The Desk has landed … but not a single word is written

In July 1968, exactly one year before the 1st manned moon landing, NASA successfully soft-landed a writing desk on the lunar surface. Astronauts on the first and subsequent missions were all instructed to visit the desk in order to record their thoughts and feelings in writing. Unfortunately … not a single word was written due to a number of factors. Embarrassed NASA officials put the whole thing under wraps and only now has it come to light.

This photograph was taken by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

The following pictures were taken during manned missions to the lunar surface.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin pictured on his way to the writing desk. Note the paper he is holding in his left hand. Having made it over to the desk he developed an instant case of writer’s block on account of the fact that there just wasn’t any atmosphere. (photograph by Neil Armstrong)

Astronaut Pete Conrad smuggled a bicycle on board Apollo 12. Here he is pictured just before setting out to visit the desk. Apparently he didn’t make it there as he got a puncture in his front tyre.
(Photograph taken by Alan Bean)

Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke was going to take an easy ride to the writing desk by hopping on to the Lunar Rover. Unfortunately, due to a malfunctioning sat-nav, he ended up in a deep crater.
(photograph by John Young)

Now, PROCRASTINATION is absolutely rife throughout the entire Universe and the Moon is certainly no exception …

Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard failed to write a single word at the writing desk, preferring to become the first man to play golf on another world instead.

Another astronaut preferred to continue his distance-learning banjo lessons.

But the last word surely has to go to the Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan as he was the last man to walk ‘off’ the moon in December 1972. His fellow astronauts on that mission were Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt. Cernan was recorded as saying …

…I’m on the surface; and, as I take man’s last step from the surface, back home for some time to come – but we believe not too long into the future – I’d like to just [say] what I believe history will record. That America’s challenge of today has forged man’s destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.

But his final unrecorded words from the surface were actually …

… light her up Jack. I’ll be with you in a minute.