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At 20:17:39 UTC, and a Ground Elapsed Time (GET)* of 102:45:39.9, on July 20, 1969 the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM), Eagle, Landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong radioed back to Mission Control, “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
A view of the lunar surface from the LM windows, shortly after landing (but before egress from the LM for the historic first step on the Moon); wow, can you imagine how mind-boggling and surreal it must have been to know that you are the first humans to land on another world, and to look out on it! (Note the out-of-focus RCS thruster cone in the foreground of this image) ….
After taking photographs such as the one above (to at least have documentation of the lunar surface and landscape in the event that egress from the LM for EVA was a no-go), preparing the LM for a contingency liftoff and doing other housekeeping chores, Commander Armstrong made the recommendation to Mission Control for the first-ever descent to the lunar surface. Mission Control replied, “We will support you anytime.”
Commander Armstrong emerged from the LM and, before descending down the ladder, pulled a lanyard to deploy a pallet on the side of the LM that contained the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on which the surface television camera was stowed, allowing his descent and humankind’s first step on the Moon to be recorded (the image was degraded by the process of transmission and adapting it to broadcast format, but nonetheless captures the historic moment).
At 02:56:15 UTC and a GET of 109:24:15, on July 21, 1969 Armstrong uttered those historic words, “That’s one small step for a man…one giant leap for mankind” as he took the first-ever step onto the lunar surface.
The first ever lunar Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) lasted more than two hours. Astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin documented the lunar landscape in photos, deployed science experiments, and deployed the U.S. flag. This photo was taken automatically from inside the LM….
A stainless steel plaque commemorating the event was attached to the ladder on the LM, with these words inscribed, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon…July 1969, A.D….We came in peace for all mankind”
Well done, Apollo 11! Requiescat in pace, Commander Armstrong (photo taken after returning to the LM from the first lunar EVA)…
*For those who like technical details…
Ground Elapsed Time, or GET, was used to mark events in the timelines of manned U.S. spaceflight missions prior to the Space Shuttle. 000:00:00.00 GET was referenced to “Range Zero,” defined as the last integral second prior to liftoff. With the advent of the Space Shuttle, NASA began using Mission Elapsed Time, or MET, to mark events in the mission timeline. 000:00:00.00 MET was referenced to the moment of solid rocket booster ignition. The format for both GET and MET is hhh:mm:ss.ss (hours:minutes:seconds).
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Another really good post cleared. Enjoyed it and learnt a bit too
Another really good post cleared. Enjoyed it and learnt a bit too
Thanks Mooosey, I’m glad you liked it!
pml…………yer tounge is getting browner cleared 2 land……..PML LMAO RATF
Bumping this back to the top, as July 2024 is the 55th anniversary of Apollo 11.
Bumped as July 20, 2024 is the 55th anniversary
Where are the stars in the first and second photo ? Hope its not done trump make it to fake it.
There’s no wind on the moon how come the flags blowing?
Where are the stars in the first and second photo ? Hope its not done trump make it to fake it.
Wow, I can’t believe you were actually capable of an honest intellectual inquiry, but you still did manage to bring your Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) into play.
There are no stars in the Apollo 11 photos because you have to remember that the pictures were taken during the extremely bright lunar day. Hence, the camera settings were such that the aperture setting was small and the shutter speed fast. Under such conditions, the faint background stars would not register on the film (and yes, film cameras were used).
Perhaps, instead of being obsessed with all things Trump you should enroll in a Photography 101 course at your local community college. And seek professional help for your TDS.
There’s no wind on the moon how come the flags blowing?
You are correct, the Moon has no atmosphere and thus there is no wind. The flags were not “blowing”. There was a metal rod along the top of the flag to ensure it would stay unfurled. The “blowing” effect is a result of the inertia of the flag in the reduced gravity environment of the Moon. If you set something in motion in such an environment it will continue as such until it damps out. In the lunar environment, that damping takes longer.
Fun fact: It is believe that the flags have since been bleached by the Sun and are no longer red, white, and blue. I can attest to this fact as I have a “No Solicitors” sign in the side pane window of my front door, which faces west and so gets the unrelenting afternoon sun. The sign is now bleached and completely white.
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