Apollo 11- The Landing of the First Humans on the Moon

Date: July 20, 1969

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that successfully landed the first humans on the Moon. This major accomplishment in the history of exploration was able to end the Space Race, and left the United States as its victor. John F. Kennedy had made it a priority for the U.S. to be able to get to the Moon before the Russians by the end of the 1960s.

“Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin into an initial Earth-orbit of 114 by 116 miles” (NASA.gov). After the Columbia was fused together with the Eagle, the astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong were ready to descend onto the Moon.                                           

“On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the LM again, made a final check, and at 100 hours, 12 minutes into the flight, the Eagle undocked and separated from Columbia for visual inspection” (NASA.gov). After the Eagle completely separated, Armstrong was able to man the spacecraft and was able to land in a mare on the Moon. After the descent, cameras were set up, and they captured Aldrin and Armstrong stepping on the Moon, with the words “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” being heard across the world.

http://storiesofusa.com/images/apollo-11-moon-landing.jpg

After spending over 20 hours or more on the surface, the astronauts brought back many moon rocks, as well as other information acquired from experiments they had done. The Eagle then returned to the Columbia. After everyone had a rest, they were ready to return to Earth. No major problems occurred during the mission, and everything had gone as planned.

This mission was a groundbreaking accomplishment, as it was the first time humans landed on another planet. It would exemplify what the U.S. would become for years after, and just how much humans had advanced in science and technology.