“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.U.S. President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961Setting foot on the moon marked the fulfilment of a desire that had probably lasted ever since human beings set their eyes on Earth’s natural satellite. The success of the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 – a little over five months before the end of the 1960s – also meant that Kennedy’s target was achieved.Here are snapshots from a week that saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon...Photo:
NASA / REUTERS
July 16, 1969: Lift-off | 13:32:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time), 9:32 am ET (Eastern Time) |
The Apollo 11 spacecraft – with Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard – blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a Wednesday morning.
It might have been the middle of a week, but a million spectators were gathered in attendance, including Vice President Spiro Agnew (to the right of centre) and former President Lyndon Johnson (centre). Not to mention the countless others around the world following all the updates. There was a carnival atmosphere, but everyone gathered knew that the real drama was still a few days away.Photo:
