Apollo 11 was the historic spaceflight mission by NASA that successfully landed the first two humans, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Neil Armstrong famously stepped onto the lunar surface and delivered the iconic phrase, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The command module pilot for Apollo 11 was Michael Collins, who orbited the Moon in the command module while Armstrong and Aldrin explored the lunar surface. The mission was launched on July 16, 1969, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida using the Saturn V rocket.
After spending about 21 hours on the Moon’s surface, Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined Collins in the command module, and the astronauts returned safely to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.
The successful Apollo 11 mission was a significant achievement in human history, marking a pivotal moment in the space race and showcasing humanity’s capability to explore and achieve remarkable feats in space exploration.
Here are 20 facts about Apollo 11 Moon Landing, probably you didn’t know, now you should know these facts.
1. Michael Collins designed the Apollo 11 insignia.
2. Neil Armstrong wasn’t convinced that they’d be able to land the Lunar Module.
3. Pieces of the Wright Brothers’ first aircraft were onboard Apollo 11.
4. When Apollo 11 landed, they were really low on fuel.
5. Eagle’s overworked computer system had Apollo 11 landing in a boulder-filled crater.
6. Apollo 11 landed in the wrong place.
7. Armstrong’s “small step” was more of a “giant leap.”
8. Armstrong’s first steps took place late at night.
9. A lot of people watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing happen.
10. Armstrong swore that his “one small step” line was misheard back on Earth.
11. Armstrong may have been the first man to walk on the Moon, but Buzz Aldrin was the first man to pee on the Moon.
12. At the same time Armstrong and Aldrin were completing their moonwalk, a soviet spacecraft accidentally crashed into the Moon.
13. Collins was terrified that something would go wrong and he’d have to return to Earth alone.
14. Some Apollo 8 legal problems caused a last-minute change of plans.
15. There was some confusion about where the Apollo 11 flag came from.
16. The astronauts left a lot of stuff behind.
17. Apollo 11’s return to Earth is largely due to a felt-tipped pen.
18. The rocks they brought back were billions of years old.
19. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were quarantined for more than two weeks upon their return to Earth.
20. The Apollo 11 astronauts did not have an alien encounter.
(ref-mentalfloss)