In July 1969, we stood on the brink of one of humanity's most incredible achievements. It was a little over eight years since Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard made history with their space flights, and President John F.
Kennedy had set the ambitious challenge for America to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. With this goal in mind, we watched as NASA made remarkable strides, including the successful Apollo 8 mission just seven months before.
Now, on the morning of July 16, 1969, we gathered with bated breath as Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins climbed aboard the massive Saturn V rocket. At 9:32 a.m. EDT, the powerful engines roared to life, and we could all feel the weight of history as the rocket left the launch pad.
Within 12 minutes, Apollo 11 was in Earth orbit. But this was only the beginning. After completing one and a half orbits, the mission controllers gave the crew the green light for what was known as "Translunar Injection"—the moment when they would leave Earth's orbit and set course for the moon. Three days later, they reached lunar orbit, just as we anxiously awaited the historic moment of landing.
The next day, Armstrong and Aldrin climbed into the lunar module, Eagle, for the descent, while Collins remained in the command module, Columbia, orbiting the moon. As the lunar module approached the surface, Armstrong had to take manual control to avoid boulders, while the onboard computer triggered alarming signals. Fortunately, these issues were merely technical glitches, but as Aldrin later explained, these moments of uncertainty were the most stressful of the mission.
Finally, at 4:17 p.m. EDT, the Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong's voice crackled through the radio: “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” We all exhaled in relief. Armstrong, who later admitted that the landing was his biggest concern, confirmed that there were many unknowns that had to be solved in real time.
At 10:56 p.m. EDT, it was time for one of the most iconic moments in history. With over half a billion people watching from their homes, Armstrong descended the ladder of the Eagle and made his famous proclamation: “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Aldrin soon joined him on the lunar surface, describing it as “magnificent desolation.” Together, they spent two and a half hours collecting samples and capturing photographs of the moon's stark beauty. They left behind a flag, a plaque, and a memorial to the fallen Apollo 1 crew, before returning to the Eagle for their ascent back to the command module. Collins, who had been anxiously awaiting their return, was thrilled when they finally reunited in the Columbia.
The crew safely splashed down off the coast of Hawaii on July 24, completing the historic journey. We had done it—Kennedy's challenge had been met, and humanity had taken its first steps on the moon.
Years later, Armstrong would reflect on the hundreds of thousands of individuals who made this journey possible, from the engineers to the astronauts. In the end, the Apollo 11 mission marked not just a new chapter in space exploration, but the dawn of a new age of possibilities.
As Armstrong and Aldrin returned safely to Earth, the words of Gene Cernan, commander of the last Apollo mission, resonated in our hearts: “We leave as we came, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.”
