[Sandwich]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20514917-30417,00.html

Armstrong got moon script right


AN Australian computer programmer has saved pioneering lunar astronaut Neil Armstrong from grammatical ignominy, finding he indeed did slip an "a" into one of history's most quoted sentences.

The question of whether Armstrong fluffed the first lines from the surface of the moon has dogged him for the past 37 years. Sticklers for grammar point out that "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" was tautology on a grand scale.

Peter Shann Ford, 56, came to Armstrong's rescue two weeks ago when tinkering with a download of the Armstrong recording from NASA's website.

Ford used highly sensitive GoldWave software to analyse Armstrong's words, picking up a faint reading for the vexed "a" - proof that the astronaut indeed said it.

Armstrong spoke 10 times too fast for the "a" to be heard, Ford found.

Armstrong, 76, has always maintained he meant to say the grammatically correct "one small step for a man", while the official NASA version has placed the "a" within parentheses.

The findings were presented to a grateful Armstrong in Washington DC last Thursday.

"I have reviewed the data and Peter Ford's analysis of it and I find the technology interesting and persuasive," Armstrong told The Houston Chronicle.

Ford, a former US TV anchorman, said his meeting with Armstrong was "just magic". "For an hour we just had a big geekfest ... he knows all the technology," he said. "I think he was certainly pleased to see that this vindicated him."

NASA will analyse the tapes again to once and for all confirm Armstrong's words for posterity.

I like the part about the "highly sensitive GoldWave software". Heh - looks nice and advanced. .

[Mongoose]

Despite the looks, it is actually a pretty powerful piece of software. 

Regarding the quote, I've heard that it was misheard by Mission Control for years due to the static in the transmission, but it's cool that someone finally definitively proved it.

[Ulala]

I've used Goldwave quite a bit actually, it's great stuff.

[NGTM-1R]

That must be why it can't convert to a format FS2 will recognize.

[BlackDove]

Again with the idiocy. -_-

Yeah, GoldWave's fairly awesome, we're actually using it a lot for BWO. I just had to get my hands on the full version, use it to encode all my audio.

[Taristin]

That must be why it can't convert to a format FS2 will recognize.

It actually works just fine. I suspect user error.

[Sandwich]

CoolEdit 96 FTW.

[Fragrag]

But, but, the version without an 'a' sounds more poetic and epic

[NGTM-1R]

It actually works just fine. I suspect user error.

I doubt it. Rather heavily, since somebody who supposedly knew what they were doing said "do this"...and it's kinda improbable I'd do it wrong upwards of five times, y'know?