I've just posted this question to the ProjectApollo Yahoo Group and I wondered what people here thought about it...

I've been listening to a sound file of the Apollo 11 EVA which starts
from when the TV is activated. Why doesn't Armstrong want to get the
contingenct sample. Here is a brief description of what is heard. All
times are approx mins and secs from when the MOCR first gets TV.

00:00 TV starts
01:00 Neil tests to see if he can get back up the ladder.
01:20 Instructions for settings on sequence camera to Buzz from
Capcom.
01:30 Brief description of surface (Neil)
02:00 Steps off LM, One small step and all that.
02:40 More description of dusty surface.
03:40 Description of mobility.
04:15 Description of Decsent engine disturbance of Lunar surface. No
crater.
04:45 Preps to bring down the camera, LAC, description of lighting.
05:30 FD asks Capcom about sample, they decide to wait. It seems they
were expecting Armstrong to take the sample before getting the camera.
06:15 Armstrong describes backlighting of LM, everything is visible.
07:00 Lowering of the camera.
07:35 Reminder from FD to Capcom about sample, once camera is
secured, presumably on RCU.
08:10 FD gets update from Surgeon about crew.
08:20 Camera installed on RCU
08:50 Armstrong starts taking pictures.
08:55 FD gets confirmation that Armstrong can hear them.
09:00 FD prompts Capcom about reminding Neil about sample.
09:05 Capcom copies about photos and reminder of sample.
10:00 FD cofirms status of uplink.
10:10 FD queries whether Armstrong copied about sample.
10:20 Capcom queries Armstrong about sample.
10:25 Armstrong copies he will get to that just as soon as soon as
he's finished his picture series.
11:25 Buzz reminds Neil to get the contingency sample.
12:00 Neil finally starts to collect the sample.
12:20 Discussion with Buzz about how hard it is to get.
13:00 Discussion about beauty of the place and some description of
the rocks.
13:35 Capcom copies.
13:45 Handle off the sampler. Pushed into the surface.
14:15 Neil throws away the handle.
14:40 Buzz helps Neil (verbally) to get the sample in his pocket.
15:00 Pushing sample in pocket.
15:15 Sample is in the pocket. Description of suit situation.

Considering that the contingency sample was supposed to be just that,
a contingency sample in case they needed to make a quick 'getaway',
Neil sure is slow at getting it. It's a full 13 1/4 minutes from when
he steps off the LM to when he gets it in his pocket, after doing
seemingly everything else first. Even after several reminders he
doesn't get on with it. He doesn't even start until he's been on the
surface 10 minutes.

Why was he so reluctant to take the sample?

What do people think?

From what I understand, he wanted to take the contingency sample in the sunlight (I guess to pick the best spot?) and everything else he did was in the shadow of the LM, so he did those tasks while his eyes were still adjusted to the darkness.

Although I'm sure there's a conspiracy theory that's much more entertaining to answer this.

Perhaps he was just overwhelmed to be standing on the moon. After all he is human!

Nina says 'hi!'.

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Although the plan was to take the contingency sample right away, Armstrong was Mission Commander and was responsible for making the ultimate decision.

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that Armstrong felt that everything was going well, the spacecraft and other equipment were all functioning fine, and there was no real urgency to grab a sample. So he just let it slip down the list a bit.

Some notes from the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal... http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi.../a11.step.html