On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong made the first human footfall on the moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. Here is a brief summary of what happened before and up to that point:
1. Preparation:
Early in the 1960s, NASA launched the Apollo program with
the intention of sending people to the moon and then returning them safely to
Earth. Apollo 11 was selected as the mission to try a lunar landing after a
number of successful missions.
2. Crew:
There were three astronauts on the Apollo 11 crew: Michael
Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong. Aldrin piloted the lunar module,
Collins the command module, and Armstrong was chosen as the mission commander.
3. Launch:
The Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 11 spacecraft lifted
off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969. The Columbia command
module and the Eagle lunar module made up the spacecraft.
4. Journey to the Moon:
The spacecraft entered lunar orbit after a roughly three-day
voyage. While Armstrong and Aldrin were getting ready to descend to the lunar
surface, Collins stayed in the command module.
5. Lunar Descent
The "Eagle" lunar module began its fall to the
moon's surface on July 20, 1969, after disengaging from the command module. The
Sea of Tranquility served as the landing area.
6. The Descent and "The Eagle has Landed:
The lunar module had to cross a field of pebbles and deal
with a number of computer alerts as it descended. With just seconds of fuel
left, Armstrong took manual control and guided the lunar module to a secure
landing. "Houston, Tranquility Base here," he radioed. The eagle has
landed.
7. The First Initiative:
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to
step foot on the moon around six hours later. "That's one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind," he famously said as he set foot on the
moon.
8. Activities on Moon:
About two and a half hours were spent on the moon's surface
by Armstrong and Aldrin conducting experiments, gathering samples, and taking
pictures. The American flag was also planted.
9. Return to Earth:
The lunar module reconnected with the command module after
their successful lunar operations, and the crew started their return trip to
Earth.
10. Splashdown
The crew of Apollo 11 was safely retrieved by the USS Hornet
after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.
A major milestone in human history was reached with Neil
Armstrong's historic landing on the moon, which represented the fruition of
years of research and development in science and technology as well as the
fulfillment of a long-held ambition to study the lunar surface.
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