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 Earth Moon The Apollo 11 Mission - First Human Landing The Moon - Astronaut Footprint On The The Moon | |
See also: Moon Fact Sheet |
Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin photographed this footprint in the lunar soil as part of an experiment to study the nature of lunar dust and the effects of pressure on the surface. The dust was found to compact easily under the weight of the astronauts leaving a shallow but clear impression of the boots, characteristic of a very fine, dry material. The footprint image has also become one of the enduring symbols of the first visit to the Moon. (Apollo 11, AS11-40-5878)
Last Update: 2004-Nov-27