Apollo 11

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 made history when humans first landed on the Moon. The mission lasted just over eight days and carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins on a journey that changed space exploration forever.

• Three Astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins made up the Apollo 11 crew. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon while Collins remained in orbit aboard the command module.
• First Moonwalk – Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin about 19 minutes later.
• The Eagle Landed – The lunar module carrying Armstrong and Aldrin was called Eagle. It landed in the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969.
• Millions Were Watching – An estimated 650 million people around the world watched Armstrong's historic televised first steps on the Moon.
• A Huge Rocket – Apollo 11 was launched by the enormous Saturn V, a three-stage rocket standing about 363 feet (111 metres) tall and producing around 7.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
• A Close Landing – The lunar module landed with only about 30 seconds of fuel remaining. Armstrong had to manually steer the spacecraft toward a safer landing area after the original approach presented hazards.
• Moon Dust Collection – Armstrong and Aldrin collected about 21.5 kilograms (47.5 pounds) of lunar rocks and soil to bring back to Earth for scientific study.
• Collins Stayed Alone – While Armstrong and Aldrin explored the Moon, Michael Collins orbited above them in Columbia. For a period, he was the only person in the universe who was not on Earth or the Moon.
• They Left Something Behind – The astronauts deployed scientific experiments on the lunar surface and also left behind a commemorative plaque and a small silicon disk containing goodwill messages from 73 countries.
• They Came Home Safely – Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969, after a mission lasting about 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes. All three astronauts returned safely to Earth.

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