Home
EarthSky
The 1st footsteps on the moon: Celebrate with Moon Day

The 1st footsteps on the moon: Celebrate with Moon Day

Fuzzy black and white photo of an astronaut stepping off ladder of the lunar lander. — The world watched on television as Neil Armstrong from Apollo 11 was the 1st human to leave footsteps on the moon on July 20, 1969. It was the 1st time humans walked on another world as he stepped onto the lunar surface, Armstrong said: “That is one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Still image via NASA video.

Read all about the 1st footsteps on the moon – 56 years ago – and celebrate International Moon Day.

The Eagle has landed and footsteps on the moon

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed their lunar module on a broad dark lunar lava flow, called the Sea of Tranquility. And six hours later, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to walk on the surface of a world beyond Earth.

In the video below, you can hear the excitement in Armstrong’s voice at the successful landing of Eagle on the moon’s surface as he says:

Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.

Footsteps on the moon: A view straight down onto moon boot hovering over partly visible ridged boot print stamped into dust. — The 1st footsteps on the moon, leaving human footprints on the moon. Image via NASA.

Altogether, Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 1/2 hours on the moon’s surface. Furthermore, they collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of moon rocks for return to Earth. And then they blasted off in their module from the lunar surface to meet up with Michael Collins in the command module orbiting overhead.

Finally, they returned safely to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.

The Apollo 11 launch

View from above of immensely tall rocket with flames and smoke far below. — Apollo 11 launched at 13:32 UTC (9:32 a.m. EDT local time) on July 16, 1969. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., were aboard. Image via Wikipedia.

Distant ascending rocket with vast tail of orange flames. — Apollo 11 left Earth via a type of rocket no longer in use, called Saturn V. The giant Saturn V rocket was 111 meters (363 feet) tall, about the height of a 36-story-tall building. Read more about the Saturn V rocket. Image via Wikimedia.

Orbital view of mostly clouded Earth with sun glinting from sea, blue along curved horizon, black sky. — Apollo 11 orbited Earth 1 1/2 times. Twelve minutes after launch, it separated from the Saturn V rocket, as a propulsion maneuver sent it on a path toward the moon. Meanwhile, here is a view of Earth from Apollo 11 shortly after it left Earth orbit. Image via Wikimedia.

Apollo 11: Watching from mission control

Eight happy, laughing men in white shirts with dark ties standing by control panels. — Happy Apollo 11 mission officials in the Launch Control Center following the successful Apollo 11 liftoff on July 16, 1969. That is the famous German rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, 4th from left (with binoculars). Read more about Wernher von Braun. Image via NASA/ Wikipedia.

Oh, what a view for the Apollo 11 astronauts

Blurry man's face with sunglasses, panel with many controls visible behind him. — Buzz Aldrin looks into a TV camera during the 3rd broadcast from space on the way to the moon. Image via NASA/ Wikimedia.

Earth, more than half lit, hanging in space with Africa and the Middle East visible through clouds. — Earth seen by Apollo 11 astronauts on their way to the moon. Image via NASA.

End view of shiny, metallic conical module against light tan lunar surface with craters. — The Eagle lunar module captured this image of the Columbia command module in lunar orbit. Meanwhile Columbia stayed in lunar orbit with Michael Collins aboard during Eagle’s descent and landing. Image via NASA.

The lunar module and Saturn V

Spacecraft with boxy top, gold central part, and four skinny bent legs with round pad feet. — Here is the Apollo 11 lunar module, the vehicle that would carry Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon’s surface. It was called “Eagle.” This photo also shows the module in its landing configuration, photographed in lunar orbit from the command module, which was called “Columbia.” Astronaut Michael Collins, alone aboard Columbia, inspected Eagle as it pirouetted before him to ensure the craft was not damaged. Image via Wikimedia.

Cutaway diagram of conical module with inset showing where it was on the Saturn V. — The Apollo command module’s position atop the Saturn V at launch. The lunar module – the craft that descended to the moon’s surface – is positioned just below the command module in this diagram. Image via Wikimedia.

There are now two heavy lift rockets, either of which could be used for moon missions. Read about SLS vs. Starship.

Concerns about the surface for footsteps on the moon

An early concern of space engineers had been that the lunar regolith, the fine soil covering the moon, would be soft like quicksand. There was some fear that the Eagle lunar module would sink after landing. Hence Armstrong’s comment about the depth of the footpads in the lunar soil as he descended the ladder before stepping onto the moon.

Astronaut backing down a short ladder, gold covered body of lander to right, white landscape and black sky. — Buzz Aldrin descends the steps of the lunar module ladder as he becomes the 2nd human being to walk on the moon. Image via NASA.

Fuzzy black and white photo of lunar lander with astronaut and flag in front of it. — Armstrong and Aldrin beginning work on the moon. This included deploying a U.S. flag, performing several science experiments, and collecting moon rocks. Still image via NASA video.

Astronaut in foreground with complicated device on the ground, lunar lander and flag in background. — Here is Buzz Aldrin, who piloted the lunar module Eagle to the moon’s surface, with the LR-3, a reflecting array designed to bounce laser beams fired from Earth back to Earth. This experiment helped refine our knowledge of the moon’s distance and the shape of its orbit around Earth. Image via NASA.

Sunlit side of boxy spacecraft on bent legs in distance, with astronaut shadow on the ground. — Lastly, the lunar module Eagle on the surface of the moon. Image via Wikimedia.

Holding down the fort with a great view

Boxy spacecraft in middle distance high above lunar surface, with Earth peeking up over the horizon. — Michael Collins caught this photo of the lunar module with Armstrong and Aldrin inside – and with Earth in the distance – as the module ascended from the moon’s surface to rejoin the command module. The lunar module docked with the orbiting command module, and, shortly afterwards, the astronauts began their journey back to Earth. Image via Wikimedia.

Boyish looking man in space suit with helmet off grinning at the camera. — Neil Armstrong in the lunar module Eagle shortly after his historic 1st moonwalk, when he became the 1st human to set foot on a world besides Earth. Image via Wikipedia.

Splashdown and celebrations for a successful return

Floating conical module, inflated orange collar at base, yellow inflated balls at top, and orange raft. — There were no runway landings in those days. Splashdown for the 3 astronauts was in the Pacific Ocean. Here, they await pickup by a helicopter from the USS Hornet. Image via Wikipedia.

Roomful of exhilarated men standing and waving American flags, control panels visible. — Celebration at Mission Control as Apollo 11 draws to a successful end. Image via NASA.

Crowds of people in street between tall buildings with air full of paper bits and streamers. — Ticker-tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts in New York City on August 13, 1969. This section of Broadway is known as the Canyon of Heroes. Image via Wikimedia.

A bounty of moon rocks brought back to Earth

The Apollo astronauts brought the 1st moon rocks back to Earth. Here is a sample.

Close up of a light gray, irregular, pitted moon rock. — This lunar sample, known as 10057, was collected during Apollo 11 and later sliced into pieces. Image via NASA.

Experience the Apollo 11 landing site as it appears today, in this video:

And to celebrate this historical event, it’s International Moon Day

In 2021, the United Nations designated July 20 as International Moon Day. They said:

International Moon Day marks the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969.

The celebrations will also consider the achievements of all States in the exploration of the moon and raise public awareness of sustainable Moon exploration and utilization.

Bottom line: Today is the 56th anniversary of humanity’s historic Apollo moon landing and the first human footsteps on the moon. The story in pictures, here. And to celebrate, it’s International Moon Day.

Experience the Apollo 11 landing in video and actual sound at this cool site.

Don’t believe it? Try this video: Why the Apollo moon landings could not have been faked.

Apollo 11 from NASA

Voices of Apollo 11, astronomy art

Here’s the latest Artemis timeline: Humans to the moon!

The post The 1st footsteps on the moon: Celebrate with Moon Day first appeared on EarthSky.

Upvote0PointsDownvote

0 Votes: 0 Upvotes, 0 Downvotes (0 Points)