Talking with the US President – from behind glass
Talking with the US President – from behind glass
President Richard Nixon travelled to the USS Hornet aircraft carrier before the return of the three Moon astronauts, in order to welcome the nation’s new heroes. However, the conversation had to take place through an intercom system, as Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (from left to right) were quarantined for two weeks. Before the Apollo 11 mission, it was not clear whether the Moon, on whose surface scientists could not imagine live at all, might be home to microorganisms or viruses that could persist on Earth or even spread and cause great harm. For the astronauts, even more upsetting than the indirect contact with their president was the fact that it was not until 10 August 1969 that they were finally allowed to greet their families from the quarantine facility.
