For thousands of years, people looked up at the Moon with curiosity and wonder as they marveled at its glowing surface. Ancient civilizations told stories about it, scientists studied it through telescopes, and dreamers imagined what it might be like to walk across its surface.
Then, on July 20th, 1969, 650 million viewers across the world watched humans walk on the Moon for the first time. In the United States, 93% of all TVs were tuned in to see NASA’s Apollo 11 mission carry the astronauts through space to the Moon landing that changed history forever.
To help you learn more about this historic event, we put together 5 out-of-this-world facts you might not have known about the first Moon landing:
Three men on the Moon mission
You probably know Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the Moon, and you may even know Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin followed shortly behind him, becoming the second human on the Moon. Armstrong was the commander of the Apollo 11 mission that brought the astronauts to the Moon, while Aldrin served as the lunar module pilot.
After the spacecraft landed, Armstrong took a step onto the Moon and said the now-iconic words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
But did you know there was a third astronaut on the mission? While Armstrong and Aldrin made history and explored the Moon, Michael Collins, the mission’s command module pilot, stayed behind on the spacecraft. Though he was the only Apollo 11 astronaut not to walk on the Moon, the mission would not have been successful without Collins remaining in orbit, ready to bring the team safely back to Earth.
A risky landing
The astronauts traveled nearly 239,000 miles (384,000 kilometers) to the Moon, which is roughly the distance of 30 Earths side by side. Once the astronauts reached the Moon’s orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin boarded the lunar module called Eagle. Unlike the command module, which stayed in orbit around the Moon, the lunar module was designed specifically to land on the Moon’s surface and later lift off again.
As Eagle began its descent to the Moon, toward an area of its surface known as Mare Tranquillitatis, or the Sea of Tranquility, Armstrong saw that they were heading toward a rocky area that wasn’t safe for landing. He took manual control and steered Eagle toward a smoother, safer landing site.
By the time Eagle touched down, only about 20 seconds of fuel remained. That’s like trying to parallel park a car with only a few seconds before the gas runs out. After reaching the surface of the Moon, Armstrong radioed Mission Control in Houston, Texas, and said, “The Eagle has landed.”
Moon rocks rock!
While exploring the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin collected about 47.5 pounds (21.5 kilograms) of rocks and dust. These samples have transformed our understanding of the Moon, becoming some of the most valuable rocks ever collected.
By studying rocks, scientists can learn what they’re made of and the history of how they formed and when. For nearly 60 years, since Moon rocks were collected and brought back to Earth in 1969, scientists have used them to find out new information, like how the Moon was formed and what our solar system was like billions of years ago.
Unlike Earth, the Moon has no wind, rain, rivers, or oceans, which means there’s nothing to affect the rocks. They’re like a time capsule, preserving clues from billions of years ago. Scientists used the rocks to discover that the Moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, not long after Earth itself.
Footprints left behind
Because the Moon has no wind, rain, or flowing water, everything that was left there has remained almost exactly where it was in 1969, including the astronauts’ footprints. There’s nothing to wash the footprints away, so they are still clearly preserved on the Moon’s surface.
However, the footprints will slowly fade over millions of years due to tiny space rocks called micrometeorites. On Earth, these small pieces of rock and metal burn up in our atmosphere before they reach the ground, creating shooting stars.
The Moon, on the other hand, has no atmosphere, so micrometeorites constantly strike it. One impact isn’t enough to erase a footprint, but over millions of years, billions of these tiny collisions will gradually smooth the surface and wear the footprints away. Until then, the footprints will remain visible.
Is the American flag still there?
When Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon, they planted an American flag, which became one of the most famous symbols of the Apollo 11 mission. However, the flag was set up too close to the lunar module, and Aldrin reported seeing the powerful engine exhaust knock it over as the spacecraft lifted off.
Today, there are six American flags on the Moon, including the original one that had been knocked over. After the original Apollo 11 mission, there were five more missions over the next three years to land astronauts on the Moon. Each of these missions left behind a flag to commemorate their success.
These flags weren’t specially made for space. They were ordinary American flags that scientists modified to fly even in the absence of wind. After decades of being exposed to intense sunlight, extreme temperatures, and space radiation, all six flags have likely become faded and brittle.
Nearly 60 years after Apollo 11, the Moon landing continues to inspire people around the world. It reminds us that even the biggest dreams can become reality through curiosity, courage, and teamwork. The next great adventure in space may be just beginning. 🌙
