Apollo 11
Experience the historic Apollo 11 mission with captivating content and rare footage
that celebrate the spirit of exploration and pay tribute to the mission's heroes.
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United States
Spaceflight
In 1969, Apollo 11 successfully landed the first humans on the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, marking the end of the Apollo program and fulfilling a major US goal to surpass the Soviet Union in space exploration.
Biography
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Take off
Apollo 11 launch and return were televised worldwide, captivating millions. The Saturn V launch was flawless, and the crew of Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were enthusiastic from the beginning of the mission.
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This Saturn gave us a magnificent ride.…It was beautiful!
"
After launch, the Saturn V sent the crew towards the Moon. The astronauts docked the command and lunar modules and entered lunar orbit, starting with an elliptical orbit before transitioning to a nearly circular one.
Descent
Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module, Eagle, on July 20, while Collins remained in the command module, Columbia.
Touchdown
At 10:56 PM EDT on July 20, Armstrong famously stepped onto the lunar soil, uttering the iconic phrase, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin followed 20 minutes later.
one small step
During their more than two-hour moon walk, Armstrong and Aldrin conducted scientific experiments, collected 23 kg (50 lbs) of rock and soil samples, took photographs, and stayed in constant communication.
ONe small step
with mission control in Houston. They also set up devices to measure the composition of the solar wind, determine the exact distance between the Moon and Earth, and measure moonquakes and meteor impacts.
one small step
The astronauts returned to Columbia, piloted by Collins, and left the Moon's surface after 21 hours and 38 minutes. They used the ascent stage of Eagle to launch back into lunar orbit before starting their trip back to Earth.
Splashdown
Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii on July 24. The astronauts were quarantined on the recovery ship and then transferred to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston for a 21-day quarantine period. They were checked for any lunar diseases and the samples were analyzed.
