Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon

On 20 July 1969, Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle landed on the Moon with about 30 seconds of fuel to spare. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface while about 600 million people watched live.

The mission began on 16 July with a launch from Cape Kennedy. Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins travelled together toward the Moon, fulfilling the central objective of a programme shaped by President John F. Kennedy's 1961 call for a lunar landing. The spacecraft reached lunar orbit on 19 July, preparing the crew for the most demanding stages of the journey.

Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the lunar module Eagle while Collins remained in orbit aboard the command module Columbia. During the approach to the Sea of Tranquility, Armstrong adjusted the landing path to avoid an unsuitable area. Reaching the surface was only part of the task: the crew also had to work outside the spacecraft and return safely to lunar orbit.

On the surface, the astronauts collected rocks and soil and deployed scientific equipment. Their experiments included instruments for studying moonquakes and a reflector that enabled laser measurements from Earth. Television pictures allowed viewers around the world to watch the exploration. Apollo 11 combined an extraordinary public spectacle with practical scientific work, leaving material and measurements that could be studied long after the astronauts returned home.