Mission Control celebrations/Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot.
Neil Armstrong, Commander.
Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot.
July 21, 1969: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.
Around seven hours after the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (the Eagle) landed in the Sea of Tranquility, at least 500 million people watched as Neil Armstrong descended the ladder and became the first man to step foot on the surface of the moon. He then proclaimed:
That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.
Armstrong was joined shortly by Edwin “Buzz” E. Aldrin, who described the view of the empty lunar surface as “magnificent desolation”. The two men collected samples and performed experiments while also engaging in more symbolic activities - they planted an American flag on the moon’s surface, a patch honoring the deceased crew of first Apollo mission, and a memorial bag. Additionally, a plaque reading “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind” was attached to the leg of the module. The astronauts also spoke briefly with President Nixon in what he called “the most historic phone call ever made from the White House”. The success of Apollo 11 marked the end of the Space Race and fulfilled President Kennedy’s eight-year-old promise to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.