This Monday, July 20th marks the 46th anniversary of the moon landing. This is an event that is still celebrated and revered by everyone who even has a slight fascination with space. This event that had almost half a billion people watching on live television spawned innumerable dreams in people of someday going further into space.
The Apollo 11 Mission Goals
President John F. Kennedy declared in 1961 that he wanted to land a man on the moon and have him return to earth. Only eight years later, the Apollo 11 mission was successfully launched on July 16th, 1969 and on-lookers everywhere where fascinated with the moon landing and man’s first steps on the moon a few days later of the 20th of July, 1969.
Neil Armstrong’s first words as he set foot on the moon still ring in the ears of space enthusiasts to this day: “That is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The astronauts left Cape Canaveral’s Kennedy Space Center on July 16th 1969 and were headed for the world’s first moon landing. After a grueling four day journey, the brave adventurers made it to the moon, and set out to make history.
Man’s Time on the Moon
Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were the two first men to set foot on another cosmic body. The two spent a total of 21 hours and 36 minutes on the moon before returning to the command module to rejoin Michael Collins, the third astronaut on the mission.
Armstrong and Aldrin spent their time collecting moon rock samples, exploring the surface on their lunar rovers, and even planted a flag near the sight of their moon landing. Evidence of their time on the moon can still be seen to this day. NASA’s lunar orbiter has taken pictures revealing the tracks left by the rover as well as equipment that was left behind.
Making History from the Moon Landing
The moon landing was a historical event that had millions of people watching. It marked the first point where man finally physically left Earth to explore more of the universe. Since then, space travel has not come very far, but hopefully a new interest in exploring the galaxy will ignite within the right people because of this anniversary. Man wants to explore, and space is the next logical step. Perhaps humanity will soon have another “small step” that leads to a “giant leap.”
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