“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
It’s been exactly 47 years since these words were spoken.
47 years since astronaut Neil Armstrong made history by being the first human to step onto the moon’s surface.
47 years since humankind showed that we are capable of setting goals far beyond our own horizons—and then achieving them.
Though the focus of our space exploration has shifted somewhat in the years since this event, it still resonates as an important milestone in space history. For many, it’s still regarded as the finest hour of America’s space program.
Here are some neat facts about the Apollo 11 mission:
– Exactly 109 hours and 42 minutes elapsed between Apollo 11’s launch, and Armstrong’s famous step onto the moon’s surface.
– The lunar module spent 21 hours and 36 minutes on the moon’s surface. The astronauts spent 2.5 hours of this time was spent actually exploring the moon’s surface.
– Both Aldrin and Armstrong agreed that the moon smelled bad!
– The actual landing site was about 4 miles downrange from the expected landing site, and it occurred roughly 1.5 minutes earlier than planned.
– The American flag planted by Armstrong and Aldrin in 1969 could be the only flag from the Apollo missions not still standing. It was blown over by the thrusters of the lunar module when they left the moon.
Read more by Katharina on her page Sky Watcher
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