Earthrise

by Edgar Mitchell

  Splashdown! We had returned to our watery Blue Planet.

  Deadly Lunar Bugs?

  Alan, Stu, and I prepared to exit the spacecraft. Out in the ocean, navy frogmen were speed swimming toward our Command Module, which had cooled down after plunging into the water. After the swimmers reached us, they tied a large life raft to the side of the spacecraft and waited for us to open the hatch. I admired the navy swimmers because they were the first humans to come into contact with us after our return from the Moon. At this point, the swimmers had no idea what they might be exposed to; they took a risk in rescuing us.

  There were many unknowns with the first few Moon missions. Scientists were never sure what dangerous bugs we might bring back on our clothes, in our bodies, or in the rocks and equipment that returned. So, once we opened the hatch, three biological breathing masks and three biological coveralls were thrown to us. We put on the protective clothing and climbed out of the Kitty Hawk and into the raft. Each one of us then stepped into a wire basket to be hoisted up into the air and into a helicopter hovering over the water. Once we were on the helicopter, we were flown to the USS New Orleans, where many sailors were waving their arms to greet us and a small military band was playing.

  THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL EXPOSURE LAW

  In 1969 when the Apollo 11 crew first traveled to the Moon, the United States enforced Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This law, more commonly known as the Extra-Terrestrial Exposure Law, was passed on July 16, 1969, to prevent Earth and its inhabitants from any kind of biological contamination that might be brought back from space to Earth by astronauts as well as by their spacecraft, equipment, and/or lunar samples. Originally the law required the Apollo astronauts to be quarantined upon return to Earth for a specific period of time, but NASA stopped enforcing the quarantine regulation after the Apollo 14 mission; it was determined that the astronauts and the lunar materials were not a hazard to humans, animals, or plants. The law stayed in effect until 1991 when it was formally removed from the Code of Federal Regulations.

  It was an exciting but unusual time. Being on Earth again was strange. My body wasn’t used to Earth’s gravity and I felt light-headed and heavy. Something as familiar as taking a step to walk now took concentration. I didn’t feel like myself at first. I wanted to fill my lungs with the salty ocean air instead of breathing through my tight-fitting mask.

  More Bug Barricades

  Our new home aboard the USS New Orleans was a tightly sealed mobile home called the Mobile Quarantine Facility, or MQF. Inside the MQF, we were allowed to take off our masks and coveralls and enjoy a hot shower for the first time in nine days. A doctor gave each of us a medical exam to make sure we were okay, and then we sat down to a delicious meal of steak and potatoes.

  The Command Module was also brought aboard the USS New Orleans. In just a few hours the entire MQF, with us in it, was lifted into a large cargo plane. We were soon flying back to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.

  Our next and last quarantined home was called the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center, where we would stay for about three weeks.

  Expanding Horizons

  “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

  —Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Being in quarantine for a second time was harder than ever. I’d been away for nearly one month and I missed my family. I wanted to go outside, breathe the fresh air, and get some exercise. But rules are rules.

  Alan, Stu, and I ate, slept, and worked under tightly sealed biological conditions in the Lunar Receiving Lab. We also made sure we didn’t transmit any otherworldly germs or bugs to anyone or anything. Louise and the girls came to visit me, and we talked through a glass window as we’d done during my first quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center before liftoff. It was fantastic to see everyone again, and I’m sure they were relieved to see I was safe and sound.

  On a daily basis, Alan, Stu, and I were subjected to all sorts of medical examinations by medical staff hidden behind white masks, caps, and biological coveralls. It was a surreal setting and I went along with the program. But to be honest, I never felt worried about any kind of lunar contamination.

  Scientists also kept a close watch on a litter of mice. These mice had been born and raised in highly sterile conditions and lived with us in the lab. The scientists thought that if the mice suddenly became ill, this might be a sign of some form of unusual contamination. Fortunately, all the critters remained healthy.

  After three weeks, Alan, Stu, and I showed no signs of illness or contamination, and it was eventually determined there wasn’t a Moon bug in sight. NASA also concluded that Moon contamination was not a threat to our planet. Apollo 14 was the last lunar mission to quarantine astronauts after their return to Earth, and I’m sure future Apollo astronauts were grateful for this.

  The Science of Moon Rocks

  For now, the three of us remained in the lab and we had a lot to do. One of my first projects was to work with Alan to sort out, label, weigh, photograph, and write reports about the many Moon rocks and lunar samples we’d brought back. These rocks provided important keys to help geologists and scientists figure out the Moon’s history and how it was formed. They also provided a unique way to learn about Earth and the cosmos.

  Sometimes I would hold the Moon rocks and just stare at them. I knew the rocks were billions of years old, and it was amazing to think Alan and I had collected these ancient specimens.

  Eventually, the lunar rocks were distributed to more than 185 scientific teams in the United States and to 14 other countries. The rocks were carefully cut into thin, translucent sections and studied under a microscope. These microscopic sections often revealed rich geometric patterns of blues, greens, reds, yellows, oranges, and black.

  Going Home

  After 21 days in the Lunar Receiving Lab, Alan, Stu, and I were released to return to our homes. But it wasn’t long before a new part of our adventure began: being a Space Age celebrity. People were curious about what had happened while we were on the Moon, and they wanted to honor our achievements. Our lives became filled with parties, parades, news conferences, and gala events.

  On March 1, 1971, Alan, Stu, and I, and our wives, were invited to the White House for a formal dinner with President Nixon and his wife, Pat. The president awarded us NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal, and in a moment of levity, he gave Alan a plaque titled the “Distinguished Order of Lunar Duffers,” in honor of his famous Moon golfing. It was all in good fun.

  The three of us were often in the spotlight; it seemed like we were always being interviewed for television, the radio, or the press. I wasn’t used to all this attention, but we wanted to get the word out about the exciting Apollo 14 mission.

  Big Changes Ahead

  After coming back from the Moon I knew I would never be the same again. I felt like a changed man. I had grown and expanded in so many ways, and I was sure my life was about to lead in a whole new direction.

  One of the first things I did after returning to Earth was to contact the two doctors and two psychics who had participated in my deep-space ESP experiments. I was very eager to compare notes.

  It was exciting to learn that we had all written down a significant amount of similar numbers and symbols at the same time even though we were thousands of miles apart. The experiment persuaded me that ESP could happen, and these results were later published in a scientific journal. I also learned that the results of our ESP experiment were similar to those of science experiments on Earth that had already shown telepathy was a real possibility. But most important, my deep-space ESP experiment had planted a life-changing seed in my mind about how the mind works, and I wanted to learn a lot more about human consciousness.

  A Million Questions

  I was also extremely curious to figure out what had happened to me during the ride home in the Command Module. It was an extraordinary experience and I had a burnin
g desire to learn more. I talked with a number of other astronauts and learned that they had also experienced similar feelings during their missions in space.

  OUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE KITS

  Most of us like to take personal items with us when we travel. Even astronauts. NASA allowed astronauts to bring along personal items and mementos in small beta cloth bags called Personal Preference Kits, or PPKs.

  On the Apollo 14 mission, Alan brought along his famous golf balls in his PPK, and I brought along a small chart for my ESP experiments and a set of microfilm cards of the King James Bible, on behalf of Reverend John M. Stout, director of the Apollo Prayer League. Two previous missions, Apollo 12 and Apollo 13, had tried to land the Bible on the Moon, and we were finally able to do so during Apollo 14.

  Stu Roosa brought along hundreds of tiny redwood, loblolly pine, sycamore, Douglas fir, and sweet gum tree seeds. Stu had a love of trees and the outdoors, and before becoming an astronaut he worked for the US Forest Service as a smoke jumper. Stu would parachute out of airplanes to fight forest fires that were raging in areas that were difficult to reach. During Apollo 14, he was curious how his tree seeds would fare in space and if they would grow normally once planted back on our planet. After returning to Earth, Stu’s many Moon Tree seeds were germinated in labs for nearly four years and then planted all over the world. These trees serve as long-lasting and living reminders of the courageous astronauts who ventured to the Moon.

  I began to read and read and read. I wanted to get my hands on anything that would help me understand what happened to me while peering out the Command Module window, and I felt compelled to unravel this cosmic mystery. I started to question what I’d learned in my science classes and especially in quantum physics. I wondered if there was more to life than I’d ever expected, and whether the world as I’d known it wasn’t quite as it appeared.

  At first I talked with scientists and asked them about my experience. But when I didn’t get answers that I felt explained what I had experienced, I turned to people who studied in different fields such as religion, spirituality, and mysticism. Suddenly I wanted to know a lot more about the cosmos, the origins of creation, human beings, and consciousness.

  One idea that caught my attention was a concept called “metanoia.” Metanoia is an ancient Greek word that means a change of mind or a change of heart, and it relates to the concept of transformation. I finally realized that this was what I had experienced in my spacecraft coming home. I had actually felt a transformative change of heart and mind.

  I also discovered that many mystical traditions have similar words for metanoia. For example, in Zen Buddhism the word satori describes what happens when someone has a sudden spiritual awakening and enlightenment. In Hinduism, the Sanskrit word samadhi describes a sudden awakened state of consciousness. In the West, some individuals call this experience the “ecstasy of unity,” which is a shift in consciousness and a shift in awareness.

  New Beginnings

  In 1972, about one year after I returned from the Moon, I decided to retire from a 20-year career in the navy where I had achieved the rank of captain. I also decided to retire from NASA and the Astronaut Corps. I was 42 years old and felt like I had a whole new life ahead of me. I realized that after my Apollo 14 journey, I had gone from “outer space to inner space” in a matter of months, and I now wanted to devote the rest of my life to the exploration of the mind.

  Louise wasn’t thrilled with my new direction. For many years she had been very patient and supportive of my career. She’d already been through a lot of changes while I was in the navy, and the demanding schedule of my work as an astronaut was intense. Suddenly I was very excited about a whole new career path studying the mind, and Louise found this difficult to accept. Sadly, we began to part ways.

  But I felt compelled to pursue this new direction and couldn’t wait to get started. In 1973, two years after I returned from the Moon, I founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). The word noetic comes from the ancient Greek word nous, which refers to an intuitive and expanded consciousness, and a person’s inner knowing. The institute was first briefly located in Houston, and then it moved from Palo Alto to Sau-salito, California, before finally moving to the current location near Petaluma, California.

  The metanoia I’d had in space was life changing. It occurred to me that if this experience happened to many people around the world, science could investigate and document things such as a metanoia, satori, samadhi, or ecstasy of unity. So, with the help of many dedicated individuals, IONS became dedicated to advancing our understanding of science, consciousness, and the human experience. Many new frontiers have been explored, such as the bridge between science and spirituality, the healing arts, consciousness, and human behaviors such as love, forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion. For nearly 40 years, many individuals have worked with IONS to help humans learn to love one another by knowing that we’re all in this together and that we’re all one. This is the noetic message, and it’s what transformation and enlightenment are all about.

  Our Incredible Spaceship Earth

  Many astronauts have said that if our world leaders could see Earth from deep space, we would have completely different political and economic systems on this planet. I agree. Going to the Moon helped me appreciate the magnificence of our world. When I could see Earth through the window of the Kitty Hawk or while standing on the Moon, I suddenly saw our planet in a whole new light. I could see how incredibly beautiful our blue-green Earth looked against the black sky. It was my home.

  I suddenly felt very protective of Earth and started to see everything on the planet in a more sacred way. Even though I had been in the military, I now felt a strong aversion to war and I became a peacenik. I also started to learn about the practice of meditation, which is a way to quiet the mind and focus one’s thoughts inward. I still practice meditation today and it helps me reduce negative thoughts as well as have inspirational ideas.

  I even began to rethink the foods I eat. As a farm boy, I learned firsthand about where our food comes from. But my experience of going to the Moon and back expanded my way of thinking to include a greater appreciation of the foods I consume.

  I’m encouraged that many people today are rethinking everything from what we eat, to where we live, to how we get around, and to how we treat others. Scientists, engineers, and many individuals are working hard to create a healthier, more sustainable world with cleaner air, cleaner water, and new sources of cleaner, alternative energy such as wind or solar power.

  Futurist and writer Buckminster Fuller made an important point when he said that Earth is like a gigantic spaceship and we, as humans, are like the crew. Fuller encouraged people to find ways to get along on our very special “Spaceship Earth.”

  Earth is a spectacular place and I feel fortunate to live here. I believe that each one of us is connected to all of life on this planet, as well as throughout the universe. It’s my hope that “peace on Earth” isn’t simply wishful thinking but will be a reality one day.

  Exploring New Worlds

  “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

  —Robert Frost

  After I graduated from Carnegie Tech in 1952, I had looked forward to finding work in the growing field of industrial management. But instead my life took a new turn, and I eventually became a modern-day space explorer. It has made all the difference.

  Being an explorer is part of who I am because I come from a family of pioneers. Nearly 150 years ago, my great-grandparents traveled from the state of Georgia to Texas in search of a better life. With only their simple belongings and a few head of cattle, they forged across hundreds of miles of wilderness in covered wagons. They courageously braved harsh weather, difficult terrain, and the constant threat of danger with the hope of finding fertile land, clean water, nutritious food, a favorable climate, and a friendly community to earn a living and raise a family.

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sp; But getting there wasn’t easy, and each new day brought challenging unknowns. I’m sure they wondered, Will we be safe? What will the weather be like? What will we encounter along the way? Will there be enough food and water?

  It’s not easy to be a pioneer. It takes the willingness to tackle the unknown and the courage to risk one’s life. Yet the exploration of Earth’s land, waterways, and skies, and even of space, has been so important in our changing world. When American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out in canoes in 1804, they traveled nearly 7,500 miles of uncharted territory from the Midwest region of the United States to the Pacific Northeast. At the time both men were young, skilled frontiersmen: Lewis was a captain in the army, and Clark was a former commanding officer. The two men were good friends, and their willingness to explore the unknown was enormously beneficial to the future growth and success of this country.

  Evolving Perspectives

  As humans have observed and explored this planet, different theories have been developed to explain the basic shape of our world and its place in the universe.