Paul M. Krueger

Apollo 11’s crew successfully makes the first human landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. American Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon six and a half hours later.

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ㅤApollo 11 was the historic American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon in July 1969. The mission was crewed by Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin piloted the Lunar Module Eagle to a landing at a site they named Tranquility Base. Several hours later, Armstrong became the first human to step onto the lunar surface, followed shortly by Aldrin. Together, they spent over two hours exploring the site and collecting 47.5 pounds of lunar samples while Collins orbited the Moon in the Command Module Columbia.

ㅤThe mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Saturn V rocket on July 16 and took three days to reach lunar orbit. After spending 21.5 hours on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined Collins for the trip back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24. Armstrong’s first step was broadcast live worldwide, accompanied by his famous words, “one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” The mission was a resounding success, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 goal and effectively securing an American victory in the Space Race.