The Songs of Distant Earth
Apollo 11 Mission makes First Contact with Extra-terrestrial Intelligence?
Viewers of the live transmission of the Apollo 11 lunar surface excursion were astounded yesterday as a speech by President Nixon to the two astronauts, Commander Neil Armstrong (38) and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (39), was interrupted by the apparent appearance of a being initially described as a 'small blue horse'. Both visual and audio recordings show the being as establishing a dialogue with the two astronauts...
New York Times, 21st July 1969.
Magical Alien Pony Princess found on Moon!
(We told you so!)
National Enquirer, 21st July 1969.
Noted Psychic claims prior contact with alicorn 'Luna'
Jeane Dixon, psychic and best selling author stated today that she had long known of the existence of a powerful alien psychic presence on the moon, and pointed to a prediction she had made in late 1962 that 'great and astounding discoveries were to be found on the moon'. When asked why her prediction was over a year after the probable arrival date of Luna, and more closely followed the famous, 'We go to the moon' speech of President John F Kennedy, she stated that Luna must have been too weak to register before then.
Chicago Sun Times, 22nd July 1969.
Soviet Space probe finds first evidence of alien creature on moon.
The people and workers of the Soviet Union extend their congratulations to the people of the United States on their manned moon landing, and their successful first face to face meeting with the moon alien. However, it is important to note that the space scientists of the Soviet Lunar program already had proof of a living being existing on the moon. Shown below are the final two panoramic views taken by the Luna 13 landing craft, with certain details highlighted and enlarged. The object seen in the first highlighted photo is quite clearly quadrupedal, and in the second highlight had moved distance and changed shape...
(Inset are two grainy panoramic TV scans with enlarged inserts showing blurry blown-up images of certain sections. These show what could charitably be called a pointy blob)
... as co-discoverers of the being known as Luna, the people of the Soviet Union expect that any scientific discoveries made by the United States will be fully shared with them.
Izvestia, 22nd July 1969.
Alien Luna 'a seducing spirit', states Baptist Minister
Birmingham, Alabama – The Reverend Joel Hinton of the First Mission of God struck out today against the alleged alien discovered during the Apollo 11 moon landing. In a speech from the pulpit, he quoted 1 Timothy 4:1, 'Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.'
He stated that the Apollo missions were an offence against the sanctity of God, and that Luna was 'a deception and delusion created to seduce the unwary away from the Word of the Lord'.
Montgomery Advertiser, 23rd July 1969
Transmission from Columbia, 7:10 pm EST, 23rd July 1969.
(Image of the Apollo 11 mission patch, clearly from a close-up of someone's suit.)
“This is the commander of Apollo 11. A hundred years ago, Jules Verne wrote about a voyage to the moon. His spaceship, Columbia took off from Florida, and landed in the Pacific Ocean after completing a trip to the moon. It seems appropriate that the crew of this modern day Columbia share their reflections on the events of our own similar journey before complete our rendezvous with earth and land in the Pacific tomorrow. Though not even Jules Verne could have imagined what we experienced.”
(The view flickers and stabilises to show Neil Armstrong against the background of the command module interior.)
“Firstly, I'd like to look back on what has occurred. This mission was the culmination of years of hard work and effort by tens of thousands of highly skilled, highly motivated people, and both great sacrifice and great courage on the part of our fellow astronauts. We knew that we would be accomplishing something that would be remembered not simply for as long as there is an America, but for as long as there is a human race. Though we imagined it would be for setting foot on the moon, not for what actually happened.
“Mission control has kept us informed of the many reactions that our discovery of Luna generated, including the disbelief, despite the live video feed of events. Both Buzz and I can understand, we sometimes have difficulty believing it happened, and we were both there! All I can tell you is that what you saw was what we experienced. Luna is real, and her discovery may be one of the most important things to happen in mankind's history.
“We have met our first extra-terrestrial, non-human sapient alien, and made peaceful, friendly contact. Just her existence will require us to reconsider the nature of the universe, and our place in it. However. as you all saw, she has abilities that seem to defy what we know of physics. If we can understand them, the possibilities are endless. And she has already offered that knowledge to us freely. It seems incredible, but we have further evidence beyond our actual meeting.
“Mission Control has been able to maintain intermittent contact with her after we left through the Eagle Ascent stage. Before we left it behind in lunar orbit, we switched off all systems other than the S Band transceiver, the relay system that allowed us to talk to Earth. The radio Luna created, based on our suit radios, is short range UHF. It interfaces with the relay in the same way when the capsule passes over the landing site, giving a communications window once an orbit for about fifteen minutes every two hours.
“Of course, we also have the artefacts she created as gifts to bring back. Unfortunately, we won't be demonstrating any of them in this broadcast, but after we return and they've been through the quarantine period, I've been informed they will be publicly demonstrated. I look forward to seeing other people experience the wonders we've encountered.
“Each of us has our own thoughts on the mission, and I want to pass you over to the the others. First Mike Colins.”
(The image flickers for a moment, and the camera centres on Mike Collins, who's floating just below the control panel of the Command Module computer.)
“Roger. I can't really say anything about Luna, other than that she had a nice voice. But I have plenty to say about everything else. This trip of ours to the moon may have looked to you simple, or easy. I'd like to assure you that has not been the case. The Saturn V rocket that put us into orbit is an incredibly complicated piece of machinery, every piece of which worked flawlessly.”
(The image shifts up and to the side as he continues to speak, then back to him gripping one of the switches on the panel.)
"This computer above my head has a 38000 word vocabulary, each word of which has been carefully chosen to be of the utmost value to us the crew. This switch which I have in my hand now has 300 counterparts in the Command Module alone, one single switch design, in addition there are various circuit breakers, levers, rods and other associated controls.
“The SPS engine, our large rocket engine on the aft of the Service Module must have performed flawlessly, or we would have been stranded in lunar orbit... barring a boost from Luna.”
(He grins at his quip, and some quiet chuckles are heard from off camera.)
“The parachutes above my head must work flawlessly tomorrow, or we will plummet into the ocean. We have always had confidence that this equipment will work, and work properly, and we will continue to have confidence that it will continue to do so for the remainder of this flight. All of this is possible, only through the blood sweat and tears of a number of people. First the American workmen, who put these pieces of machinery together in the factory.
“Second, the painstaking work done by the various test teams during the assembly and retest after assembly. And finally, the people at the Manned Spacecraft Center, both in management, in mission planning, in flight control, and last, but not least, in crew training. This operation is somewhat like the periscope of a submarine. All you see is the three of us, but beneath the surface are thousands and thousands of others, and to all those, I would like to say, thank you very much.”
(The camera is switched around again, this time to show Buzz Aldrin, or rather half of him as the other half is in shadow. He starts to speak, but there's no sound. There's a beep as Cap Com speaks.)
“11, this is Houston. We're getting a good picture of Buzz now, but no voice modulation. And would you open up the f-stop on the TV camera; try 22, please?”
(There is a brief pause as they wait for results. The light levels shift, but the cabin audio is still mute.)
“That appears to be a lot better now. We're still not receiving Buzz's audio.”
(There is another pause as some more adjustments are made behind the scenes. After another moment, Buzz finally gets to speak.)
"Good evening. I'd like to discuss with you a few of the more symbolic aspects of the flight of our mission, Apollo 11. As we've been discussing the events that have taken place in the past 2 or 3 days here on board our spacecraft, we've come to the conclusion that this has been far more than three men on a voyage to the Moon; more, still, than the efforts of a government and industry team; more, even, than the efforts of one nation. We feel that this stands as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown. As always with those that dare to do, that curiosity has been rewarded by discoveries we could not have imagined.
“Neil's statement the other day upon first setting foot on the surface of the Moon, "This is a small step for a man, but a great leap for mankind," I believe sums up these feelings very nicely. We accepted the challenge of going to the Moon; the acceptance of this challenge was inevitable. The relative ease with which we carried out our mission, I believe, is a tribute to the timeliness of that acceptance.
“Today, I feel we're fully capable of accepting expanded roles in the exploration of space. In retrospect, we have all been particularly pleased with the call signs that we very laboriously chose for our spacecraft, Columbia and Eagle. We've been particularly pleased with the emblem of our flight, depicting the U.S. eagle bringing the universal symbol of peace from the Earth, from the planet Earth to the Moon; that symbol being the olive branch. It was our overall crew choice to deposit a replica of this symbol on the Moon.
“Luna understood that symbolism, and appreciated it, which showed that these ideals are bigger than one species, one world. Whatever happens with Luna, we will one day meet the rest of her race, or others like them, and we can only hope that it is in that spirit of peace and desire to learn that we greet them, as we greeted her.
“Personally, in reflecting on the events of the past several days, a verse from Psalms comes to mind to me. 'When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou art mindful of him?"
(After a short pause, the video blanks for a second, and comes back to Neil.)
“The responsibility for this flight lies first with history and with the giants of science who have preceded this effort; next with the American people, who have, through their will, indicated their desire; next, to four administrations, and their Congresses, for implementing that will; and then, to the agency and industry teams that built our spacecraft, the Saturn, the Columbia, the Eagle, and the little EMU, the space suit and backpack that was our small spacecraft out on the lunar surface.
“We would like to give a special thanks to all those Americans who built the spacecraft, who did the construction, design, the tests, and put their - their hearts and all their abilities into those crafts. To those people, tonight, we give a special thank you, and to all the other people that are listening and watching tonight, God bless you. Good night from Apollo 11.”
(The view shifts to a slightly fuzzy view of a crescent, the streaks on its surface indicating it isn't the moon. It slowly and slightly shakily zooms in to become a clear view of the Earth from space. As it does there is a transmission beep.)
“11, this is Houston, we're getting a zoom view out the window now.”
“Apollo 11 signing off.”
(Transmission ends)
Lunar Eavesdropping
Louisvillians hear Luna First Contact on Homemade EquipmentThanks to some homemade electronic equipment, including a rebuilt 20 year old radio receiver from an Army tank and an antenna made from spare pieces of aluminium and chicken wire, a small band of Louisvillians were able to "eavesdrop" Sunday night on the American astronauts as they talked to the alien being who called herself Luna.
They recorded only 35 minutes of the more than three hour long conversation between Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Luna, but it was recorded directly from the signals of the astronauts' radios, not through Houston Space Center...
Louisville Courier Journal, 23rd July 1969.
Richard Nixon visits Apollo 11 astronauts on USS Hornet
Yesterday, the President of the United States visited the three Apollo astronauts at their mobile quarantine facility on board the USS Hornet. He gave them warm congratulations on the success of their mission and quipped that hopefully this discussion wouldn't get interrupted, and that he was glad he'd made that particular phone call collect...
New York Times, 25th July 1969.
Transcript of Broadcast Transmission, The Merv Griffin Show, 8:30 pm EST, Saturday July 26th 1969.
Merv Griffin: Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, our program is going to cover one of the hot topics of the moment, the discovery of intelligent life on the moon by the crew of the Apollo 11 lunar lander, Eagle. We have some clips from the film recordings of the alicorn pony, Luna, as she called herself.
VT clip: Luna approaches the two astronauts from behind, over the surface of the moon, in black and white low quality TV footage. Luna partly obscured as Neil kneels to greet her, both TV and the 16mm colour film camera from the LEM window. Luna crossing the field of view of the camera in front of Neil, the large boxy shape of the ALSEP held aloft in nothing more than a faint luminous aura, matching the one surrounding her horn.
M G: One of the first things that happened was of course her casting 'spells' to enable her to communicate with them. So the astronauts had no trouble talking to her, even though they'd found themselves a little horse. As unbelievable as it may seem, NASA has endorsed Luna's existence fully, and has stated they are continuing contact with her.
With the Apollo 11 astronauts currently in quarantine on board the USS Hornet, and the artefacts they brought back with them unavailable for the same reason, further proof had to wait until independent verification of a sort recently came from Louisville, where a group of amateur radio enthusiasts had managed to record conversations between Luna and the astronauts directly from their suit radios.
They have continued to monitor transmissions from the moon, and Luna has apparently continued her conversations. Many people still believe that this is a massive hoax, though they are at odds as to why, or exactly how it could be accomplished. Tonight, we will be discussing both the latest news on Luna's existence, and how it could be faked, if it was.
(The camera pans across the guests, spread across several sofas and armchairs.)
My guests are Carl Sagan, the noted astronomer and science author, Douglas Trumbull, the lead special effects designer for '2001: A Space Odyssey', Roger Broggie, one of the lead Disney 'imagineers' and an expert in crafting robots that emulate real creatures, known as animatronics, and finally James Randi, stage magician and professional skeptic. Good evening, everyone.
(The guests give various greetings.)
M G: Doctor Sagan, thank you for coming. You have been part of the team continuing the dialogue with Luna, and an advocate of the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence in general. So it should be clear which side of the debate you are on.
Carl Sagan: Not completely. Do I want to believe Luna is real? Yes, I have always said that our first contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence would be a defining moment for our species. From what we've already discovered, that may even be understating the impact Luna will have. However, a scientist has to accept the possibility that he may be wrong. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and if ever anything qualified, this does.
That being said, I intend to go on acting on the belief that Luna is real unless someone proves otherwise. I am certainly not part of any hoax, and I find it hard to believe that any hoax that would need to involve so many people to succeed could be perpetrated for any length of time. I have more than just belief though, I talked at length to Luna, and she has discussed many subjects, including some that can be independently verified.
M G: What sort of information, Doctor?
C S: As you know, I've been involved in both SETI, and an examination of the 'flying saucer' phenomenon. Most of the contact stories that have been reviewed have the aliens explaining things with faulty science, or not stating anything that hadn't already been discovered by humans. However, although Equestria appears to be behind us in the physical sciences, they are ahead of us in pure mathematics.
It took some doing over a pure voice link, an intermittent one at that, but Luna managed to provide several mathematical tools and proofs that are in advance of anything we have. They have been handed over to a number of leading mathematicians, and so far they've held up.
M G: Could you explain any of them? And keep it simple for the rest of us.
(Audience laughter)
C S: One of the easiest ones to explain is an analytical solution to the three body problem, actually an algorithm that can extend it to an n body problem. If you have a universe with just two bodies orbiting one another, their future positions can be calculated for all time. However if you have more than two bodies, the calculation becomes intractable, impossible to complete, except for some specific solutions.
For real world calculations, such as for the motions of the earth and moon around the sun, we use successive approximations, calculating it as a two body problem for the target and the largest mass, then adding in the perturbing effects of the smaller bodies. Luna's solution allows you to calculate it as a single operation. Like calculus, it is easy to understand when you're shown how.
M G: Easy for you, but not for most of us, I suspect. (More laughter) That will convince someone who understands mathematics, but most people are going to want something more obvious.
C S: Unfortunately, the biological samples brought back are only beginning to be examined, and the other artefacts are still in strict quarantine, so the audio visual recordings and astronaut accounts are our only current evidence, that, and our continuing communication with Luna. Until there can be a public demonstration of the devices the astronauts brought back, that is all we have.
We are currently setting up a more reliable two way link, but we've continued talking to Luna in shifts over the last few days whenever we had a connection. The signals are definitely coming to us via the Lunar ascent stage and the time delays match. Also Luna has remained alert and ready to talk whenever we were able to communicate with her, which suggests unusual endurance.
M G: I understand. While I'm sure a lot of our audience would like to know what you've learned, we need to cover the other possibility. Doctor Sagan provided copies of some of the still images taken by Buzz Aldrin, and we've had our other guests examine them as well as the video footage. I'd like to turn first to Mr Trumbull. Thank you for being here tonight.
Douglas Trumbull: I'm glad to be here.
M G: So, you've had a chance to examine both the videos and the pictures. What are your take on their authenticity?
D T: First of all, I'd have to say that if this were a fake of some kind, it would have to have been done here on earth. Quite apart from the fact that lifting that experiment module with any sort of hidden rig would require some fairly heavy equipment, the only way I can see to add the 'glowing' effect around it would be through rotoscoping, adding the outline in post production. The same with the magic effects for the magic circles and illusions she displayed.
As to whether the footage is faked, I wasn't able to see any obvious clues in the landscape. With the images the earlier lunar landers have sent back, it's not too difficult to duplicate a convincing lunar landscape on a sound stage. I wish we'd had them when we were in production on 2001. The lighting was a strong, single source, and while there were a few shadows that looked as if they were at an angle, it was clear from the video following Luna around that they were caused by the uneven terrain.
When the flag was initially planted, it appeared to flutter, but later sections of video show it standing completely still, even when Luna moved right past it. The air movement should have made it flap again. So the initial flexing must simply have been from it being planted. The shadowed side of the lander wasn't as dark as you might expect with no atmospheric scattering, but as we found when setting up the TMA1 excavation in 2001, you get considerable back scatter from the ground, especially with light coloured material.
Then there is the initial shot where Luna arrived, and the other where she was running away and Neil was chasing her. It wasn't centred in the shot, since the camera was set down on its arm on the lunar lander, but both of them bounded almost directly away from the camera, into the distance. To get that bounding motion in even a fake space suit would require wire work, but for one thing, it didn't look quite right for wires, and two it would have required an extensive overhead rig which would need masking and a huge sound stage to accommodate it.
To sum up, it might be possible to fake the footage. But if it was, it was done with great care and artistry not to give anything away. And I'm not sure how you could fake Luna herself. One of the reasons Stanley Kubrick ultimately went with the monolith as the only 'alien' was because a living creature would have been almost impossible to make convincing.
C S: I remember, they, he and Arthur C. Clarke actually consulted me on how to portray the aliens. I advised them not to go with a humanoid form, as it was unlikely that alien life forms would be that similar to humans. Consider ourselves and dolphins or elephants, species born on the same planet in the same epoch of time, yet very different in form. How then could you predict the shape of a lifeform born on a truly alien world?
M G: Well, if Luna is real, I think you've proved your point.
D T: It's just as well that 2001 came out when it did, and that Luna didn't display herself in front of one of the lunar probes before then. I hate to think what that'd have done to the film, especially since we'd already completed production.
M G: What about the Russian claim that they did catch her on camera?
D T: I've seen those pictures, and I think they're indulging in wishful thinking. The black blob they highlight could just be an artefact of the image. It might be, but I don't think it is.
M G: And about Luna herself?
D T: If that film was taken on the moon, and I can't say it wasn't, then she has to be real. As I said, there's no way I can see they could've done it live.
M G: Indeed. Thank you, Mr Trumbull. Luna herself is the biggest element of the story, particularly her appearance. Hopefully, our expert on animatronics, Roger Broggie, can shed some light on how difficult it would be to fake her appearance. Thank you for coming on the show.
Roger Broggie: Glad to be here. As to your question, the answer is 'extremely'. Could you show the image I requested?
(A still, showing Luna looking towards the camera with her wings slightly open and a hoof held to her chin, appears.)
R B: Looking at her from an artist's point of view, she's almost cartoon-like. From the story she told, and that image she displayed for the camera, this is her younger form, but even so, the head and especially the eyes are bigger in proportion than a real pony, or almost anything else. Human-like eyes, with a visible white and irises, forward facing, forelimbs with a far more flex than a horse, she's remarkably anthropomorphic in design.
(The view switches back to him.)
R B: However, I can't see it being animation. The detail, the shading, the textures, that's something you can only get from a physical object. Stop motion, possibly integrated with the live action or matted in over it might do it, but that's not really my field.
D T: I started out in animation, and while I haven't worked extensively with stop motion myself, I have seen some examples, and I'm pretty sure that's not the answer either. I'm certain you'd see the jerkiness in some of the more active scenes from the astronauts, and mismatching in the colour balance and shading if it was matted in.
M G: Which beings us to some sort of live action model, a puppet or robot...
R B: Which is my area of expertise. Creating an animatronic for some parts of her would only be very difficult. The hardest would be the face and those wings. Her eyes don't just move, they track objects, and the irises change size. Her ears twist and flick like a real horse. In fact her whole face is amazingly expressive. Even with the size of her head, the actuators to create that many degrees of movement inside it would be a nightmare to mount, and worse to control.
Her wings are almost as bad. They don't just extend, they flex and change shape, almost as if they were an extra pair of hands. And let's not forget that she walks and runs with an incredibly natural motion, sits and lies flat, and the forelegs have a range of motion that rivals human arms. To build that all into a single body that size just makes things harder.
In our line of work, we often say, 'if you can dream it, we can build it', but Luna would be an incredible project, even for us. You'd need extremely complex control electronics and probably have to custom develop the necessary actuators. It would probably cost as much as a Saturn V, and take years to research and design.
M G: So you think Luna is for real?
R B: I can't say she's not real, simply because I can't see a single flaw in her that would indicate a puppet, and because of how difficult it would be to fake her.
M G: Thank you Mr Broggie. So we have one yes, two maybes and one last guest to ask, James Randi. What's your take on Luna?
James Randi: Let's first consider the elements of a convincing hoax. One, it should put forward some striking claim or proposition. Luna has that in spades. However, at the same time it should be vague enough to allow for interpretation or marginal results, and be hard to disprove. This was anything but vague, however, superficially it is hard to disprove. After all, Luna is stated to be on the moon, and therefore a little hard to visit for confirmation.
Finally, a scam or hoax always profits someone, whether in money, publicity or both. Here, the US government, and NASA in particular are the winners if this claim is believed. As Doctor Sagan said, this would be the defining moment for our species. Being able to claim to be the ones who made it possible, well, I forget exactly who it was, a senior member of the Airforce who stated after the Blue Book study that if there really were UFOs flying around, they'd have all the money they could ever want.
That's the stance of the people that are most vocal in calling it a hoax, and the first point where it fails to launch, so to speak. Creating a hoax this elaborate and complex, as we've heard from our other guests, would require huge amounts of money, not to mention a ridiculous degree of co-operation from a huge number of people in NASA, including the astronauts involved. So money as a motive doesn't really make sense.
Prestige might, but to capitalise on it, they need to follow up on the discovery. And that's the second point where it's difficult to see the benefit of creating this particular hoax. I'm sure if you wanted to convince people that there were aliens, and that you'd made first contact with them, they could have come up with a lot less involved and outrageous story that would serve the same purpose. 'Alien' artefacts found on the moon, or mysterious radio signals.
M G: What about the idea of 'the big lie'?
J R: Making a claim so outrageous that people will believe it simply because they think you'd never be crazy enough to try and convince anybody of something so outrageous? My point still stands. The 'big lie' technique is usually used to cover something up, or muddy the waters about something that's already happened and can't be easily refuted. Luna, is almost completely the opposite. Communications are ongoing. The astronauts brought back items that are going to be examined more closely than anything in history. If anything happens to Luna, or stops those artefacts being investigated, even if it's a genuine accident, the publicity will rebound on everyone involved.
Now, I am not opposed to the idea of extra-terrestrial beings on principle, I said as much when I addressed the Fourth Congress of Scientific Ufologists in New York two years ago. Though once again, I agree with Doctor Sagan that being an extraordinary claim it requires extraordinary evidence. That's what we have here, and why I said the story was 'superficially' hard to prove.
All we have to do is wait until the 'magic' items are examined by independent investigators or other people establish two way communication with Luna on the moon. I don't know how hard it is to transmit rather than receive, but I'm sure others will try to duplicate what the Louisville radio enthusiasts did. A conversation with Luna on the moon, weeks after anybody could have survived, would be a big piece of positive evidence.
M G: How about the magic Luna demonstrated? As a stage magician yourself, you must be able to tell if they were faked.
J R: All the effects that were demonstrated on camera could be fairly easily duplicated on stage, given time and equipment. Levitation is an easy trick...
(James Randi pulls a ping pong ball from a pocket and rests it on a palm, with his other hand over it. Slowly, the ball rises into the air, seemingly unsupported. He has Merv Griffin come over and pass a hand over and under it.)
J R: The projections are more difficult, but they could be some variation of the Pepper's Ghost illusion. A glass screen at a 45 degree angle to the viewer reflects a bright object or image from off stage to the side. Or they could have been added to the film afterwards, as Mr Trumbull suggested. The other 'spells' involved didn't have obvious visible effects.
However, some of the effects ascribed to the objects brought back would be hard to impossible to fake. If the translator really can be shown to allow someone to speak and understand a language they don't know perfectly, or this 'restful blanket' actually makes you feel phantom sensations, then that will be far more convincing. For that matter a live demonstration of the projector device will be solid evidence, if people are able to examine it up close.
C S: I will see what I can do to get you invited to any such demonstration. The more independent witnesses we can get to examine the items, especially someone used to finding fakes, the more chance we have of determining the truth.
J R: Ultimately, the final proof would be a face to face meeting with this Luna, seeing her do magic live and test for fakery. Are those wings she has supposed to be functional?
C S: Luna has made frequent mentions of flying back in Equestria, but stated that pegasus wings were mainly focussing elements for flight magic, a combination of levitation and inertial control as best we can understand it. The horn does the same job for unicorns, and the hooves for earth ponies. The implication is that she could fly in space equally well, or on the moon if it weren't for the geas that prevents her from leaving.
J R: That would be fairly easy to test for trickery. So, is there any chance we're going to see her brought here?
C S: That's not my call. I'm certainly going to push for it though.
M G: So to sum up, while none of our guest are certain that Luna is real, no-one here is able to say that she is a fake either. The question will continue to be asked until we see her with our own eyes. Doctor Sagan, you can tell Luna that if she ever does come down to earth, she has a standing invite to come on the show.
C S: (Chuckles) And every other talk show I suspect. But I'll tell her. She will probably be surprised that you aren't a real griffin. Apparently that's one of the other intelligent races they share Equis with.
M G: We should have a chance for you to discuss the things you've learned about her later on in the show. For now. we'll be back, after these messages!
Sky is not the limit as Ham Radio Operators Form 'Radio Luna'
Independent radio operators across the country have taken their hobby to new heights today with the first broadcast of their 'Moonrise to Moonset' radio station, dubbed 'Radio Luna'.
What makes this special? While new radio stations are far from an uncommon occurrence Radio Luna's technicians and equipment are unique. Aimed at the moon using a horn antenna over 12 feet in length, with a broadcast power of over 1800 watts, operators are hoping that Princess Luna can pick up their signal and aim to showcase the best of humanity's music and literature across all genres. Notable personalities hired for literature readings include the long running 'The Sky at Night' presenter and lunar specialist Patrick Moore and Alistair Cooke of the equally long running BBC home service Broadcast 'Letter from America'.
The Programmers for Radio Luna are also planning to broadcast international news and are said to be in negotiation for rebroadcast rights to various radio comedy dramas such as 'Round the Horne' and 'The Navy Lark'. Insiders at the BBC have reported that management are interested in the possibilities.
Funded by hobbyist groups, the husband and wife team providing the impetus behind the project are.......
The Independent (Uk), August 1st 1969.
(Madfish)
It's Magic!
Where others are asking about the repercussions of the fact that we are not alone the University of Stirling stole a march on competing institutions by organising an open debate in response to the visitor's revelation that 'magic' is a real force.
Attendees included Cardinal Gordon Gray of the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh of the Roman Catholic Church, John Holland of the Magic Circle, prominent local new age-ists, mediums, psychics and a late addition in the form of a representative of the remaining temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Bristol.
Those present were treated to a spirited debate about a variety of topics including the nature of magic as currently understood, how it could benefit from the application of scientific method and what place it should be allowed in our lives.
The debate lasted well past the official three hours allotted and into the evening. The event however met with an unfortunate rise in tempers between......
Stirling Observer in co-operation with Brig, 23rd August 1969.
(Madfish)
Remarkable demonstration of Luna's artefacts at MSC.
'Magic' devices provide further proof of NASA claimsA presentation showcasing the items allegedly created by the alien known as Luna was held at the Manned Spacecraft Centre in Houston Texas. The Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the facility is the site of the quarantine facility for returning astronauts and lunar samples. Members of the press, both national and international, were invited along with a number of prominent scientists and politicians. The three Apollo astronauts, Neil Armstrong, 'Buzz' Aldrin and Michael Collins were also present.
It was stated by Centre Director Robert Gilruth that the various artefacts had already been experimented with during the latter stages of quarantine, and had so far proven to be fully functional. The presentation covered the testing procedures used, and an outline of the results...
The highlight of the presentation was the demonstrations of the artefacts. Doctor Carl Sagan, who has been in charge of the ongoing communications with Luna, provided a dialogue as the illusion projector created a free standing stereoscopic image in the air, showing scenes that apparently came from Luna's own memories of her home world.
Numerous audience members were asked to come up and confirm that the projection was just that, and that no concealed cameras or screens were in use. When the projector was lifted up in the air by hand, the projection followed. Audience members were also involved in the demonstration of the translator device. Multiple people of various nationalities wore it in turn and found themselves able to talk to and understand anyone else in the room, while others heard the relevant language.
Two of the blankets created by Luna from insulating Kapton film that had covered the Lunar module's descent stage were also passed around and used, demonstrating that the 'tactile illusion' effect cast upon it really existed. This reporter had a chance to try it, and felt, as described that he was lying in a comfy bed, even though he was standing in the auditorium.
When asked about the biological samples taken from Luna, it was stated that they were still being analysed. Asked about whether Luna herself was going to be retrieved, the only answer was that they had no information as of yet.
The Times (UK), 13th August 1969.
Luna-mania takes the world by storm!
Halifax- With the discovery of Princess Luna on the Moon by the astronauts of Apollo 11, and later independent proof from other radio contacts and the press demonstration of the artefacts brought back, a phenomenon based upon the lost princess has swept the world. Called "Luna-Mania", it consists of her new fans, known as Lunatics including those attempting to reach her by radio...
Mail Star, 14th August, 1969
(Harry Leferts)
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It's alive! Yay!
From a cursory skimming, this looks pretty awesome. I like the 'news headlines' format you have going on here.
e.lvme.me/daggjup.jpg
Excellent job, from one writer to another. These dispatches are super invigorating and I will be considering them for my own work.
Also: this way more immersive than what I read from cyanblackstone :-)
Keep it up!!
I think this must be the first appearance of a Disney Imagineer in fanfic anywhere
I really hate to be "that guy", but I think this chapter might be breaking one of Fimfiction's "Don't Post (Genre)" rules. If it doesn't, I apologize in advance, and say that these news headlines on Luna are fairly believable. Though, personally, I would have liked to have seen one that had the reaction of the Pope.
All I can say is... Thank you.
Pretty cool! Can't wait for more interaction with Luna though.
Whoa, I had forgot about this one. this was actually quite amusing. I hope we get another chapter.
6911118 With the obvious disclaimer that IANAModerator, I'm not seeing any problems on that front.
It's a story. We're fine here.
Neither site nor users are involved; it's in the clear.
This story has relevance to me (a complete outsider), so I don't think so.
Nope. It's fine.
Instructions unclear, got stuck on moon.
This is both the last option and the one it could run afoul of given a very loose reading. I read a greentext story once; I wish I could unread it. (Who writes like that. Seriously, why in Cadance's name.) This looks nothing like it. I think it's fine.
Plus, there's precedent for stories made out of newspaper articles: Breaking News and Weather. It got RCL-featured and thereby made it into a site blog post. If it were breaking the content rules, it would be long gone by now. But it isn't.
Cool update. It really sets a neat feel for story.
Great chapter and really nice to see an update.
One small technical correction for you though. And I apologize in advance if I slip into photo teacher mode on you...
f-stop numbers actually have an inverse relationship to how open the aperture is. f22 would actually be the smallest or most closed down it would go. Smaller numbers would be opening it up. 2.8 would be the most open on most regular focal length still camera lenses, not sure about late 60's video lenses as to the range though, but in general opening it up for more light means using smaller numbers instead of larger ones. If you are going for great depth of field though instead of more light then yeah you'd want 22, but it would be stopping down instead of opening up.
6911215
Oh, thank Celestia I'm wrong.
Good on you, dude- this is startlingly well written
That is some extraordinary alt-timelining it there. One thing I've heard from people who do this sorta thing for a living is that it's always a matter of a "break point" (in this case, Luna) followed by how much you can weave the effect of that break into what we know to be a historical narrative.
You're doing a helluva job.
Wow, I'm impressed!
I hope we see more of this in the future. My favorite being the talk show bit.
Oh wow, you really spent a lot of time and effort on this, huh?
Love this format
Wonderful story!
this
Can't wait for Luna to find out that we have a Griffin on Earth.
Woo! I'd thought this had stalled! Most excellent news.
Story is awesome dude!!! :)
I enjoy reading this immensely! Xd
The snazz is strong with this one.
Yes!
I saw this update a bit before ten, and immediately thought "I shouldn't read this". It's been long enough to need a full reread, and I have to open tomorrow.
I tried to go to sleep. Turns out I couldn't not read it. Curse you, Fe-Cr-Ni Fox.
Oh, and you've got a few "Louiseville"s where you intended "Louisville", or possibly the other way around (but Louiseville is pretty small, so I'm thinking not).
Final note:
I...you....buh...you did what? No wonder this took so long.
Not only has it updated, but said update was an absolute joy to read. Well worth the wait, good sir!
I'm very happy to see this updating, and I hope it did do some good on jump-starting your writing. It was certainly a pleasure to read. Don't let these nitpicks get you down!
I noticed that the dates were not all given in the same style. (Some have commas separating the month and day from the year while others do not, and, while most are done in the day-month-year style, a minority are done in the month-day-year style.) Was this done deliberately, in order to reflect the individual styles of each source, or was it unintentional?
22nd July (one space)
in it (one space)
However, as (comma)
over to the
Collins
"This computer
this
possible only (no comma, unless it is there to replicate a pause in his actual speech pattern; if that is the case, then please disregard)
planning,
in mission planning,
"Good evening.
Moon; more,
We accepted (one space)
mindful of him?'"
(This is apparently the end of Buzz's speech.)
have, (parenthetical comma to match the one after "will", or remove that one instead)
Houston
This may not be an error, but are you sure that this American newspaper used, or would have used, the British spelling "Centre"? And considering this is actually a proper name I would think that the Center spelling ought to prevail regardless of local style, but if a particular publication behaves otherwise then authenticity would overrule that.
Louisville
(I do not see why "Camera" should be capitalized.)
saucer' phenomenon (one space)
its
I would expect a transcript of an American TV show to write it as "Arthur C. Clarke", but again if you happen to know that the opposite is true then never mind.
artist's
where it (one space)
second point (one space)
Louisville
Same style question as Arthur C(.) Clarke.
dramas
Not UK? (caps)
a phenomenon (phenomena would be the plural)
others
known
Center
(as with Houston Space Center as mentioned earlier)
press, both (one space)
Collins
Center (see above)
I would think that regardless of how the date is styled there ought to be a comma after "Times"
Ah yes, this story.
Imagine the benefit that her magic would have with our science, and how that may change our society 1,000 years from now. Interstellar magitech spaceships parked over Equestrian orbit, ready to return Luna as promised, anyone?
Outstanding work here. That research has paid off in a unique and delightful chapter. Love it.
You should find a complete history nerd and mathematics nerd to consult when making these, that may make it a bit easier. Sadly I cannot be of use as I am a mythology nerd.
hi hi
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to make this. It continues to be an entertaining read.
Now for some crazy fan speculation. Here's my prediction: NASA will bring Luna down to Earth where she'll live happily ever after. Then, with scientists realizing how long lived she is, they'll splice alicorn DNA into the human genome, turning humans a variety of pastel colors. Eventually there is a technological singularity, and most of the humans leave Earth and go off into space. Except for a group of conservative historic reenactors who use old television shows to try to reconstruct human society around the end of the 20th century, creating a micro civilization that revolves entirely around high school. Then shortly after Luna mysteriously disappears, Twilight Sparkle walks through a mirror and ends up on Earth.
That or they're at the end of a Krasnikov Tube, which might explain the time differential.
I wonder what Luna's reaction will be to the subset of Lunatics that will think she's a god.
6911484 excuse you, American, that's the correct spelling of centre!
"of thios is"
"this"?
"point where it fails"
There appears to be an extra space in there.
"comedy drama's such"
"dramas"?
"The even however"
"event"?
"Hopefully this will finally unblock my muse, not just for this, but for all my stories."
Good luck, and thank you for writing. :)
How come no one on Earth reacted to Luna's story of Nightmare Moon as well?
wow and i thought this story was dead
thanks for the update hopefully it doesn't take months for the next one
Very nice chapter. All of that research paid off. I feel like you captured the feel you were going for perfectly, and did an amazing job not only with the quality of the writing, but also in making it feel like those headlines were really from 1969. Despite the long gap between updates, I'll definitely be waiting anxiously for the next.
Out of all the stories I've read from you, this one is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I hope you keep it up.
6911862 Center Director is a title when capitalized, though. If it had been like "Whatshisname, the centre director for the Manned Spacecraft Center" then I wouldn't have said a thing. Incidentally, though, the author saw it your way, and for all I know that particular British publication's style guide may do it that way so I certainly won't object without knowing otherwise.
6912431 Sorry, no. It's speaking of a scientist on an individual level. "He" was the old default in such cases and would likely be authentic for 1969; if you don't like it then you must either expand to "he or she", resort to circumlocution, or use "they"—generally no one is willing to use "it" on an adult human.
You could change it to "scientists have to ... we", presuming that the speaker is a scientist.
This really helps put in perspective how huge of an event meeting Luna has became.
Specialy in settings like MLP as we take magic as granted and as an everyday thing, and how the main characers are extraordinary, an outsider's perspective can help us remember that, yes, they and magic are supposed to be exciting and awe-inspiring.
Wow, I'd completely forgotten I'd written those!
It's great to see the finished chapter after so long!
And the Greys, who are really behind the whole thing, are cackling about the stupid humans they're pranking for shits and giggles.
"Hee hee," chuckles one Grey in his telepathic language. "Next we should dissect some cattle and make them think we need to perform experiments on them for.. *snerk*... reproduction experiments!"
They all guffaw loudly... in their minds of course... since telepathy...
6912010
True. I wonder that too but it was still fun to read.
It will be interesting to see if someone will take her story and make a cartoon out of it.
Hmm, i wonder what happened at that magic conversation specifically.
A number of people who think shes a demon and that her magic is stuff from the devil will exist, and some will be in positions of some power and influence. Unlikely that they could stop things, really, if magic turns out to be useful and/or reproducible, but there could be some friction. And some crazy somewhere will try to murder her, you can just see it.
6911530
Possibly an inter-dimensional portal on the Moon given how Luna seems to have crossed over. NASA OTOH likely will justify it's continued trips to the Moon for a good while, maybe even a research base. One to get Luna down, and two to figure out how she got here.
Wait till we get to the merchandising though. Halloween 1969 will have astronauts and Lunas as the huge theme. And anyone that gets a plushy of her out in time for Christmas will be basically licensed to print money.
A few other things, what will Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" be like now? Sci-Fi writers will know Equestria is out there, somewhere.
And what does NASA have on the shelf right now they could use to send a 'care package', such as improved longer duration communications with Earth? Any spares left from Surveyor?
6911089
This is my new idle music XD
6913590
oh lord yes, not only that though Magic, dragons, and other such things are now confirmed to exist. I suspect the dewey decimal system will also be expanded to cover the Equus based Knowledge that Luna brings. I suspect a few thousand books to quickly pop up describing equus culture, faith, and Knowledge and for all of the intelligent races. Also adult magic based fantasy will not suffer it's original decline after the moon landing that kept on a downward spiral until the introduction of the Harry Potter series which performed CPR to the genre. Also I suspect that the genre will remain the same state as before as well as gain a lot of new works inspired by Lana's homeworld's history, though Harry Potter may not be the same or get the same treatment as it did before. Not only that I suspect a lot of new combined works for the new Magitech genre that is bond to spring up in Luna's wake as she works with Earth scientists of various countries.
I also suspect that Humans will learn how to use Magic as well, as the legends of King Arthur and Merlin will get Luna curious on whether or not humans can wield magic, and with the scientists realizing that the legends now having some viability had to have come from somewhere. Work with her and we get magic wielding humans
6913199
Heraldry. I'm not fluent myself, but know enough to recognize the tongue.