--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They didn’t tell me I was going into…" description: "\"They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after they locked the shuttle doors and started counting down.\" — Buzz Aldrin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg" --- # They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after… ![“They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after they locked the shuttle doors and started counting down.” quote by Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg) > “They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after they locked the shuttle doors and started counting down.” [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Astronauts often learn about mission details very late, highlighting the high-stakes, secretive nature of space travel. **In simple terms:** Space missions reveal details late, showing high stakes. Key Takeaway Prepare for rapid, unexpected changes. Themes space exploration team dynamics risk management Mood reflective serious Type historical educational When to use this quote - spaceflight training - emergency response - team coordination - public outreach Key Concepts late briefings mission secrecy Questions to Reflect On - How can teams improve communication? - What protocols help manage sudden changes? A Different Perspective Late information can increase stress and error risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Counting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counting/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Doors Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors-started-3031330/) [Going Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-space-489303/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Locked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locked/) [Locked Shuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locked-shuttle-6101869/) [Shuttle Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shuttle-doors-6101870/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space Locked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-locked-1880807/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that if doors don't open, make new doors. So I also have started producing quite a bit of things as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katee-sackhoff/i-believe-that-if-doors-don-t-open-make-new-doors-so-i-also-have/) [Katee Sackhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katee-sackhoff/) > [“After locking the doors, I started to back up. I ignored the voice inside of me that told me quite clearly to go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-starkey/after-locking-the-doors-i-started-to-back-up-i-ignored-the-voice/) [L.A. Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-starkey/) > [My husband said he needed more space. So I locked him outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-husband-said-he-needed-more-space-so-i-locked-him-outside/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Husbands are never happy. My husband asked me for more space, so I locked him out of the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/husbands-are-never-happy-my-husband-asked-me-for-more-space-so-i/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [“There is no escape. Eight billion humans won’t escape their issues by going to space. Our planet needs no terraforming, no cosmic radiation shielding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-pablo-qui-onez/there-is-no-escape-eight-billion-humans-won-t-escape-their-issues-by/) [Juan Pablo Quiñonez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-pablo-qui-onez/) > [The most uncomfortable thing about going to space is coming home. It's a little strange to get used to gravity again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mcclain/the-most-uncomfortable-thing-about-going-to-space-is-coming-home-it-s/) [Anne McClain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mcclain/) > [We are going into space, and we need protection. And in case we need to space walk, we'll have to go outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-gass/we-are-going-into-space-and-we-need-protection-and-in-case-we-need-to/) [Kyle Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-gass/) > [When NASA says they're going into space, they don't mean up and back. They mean orbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/when-nasa-says-they-re-going-into-space-they-don-t-mean-up-and-back/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I think you're going to see an interest in space tourism, space travel for the sake of travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-think-you-re-going-to-see-an-interest-in-space-tourism-space-travel/) [Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/) > [In the late 19th century, Russian Cosmists such as Nikolai Fyodorov believed we need to go to space to collect all the particles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/in-the-late-19th-century-russian-cosmists-such-as-nikolai-fyodorov/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Many, and some of the most pressing, of our terrestrial problems can be solved only by going into space. Long before it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/many-and-some-of-the-most-pressing-of-our-terrestrial-problems-can-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Micro satellites, about the size of a loaf of bread, are going to be going into space more and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cantrell/micro-satellites-about-the-size-of-a-loaf-of-bread-are-going-to-be/) [Jim Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cantrell/) > [I always dreamed of going out to space. The idea of going to a planet where nobody's ever been is attractive to me, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panda-bear/i-always-dreamed-of-going-out-to-space-the-idea-of-going-to-a-planet/) [Panda Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panda-bear/) > [If you're going to go into space, you have to have an objective, a mission. Where do you want to go? Earth orbit? The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lovell/if-you-re-going-to-go-into-space-you-have-to-have-an-objective-a/) [Jim Lovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lovell/) > [I think it's the entire privilege I had to represent my country. It's not the going to space alone; it's to be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-payette/i-think-it-s-the-entire-privilege-i-had-to-represent-my-country-it-s/) [Julie Payette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-payette/) ## More by Buzz Aldrin > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [A family needs to work as a team, supporting each other's individual aims and aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/a-family-needs-to-work-as-a-team-supporting-each-other-s-individual/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/in-space-you-don-t-get-that-much-noise-noise-doesn-t-propagate-in-a/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/for-every-winner-there-s-a-loser-and-that-person-didn-t-really-need/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [The society of life on Mars, or the challenge of making Mars more livable, will have significant benefits on our attempts to modify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/the-society-of-life-on-mars-or-the-challenge-of-making-mars-more/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/exploration-is-wired-into-our-brains-if-we-can-see-the-horizon-we/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [“I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-believe-that-every-human-has-a-finite-number-of-heart-beats-i-don-t/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [There is very little doubt, in my mind, that what the next monumental achievement of humanity will be the first landing by an Earthling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-is-very-little-doubt-in-my-mind-that-what-the-next-monumental/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [ Weve got to go \[back to the moon\]. But we dont want to stay too long. ... The ultimate goal is Mars. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/weve-got-to-go-back-to-the-moon-but-we-dont-want-to-stay-too-long-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I want to keep on the move, keep stimulated and challenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-want-to-keep-on-the-move-keep-stimulated-and-challenged/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [America can take man to the moon, and America can take men to Mars - and beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/america-can-take-man-to-the-moon-and-america-can-take-men-to-mars-and/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I don't believe any pair of people had been more removed physically from the rest of the world than we were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-don-t-believe-any-pair-of-people-had-been-more-removed-physically/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [We have the ability, at such high fidelity, to simulate the physical world through computers. But when the spiritual world or human behavior comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/we-have-the-ability-at-such-high-fidelity-to-simulate-the-physical/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I do celebrity ski races all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-do-celebrity-ski-races-all-over-the-world/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) [Explore all 319 Buzz Aldrin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## More Counting quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We have to be innovative, we have to be fresh, we have to be new. People are counting on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-barthel/we-have-to-be-innovative-we-have-to-be-fresh-we-have-to-be-new-people/) [Sarah Barthel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-barthel/) > [There is us living the Cuban experience that we believe is ours. We do not believe that it is perfect, but it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/there-is-us-living-the-cuban-experience-that-we-believe-is-ours-we-do/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [“were counting on her. She couldn’t let them down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-leclair/were-counting-on-her-she-couldn-t-let-them-down/) [Laurie LeClair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-leclair/) > [Suddenly the full long wail of a ship's horn surged through the open window and flooded the dim room - a cry of boundless,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/suddenly-the-full-long-wail-of-a-ship-s-horn-surged-through-the-open/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [One foot in front of the other, counting tiles on the floor so I don't have to focus the blur of painted smiles, fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-counting-tiles-on-the-floor-so-i-don-t/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Why do I tire of counting sheep?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owl-city/why-do-i-tire-of-counting-sheep/) [Owl City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owl-city/) > [Beware of making a woman cry. God is counting her tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/beware-of-making-a-woman-cry-god-is-counting-her-tears/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Builders insist that success may never come without a compelling personal commitment to something you care about and would be willing to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/builders-insist-that-success-may-never-come-without-a-compelling/) [Jerry I. 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Something that saved one from loneliness? A sort of insurance policy against not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/for-was-that-all-she-thought-bleakly-that-love-ever-was-something/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) [Browse all 454 Counting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after they locked the shuttle doors and started counting down.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Buzz Aldrin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-space-until-after-they-locked/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Counting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-space-until-after-they-locked/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/buzz-aldrin-954_counting_they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-spa_795588.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They didn’t tell me I was going into space until after they locked the shuttle doors and started counting…” — Buzz Aldrin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Buzz Aldrin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They didn’t tell me I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-space-until-after-they-locked/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/they-didn-t-tell-me-i-was-going-into-space-until-after-they-locked/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```