Apollo 11
Apollo 11 carried the first men to the moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first to set foot on the moon, stepping onto the lunar surface and saying: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." [1]
The crew consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins. Buzz Aldrin was second on the moon. Collins orbited in the command module. They broadcast a live videotaping and placed the flag and a plaque which read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." They then gathered rocks and soil.
The rocket, a Saturn V, was launched on July 16, 1969 by NASA from Kennedy Space Center, and it entered lunar orbit on July 19.
John F. Kennedy had determined to send a man to the moon before the end of the decade. However, by the time the landing was made, Richard Nixon was in office. He sent the astronauts a live message shortly after they landed.
They returned safely to Earth on July 24, 1969.
Some disruptive influences have attempted to undermine the idea that the moon landing was real by claiming that it was a hoax filmed on a set, but all these claims have been debunked, despite continuing controversy over the role of NASA, which has not managed to capitalize on its moon successes.
References
- ↑ He intended to say "one step for a man." Whether he succeeded in getting out the word "a" is disputed. See Neil_Armstrong#One small step
