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The First Moon Landing
Both the USA and the former USSR (Russia) were determined to be the first nation to land a man on the moon. In May 1961 US President John F Kennedy challenged the nation to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
Apollo 11 was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 16 July, 1969. On board were Neil Armstrong, the Commander of the Mission, Michael Collins, the command module pilot, and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, lunar module pilot.
The top part of the rocket was the Command Module Columbia. It held the three men and was the control centre for the mission. It was the vehicle for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
©[2008] Jupiterimages Corporation
The Lunar Module, Eagle was the vehicle designed to take the men from the Command Module to land on the moon. It had a descent module, with the engine that brought them from the Command module, and an ascent module, which took the astronauts back to the Command module. It had four legs, a storage area and a ladder for the crew to climb down onto the moon’s surface.
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On 20 July, 1969, the Lunar Module, Eagle, landed on the moon, in a place called the Sea of Tranquillity. Commander Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. As he stepped off the ladder and put his foot on the moon’s surface, he said, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ |
This photograph shows that first footstep on the moon's surface.
©[2008] Jupiterimages Corporation
Armstrong was joined on the moon by Buzz Aldrin, and together they spent two and a half hours on the moon’s surface. They performed a number of experiments and collected rocks and soil to bring back to Earth. They left an American flag on the moon. This historic visit was broadcast live on TV to the world, watched by approximately 600 million people.
The top part of the Lunar Module Eagle took them back to the Command Module Columbia, which had remained in orbit around the moon, piloted by Michael Collins, while they explored.
©[2008] Jupiterimages Corporation
The Columbia returned to Earth on 24 July, 1969.
After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, parachutes opened to slow down the speed of the Columbia and to drop it gently into the Pacific Ocean. A helicopter lifted the crew out and took them to the recovery ship, the USS Hornet.
Go here to find out more about the moon and to see a picture of a rock brought back by the Apollo 11 crew.
If you use any part of this in your own work, acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham, S. & Thomas, R. The First Moon Landing [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au [2008]
Updated © [2008] kidcyber