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Facts on the First Landing on the Moon

The United States achieved the world's first manned spacecraft landing on the moon with its Apollo 11 mission. This constituted one of the most memorable events of the 20th century and perhaps the greatest breakthrough the U.S. space agency NASA has achieved. NASA carefully recorded a large collection of facts on the first moon landing, eventually making full transcripts of the mission available online.

Background
- Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first two astronauts to land on the moon and walk upon its surface. Both Aldrin and Armstrong were born in 1930 and served as pilots in the Korean War, according to Britannica Ready Reference. They became astronauts in the early 1960s and took part in different Gemini missions.
Symbolism
- Because of the event's historical significance, the U.S. space program put a great deal of thought into the moon landing's symbolic gestures. NASA indicates that the government had originally contemplated using a U.N. flag but decided to place an American flag on the lunar surface, despite concerns that it might create an impression of "claiming" the moon. The administration also mounted a commemorative plaque on the lunar module shortly before the mission began. The date of the first moon landing had symbolic meaning as well. The Encarta Encyclopedia indicates that former President Kennedy called for a successful moon landing to take place before the year 1970; the landing occurred in July, 1969.
Preparation
- Missions conducted in March and May of 1969 helped NASA prepare for the first manned landing on the moon. The Apollo 9 mission in March conducted tests of the equipment while orbiting Earth, according to the Encarta Encyclopedia. Two months later, the Apollo 10 mission orbited the moon, practicing for the landing in July.
Problems
- The Apollo 11 mission did encounter some problems, but they proved minor compared to those encountered by other space missions. Encarta indicates that spacecraft computer issues interfered with the first landing but measures taken by scientists on Earth succeeded in resolving the problems. The lunar module also nearly ran out of fuel before landing, as it narrowly avoided a large crater.
Aftermath
- Apollo 11 successfully returned to Earth by docking its lunar module with the Columbia and later touching down in the ocean, according to the Encarta Encyclopedia. NASA quarantined the astronauts for nearly half a month, verifying that no harmful substances from the moon had traveled back with them.

Astronomy