One Giant Leap II: Apollo 11 Air-To-Ground Voice Transcription

This is variation II of the typographic portrait representing the Apollo 11 mission, featuring Buzz Aldrin as photographed by commander Neil Armstrong on the surface of the moon. Like its sister, the image is made entirely of key excerpts from the radio transcription of the Apollo 11 mission. Buzz saw particular significance in the lunar landing as a testament to the “insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown” and the inevitability of rising to the challenge. At the same time, he also reflects on the smallness of humanity in the vastness of creation and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God and others for this singular moment in history.

This re-portrayal of this iconic photograph built from curated selections of these raw radio transcription records vividly captures a moment that, in Buzz’s words, is far more than the work of “three men . . . or . . . a government and industry team . . . [or even a] nation” – it is an accomplishment by and for all of humanity.

The following description matches the other variation’s:

The bold horizontal line emblazoned across the middle is Armstrong’s iconic statement “THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR (A) MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND.”

Like all of my work, this piece is designed to be read. The excerpts were chosen carefully out of hundreds of pages of radio transcription from the voyage to represent its entire arc. The resulting typography captures not just the iconic moments like Neil Armstrong’s first steps and President Nixon’s phone call from the Oval Office, but also the deeply human realities of life in space, such as the crew eating chicken stew in zero gravity, using their skills and ingenuity to solve unexpected challenges, coordinating complex navigation and maneuvers, receiving news from home, asking about their families, trusting and joking with each other, and sharing their impressions of the "magnificent ride," and its implications for humanity.

I wish I could include much more of the transcription, which is an incredible historical artifact. For readability purposes, this is nowhere near possible. If anyone is interested in a massive floor-to-ceiling print or larger that could accommodate the entire voyage, I will eagerly create it.

For canvas prints, 24” x 36” is the recommended minimum size to ensure readability of the text. Smaller sizes available are readable on media like art paper and metal.