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The historic flight of Apollo 11 was launched on July 16. After entering lunar orbit, astronauts Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., of the air force and Neil A. Armstrong transferred to the lunar module (LM). Armstrong, a civilian, was a navy veteran. Lt. Col. Michael Collins of the air force remained in lunar orbit following the separation, piloting the command and service module. The LM descended to the surface of the moon on July 20, landing at the edge of Mare Tranquilitatis.
A few hours later, Armstrong, in his bulky space suit, descended the ladder and, at 10:56 pm (Eastern Daylight Time) stepped onto the surface of the moon. His first words were, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." He was soon joined by Aldrin, and the two astronauts spent more than two hours walking on the lunar surface. They gathered 21 kg (47 lb) of soil samples, took photographs, and set up a solar wind experiment, a laser-beam reflector, and a seismic experiment package. Armstrong and Aldrin also erected an American flag and talked, by satellite communications, with U.S. President Richard M. Nixon in the White House. They found that walking and running at one-sixth the gravity of earth was not difficult. Also by satellite communications, millions of people watched live television broadcasts from the moon. Returning to the LM and discarding their space suits, the two astronauts rested several hours before takeoff. They left the moon in the ascent stage of the LM, using the lower half of the module, which remained on the moon, as a launchpad. The ascent stage was jettisoned after docking with the command and service module and the transfer of the astronauts to the spacecraft. The return flight of Apollo 11 to the earth was completed without mishap, and the vehicle splashed down and was recovered on July 24 in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
Because of the slight possibility of terrestrial contamination by living lunar organisms, the astronauts put on "biological isolation garments" before leaving the spacecraft and were placed under quarantine for three weeks. They remained in good health.
The Apollo 11 flight attracted great interest around the world. The general feeling was that the lunar landing signaled a first step on a new plateau of evolution.
An article from Funk & Wagnalls® New Encyclopedia. © 2005 World Almanac Education Group. A WRC Media Company. All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by written agreement, uses of the work inconsistent with U.S. and applicable foreign copyright and related laws are prohibited.
