Moon Landing: 53 Years Later
Today (July 20, 2022) marks the 53rd anniversary of the moon landing by the United States Space Shuttle mission Apollo 11. While there were many missions prior to that one…
Today (July 20, 2022) marks the 53rd anniversary of the moon landing by the United States Space Shuttle mission Apollo 11. While there were many missions prior to that one on July 20, 1969, it was the first time a human had ever stepped foot on the surface of the moon. If you were a kid when this happened, it's hard to forget. On July 16, 1969, just seven months after NASA sent the first mission all the way to the moon (though nobody actually stepped on it) in Apollo 8, another Saturn V rocket was headed into space.
The excitement at the Kennedy Space Center and around the globe on that morning was palpable. The rocket launched just after 9:00am EST and minutes later was in orbit. When it was clear everything was running smoothly, NASA gave the order to three young astronauts to head to the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins entered the moon's orbit three days later and Armstrong and Aldrin climbed aboard the lunar module Eagle to make the first ever moon landing by a human. If Michael Collins isn't as well-known in history as the first two men, it's because he didn't get to walk on the moon that day. He was chosen to stay behind in the command module Columbia in the lunar orbit.
Of course NASA is celebrating today's anniversary with photos and videos of that massive achievement.
Buzz Aldrin is also getting in on the nostalgia. In his tweet today, Aldrin talked about the pride he and Neil Armstrong felt about representing our country on the Apollo 11 mission.
In honor of the occasion, we put together a collection of photos. You can see in one of the photos with the footprint that the surface of the moon is of a very fine grain. In that famous video released by NASA on that fateful day, Neil Armstrong said the surface was "almost like a powder". How very cool to have been there.
-Wendy Rush, 96.3 KKLZ, Las Vegas
The Saturn 5 spaceship set against sky
{perkijl] via Getty ImagesSaturn 5 at Sunset.
The launch
[1971yes] via Getty ImagesThe launch against the sky.
Space Shuttle Flying Over The Clouds
[3DSculptor] via Getty ImagesSpace Shuttle Flying Over The Clouds. 3D Scene.
Space shuttle in space near Earth planet. Stratosphere of Earth. Spaceship on orbit. View from international space station.
[dima_zel] via Getty ImagesSpace shuttle in space near Earth planet. Stratosphere of Earth. Spaceship on orbit. View from international space station. Expedition on ISS. Elements of this image furnished by NASA (url: images-assets.nasa.gov/image/iss040e090540/iss040e090540~orig.jpg
Footprint on the Moon surface
[Issaurinko] via Getty ImagesFootprint on the Moon surface
The American flag flying on the moon.
[Keystone] via Getty ImagesThe American flag flying on the moon.
3D Rendering of Astronauts setting American Flag On The Moon
[3DSculptor] via Getty ImagesAstronauts Set An American Flag On The Moon. 3D Illustration.
Moon surface and stars with sunlight in outer space. Exploration of Solar system. Artemis lunar space program.
[dima_zel] via Getty ImagesMoon surface and stars with sunlight in outer space. Exploration of Solar system. Artemis lunar space program. Elements of this image furnished by NASA (https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a16/a16pan1240222dmh.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_feature/public/images/269792main_GPN-2000-001210_full.jpg)
Las Vegas to Space
1971yes via Getty ImagesAstronauts in space around the solar battarei.(The texture of the planet was generated using the program 3D Max.)
Las Vegas to Space
Blue earth seen from the moon surface:
[hideto111] via Getty Imagesblue earth seen from the moon surface: Elements of this image are furnished by NASA
A satellite in orbit around the earth
[Stockbyte] via Getty ImagesMoon Closeup taken with Meade ETX 125 F15 DF 1900mm Telescope camera
[photofxs68] via Getty ImagesMeade ETX 125 F15 DF 1900mm Telescope camera DMK21 618AU 300 frames stacked 50% in Auto Stakkert processed in Registax and post-processed to join the tiles
Earth viewed from the space shuttle
[Stockbyte] via Getty ImagesThe moon lit by the sun.
[Jean-Claude Caprara] Getty ImagesThe moon lit by the sun.
Full Pink moon in the clear blue Sydney Skies with the southern cross visible and lots of stars
[Elias] via Getty ImagesFull Pink moon in the clear blue Sydney Skies with the southern cross visible and lots of stars
Full Moon
[BrianEKushner] via Getty ImagesFull Moon
Crescent moon - high quality taken through telescope
[nzastrophotography] via Getty ImagesCrescent moon - high quality taken through telescope from New Zealand.
Moon surface and Earth at night in deep space. Planet and satellite. Artemis space program. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
[dima_zel] via Getty ImagesMoon surface and Earth at night in deep space. Planet and satellite. Artemis space program. Elements of this image furnished by NASA (url: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_feature/public/thumbnails/image/as11-40-5944.jpg https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/79000/79765/dnb_land_ocean_ice.2012.3600x1800.jpg)
Moon surface with a view of sunrise behind Earth.
[RomoloTavani] via Getty Imagesmoon surface with view sunrise of the earth
