Far above the Earth, NASA’s Apollo lunar lander put astronauts on the moon
Far above the Earth, NASA’s Apollo lunar lander put
astronauts on the moon
In this image released by NASA, Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., a lunar module pilot, stands on the lunar surface after the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. The Lunar Module is seen in the background. (NASA via AP, File)
CAPE CANAVERAL,
Fla. (AP) — America’s most daring,
extraordinary feat — landing astronauts on the moon — remains the pinnacle of
achievement by anyone anywhere. Ever.
Additionally, the
groundbreaking American invention known as the lunar lander is still far up
there. NASA put 12 men on the lunar surface more than half a century ago,
beginning with Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. On July 20, 1969, their patriotic Eagle-named
lander landed on the Sea of Tranquility, making them the first humans to
explore another world. “The Eagle has landed,” Armstrong radioed as a
spellbound Earth erupted in cheers and tears.
Sixty-two hours
later, the most significant and memorable line of all appeared. "That’s
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong said as he
descended the ladder and stepped onto the gray, gritty dust. At 23 feet (7
meters), the Apollo lunar module stood a little taller than a giraffe and
looked just as ungainly. It had two
sections: a lower descent stage with four legs and an upper stage that housed
the crew. The descent stage got the
moonwalkers to the lunar surface and remained behind as the men blasted back
into lunar orbit.
All six descent
stages will be there for perpetuity, clumped around the equator on the moon’s
near side.
Private companies are
in charge of the operations and details of the lunar lander for NASA's new
Artemis program. SpaceX, run by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin, run by Jeff Bezos,
are rushing to get their landers ready for a docking test with a NASA crew
capsule in low Earth orbit next year. If Artemis III’s docking rehearsal goes
well, NASA could launch its first moon landing with astronauts since Apollo as
early as 2028. SpaceX’s Starship is so
tall that moonwalkers will need a 10-floor elevator to descend to the lunar
surface. The Apollo astronauts used a
nine-rung ladder.
On that long-ago day,
President Richard Nixon said in a phone call to Armstrong and Aldrin as the
pair stood alongside the U.S. flag they had just planted 240,000 miles (385,000
kilometers) from home. Said Nixon: “For
one priceless moment in the whole history of man, all the people on this Earth
are truly one.”
American Objects
These are among the
items that have shaped the nation. Here
are their stories.
Part of a recurring
series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United
States. For more American objects, click
here. Click here for additional
anniversary-related stories. The Associated Press Health and Science Department
receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of
Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All content is solely the responsibility of
the AP.
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