Apollo 11 was a crucial milestone in space exploration. It was not only the first spacecraft to land humans on the Moon but also demonstrated technical excellence and unwavering courage.
It marked a moment in history when, for the first time ever, two people walked on an extraterrestrial body and made it back safely to Earth.
They achieved something extraordinary and proved that human capabilities knew no bounds.
Apollo 11 pushed boundaries, inspiring future generations of dreamers who continue to work towards innovative new frontiers beyond our world.
Its success set off a chain reaction of exponential progress that continues to this day – proving that anything is possible.
Quick Navigation
Apollo 11 Facts for Kids
- Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon.
- It launched on July 16, 1969.
- The crew consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins.
- Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon while Collins orbited above.
- Armstrong famously said, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he stepped onto the Moon’s surface.
- The mission lasted just over 8 days.
The Apollo 11 Project
Journey
In 1968, President Kennedy set out an ambitious goal – to put people on the Moon. After 11 successful Apollo flights, NASA achieved this dream in 1969. Astronauts explored our lunar neighbor and brought back rocks for scientific study.
Objectives
The purpose of Apollo 11 was to complete a crewed mission that would land astronauts on the Moon and bring them safely home, spreading humanity a little farther across the universe.
But they also had a focus on exploration as they sent up a space module, television cameras to broadcast signals back to Earth, solar wind experiments, and more.
Lifetime
Over 12 brave astronauts traveled to the Moon’s surface. They studied its features up close and collected samples of rock and soil along the way. These extraordinary astronauts made history with their accomplishments in space travel and gave us all something to rejoice over!
Who is Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin?
Buzz was a true inspiration. He wasn’t just an astronaut; he was a real-life hero to that we could all look up to. He and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to set foot on the Moon, a milestone in history and science.
People got to know him as “Buzz” after his sister started calling him that as a mispronunciation of the word brother. It soon caught on, no doubt due to his cheerful personality!
It was fate that even his mother had the last name Moon. On the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz assisted Neil Armstrong with collecting valuable rock samples and pictures from the Moon, along with planting an American flag there in 1969.
Post-NASA days still saw Buzz remaining active in promoting space exploration, such as exploring Antarctica — an experience that pushed him to survive near-death scenarios!
He was and still is truly remarkable.
Who Was the First Man to Walk on the Moon?
Neil Armstrong always loved planes. As a kid, he flew one before he could even read. He knew he wanted to make a career out of aviation, and that’s exactly what he did. Working with airplanes let him hone his skills. He went on to fly bigger and better aircraft and eventually became an astronaut – the second group ever to do so.
When Neil took charge of the Gemini 8 mission alongside David Scott, they made history by being the first to connect two spacecraft in space. But that was merely a precursor to his daring feat on Apollo 11. Armstrong was named mission commander for the flight and successfully landed on the Moon – something no man had done before him.
Afterward, he hung up his spaceman hat and began teaching at a university, then turned to business ventures related to space exploration. He remained active in groups that studied aeronautics and space, continuing to use his talent for flying for good as long as he lived.
The Apollo 11 Mission Launch
On July 16, 1969, the historic mission of Apollo 11 was launched with Commander Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin onboard. After two hours and 44 minutes into its flight, the S-IVB stage reignited and sent it on a translunar trajectory.
The computers of the Apollo 11 were massively powerful for their day; only equipped with 2 kilobytes, they were enough to propel these brave crew members safely to the Moon and back.
In comparison, any smartphone available today has far more computing power than what Apollo 11 had on board!
The command and service module (CSM) was soon separated from the Minutemann IVB rocket after reaching Earth orbit and was then docked to Lunar Module (LM).
Here, the first-ever live color TV transmission from space took place when Commander Armstrong tested procedures prior to their arrival in lunar orbit.
Thanks to their successful launch trajectory, midcourse corrections weren’t needed.
Exploring the Moon
On July 18, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their first steps onto the Moon to gather data and observations on their epic mission. With planet Earth visible in the background, they transmitted their trek to the world as part of a broadcast.
The next day, Apollo 11 went out of reach as it passed behind the Moon – losing contact with people on Earth. After maneuvering around our celestial neighbor, they returned to the Lunar Module (LM) to make sure all systems were working properly.
On July 20, Neil and Buzz once again returned to LM before undocking from the Columbia spacecraft so that they could inspect it. This was crucial for them to be able to successfully return back home safely when needed.
A Problem With The Landing of Apollo 11
Landing in the Sea of Tranquility was a daring move. Known for its vast, flat, and safe surface, this was deemed the right location to land by Mission Control. But unexpectedly, Eagle ended up seven kilometers away from where it should have been.
Five computer alarms sounded during the descent, which informed Enterprise’s crew that the computation system was overloaded. Despite that, Houston approved of the decision to continue with a touchdown as they calculated risks minimized.
Right before their landing, another sign of trouble presented itself: Their navigation showed an area of nothing but rocks. To ensure safe delivery to the surface, Armstrong bravely manipulated Eagle into a secure position, and they announced, “Houston, Tranquility Base. The Eagle has landed.”
Mission Control initially thought only 17 seconds of fuel remained, yet after the event revealed enough supplies to keep them sailing longer than believed.
The Moon Walk
What happened when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon?
When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon, millions of people around the world watched him live on television.
The world witnessed this historic moment when he took his first step and uttered, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” His words echoed through millions of television screens around the globe.
He had only around two and a half hours before he could be out of the spacecraft, and there was a long list of things to do.
He and Aldrin collected rocks and samples from the surface, set up experiments to measure moonquakes, and planted an American flag. They also stuck a disc containing messages from 73 countries, as well as names of congressional leaders.
As part of their mission, they did not want any advertisement or marketing associated with them, which is why they asked Sears not to reveal they made the flag they planted on the lunar soil.
Before leaving Earth’s orbit, John Glenn carried out some trials relating to food consumption in space – this prompted NASA to make Tang (the lemon-flavored powder beverage) famous on missions too.
On their scurry away from Eagle seven hours later, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took photographs documenting their journey for historians to learn about what happened on that momentous date.
Coming back to Earth
Mission success! Apollo 11 flew a “free-return” trajectory, allowing them to abort the mission before entering lunar orbit. Collins maintained Columbia’s orbit around the Moon while Eagle’s ascent stage landed on the Moon for over 21 hours. Apollo 11 then circled the Moon 31 times for 2.5 days.
Fast forward 8 days and 3 hours as Apollo 11 landed in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii after deployment of their parachute, which was 36 minutes later than planned.
The weather didn’t cooperate, so they chose an alternative spot to arrive safely. A journey of 195 hours was made possible by courageous astronauts taking risks and paving new paths of exploration!
Scientists were sure the Moon was lifeless. But the crew was quarantined for 21 days as a precaution.
Once the Apollo 11 samples were taken, scientists studied them closely. It was learned that they mostly consisted of basalt and breccia rocks. Basalt is a rock formed from cooled magma over billions of years. It contains titanium, an element found in other lunar rocks too.
These lunar rocks are broken when space objects hit them at high speeds. It turns out these rocks were completely dry – no water and no life forms!
We now know the Moon lacks any form of life it once had due to its hostile environment. But taking these precautions certainly helped protect us from any potential biological contamination.
Apollo 11 Legacy
America’s space mission created a history that will never be forgotten. Apollo 11 represents one of humankind’s greatest joint achievements and celebrates the courage, skill, and ambition of its astronauts.
One astronaut, in particular, became a symbol of martyrdom and triumph, Neil Armstrong, whose sentiments of this significant event are immortalized forever when he spoke his famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Apollo 11 established the United States’ dominance as a superpower and ignited their innovative capabilities. It encouraged further exploration of science and technology in aerospace, making way for more unimaginable milestones that still await discovery.
Every day we look to the sky with gratefulness over America’s success in taking humanity to outer space — an unforgettable 70-minute journey launching us all into possibilities beyond our reach.
