Fame or time on the Moon: What would you want more?

[Drunkrobot]

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are two of the most famous men of the 20th century, and possibly of all time. Being the first human explorers on another world have put them into the history books forever. But, they were only allowed to be extraterrestrial explorers for 2 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds. Imagine training for so long, travelling so far, just to spend such little time where you wanted to go.

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt have spent more time on the Moon than anybody else-22 hours, 3 minutes and 57 seconds on EVA, spread across three Moonwalks, each lasting over 7 hours. These two men weren't camping like Neil and Buzz-setting up, a brief walk, a nap, then back home again. They had a house-in which they lived for 3 days-a job, a car, even their suits where better and more flexible. But nobody knows who they are. How many times, you think, were they recognised in public, or asked for an autograph? Imagine training for so long, travelling so far, and nobody not even knowing your name?

My question to you is this: if you were given the chance to be one of the Apollo astronauts, what would you rather be-one of the first, entering the history books, at the cost of less time actually on the Moon, or one of the later missions, experiencing more of the Lunar surface, but face obscurity back on Earth?

EDIT: When I say "famous", I don't mean celebrity famous, I mean history books famous, the sort of famous that makes you immortal. Just saying, cause the results were a bit one-sided

Personally, I would pick time on the Moon, to be honest.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Drunkrobot

[OtherDalfite]

Honestly I don't think they went to the Moon to become famous. They went there for the adventure and science. I think going some place that most people in your time will never come close to is far more rewarding than being on a TV show. History books maybe, but I wouldn't be too upset. And what about all the space shuttle astronauts? If you asked anyone on the street who Yuri Gagarin was, or John Glenn, I guarantee almost nobody would know. But knowing that you had the right stuff to be chosen to go would be something truly special.

[astropapi1]

Just do what you enjoy.

If you signed up on the Apollo program, you wanted to be on the moon. If I was an astronaut, I'd prefer to stay as long as I can on the moon.

[austin4050]

Just do what you enjoy.

If you signed up on the Apollo program, you wanted to be on the moon. If I was an astronaut, I'd prefer to stay as long as I can on the moon.

not after seeing apollo 18. I would go to the moon first so i can get the fame raise money, then go back

Edited August 2, 2013 by austin4050

[Beeman]

I'd want to spend more time up there. I wouldn't care as much about fame just 'cause being up there would be so damn cool.

I think the overall success of specific kerbonauts is going to matter in career mode for KSP, though. Like, if you've sent jeb to many different planets and he's completed a variety of different missions unharmed but then let him die...your PR will take a dive or something like that. Or maybe it's just supposed to be a personal effect, like you feel sad when you look at his "lost" tab 'cause you know he was awesome and did everything forever.

Either way, doin' more stuff in space or on other planets is just way cooler than being super famous for doing very little.

[M83]

I'd go for the time. Having as much time on the Moon and savoring those precious moments would be much more to remember in my head than people knowing my name.

[Necandi Brasil]

That's a tricky question really... because the first man on the Moon "Neil" will be forever remembered, even after the expansion of the human race into the cosmos...

I would love to spend time exploring the moon. But that kind of fame is also priceless...

So my answer is ... I would prefer fame.

[jwenting]

I doubt any of them went there for the fame factor... And I seriously doubt anyone wanting to go there just for the fame factor would find his application to the program accepted, they lack the correct attitude.

[Echostatic]

Time. I would want to go to the moon because I would want to *go to the moon*. I would imagine there are much easier ways to become famous, like getting pregnant in your early teens and getting on tv. (Sidenote: I am still amazed that is a thing that can get people famous.)

[Mr Shifty]

Jack Schmitt is a geologist. There's no way he would have traded the 3 day field excursion for the few hours that Neil and Buzz spent on the moon. I'd easily trade fame for time. Way better to be there longer and experience as much as possible. And the later, longer missions had rovers. How could you not want a rover?

Edited August 2, 2013 by Mr Shifty

[Joshington]

And the later, longer missions had rovers. How could you not want a rover?

What good is a rover if you don't have boosters and a ramp?

And my answer really depends on the scenario. If it's like celebrity, only-going-to-be-known-for-mabye-a-decade-after-I-die kind of fame, then I'll take the time. But if it's legendary, will-be-remembered-for-countless-generations kind of fame, then I'll take the fame.

[Drunken Hobo]

I think this shows the limit of human attention span in quite a poor light. We all know Armstrong & Aldrin, with many also knowing about Collins. But after that, most people are blank, including me. They might know about Shepard, or a couple from Apollo 13 but once you get to Apollo 15 nobody has a clue.

Arguably the greatest achievment in human history, yet we know more about the latest boyband than we do about them. My mum, who was a teenager at the time of the landings, even said she thinks the Moon landing was fake as "They only did it once". Ugh...

[Vaebn]

Anyone who doesnt answer "time on the moon" on this has no soul.

[Gus]

What bugs me is that Neil and Buzz traveled 400,000 km and landed on the moon together in the same ship, yet Neil is the "first" man on the moon. Apparently standing in a ship that's landed on the moon, is not being "on" the moon. Whatever. I guess I'm not on Earth whenever I get in a car. Semantics.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Gus

[Brenok]

What bugs me is that Neil and Buzz traveled 400,000 km and landed on the moon together in the same ship, yet Neil is the "first" man on the moon. Apparently standing in a ship that's landed on the moon, is not being "on" the moon. Whatever. I guess I'm not on Earth whenever I get in a car. Semantics.

Well, at least Wikipedia says he is the "first person to walk on the Moon", which he was. Some people say "first to step on the Moon", which is also correct.

[Whirligig Girl]

Spend long time on the moon.

[Pingonaut]

Time on the moon, why is it even a question?

[Apollo1391]

I would love to have fame but I would take as much time as I could so time. But we are talking about the 12 guys who walked on the moon not the 6 guys who orbited over them waiting for them to dock again so they could get back home and in Michael Collins's sake he was that "other guy" sitting on the car at the parade. Everyone was like "look its neil and buzz and who is that guy what is he doing there" So overall I would choose time.

[Kerbface]

If I'm going to go through years or decades of serious astronaut training and then spending a long time in a cramped module, you can bet I'd want to spend as much time as possible on the moon. There are easier ways to get famous than going to the moon anyway. Hell, I could get to the moon, then do something unexpected and ridiculous, then people would remember you anyway for being that guy who went to the moon and then acted weird.

[NovaSilisko]

Fame sucks to no end, gimme the moon.

[Gojira]

Time on the moon. The fame would come eventually, and even then I wouldn't want it.

[nettcod]

Time. I don't even want fame, I just want to go to the moon.

[bigdad84]

I would go to stay there as long as possible with current technology Could really care less about the fame that would come from it.

[Motokid600]

The moon. If I could stomach the ride out there. Not sure I'd do so well packed in a tin can for however long it takes to get out there. I'm a little claustrophobic, but all I need is to move around. For instance I cant be strapped into a seat for an 8 hour car ride. That's when it gets bad. I gotta get up and move around every few hours. The fact that I'm 6' 2" doesn't help either.

But hey as long as I can unbuckle, float around and play some KSP on my way to the moon id be good to go. How do you guys think you'd cope with the physical and mental requirements?

[Van Disaster]

Nobody remembers the Apollo 8 crew either, and they were a bigger first IMO.

You know what would have sucked more than being Michael Collins? being on Apollo 10.