July 20, 1969 is perhaps one of the most important dates in history. It is the day humans first stepped foot on the Moon, a feat once imagined to be impossible.
The Apollo 11 mission placed astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong on the lunar surface, proving that humans could travel to deep space and return safely to Earth. The two astronauts spent a total of 21 hours and 36 minutes on the surface of the Moon.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. We are kicking off the celebration by highlighting some fun facts about the brave men who became legends as Apollo astronauts.
Learn more about Apollo 11 lunar module pilot, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the second person to step foot on the Moon:
Buzz also credits himself with snapping the first ‘selfie’ from space, which he took during a spacewalk on his first mission, Gemini 12.
Upon their return to Earth, the Apollo 11 astronauts had to go through customs. They reported that they traveled from the moon and declared their lunar samples.
During this time the crew donned bio-isolation garments and spent three weeks in quarantine. After all, no one had been to the Moon before, and no one knew if anything dangerous could have been brought back.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see one of these bio-isolation garments in Astronaut Gallery during your next visit! The suit on display was worn by Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins.
Experience the excitement of the first lunar landing and the Apollo era during our 50th anniversary celebration this summer!
