This is the Web Edition of "A Trip Into Space", a Coimbra-based electronic book on space science. Both the texts and the photos are by courtesy of National Aeronautics and Space Administration. |
A Trip Into Space Spacecrafts Apollo Apollo 11 - th Anniversary | |
The picture above shows the crew of Apollo 11: Commander Neil A. Armstrong,
38, a civilian who'd flown previously on Gemini 8, Command Module Pilot Michael
Collins, 38, a USAF Lt. Colonel who'd flown Gemini 10, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin
E. Aldrin, Jr., 39, a USAF Colonel who'd flown Gemini 12. Photograph taken May
1, 1969. (NASA photo ID S69-31739)
The first human journey to the surface of the Moon began at Pad A, Launch
Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida with the liftoff of Apollo 11 on a Saturn V booster
at 9:32 a.m. EDT (13:32 UT) on a clear sunny Wednesday, 16 July 1969. (NASA
photo ID S69-39525)
The Apollo spacecraft reached Earth parking orbit after 11 minutes. After one
and a half orbits the Saturn thrusters fired and the astronauts began their
journey to the Moon. This spectacular photo of the Earth was taken from 158,000
km (98,000 miles) during the Apollo 11 translunar injection on July 16. Most of
Africa and parts of Europe and Asia are visible. (NASA photo ID AS11-36-5355)
On July 20, 1969, after a four day trip, the Apollo astronauts arrived at the
Moon. This photo of Earthrise over the lunar horizon is one of the most famous
images returned from the space program, although even the astronauts themselves
cannot remember who actually took the picture. The lunar terrain shown, centered
at 85 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude on the nearside of the
Moon is in the area of Smyth's Sea. (NASA photo ID AS11-44-6552)
This west-looking image of the landing site in the southwestern Sea of
Tranquility was taken from the lunar module one orbit before descent, while
still docked to the command module. The Tranquility base site is near the shadow
line, just to the right of center. The large crater at the lower right is
Maskelyne. The large black object in the lower left is not a shadow but a LM
thruster in the camera field of view. (NASA photo ID AS11-37-5437)
At 1:47 pm EDT, July 20, the Lunar Module "Eagle" carrying Neil Armstrong and
Edwin Aldrin, separated from the Command Module "Columbia". Michael Collins,
aboard the Columbia, took this picture of the LM as it prepared for its descent
to the Moon. "You cats take it easy on the lunar surface", Collins said as he
released the LM. Collins did a visual inspection of the lunar module and said,
"I think you've got a fine looking machine there, Eagle, despite the fact that
you're upside-down." "Somebody's upside-down", Armstrong replied. The lunar
horizon can be seen in the background. (NASA photo ID AS11-44-6574)
This photograph of the Command Module was taken from the LM after separation.
The lunar surface below is in the north central Sea of Fertility, centered at 51
degree east longitude, 1 degree north latitude. Over the next day, Michael
Collins would orbit the Moon while his colleagues walked on its surface. With no
video monitor onboard he could not watch the proceedings but only listen in on
the radio communications - and enjoy the sensation of orbiting the Moon solo,
the first time anyone had been the only person in lunar orbit. (NASA photo ID
AS11-37-5445)
"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." These words ushered in a new
era of human exploration at 4:18 p.m. EDT on July 20, as the first crewed flight
to the Moon touched down after flying longer than planned, down to the last 40
seconds of fuel, to avoid a field of boulders and a large crater. Charles Duke,
the Capcom (capsule communicator) back in Houston, replied, "Roger, Tranquility.
We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're
breathing again." This picture, taken from the LM window shortly before
touchdown, shows the surface of the Moon near the touchdown point in the Sea of
Tranquility. (NASA photo ID AS11-37-5458)
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." At 10:56 p.m. EDT on July 20, 1969,
Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. This image was
taken from the telecast of the event, watched by over half a billion people
around the world. Armstrong composed the quote after landing on the Moon, he had
meant to say, "That's one small step for aman ...". The pictures were
taken by the Apollo lunar surface camera, mounted on one of the LM legs. The
black bar running through the center of the picture is an anomaly in the
Goldstone ground data system. (NASA photo ID S69-42583)
Aldrin joined Armstrong on the surface about nineteen minutes later, calling
it "Magnificent desolation". As he left the LM, Aldrin said, "Now I want to back up and
partially close the hatch - making sure not to lock it on my way out." "A
particularly good thought." laughed Armstrong. Asked later on why they bothered
closing the hatch, Armstrong said it was to avoid having someone ask "Were you
born in a barn?" (NASA photo IDs AS11-40-5863 and AS11-40-5868)
The astronauts removed a sheet of stainless steel to unveil the plaque
affixed to the lunar module leg under the descent ladder and read to the
television audience: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the
Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." It was signed by
Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin, and President Richard Nixon. (NASA photo ID
AS11-40-5899)
The footprints left by the astronauts in the Sea of Tranquility are more
permanent than most solid structures on Earth. Barring a chance meteorite
impact, these impressions in the lunar soil will probably last for millions of
years. Photographs of the footprints were actually part of a planned experiment
by Aldrin to study the nature of the lunar dust and the effects of pressure on
the surface. (NASA photo ID's AS11-40-5880 and AS11-40-5878)
Here Aldrin is unloading the passive seismometer of the Early Apollo
Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) from the lunar module equipment bay. The
white apparatus in the foreground is the 35 mm stereo close-up camera. Beyond
the right leg is the solar wind experiment, and beyond that the lunar surface TV
camera. The LM legs are wrapped in foil to provide thermal insulation. There is
a split rock in the lower right of the frame which is presumably ejecta from a
nearby impact crater. (NASA photo ID AS11-40-5931)
In the couple hours that Aldrin and Armstrong were on the Moon, there was
little time to set up scientific experiments, but a small package (the EASEP, or
Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package) was deployed. Aldrin is shown here
setting up the Passive Seismic Experiments Package. Behind Aldrin to the left is
the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector. The flag and the lunar surface television
camera are left of the LM. This mission paved the way for the more extensive
scientific studies done on later Apollo missions. (NASA photo ID
AS11-40-5949)
Aldrin posed for this picture next to the U.S. flag. The rod to hold the flag
out horizontally would not extend fully, so the flag ended up with a slight
waviness, giving the appearance of being windblown. The flag itself was
difficult to erect, it was very hard to penetrate beyond about 6 to 8 inches
into the lunar soil. (NASA Photo ID AS11-40-5875)
Millions of Earthlings watched the drama unfold on TV images taken by the
black and white lunar surface camera. Here, Armstrong is standing in the center,
and Aldrin is saluting President Richard M. Nixon, who had just spoken to the
two astronauts by radio telephone from the White House: "Hello, Neil and Buzz.
I'm talking to you by telephone from the Oval Room at the White House, and this
certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made ..... Because of
what you have done, the heavens have become a part of man's world .......".
Armstrong replied, "Thank you, Mr. President. It's a great honor and privilege
for us to be here representing not only the United States but men of peace of
all nations, and with interests and the curiosity and with the vision for the
future." (NASA photo ID S69-39562)
Walking on the lunar surface was not difficult, but took a little practice.
Despite the fact that the backpacks and astronauts only weighed 1/6 on their 350
pound Earth weight, their center of gravity was shifted so they had to lean
slightly forward to balance, and they still had to overcome the inertia of all
that mass, so stopping usually took a few steps. Here Aldrin is walking in the
typical bent posture near the leg of the lunar module. Footprints are clearly
visible in the foreground. (NASA photo ID AS11-40-5902)
Neil Armstrong took this picture of Edwin Aldrin, showing a reflection in
Aldrin's visor of Armstrong and the Lunar Module. This is one of the few
photographs showing Armstrong (who carried the camera most of the time) on the
Moon. The tasks assigned to both astronauts were carefully choreographed and
practiced back on Earth, and Aldrin was busy setting up scientific experiments
among other responsibilities. Apparently taking pictures was not as carefully
planned. Aldrin later said, "My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this
in training." (NASA photo ID AS11-40-5903)
Armstrong was photographed here at the Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly
(MESA) on the lunar module, packing the bulk rock and soil sample he had
collected. Aldrin took this picture as part of a series of panoramas of the area
around the Tranquility Base landing site. Armstrong is in the shadow of the
lunar module, details can only be seen with processing, making the sunlit
surface directly behind the LM appear very bright. (NASA photo ID
AS11-40-5886)
At one point Armstrong disappeared from the TV camera for about 3 minutes to
photograph East Crater about 60 meters away from the LM. He estimated the crater
was about 70 or 80 feet in diameter and 15 or 20 feet deep. The crater wall in
the background is in deep shadow. The object at lower left is the stereo
close-up camera. (NASA photo ID AS11-40-5954)
The astronauts returned to the Lunar Module after 2 hours and 32 minutes on
the surface and took this picture. The footprints of the astronauts and the
lunar surface television camera can be seen. The flag was actually knocked over
when by the LM's exhaust when the astronauts took off from the Moon at 1:54 p.m.
EDT on July 21. (NASA photo ID AS11-37-5545)
After lifting off from the lunar surface, the lunar module made its
rendezvous with the command module. The Eagle docked with Columbia, and the
lunar samples were brought aboard. The LM was left behind in lunar orbit while
the three astronauts returned in the command module to the blue planet in the
background. (NASA photo ID AS11-44-6642)
View of a full Moon photographed from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its
transearth journey homeward. When this picture was taken the spacecraft was
about 10,000 nautical miles from the Moon, after a successful burn of the
command/service module main engine to leave lunar orbit. After a two and a half
day coast the astronauts would re-enter Earth's atmosphere. (NASA photo ID
AS11-44-6667)
The final phase of Kennedy's challenge was completed at 12:50
p.m. EDT on July 24, 1969, when the Columbia splashed down about 812 nautical
miles southwest of Hawaii, returning the 3 astronauts safely to Earth. Here they
are shown in a life raft with a Navy frogman. All four men are wearing
biological isolation garments, awaiting helicopter pickup and transport to the
U.S.S. Hornet. They stayed in quarantine for three weeks. The day before
splashdown, Aldrin said, "We feel this stands as a symbol of the insatiable
curiousity of all mankind to explore the unknown." It also stands as a tribute
to the thousands of engineers, scientists, and others who made the journey
possible with their extraordinary efforts. (NASA photo ID S69-21698)
Last Update: 2004-Nov-27