We Need to Remembering the Famous Moon Landing

“One giant leap for mankind” is probably the most iconic quote that encapsulates the enormous progress science has achieved over the past five decades. Through the looming geological threat of the Cold War, two of the most powerful nations in the world embarked on a competitive journey towards scientific greatness. The Soviets as well as the US funneled hefty sums of investment money to start the age of space exploration.

Even though the Soviets would be the first to bring the first man-made craft to the moon, NASA was the first to land the first astronauts on the moon.

Significance of The Eagle has Landed!

These were the words to signify that the first men have walked on the moon. The eternal credit is given to Commander Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They were part of a three-man crew sent by NASA on the Apollo 11 mission, along with Michael Collins.

It began on the 16th of July of 1969 when the Saturn V lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Station. The three astronauts then set out to accomplish the first-ever lunar landing. On the 20th of July, 1969, they accomplished that goal as Armstrong and Aldrin shot the historic moon landing video while Collins orbited the moon in the command module. It was the culmination of the degree of trust President John F. Kennedy commissioned NASA to fulfill. Although it was a historic feat for the Americans, it was an accomplishment that united the population of the earth.

This holistic accomplishment for humanity is a sentiment shared by the whole NASA team and was best described by Collins himself. He recalls the events following their trip to the moon, where they toured across the world to celebrate. He shared that people didn’t say that the Americans finally did it. They said, “We did it!” It was truly a sentiment that united the world in a single historical event.

Men on the Moon

The time was 10:56 p.m. EDT. Armstrong slowly climbs down the ladder of the lunar module as over 530 million people from across the world tuned in. The commander finally steps foot on the moon and is given credit for being the first man to do so. Closely behind him was Aldrin and particularly anxious. He recalls that very moment, and he made sure that all the proper procedures were checked out on his list as his anxiety was not without cause. Armstrong even voiced his concerns regarding the rampart unknown of walking on the moon. Moments later, he became the second man on the moon. At that moment, Aldrin famously describes the moon’s environment as a “magnificent desolation.”

Although Collins was an integral part of Apollo 11, he did not get to walk on the moon. He was tasked to orbit around and take photographs of the lunar surface while his crewmates touched down. Nonetheless, it was a degree of accomplishment that very few can brag about.

For two and a half hours, Aldrin and Armstrong roamed the surface of the moon, collecting samples and taking pictures along the way. They planted an American flag and left behind a plaque, which reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

The landing was truly a sight to behold and one of the biggest feats mankind has ever accomplished. Although the three astronauts were front-and-center of the event, thousands of people worked on the project and it is a degree of achievement that they shared with the rest of humanity.

Photo Sources:

Cover Photo – NASA
Photo 1 – NASA
Photo 2 – NASA
Photo 3 – Twitter
Photo 4 – Twitter