On July 21 at 02:56 (GMT), astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step on the Moon. This lunar landing marked a milestone in human history. .
“It’s a small step for a man, but a giant leap for humanity.”, the phrase Neil Armstrong uttered on the Moon, has become a symbol of human energy, strength and success. Half a century has passed, but the Apollo 11 moon landing still has meaning.
Let’s take a look back at the HAS moments of this historic moment through photos taken by NASA and photographers just 50 years ago.
The official logo for the Apollo 11 mission – America’s first moon landing mission. They used the image of an eagle (the symbol of the United States, at the same time.) Eagle (also the name of the Apollo 11 lander) carried an olive branch (the olive branch symbolizes peace) which gradually landed on the Moon.
1. Prepare for the moon landing
The Apollo 11 crew. Left to right: Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, module pilot; Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, lunar module pilot.
Apollo 11 astronauts rehearse at a NASA training facility. A model of the lunar module is in the background. In the foreground, astronaut Neil Armstrong sets up an S-band antenna. Behind Armstrong, astronaut Buzz Aldrin collects samples that simulate material on the lunar surface.
Neil Armstrong trains with the Apollo Guidance Computer, which will help Armstrong land safely on the Moon.
Astronaut Team Leader and Flight Crew Program Operator Donald K. Slayton (right, front) views lunar maps with Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins (left), Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin (next to Slayton), during breakfast, shortly before the three boarded the trainer.
Breakfast with the crew was William Anders (left, back), the lunar module pilot on the Apollo 8 mission.
The Apollo 11 astronauts waved to everyone before boarding a truck to head for the launch pad.
The 363-foot Apollo 11 spacecraft launched from Launch Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 2:32 p.m. UT, July 16, 1969.
This photo of the Earth rising from the Moon’s horizon was taken while Apollo 11 was orbiting the Moon. The region pictured here is the Smuth Sea, located on the near side of the Moon.
2. Historic Moment on the Moon
July 20 television image showing Armstrong’s resignation. Armstrong walked on the Moon at 02:56 (UT), Aldrin quit 19 minutes later. Collins remained on the Columbia command module, orbiting the Moon.
Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module Pilot, exiting the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle and get ready to descend on the Moon. This photo was taken by Spacecraft Commander Neil A. Armstrong, with a 70mm lunar surface camera during operations outside the Apollo 11 spacecraft (EVA).
A close up of the Apollo 11 lunar module base as it lands on the surface of the Moon. This protruding stick-shaped object is the lunar surface sensor.
During the exploration of the Moon, the Apollo 11 astronauts left on the surface of this celestial body a plate with the above contents. This line means
“These are people from planet Earth who first set foot on the Moon. July 1969 AD. We come in peace for all mankind.
This board is made of stainless steel, 22.86 x 19.37 cm long, about 1.59 cm thick.
One of the most famous photographs captures Aldrin walking on the Moon. Neil Armstrong, who took the photo, can be seen reflected in the visor of Aldrin’s helmet.
Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin erect an American flag on the lunar surface. This photograph, published in the December 1969 issue of National Geographic, was taken by a television camera mounted on the side of the Apollo 11 lunar module.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin sets up a seismograph – an instrument used to measure ‘earthquakes’ on the lunar surface. The device is solar-powered, contains four seismometers, and has a nuclear heating element to help combat the moon’s nighttime chill.
New Yorkers watched television in the rain and burst into joy as the Apollo 11 astronauts took their first steps on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969.
NASA and Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) officials and flight controllers celebrate the successful landing of Apollo 11 at the Mission Control Center.
Six-year-old Mark Armstrong, son of astronaut Neil Armstrong, holds a bold headline on the July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 landing. In the background is his home in Houston, Texas.
3. Heroes Welcome
In this photo, Command Module Columbia floats in the ocean as the US Navy assists the astronauts. The module landed at 11:49 a.m. local time, July 24, 1969, 1,500 km southwest of Hawaii.
The Apollo 11 command module is towed aboard the USS Hornet, the rescue ship that played a key role in the historic Apollo 11 mission.
Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (left to right) chat with US President Richard Nixon through the window of the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the USS Hornet after completing the return from the historic mission .
New Yorkers lined 42nd Street to greet the Apollo 11 astronauts on August 13, 1969. Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong in the lead van waved (pictured below).
Image source and photo caption: NASA, Nat Geo, CBS, Sky at Night
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