Book:First on the Moon: The Astronauts' Own Story

Source: First on the Moon: The Astronauts' Own Story

“I think in the long run the money that s been put into the space program is one of the best investments this country has ever made . . .This is a downpayment on the future of mankind. It's as simple as that.”

Thinking Long Made Country Running Simple Space Mankind Program Investment Long Runs Apollo Star Gazing Best Investment Space Program Future Of Mankind

Author:Arthur C. Clarke

“This is the result of six billion years of evolution. Tonight, we have given the lie to gravity.We have reached for the stars.”

Years Lying Given Stars Results Evolution Six Billions Tonight Gravity Apollo Star Gazing

Author:Ray Bradbury