Remembering Apollo 11

40 years ago, three human beings - with the help of many thousands of others - left our planet on a successful journey to our Moon, setting foot on another world for the first time. Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the July 16, 1969 launch of Apollo 11, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. aboard. The entire trip lasted only 8 days, the time spent on the surface was less than one day, the entire time spent walking on the moon, a mere 2 1/2 hours - but they were surely historic hours. Scientific experiments were deployed (at least one still in use today), samples were collected, and photographs were taken to document the entire journey. Collected here are 40 images from that journey four decades ago, when, in the words of astronaut Buzz Aldrin: "In this one moment, the world came together in peace for all mankind". (40 photos total)

The view from the Apollo 11 Command and Service Module (CSM) "Columbia" shows the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon on July 20th, 1969. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. (NASA)

German scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun explains the Saturn Launch System to President John F. Kennedy during a visit. NASA Deputy Administrator Robert Seamans is to the left of von Braun. (NASA) #

Astronaut Neil Armstrong on a one-day Gemini VIII mission in March of 1966. Gemini was a stepping-stone project, working toward the upcoming Apollo missions. (NASA/Space Frontiers/Getty Images) #

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 mission commander, floats safely to the ground after an accident during a training session on May 6th, 1968. The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) exploded only seconds before while Armstrong was rehearsing a lunar landing at Ellington Air Force Base near the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). This photo is an enlargement of a frame from a 16mm documentary motion picture recorded during the mishap. (NASA) #

Neil Armstrong (left) watches Buzz Aldrin take a documentary photo of a sample during a training session on February 24th, 1969. (NASA) #

Michael Collins works in a Command Module simulator (with an assistant beside him). (NASA) #

Neil Armstrong poses for a photograph at the Lunar Landing Research Facility at NASA Langley in Virginia on February 12, 1969. (NASA) #

An official NASA portrait of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. (NASA) #

An aerial view of the 363 foot-tall (111 m) Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket rollout from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida on May 20th, 1969. (NASA) #

The Apollo 11 crew and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton look over charts during the traditional launch day breakfast of steak and eggs on July 16, 1969. (NASA) #

A technician works atop the white room, through which the astronauts will enter the spacecraft, while other technicians look on from the launch tower at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 1969. (NASA) #

Every console was manned in firing room 1 of the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC) control center during the launch countdown for Apollo 11. (NASA). #

Lift-off of the Saturn V rocket, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr, along with 6,700,000 pounds (3,039,000 kg) of fuel and equipment into the Florida sky, bound for the Moon, on July 16th, 1969. (NASA) #

A 70mm Airborne Lightweight Optical Tracking System (ALOTS) camera, mounted in a pod on a cargo door of a U.S. Air Force EC-135N aircraft photographed this event in the early moments of the Apollo 11 launch. The mated Saturn V second and third stages pull away from the expended first stage. Separation occurred at an altitude of about 38 miles, some 55 miles downrange from Cape Kennedy. (NASA) #

A view of Earth from orbit shortly after launch, July, 1969. (NASA) #

Lunar module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, inside the module as it makes its way toward the Moon, July, 1969. (NASA) #

Looking back over their shoulder, an Apollo astronaut takes a photograph of the Earth during the long translunar coast. The body and some thruster nozzles of the Lunar Module are visible in the foreground. (NASA) #

Most of Africa and portions of Europe and Asia can be seen in this photograph taken from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its translunar coast toward the moon. Apollo 11 was already 98,000 nautical miles from Earth when this picture was made on July 17th, 1969. (NASA) #

Arriving and entering into Lunar orbit. Seen below are craters Sabine and Ritter, and mountains stretching back to the horizon on July 19th, 1969. (NASA) #

Looking down at the Command and Service Module (center), with the Moon's surface below, as seen from the now-separated Lunar Module (LM), on its way to the surface. The proiminent crater is Schmidt crater. This is the last photo taken from the LM prior to the powered descent, and eventually the landing one orbit later. (NASA) #

Television footage of the first human footstep on Lunar soil on July 20, 1969. Astronaut Neil Armstrong took these first steps, followed shortly by Buzz Aldrin. This is a reproduction of the television image that was transmitted to the world on July 20th, 1969. (NASA) #

A close-up view of astronaut Buzz Aldrin's boot and bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) on July 20th, 1969. (NASA) #

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on his way to the Lunar surface for the LM on July 20th, 1969. (NASA) #

Buzz Aldrin took this picture of Neil Armstrong in the cabin after the completion of the first EVA. This is the face of the first man to set foot on the Moon, just hours earlier, on July 20th, 1969. (NASA) #

From Wikipedia contributor Rufus330Ci: "This is a picture of my mother holding the Washington News Paper on Monday, July 21st 1969 stating 'The Eagle Has Landed Two Men Walk on the Moon'. The photo was taken by my grandfather Jack Weir (1928-2005)" #

During their 2 1/2 hour EVA, Astronauts deployed a number of science experiments. Here, Buzz Aldrin is seen carrying the Laser Ranging Retroreflector Experiment (LRRR) and a seismometer to measure Moonquakes. (NASA) #

Close-up of the north footpad of the Lunar Module, with some lunar soil piled up beneath, evidence of a tiny amount of drift during the landing. (NASA) #

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, photographed by Neil Armstrong (visible in reflection). Buzz Aldrin: "As I walked away from the Eagle Lunar Module, Neil said 'Hold it, Buzz', so I stopped and turned around, and then he took what has become known as the 'Visor' photo. I like this photo because it captures the moment of a solitary human figure against the horizon of the Moon, along with a reflection in my helmet's visor of our home away from home, the Eagle, and of Neil snapping the photo. Here we were, farther away from the rest of humanity than any two humans had ever ventured. Yet, in another sense, we became inextricably connected to the hundreds of millions watching us more than 240,000 miles away. In this one moment, the world came together in peace for all mankind." (quoted with permission from Apollo Through the Eyes of the Astronauts). (NASA) #

Post-deployment documentation photo of the Laser Ranging Retroreflector Experiment (LRRR). For the past 40 years, the retroreflectors were used in conjunction with a dedicated facility at the McDondald Observatory in Texas to accurately measure the distance to the Moon. These experiments discovered, among other things, that the moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 2.5 inches per year. The National Science Foundation recently terminated funding for the McDonald Laser ranging station, with continued measuements to be made by two other facilities. (NASA) #

View of Earth above the Lunar Module on July 20th, 1969. (NASA). #

Interior view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, during the Apollo 11 lunar extravehicular activity (EVA). The television monitor shows astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. on the surface of the moon, July 20, 1969. (NASA) #

Panorama of the view out Buzz Aldrin's window over the thrusters after the EVA. (NASA) #

A memorial plaque, attached to a leg of the Lunar Module. The plaque reads: "Here Men From The Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We Came in Peace For All Mankind." (NASA) #

A bright halo around the shadow of Buzz Aldrin's helmet, the sun directly behind his head. (NASA) #

After lifting off from the Moon, Eagle approaches the Command Module during rendezvous. Astronaut Michael Collins, who remained on board the Command Module for the entire trip, remembers taking this photograph: "Little by little, they grew closer, steady, as if on rails, and I thought 'What a beautiful sight,'one that had to be recorded. As I reached for my Hasselblad, suddenly the Earth popped up over the horizon, directly behind Eagle. I could not have staged it any better, but the alignment was not of my doing, just a happy coincidence. I suspect a lot of good photography is like that, some serendipitous happenstance beyond the control of the photographer. But at any rate, as I clicked away, I realized that for the first time, in one frame, appeared three billion earthlings, two explorers, and one moon. The photographer, of course, was discreetly out of view." (quoted with permission from Apollo Through the Eyes of the Astronauts) (NASA) #

This view of the whole full moon was photographed from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its trans-Earth journey homeward. When this picture was taken, the spacecraft was already 10,000 nautical miles away, on July 21st, 1969. (NASA) #

A black and white photograph of the Earth taken during the trip home from the Moon. (NASA) #

Apollo 11 crew and a Navy diver await pickup after a safe splashdown east of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean on July 24th, 1969. (NASA) #

Astronauts Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin (left to right) in their isolation van on-board the recovery ship U.S.S Hornet are greeted by U.S. President Richard M. Nixon on July 24th, 1969. (NASA) #

New York City welcomes Apollo 11 crewmen in a showering of ticker tape down Broadway and Park Avenue in a parade termed as the largest in the city's history on August 13, 1969. Pictured in the lead car, from the right, are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. (NASA) #

More links and information

Apollo 40th Anniversary - NASA

Project Apollo - Image gallery

We Choose The Moon - Interactive site from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Showcase: Our Moon - NYT Lens Blog

Apollo 11 - Wikipedia entry

When astronauts photographed on the Moon Off The Shelf, Boston.com, 7/13

Man and Machine - The real legacy of the moon race Boston Globe Ideas section, 7/12

Again, to the moon - and beyond Thoughts from Stephen Hawking, Boston.com, 7/15

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JFK called us to a "higher" mission, to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. A week before he was assassinated, President Kennedy visited the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Center and my father got to shake his hand.

On January 22, 1968 I was a Freshman at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. Many of us slept in cars around a bonfire in Indian River City, across from Merritt Island and the launch complex. We watched the launch of Apollo V. It featured the first test of the Lunar Module, transported by a Saturn-1B booster rocket. I was standing on the roof of my Renault Dauphine during the launch. The sound was so physical, beyond just noise, that the roof collapsed under me.

When Apollo 11 lifted off, my buddies and I were paddling our surfboards across Port Canaveral Inlet to be as close as possible to the launch. It was an unforgettable view of history in the making. I watched the coverage of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon in the TV lounge of Carson hall at Stetson University.

Strong memories.

Posted by Steve Berry September 30, 09 10:54 PM

Picture number 1 beautiful but its wrong. It is sideways.
When they orbited the moon they did it along its equator not its axis. Therefore the "rising of the earth" was seen from around the side of the moon. Not over the top.
Details, details. :)

Posted by Dan October 1, 09 09:34 AM

It was a great time working Apollo and living in Cocoa Beach. I was a Supervisor for the Grumman Calibration Lab supporting Lunar Module. The entire Country was focussed on every launch. There was tremendous national pride and an unsurpassed dedication to the space program. President Kennedy saw human spaceflight as America's destiny. As a lifelong Democrat, WWII Veteran, with a 45 year career in aerospace, my sincere hope is that our new administration shares that same vision. I'll see you all at Ramon's, Bernard's Surf, Mousetrap, Samoa or Lee Caron's

Posted by Ray "The Chief" Polniak October 1, 09 09:47 AM

Magnificent project. God bless America.

Posted by Leonard Wood October 1, 09 12:09 PM

great pictures. thanks barbra

Posted by Anonymous October 1, 09 11:55 PM

Beautiful Pictures...I'm no Rocket Scientist, but the bottom left of picture # 19 looks like lunar tire marks. I was two years old at this time, no rememberance of the actual event. Thank you for taking the time to preserve one of our greatest moments in History

Posted by Anonymous October 2, 09 11:02 AM

this are good photos

Posted by Anonymous October 2, 09 01:37 PM

the photos was so cool!!! I just hope we go back to the moon and keep the space center going.? we are the leaders in space and we need to keep on leading. and go back to do what we do best is going to the moon and beyond god bless america

Posted by kenny mitchell October 2, 09 03:19 PM

REMARKABLE PHOTOS. WATCHED ALL TV COVERAGE WITH MY PREGNANT WIFE. MY SON WAS BORN THREE MONTHS LATER. WATCHED FILMS OF IT WITH HIM YEARS LATER.STILL THRILLING. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS.

Posted by John Davis October 3, 09 11:49 PM

Please keep Space center going. We need jobs

Posted by Cecelia Crossley October 4, 09 12:43 PM

I was in the Navy at the time and we were all watching, excited, and very proud of the astronauts and our country..

I couldn't believe it when I heard that Whoppi Goldberg, on the view, recently was claiming the whole thing is a government hoax or conspiracy because she can't figure out how they got a picture of the first step onto the moon because somebody would have had to have been there to take the picture. Go figure.

Posted by PJ October 4, 09 09:36 PM

I was waiting in line at 6 Flags over Texas to get on the Log Ride and watched it on TV...

Posted by rod medlin October 5, 09 11:45 AM

I had an original copy of an audio tape of that famous day when man 1st stepped on the moon and those words that Neil Armstrong spoke. Now I've given it to my son as a gift. We've seen a lot, no doubt about it.

Posted by Mike Rumping October 5, 09 06:56 PM

I remember this so well. As a sophomore in high school, the principal requested all students go to the auditorium to watch the first man land on the moon. How excited we all were to be a part of history in the making. Great memories and thanks for sharing. God Bless America!!

Posted by Helen October 5, 09 07:30 PM

I'm sure we could do it now with the brilliant RoHS directive from the Europeans. I can see the headline now: "Moon explorers killed by tin whiskers on their electronic circuits because a green politician decided lead was bad."

Posted by Alexa Iverson October 5, 09 09:46 PM

Breath takeing, awsom, beautiful, a ift from God.

Posted by Cpt. T.V.Warnick USAFR October 6, 09 11:25 AM

Wouuuuuuuuu yes---it brings memories back ,,I'was in Germany at he time to visit with my Parents. Everybody could not believe what our Astronauts accomplished. Congratulations America! God bless our Countries!

Posted by Helmi October 6, 09 01:31 PM

"Totally Breathtaking." Awesome. America needs to revive its space exploration. We need something positive in this country.

Posted by R Smith October 6, 09 04:02 PM

I was a huge fan of Robert Heinlein, the science fiction writer, and I remember that he was honored by being in the NASA control room during some part of the voyage to the moon. His writing had inspired so many people (esp. kids bec. he wrote a whole set of juvenile sci fi books that featured kids who were good at math and science and interested in space exploration as I was). I heard him being interviewed on the radio - it was either when they were first taking off or while the landing was happening.

I was home for summer vacation from college and my family and I were driving across the country. We were in St. Louis and went near/under the arch while listening to coverage of the moon expedition on the radio. My father said we should all remember where we were because this was a historic event. The whole scene seemed perfectly symbolically all-American to me - we were in the middle of the country near this huge arch while the moon shot was happening.

Posted by Ginny Bales October 7, 09 02:05 AM

It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. I was at girl's camp in the White Mountains of Arizona and listening to the radio. There were 4 of us gathered around that little box amazed at what we were hearing. I walked outside and peered into the clear night sky. I stared at the moon in wonder. I will never forget it.

Posted by sclarkkemsley October 7, 09 05:29 PM

In the late '60's, I was a financial administrator at Kennedy for North American Rockwell, the prime NASA contractor for the Command & Service modules on the spacecraft.
The grandeur, majesty and historic nature of those events of 1969 are still just as impressive in our memories to this day. But, I brought away from my 12 years in the Aerospace program the memories of the many people with whom I was privileged to work. We were all just kids! Most were under 30.
At Dynatronics, Inc., in Orlando, in the early '60's, we developed and manufactured some of the telemetry equipment which today is still in operating condition on the moon. Randy Brown, the Project Leader was 25 years old!
Young people today are just as or even more capable of the same achievements. The only thing they need is motivation and the LIBERTY to excel.
It's up to us old timers to make sure they get it.
Thanks for such a wonderful effort to bring back these memories.

Gil Robert

Posted by Gil Roberts October 7, 09 06:16 PM

I was 17 and worked in Sydney for Australia's international communications carrier. I was in the middle of my term break (work experience) and I was asked to assist with the wiring for the NASA control centre for the Apollo 11 mission. It switched the video and audio from Parkes and Honeysuckle Creek to feed the rest of the world. I was back at college on the big day and watched the black and white images with some small amount of pride in my small contribution to the video from the moon. These days I help with space outreach and education through our website. Echoes of Apllo even created "World Moon Bounce Day" to celebrate the Apollo mission. Many of the world big dishes bounce radio signals off th emoon to allow people to chat to each other "Jamboree of the Air" style. Apollo 8 astronaut and part of the Apollo 11 standby crew, Bill Anders talked to us via the moon this year. It is obvious that my participation in the moon landing communications had a profound effect on me.

htp://echoesofapllo.com

Posted by Robert Brand October 7, 09 11:55 PM

Amazing! TV from the moon in 1969!!!!! Why wouldn't I be proud to be an American? America is more than a geographical location or a collection of diverse people who immigrated from other lands over the past 200+ years. It's a state of consciousness, a state of mind and even a state of heart. The key word in our country's name is "united". There is strength in unity. Two things that stood out for me: 1) The child-like innocent smile on Neil Armstrong's face inside the lunar module just after walking on the moon and 2) The plaque's wording that says "...we came in PEACE for ALL MANKIND." We knew this was for ALL humans. Yes, God bless America indeed!

Posted by Ron Misik, USA October 8, 09 12:24 AM

The moon that orbits was gouged out of the Earth by an immense impact with another remnant of this solar system's building material. The Pacific Ocean is the scar that remains. I thought those guys are going to find seashells and starfish fossils!

Posted by Brian Duggan October 8, 09 09:11 AM

I was in grade school (4th Grade) here in Wichita Ks in 1969. I was in the library when our teacher announced that we've landed on the mood and she turned the radio on. Even at that age, I understood that history was beeing created. What a wnderful time the 70's were.

Posted by Murn A.J. Miller Jr. October 8, 09 10:35 AM

It is my great pleasure to say that my friend, Phil Giovanni, was part of the Hornet's crew that recovered the spacecraft. Congradulations to the United States Navy for their part in our history. Anchors Away!

Posted by James W. J. Johnson October 8, 09 10:54 AM

where is the star?

Posted by hoaxmaker October 8, 09 04:24 PM

I am a personal friend of the Philo T Farnsworth family. He was awarded the original electronic television patents (Not RCA as is sometimes sated) from the work he did in 1927. Philo and his wife Pem (both now deceased) watched the lunar landing from their home in Salt Lake City. The TV images broadcast back to earth used a miniature version of his Image Disector tube.
As Armstrong stepped onto the moon Phil looked over to Pem and said "Pem this has made it all worthwhile".

Posted by Dave duffin October 8, 09 06:38 PM

I was dealing craps at Harold's Club in Reno Nevada & watched it on one of the TV's in the Casino. Harold's Club gave out "moon shot" glasses for the 1 hour that they walked on the moom. I still have 7 of those glasses. It was a moment in history that ALL AMERICANS WERE PROUD of what america had accomplished. I still am. God bless America.

Posted by Curtis B. Smith Jr October 10, 09 02:48 PM

What great pictures. I was 29 years old, on vacation in Orange Beach, AL, at the time of the landing and we took an old black and white TV with us to the cottage in which we were staying so we could watch it all. Still remember it as if yesterday, Thanks to whomever is responsible for making the wonderful photos available on the net. God bless America!

Posted by Bob Tidwell October 10, 09 02:51 PM

I was a plebe at USMA... the hazing and the training stopped and everybody was glued to the TV, enthralled and joyous, overshadowing the mundane, showing us what we could do if we stayed upbeat and focused. That feeling still lasts... although certainly could use a boost. On to Mars!

Posted by Sam October 10, 09 07:33 PM

40 years on, have we moved moon high or still down on earth?

Posted by B. Mirza October 11, 09 12:40 AM

I remember being 8 months pregnant (with our second child - Amy Catherine) at the time -- living at my mom and dad's house until we could move into our own home -- what a wonderful experience -- our other child, Sara Beth, was only 2 and we tried to impress upon her what a special moment this was -- too bad, she fell asleep and missed this most spectacular experience. We were all "glued" to the TV watching in black and white -- WOW -- something I'll NEVER forget, we (my husband, mom and dad ) were all absolutely mesmerized -- Cannot believe it was 40 years ago! Never thought it would be a momentous moment in history!!

Posted by Elaine M. Quinlan October 11, 09 03:18 AM

I had been recently hired by the FAA as an Aviation Safety Inspector and was in Milwaukee, WI. I took a picture of our television just as Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. I still have that picture. Look at where we are now and the impact our space program has had on the world technology, especially in the field of electronics.

Posted by Ron Nelson October 11, 09 08:32 PM

I was 10 years old when I sow this 3 heroes landing in the moon. Now watching these pictures, I'm feeling great emotion. I'm having a feeling that I'm landing in the moon with them today.

I love to see that

Thanks.

Posted by Fernando Lopes October 12, 09 05:52 PM

I was 11 years old, just out of the 5th grade when this was all going down. I remember that evening watching the news with my dad and him saying (look boy, we did it). Even though I was only 11, I remember many life changing events in 1969. I say AMERICA, keep pushing on. May GOD Bless America.

Posted by Mark Beard October 12, 09 08:24 PM

Thanks for the pictures. As I looked at the firing room picture, I tried to remember who sat where and how many were still alive. I worked on the launch pad during all the Apollo missions for IBM. We had the contract for the IU (Instrument Unit) It was the stage between the Mc Donnel Douglas stage (SIVB) and The Grumman Lander. And for all you doubters out there it REALLY HAPPENED.

Posted by Jim Rivers October 13, 09 01:00 PM

I was the flight test project engineer for the Titan II Program and provided support to the Gemini Program. I was so excited about the Apollo landing that I went out and got my first color TV set. But, the Apollo II landing was in black and white. Thank you for your pictures.

Posted by Alan Schaefle October 13, 09 02:20 PM

I REMEMBER THIS PERIOD VERY WELL. I WAS LESS THAN HALF MY PRESENT AGE, AND HAD RETURNED FROM A TOUR IN VIETNAM IN MARCH OF 1969. WE IN THE US MILITARY WERE VERY PROUD OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.AND LIKED TO THINK WE WERE CONNECTED TO THEM AT LEAST IN SOME SMALL WAY.

Posted by LT COL GLENN DEAVERS USAF, Ret October 13, 09 02:53 PM

Thanks for the pictures and memories! Not many people alive in '69 will ever forget the feelings those events brought to proud Americans. This is some great nostalgia. And, to add to others' comments, I feel sorry for those who choose to not believe. One only has to witness a launch or recovery to be a believer. THIS STUFF IS REAL.

Posted by Bob Luke October 13, 09 04:04 PM

What kind of car is that the astronauts are riding in?

Posted by Joe Simpkins October 13, 09 04:49 PM

WOW What memories-I was 15 yrs.old living in Miami,FL.I remember watching the whole event. I also remember my grandparents taking me to Kennedy. We drove out very close to the lift off site(with a tour). It was during testing and preparation for an upcoming event. I don't think I have ever heard anything quite so loud!!!.And so large-everything was awe inspiring... How wonderful to be able to have that memory of such a great time in history.How wonderful to be able to relive it now....Thank you and God bless us all.

Posted by Kate Miller October 13, 09 07:30 PM

I was approximately 180 nautical miles SSW of Bermuda in a 40 ft. sloop, on a passage from the West Indies to New York, listening to the moon landing on the radio. I envied those three astronaut's adventure of a lifetime and admired the incredible technology that made it possible.

Posted by Art Poultney October 14, 09 10:31 PM

These are GREAT photos!! 40 yrs ago, at age 31, I viewed this memorable event on TV plus recorded All audio on 7" tape reels that hide somewhere in my old home. I also have 6 Polaroid TV screen photos that were bad, but best I could do. Neil's step onto the moon put chills up my back. One year later I contacted Hepatitus (5-wks), a close brush w/death & quit smoking 1-yr+1 day later on July 21, 1970. Two high points in my life I shall never forget & always be thankful for both. Thanks again...RW

Posted by Roy M. Wilder October 14, 09 10:53 PM

Wow,,,what can I say,,,It still boggles my mind to think something as great as this really happened. If it hadn't been for their courage and an
ever present GOD,,it would have never happened. GOD bless us all.

Posted by Dean Parpart October 15, 09 11:05 AM

I was almost 6 when this took place and remember it well. This trip took a far bigger step for mankind than most stop to think about. NASA since that great day in history has come out with some of the most amazing technology ever invented that has enhanced our lives. We communicate quicker, and in a lot of ways are a healthier nation because of technology, just to name a couple. So thank you God for giving us the knowledge and opening up our understanding & NASA and all the astronauts for being willing and brave to take this big step for all of humanity. May God Bless us ALL!

Posted by Melissa Kerlin October 15, 09 03:54 PM

I was younger then but I remember those days like it was yesterday,the lift off,the long ride to the moon orbit,the seperation then the landing on the moon,something I will always remember it and I`m very forgetful in this stage of my life..Thank you very much for the wonderful pictures that has recharged by life during those days back in time..

Posted by James M Douglas October 16, 09 10:46 AM

this is awsome................... its my dream come true.

Posted by ally October 16, 09 08:48 PM

Just great-i got to work on the mighty Saturn and test the Lunar rover so the pictures have a special meaning. A fantastic ,complicated mission that appeared to be flawless.

Posted by Robrt L. Kiliz (The Boeing Co.) October 17, 09 06:28 AM

The day of the landing, I was on a jet heading to Lima, Peru. The pilot announced the landing - it was pretty special!

We got home in time to watch the first steps live on TV. A few days later, we watched the splashdown.

Before we left Peru in 1970, the moon rocks had come through on their world tour. Exciting times!

Posted by Glenn October 17, 09 11:02 AM

I had just graduated from high school in a very rural area of southern Ohio. My grandfather's house didn't even have indoor plumbing, much less a TV. So, with unbridled excitement, I ran to the barn to tell him that we just landed on the moon. He slowly turned around and gave me that sheepish Chesire grin and said "Debbie, them hollywood directors can do anything and make it look real!" I responded "Huh?" But, he was serious and never did believe it! That was my first lesson in DENIAL. :)

Posted by Debbie October 17, 09 08:08 PM

Apollo 11 was exciting! I remember telling my dad, from long distance on the phone,"You better be watching this!" He said, "I am!" Too bad they fried the color camera,once they got on the surface; that,s why the surface movies are bl/wh. Apollo 8 was the one that REALLY excited me; I couldnt wait till they went into orbit Christmas Eve, henceforth the name,"Lunar Christmas" it became known as. When the Pathfinder lander landed on Mars and broadcast back pictures on the 4th of July, 1997, I promptly announced the holiday to be forever known as 'the Martian 4th."

Posted by Sherrie Thompson October 17, 09 08:17 PM

May we move forward into space

Posted by Ginger Hurst Oct 18, 2009 October 18, 09 02:27 PM

Fantastic display covering the entire voyage from earth to moon to earth return.
Especially the photographs projected detail of the moon surface and actions of the astronaughts.
The final photos showing their relief ,joy and success was very rewarding.
These photos should be shown widely if not allready.
I hope I'm still around to witness the moon landing and deployment on the moon.
Thank you very much.

Posted by Georges F Mccormick October 18, 09 05:20 PM

Picture #18 is amazing... where Africa is so clearly shown. It demonstrates just how miniscule our Earth is in comparison to the universe.

Posted by Pat Hanson October 20, 09 01:31 PM

I can't wait until we see similar pictures from Mars.

Posted by Anonymous October 20, 09 08:41 PM

I was a young electrical engineer 4 years out of school working on the telemetry decoding software for this mission. I was upstairs in building 30 but not invited, just wanted to be close. What a thrill to hear the first audio dialogue over the intercom.

Posted by Don Smith October 21, 09 01:59 PM

I was a secretary in the California State Capitol at the time and remember how excited we all were watching this event on a small portable tv brought in by a staff member. One of my coworkers welcomed her first grandchild on that date and wanted her to be named Astrid Star (they named her Nicole). Two events I'll remember for a lifetime.

Posted by Nancy Fedell October 22, 09 02:47 PM

As a quality control engineer for Rockwell International on the command module and second stage booster,I was so sure Apollo 11 would be successful I wanted to ride it to the moon, but alas, I was no astronaut.
I could only watch and cheer them on,which I did proudly.

Posted by William W. Lewis October 23, 09 01:24 AM

A day I shall never forget. I was at Fort Dix New Jersey awaiting my discharge from the Army when they landed on the moon declared a national holiday and I had to spend an extra day in the military. Both incidents carry a lot of good memories

Posted by Larry Maurice October 23, 09 03:57 PM

I did not see the moon landing until I read about it in a Life magazine article, on a flight to see my brother in Riverside, Ca.! I had just returned from my first tour of combat duty in Vietnam. A young girl sat next to me and asked, "Did you see the landing"! I said, "No, I was out of the country at the time"! She inquired where I was. I guesss the uniform and medals confused her. I smiled and said nothing in return except, "It is an amazing site to see America doing something everyone agrees with"! I was proud to be an American, but my return for a second tour loomed in the background

Posted by Steven Temple October 23, 09 08:41 PM

Great pictures,these give me a little more knowledge of how things in space appear,how beautiful earth looks from outer space and how soft the surface of Mars is according to the depth of thier boots sank in the surface though thier weight without gravity probably would have been very light,I didn't see any sign of vegetation from any of the pictures.

Thanks for the pictures

Posted by BILLY HARSEY October 23, 09 09:42 PM

At the time on the moon landing I was 18, and in boot camp in S. Diego. Our company commander had brought us all into a large barracks room with a tv. We all sat on the floor, with jaws dropped, witnessing this incredible moment. To this day, I'm grateful to that Navy chief.

Posted by Gil Smith October 25, 09 12:47 AM

I was a mother of a 34-month-old boy and worked for The Gainesville Sun (Fla.). We went over to my in-law's home to watch on their large color tv. I was in a reclincer with Allen sitting on my lap. When Neil started down the steps, he stood up on my stomach and watched even more intently then we did. When Neil's foot touched the moon, he suddenly sat down, knocked my breath away. He went to sleep immediately with a big smile on his face. We went home shortly afterwards and I dug out an old Sci-fi magazine from the 1950s to find a one-page story I remembered that ended with the same words Neil had said. I've always wondered if he was a Sci-fi fan. When I was younger, I wanted to explore space. Now, I'm content to watch others do it and hope the programs continue for many years to come.

Posted by Barbara Crawford October 25, 09 12:29 PM

WOW!!!

Posted by Bill English October 25, 09 02:51 PM

My ship, USS Enterprise (CVAN65)was in Brazil changing home ports back to Norfolk from San Francisco. We could not see landing but we did get to listen to every detail being broadcast over our PA system. Lots of people in Rio did not believe this was true...saw it as a gigantic hoax. There are still a number of those people around today. You will find a lot of them runnning with the nitwits who deny the holocost ever occured. So many americans have no faith or trust in their government. A lot of this suspicion dates back to the JFK assination in 1963. I fear that we have permanently become a nation of skeptics

Posted by Danny Davis October 25, 09 03:07 PM

I was 9 years old and wittnesed the greatest achievment of mortal man. To behold the heavens that became available through a great nation, a great people under God in the history of mankind. What man can achieve if he has the vision and the will, assisted by devine provedence as this great nation has.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Posted by Mark Gutierrez October 25, 09 09:41 PM

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Posted by Mark Gutierrez October 25, 09 10:01 PM

I was 19 at the time. Watched it with my husband-to-be along with my mom and dad who have since passed. I remember many of our elderly calling it a hoax, as well as many other nay-sayers, but I knew it to be true and our country was the "first" to walk on the moon. I was and still am proud to be called an American. Thank you for the beautiful pics.

Posted by Jane Harvey October 26, 09 09:15 AM

On lift-off day I was living in Avondale, MD and had gone out to dinner with husband Ray and his Brother, Fr. Tom. I remember I was wearing a white maternity dress and Mary Jo was born in January. Never would I have dreamed that in August 1979 I would have relocated to Cocoa Beach and worked on the Shuttle Program til 1992.

Posted by Barbara (nee Yurawecz) Duffy Hortsing October 26, 09 06:41 PM

I was in high school then and I remember the excitment and our amazment of the event
I worried and prayed the whole time they were on the surface that they couldn't make it back more than I worried about them getting there.
My father who was born in the 19th century never beleived it happened and thought they took the pictures amd made the movies on a movie set. Here was a man who was born in 1889 and saw the first cars and watched other inventions become everyday, but this was more than he could swallow and he never believed it. He died in 1970.

Posted by Betty Lindsay October 27, 09 08:17 AM

The Apollo program was a very enlightening time for the engineering profession as well as others. We learned a lot about machines and people. Also a lot of innovative hardware was produced during that time which has led to many useful devices we take for granted today. I was with Boeing, at the Cape, and our group was responsible for the service arms on the tower, and later the entire mobile launcher and transporting crawler. I have never seen such a dedicated group of people working toward one objective, get the astronauts to the moon and returned safely. The experience has left a lasting memory for me.

Posted by Harold Polk October 27, 09 03:34 PM

In those days, the astronauts read from the Bible in space! Today, many if not most of our "most brilliant" minds think that God is a myth. Oh, how America has fallen from its lofty heights of faith in the One True God!

Posted by Terry Dow October 28, 09 12:07 PM

I was living in Africa at the time and was 9 years old. I remember the unbelief of our African friends when my missionary father stood outside pointing to the moon trying to explain in their language what was taking place on the familiar planet in the night sky. I remember how proud I was to be an American when newspaper clippings were put up on the classroom walls of the British- run school where I attended to herald the event .

Posted by Carolyn Smith Sherrod October 28, 09 10:59 PM

I designed some of the RF components that were on the LM for the comm system while in transit to the moon. What a great collection of pictures.

Posted by Herb Radding October 31, 09 03:16 PM

July 20th happens to be my birthday. I was 30 that day. My wife and I were in Westwood , California (close to UCLA ) getting ready to go into the theatre to see Goodbye Columbus. There was a TV on the sidewalk in front of every store and the street was very crowded. They was a big cheer when Neal stepped foot on the lunar surface. It is the destiny of the United States to lead the way technologically. I hope we can live up to it.

Posted by Lew Aaronson October 31, 09 06:28 PM

Thanks for the memories. I watched this great event unfold in a hanger in Bangkok, Thailand where I was stationed at the time. Later, back in Korat, Thailand I was able to see Neil Armstrong when he came with the Bob Hope show that year. These photos and these accomplishments make me very proud to be an American.

Posted by Joe Harless October 31, 09 06:56 PM

these are so cool!!!!

Posted by mackenzie November 1, 09 09:08 AM

GREAT PICTURES !!!!! I'm so grateful for all the work NASA and their employees, scientists, astronauts, engineers, etc has done for the USA. I am very proud of you and the accomplishments that have been made. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ITS PEOPLE!!!!

Posted by Deana Davis November 3, 09 03:47 PM

I was in the Firing Room at the Electrical Systems Console (CLES) for the launch of Apollo 11.

Posted by Bill Haynes November 3, 09 04:24 PM

Great photography.
Though a magnifcant accomplishment for the US following the launch of Sputnik, walking and operating in space is extremely hazardous to humans.
Radiation in space is extreme.
Future space flights should carry instruments (also susceptible to radiation) not humans.

Posted by Tom Murray November 3, 09 05:10 PM

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME PICTURES AND A WARM REPEAT OF PRIDE IN OUR COUNTRY. On that day...Dolphin Terrace Elem School, El Paso Tx, Ms. Acosta's 4th Grade class, 2nd row, middle of the room...Everyones eyes glued to the intercom box above the front blackboard and captivated by 'history' in the making. What a day to remember...Thank you for the experience of reliving that moment in time.

Posted by Amy McAdams November 4, 09 01:18 PM

I was someplace in Viet Nam when this event occurred . Probably on or near Hawk Hill .

Posted by Dale A. Tones November 5, 09 04:57 PM

GREAT REMINDER OF WHAT THOSE BRAVE MEN ACCOMPLISHED!

Posted by VINCE FLYNN, MD November 5, 09 05:11 PM

How come none of pictures where you can see outer space show a single star???

Posted by Space Cadet November 7, 09 12:57 PM

Does anyone remember a a Grumman Aerospace Tech Writer, & Lecturer on Safety for Launch Complex 39 at Coco Beach during 1st Moonshot, Franklin H. ?

Posted by M.Seller November 9, 09 12:13 PM

Fourty years...I was twelve years old then; spent the entire time with my face glued to that old balck and white Marconi Television. For me, absoubtly nothing has come close to the excitement and anticipation the world experienced before or since...a testament to what mankind can acheive when we put our hearts and souls into it. What a great time to be alive!

Posted by Bruce Goldsmith November 9, 09 08:36 PM

I had arrived at KSC in May 1969 assigned to the NASA Eng Division. The night before launch, I brought my 3 year old son to the VAB to view the rocket at Pad A. At 9am launch day, I positioned myself across from the VAB using the edge of a Building at the Fishback and Moore area as a knife edge to block the morning sun to take a video of the launch. Incidentally, my "3 year old" is now an Engineer Tech Rep assemblying the Ares Mobile Launcher. My 3 year old grandson attended the Ares 1X launch near the press box by the VAB. Must be genetic!

Posted by C. Canicatti November 10, 09 11:43 PM

I was in Mission Control @ Houston during the Mission working as a environmental Consultant for the photography dept. and @ the Splashdown Party later. We were all very excited and astounded a teverything that happened as it was better than ever could be imagined. For all of the soothsayers who say we didn't do this I say they're crazy and don't know anything. The Space Program has been a great asset to our technology leadership world wide.

Posted by Larry Malone November 11, 2009

Posted by LARRY MALONE November 11, 09 02:58 PM

I was in graduate school at the University of Washington under the Air Force Institute of Technology program, and remember sitting on the floor of my Seattle home and watching the grainy black and white pictures of man's first steps on the moon. As a weather officer at Barksdale AFB (1964-66), I had the priviledge of meeting many astronauts who stopped to refuel their T-38's and check weather before continuing to Cape Canaveral or Houston. Later, I was the Launch Weather Officer for Apollo XVII, ASTP, and the Skylab missions. After retiring from the Air Force, I worked as a contractor at Cape Canaveral for 18 years, supporting the Space Shuttle and many unmanned programs. This has been an unforgetable experience; one for which I will be forever grateful.

Posted by Michael G. "Mickey" Olivier November 11, 09 05:49 PM

dum

Posted by Anonymous November 12, 09 08:48 AM

I remember that July weekend in 1969 .....I was 27 yrs old flying airplanes out of Newprt RI. ..we set up a black and white TV on the counter with rabbit ears so we could watch Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin do their thing on the moon... we all watched with great amazement and adulation as these great men landed and walked on the moon ...all of a sudden...the moon walk telecast was interupted on local TV by a picture from none other than Teddy boy Kennedy...the Apollo 11 moon landing occurred the same weekend he murdered Mary Jo Kopechne on Chappaquidick Island on the east end of Martha's Vineyard. He appeared with a neck brace and we thot he was about to apologize for her death.. In true political fashion, no apology was forthcoming, but instead, he posed a question to viewers.... "do you still want me to be your senator"...yes, indeed ..I remember Apollo 11 quite well.

Posted by Frank Pelaggi November 13, 09 02:25 PM

Great memories.

Posted by Bob Swan November 16, 09 04:17 PM

I can't believe these pictures!!! They are superb. I wish I had been physically on the moon. I had to be satisfied watching the lunar landing on black and white TV. It doesn't compare to these pictures.

Posted by Evelyn November 17, 09 07:41 PM

I started a scrapebook in May 1961 when Alan Sheperd went up and came back down .. have kept it updated to this day .. we were stationed at Keesler AFB in Miss. at the time and our fourth child, third son was born on the 22nd of May .. we lived in Hawaii when this all happened, also as they all came thru Hickam we got to see many of them in the silver trailer the men were put in .. I have lots of NASA offical photo's from there and patches .. my grandkids love to go thru the books - yes, there are more than one now - and read all the paper articles and look at the pictures .. It was truly a proud time for all of us even with all the hurtful things being shown to the military due to Viet Nam - we held our heads high
Minna November 17 10:40pm

Posted by Minna Gross November 18, 09 01:43 AM

I was very fortunate to be part of a great NASA team at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Al, that conceived and help design the Saturn I, IB, and Saturn V Launch Vehicles. Now retired after working on the Skylab, Shuttle, and Space Station Programs I still get that wow feeling when reflecting on the Saturn/Appollo era.

Posted by Robert (Bob) Baker November 18, 09 01:39 PM

In 1956 I was very new in the US Army taking training at Ft Leonard Wood Mo. While at a movie full of trainees. A narrator of a filmed documentary in a booming base voice was talking about space travel and we were all mesmerized. At one point he boomed out, "Do you think man will ever walk on the moon?" It was so quiet it was eerie then someone in the audience boomed out right back, "Hell No!" The audience all just broke up with laughter. No one imagined that thirteen years later that person was to be proved so very wrong.

Posted by Billy Montgomery November 19, 09 11:42 AM

THIS BRINGS BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I WAS IN HONOLULU AT THE HYATT RESORT.IN THE LOBBY WITH ABOUT 300 PEOPLE WHILE WE WATCHED IN FRIGHTFUL FASINATION AS THE LANDING OCCURED SO BEAUTIFULLY. WE WERE ALL SO PROUD TO BE AMERICANS. AS WE SHOULD BE NOW. MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Posted by NANCY PORTEUS November 20, 09 01:44 AM

At the age of 15, on July 20, 1969, I was allowed to stay up late to watch the moon landing on TV. What an exciting milestone for man to travel 240,000 miles across space and set foot upon our moon!
Years later, I was visiting Merritt Island and witnessed the Apollo 13 launch up close - and it was amazing! I thought maybe I had jinxed them when the mission encountered disaster! The most amazing feat of science, technology and braintrust, was getting them back home safely!
Many years later however, I mustered the courage when traveling past Cape Canaveral/Kennedy to witness a night launch of the Space Shuttle - even more amazing as it turned the dark of night into daylight! You realize the speed even more when it is high in the sky before the rumble of those powerful engines cause your body to vibrate.
These are things I will never forget and plan on sharing with my grandchildren. This truly has been the Greatest Generation for Advances in Science!

Posted by Kevin Knight November 20, 09 04:42 PM

Cool! I wish I became the first lady on the moon.

Posted by holly woods November 24, 09 07:48 AM