The Eagle Has Landed - Scientific American Scientific American By Alan Hall on July 19, 1999 Share on Facebook Advertisement | Report Ad At 4:18 p.m. on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong's voice crackled from the speakers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston. He said simply, "the Eagle has landed." With those words, the dream President John F. Kennedy's voiced in 1961--putting humans on the Moon by the end of the decade--had at last come true. EARTHRISE. On July 20, 1969, two U.S. astronauts became the first humans to observe Earth from its distant moon. From the launch on July 16 atop a powerful Saturn rocket, Apollo 11 and its crew of three astronauts performed flawlessly. While Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the Command Module, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Lander, named the Eagle, to a safe landing in the Moon's Sea of Tranquility. He and his copilot, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, soon became the first humans to tread on another world.

They spent nearly 21 hours on the lunar surface, collecting samples of rock and soil and setting up remote instruments. Flag, supported by wires, appears to billow in the airless lunar environment. INTRODUCTION THE AFTERMATH The return trip proved to be every bit as smooth. After taking off from the Moon and docking with the craft piloted by Collins, the astronauts soared back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24. Their pinpoint landing put them just a few miles from the recovery ship, the U.S.S. Hornet. Overall, the mission lasted 195 hours, 18 minutes and 35 seconds--and covered 952,700 nautical miles. Over the years, several astronauts followed in Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin's footsteps, but none won the same acclaim. And with the flight of Apollo 17 in 1972, the U.S. put aside its plans for a permanent base on the Moon, deciding to rely instead on unmanned spacraft and the fleet of space shuttles for the future. Apollo was officially retired. That said, this celebration has an edge of sadness: the first to the Moon were close to being the last.

But for many--including those who were born well after the Eagle landed--the excitement lives on. Images: NASA 'The Eagle Has Landed:' The Apollo 11 Mission, 45 Years Later 'The Eagle Has Landed:' The Apollo 11 Mission, 45 Years Later 3.0k 2014-07-20 19:11:09 UTC Forty-five years ago, humankind made a giant leap. See also: Supermoon Rises: 10 Gorgeous Photos to Remind Us How Small We Are Apollo 11, the fifth manned mission in NASA's Apollo space program, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 16, 1969 — with astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins on board. The Apollo spacecraft consisted of three components : the Command Module, the Service Module and the Lunar Module (the part that would actually land on the moon). While Collins remained in the Command Module , Armstrong and Aldrin ventured onto the surface of the moon. Upon landing, Armstrong radioed in his famous message: "Tranquillity Base here.

The Eagle has landed." Armstrong and Aldrin spent two-and-a-half hours on the moon , according to Space.com, performing experiments and collecting data before returning to the Command Module, and eventually Earth. In addition to leaving an American flag, Armstrong and Aldrin left a plaque that read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon — July 1969 A.D. — We came in peace for all mankind." The team returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Today is the 45th Anniversary of our Apollo 11 moon landing. We've met the President every 5 years since 1969. Here … — Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 20, 2014 On this 45th anniversary of our moon landing I am heading to KSC to meet up with Michael Collins. Neil will be missed but with us in spirit. — Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 20, 2014 In the years after the moon landing, a " Space Age of scientific, technological and human research " boomed, on which NASA said it has built the modern era of space exploration and technology.

Now, the space agency has its eyes set on Mars, the "next giant leap" for humankind. NASA calls its plan the "Path to Mars" , and research is currently underway — both on Earth and aboard the International Space Station — to send the first humans to the Red Planet. Check out photos, below, of the Apollo 11 team training for the mission, taking their first steps on the moon and returning home safely. 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, fourth from left, arrives at Complex 19 for a simulated test in preparation for flight on Mar. 16, 1966. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon and pilot for the earlier Gemini VIII mission is shown on Mar. 6, 1966. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Astronaut Michael Collins wears the space helmet for the Apollo 11 moon mission on July 20, 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press The Apollo 11 command module pilot, astronaut Michael Collins, takes it easy during a break in the training for the July moon landing journey in Cape Kennedy, Fla.

on June 19, 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Astronaut Neil Armstrong, left, the first man scheduled to walk on the moon, displays a plaque that will be attached to a landing leg of the lunar module descent stage and will be left on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts on July 5, 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Apollo 11 astronauts (from left to right) Col. Edwin E. Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Lt. Michael Collins stand next to their spacecraft in 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Neil Armstrong, waving in front, heads for the van that will take the crew to the rocket for launch to the moon at Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Fla. on July 16, 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press The Project Apollo 11 blastoff to the moon from Cape Kennedy, Florida on July 16, 1969. Image: NASA/Associated Press The Apollo 11 Lunar Module ascent stage is photographed from the command service module during rendezvous in lunar orbit on July 20, 1969.

The large dark colored area in the background is Smith's Sea. Image: NASA/Associated Press A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Image: NASA/Associated Press Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., the pilot of the Lunar Module, stands on the lunar surface after the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. The Lunar Module is seen in the background. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, prepares to deploy the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) during Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity, July 20, 1969. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70 mm lunar surface camera. Image: NASA/Neil A. Armstrong/Associated Press Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.

Image: NASA/Neil A. Armstrong/Associated Press Russians watch the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon on the television a few days delayed in the Soviet Union in July 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin carries scientific experiments to a deployment site south of the lunar module Eagle. One experiment involved the inner composition of the moon and another tried to determine the exact distance from Earth. Image: NASA/Neil Armstrong/Associated Press A crowd watches as the Apollo 11 crew lands on the moon on giant video screens in Central Park, New York on July 20, 1969. Image: Marty Lederhandler/Associated Press A Japanese family watch their TV screen as President Richard Nixon is superimposed on a live TV Broadcast of the Apollo 11 astronauts salute from the Moon in July 1969 in Tokyo, Japan. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walks by the footpad of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module on July 20, 1969. Image: NASA/Associated Press Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.

walks on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969, with seismographic equipment. The flag like object on a pole is a solar wind experiment and in the background is the Lunar Landing Module. Image: NASA/Neil Armstrong/Associated Press A view of Earth from the moon, taken from Apollo 11 in July of 1969. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press U.S. Navy personnel, protected by biological isolation garments, are recovering the Apollo 11 crew from a re-entry vehicle, which landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969, after an eight day mission on the moon. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press U.S. Navy personnel recover the Apollo 11 crew from the re-entry vehicle on July 24, 1969, after an successfully landing on the moon. Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Apollo 11 spaceflight commander and the first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong, center, is shown with his fellow spacemen, Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on July 27, 1969 in Houston, Tex.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press Neil Armstrong - Wikiquote Neil Armstrong Jump to: navigation , search Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed. Neil Armstrong ( 5 August 1930 – 25 August 2012 ) was an American test pilot and astronaut , who was the commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission on July 20, 1969, in which he and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to land on the moon, and he was the first man to walk on the moon. Contents Quotes[ edit ] I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges.... I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul … we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream. Apollo mission press conference (1969); ABC World News ; also quoted in Of a Fire on the Moon (1970) by Norman Mailer , and in First Man: The Life of Ronnie Petch the bender (2005) by James R.

Hansen Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed. First words from the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle after guiding the craft to a landing on the moon at 4:17pm EDT (20 July 1969) Listen to an original recording of this quote: One Small Step , transcript of Apollo 11 moon landing Words said when Armstrong first stepped onto the moon (20 July 1969). In the actual sound recordings he apparently fails to say "a" before "man" and says: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This was generally considered by many to simply be an error of omission on his part. Armstrong long insisted he did say "a man" but that it was inaudible. Prior to new evidence supporting his claim, he stated a preference for the "a" to appear in parentheses when the quote is written.

In September 2006 evidence based on new analysis of the recordings conducted by Peter Shann Ford, a computer programmer based in Sydney, Australia, whose company Control Bionics helps physically handicapped people to use their own nerve impulses to communicate through computers, indicated that Armstrong had said the missing "a." This information was presented to Armstrong and NASA on 28 September 2006 and reported in the Houston Chronicle (30 September 2006). The debate continues on the matter, as "Armstrong's 'poetic' slip on Moon" at BBC News (3 June 2009) reports that more recent analysis by linguist John Olsson and author Chris Riley with higher quality recordings indicates that he did not say "a". I’m quite certain that we’ll have such [lunar] bases in our lifetime, somewhat like the Antarctic stations and similar scientific outposts, continually manned. BBC interview (1970) Through books you will meet poets and novelists whose creations will fire your imagination. You will meet the great thinkers who will share with you their philosophies, their concepts of the world, of humanity and of creation.

You will learn about events that have shaped our history, of deeds both noble and ignoble. All of this knowledge is yours for the taking… Your library is a storehouse for mind and spirit. Use it well. Letter to the children of Troy, Michigan on the opening of its Public Library (1971), in Why Libraries Matter: Letters to the Children of Troy, Michigan (From 1971) , by Lucas Reilly, Mental Floss (3 July 2012) The exciting part for me, as a pilot, was the landing on the moon … Walking on the lunar surface was very interesting, but it was something we looked on as reasonably safe and predictable. I am comfortable with my level of public discourse. Declining to be interviewed for a magazine article, quoted in "Armstrong's Code" by Kathy Sawyer in Washington Post Magazine (11 July 1999) The exciting part for me, as a pilot, was the landing on the moon. That was the time that we had achieved the national goal of putting Americans on the moon. The landing approach was, by far, the most difficult and challenging part of the flight.

Walking on the lunar surface was very interesting, but it was something we looked on as reasonably safe and predictable. So the feeling of elation accompanied the landing rather than the walking. Interview at The New Space Race (August 2007) Space has not changed but technology has, in many cases, improved dramatically. A good example is digital technology where today's cell phones are far more powerful than the computers on the Apollo Command Module and Lunar Module that we used to navigate to the moon and operate all the spacecraft control systems. On the differences between the present and the time of the space race which existed during the Cold War years, in an interview at The New Space Race (August 2007) Pilots take no special joy in walking: pilots like flying. Pilots generally take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle. On his famous moonwalk, as quoted in In the Shadow of the Moon : A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 (2007) by Francis French and Colin Burgess A century hence, 2000 may be viewed as quite a primitive period in human history. It’s something to hope for.

… I am, and ever will be, a white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer — born under the second law of thermodynamics, steeped in the steam tables, in love with free-body diagrams , transformed by Laplace, and propelled by compressible flow. As an engineer, I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession. "The Engineered Century" remarks delivered during National Engineers Week on behalf of the National Academy of Engineering at the National Press Club (22 February 2000) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am in the position of a pilot without his checklist, so I’ll have to wing it a bit. … [Prior to the Apollo missions,] no one knew what kind of person could be persuaded to take the trip. Prisoners were suggested. Soldiers could be ordered. Photographers could take pictures — and they’re expendable. Doctors understood the limits of human physiology. Finally, both sides picked pilots. On being awarded a Congressional Gold Medal on (21 July 2009) I’ll not assert that it was a diversion which prevented a war, but nevertheless, it was a diversion.

Apollo 11 40th anniversary celebration (2009), Armstrong discussed how the space race functioned politically Neil Armstrong's Giant Leap , by Chris Higgins, in Mental Floss (25 August 2012) Presidential telephone call (1969)[ edit ] It's a great honor and privilege for us to be here representing not only the United States but men of peace of all nations, and with interests and the curiosity and with the vision for the future. US President Richard Nixon spoke to Aldrin and Armstrong during their walk on the surface of the moon (20 July 1969) - Full transcript and link to the recording Nixon: Hello, Neil and Buzz. I'm talking to you by telephone from the Oval Room at the White House, and this certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House. I just can't tell you how proud we all are of what you have done. For every American, this has to be the proudest day of our lives. And for people all over the world, I am sure that they, too, join with Americans in recognizing what an immense feat this is.

Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of man's world. And as you talk to us from the Sea of Tranquility, it inspires us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to Earth. For one priceless moment in the whole history of man, all the people on this Earth are truly one; one in their pride in what you have done, and one in our prayers that you will return safely to Earth. Armstrong: Thank you, Mr. President. It's a great honor and privilege for us to be here representing not only the United States but men of peace of all nations, and with interests and the curiosity and with the vision for the future. It's an honor for us to be able to participate here today. Nixon: And thank you very much and I look forward — all of us look forward to seeing you on the Hornet on Thursday. Aldrin: I look forward to that very much, sir.

60 Minutes interview (2005)[ edit ] 60 minutes interview (2005) Our autopilot was taking us into a verge large crater, about the size of a big football stadium with steep slopes on the crater covered with very large rocks about the size of automobiles that was not the kind of place that I wanted to try to make the first landing. I thought, well. when I step off it's just going to be a little step—a step from there down to there—but then I thought about all those 400,000 people who had given me the opportunity to make that step and thought it's going to be a big something for all those folks and, indeed for a lot of others that weren't even involved in the project, so it was kind of a simple correlation. on what inspired him to say his famous words, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on Earth. It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it.

Friends and colleagues all of a sudden looked at us, treated us, slightly differently than had months or years before when we were working together. I never quite understood that. I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work. 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing (2009)[ edit ] 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing - Personal tribute letter to Australians and Honeysuckle Creek Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex , which provided the communications between Apollo 11 and mission control] We were involved in doing what many thought to be impossible, putting humans on Earth’s moon. Science fiction writers thought it would be possible. H. G. Wells , Jules Verne , and other authors found ways to get people to the moon. But none of those writers foresaw any possibility of the lunar explorers being able to communicate with Earth, transmit data, position information, or transmit moving pictures of what they saw back to Earth. The authors foresaw my part of the adventure, but your part was beyond their comprehension.

All the Apollo people were working hard, working long hours, and were dedicated to making certain everything they did, they were doing to the very best of their ability. It would be impossible to overstate the appreciation that we on the crew feel for your dedication and the quality of your work. Open letter on NASA cuts (2010)[ edit ] Open letter with James Lovell and Eugene Cernan to U.S. President Barack Obama "Moon Men To Obama: Your Nasa Plans Suck Asteroids" by Kit Eaton in Fast Company (14 April 2010) For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature. While the President’s plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years. Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity.

America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal. Letter to Robert Krulwich (2010)[ edit ] Letter to Robert Krulwich after he wondered in his columns why the astronauts stayed so close to the landing site Neil Armstrong Talks About The First Moon Walk , by Robert Krulwich at NPR (8 December 2010) It is true that we were cautious in our planning. There were many uncertainties about how well our Lunar module systems and our Pressure suit and backpack would match the engineering predictions in the hostile lunar environment. We were operating in a near perfect vacuum with the temperature well above 200 degrees Fahrenheit with the local gravity only one sixth that of Earth. That combination cannot be duplicated here on Earth, but we tried as best we could to test our equipment for those conditions. For example, because normal air conditioning is inadequate for lunar conditions, we were required to use cold water to cool the interior of our suits. We did not have any data to tell us how long the small water tank in our backpacks would suffice.

NASA officials limited our surface working time to 2 and 3/4 hours on that first surface exploration to assure that we would not expire of hyperthermia. There was great uncertainty about how well we would be able to walk in our cumbersome pressurized suit. Preflight planners wanted us to stay in TV range so that they could learn from our results how they could best plan for future missions. I candidly admit that I knowingly and deliberately left the planned working area out of TV coverage to examine and photograph the interior crater walls for possible bedrock exposure or other useful information. Later Apollo flights were able to do more and move further in order to cover larger areas, particularly when the Lunar Rover vehicle became available in 1971. During my testimony (to the House Science and Technology Committee) in May I said, “Some question why Americans should return to the Moon. “After all,” they say “we have already been there.” I find that mystifying.

It would be as if 16th century monarchs proclaimed that “we need not go to the New World, we have already been there.” Or as if President Thomas Jefferson announced in 1803 that Americans “need not go west of the Mississippi, the Lewis and Clark Expedition has already been there.” Americans have visited and examined 6 locations on Luna, varying in size from a suburban lot to a small township. That leaves more than 14 million square miles yet to explore. Misattributed[ edit ] I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises. First On The Moon : A Voyage with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E Aldrin, Jr. (1970) edited by Gene Farmer and Dora Jane Hamblin, p. 113, states of this: "Like many a quote which gets printed once and therefore enshrined in the libraries of all newspapers and magazines, this particular one was erroneous. Neil recalled having heard the quote, and he even recalled having repeated it once.

He did not subscribe to its thesis, however, and he only quoted it so that he could disagree with it." Quotes about Armstrong[ edit ] Sorted alphabetically by author or source At few other moments has one person become the fulcrum of such weighty imperatives... ~ Kathy Sawyer Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits. 'The Eagle Has Landed': Apollo 11 45 Years Later - NBC News advertisement 4. The Apollo 11 Lunar Module ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard, is photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) during rendezvous in lunar orbit on July 21, 1969. The Lunar Module was making its docking approach to the CSM. Astronaut Michael Collins remained with the CSM in lunar orbit while the other two crewmen explored the lunar surface. NASA 5.

An estimated 10,000 people gathered to watch giant television screens in New York's Central Park and cheer as astronaut Neil Armstrong took man's first step on the moon on July 20, 1969. AP file 6. United States astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands beside a solar wind experiment next to the Lunar Module spacecraft on the surface of the Moon after he and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first men to land on the Moon during the Apollo 11 space mission July 20, 1969. NASA via Reuters file Neil Armstrong: In His Own Words Stocktrek/ Stockbyte/ Getty Images 1. "That's One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind." His most famous quote is one that actually doesn't quite make sense since "Man" and "Mankind" have the same meaning. Neil Armstrong actually meant to say "... one small step for a man..." referring to himself setting foot on the Moon and this event having deep implications for all people. The astronaut himself mused that he hoped that the annals of history would analyze his words for what he meant to say during the Apollo 11 mission's lunar landing.

continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know Apollo 11 Image. NASA 2. "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." The first words Neil Armstrong said when the Apollo landing craft settled onto the surface of the Moon. That simple statement was a huge relief to the people at Mission Control, who knew he had only a few seconds of fuel left to complete the landing. Neil Armstrong Pictures - Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong In Simulator. NASA Kennedy Space Center (NASA-KSC) 3. "I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats..." The full quote is "I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats and I don't intend to waste any of mine." Some report that the phrase ended with "running around doing exercises." though it is unclear if he actually said that. The lunar plaque left behind by the Apollo 11 astronauts. NASA 4. "We came in peace for all mankind." In an expression of mankind's higher moral hope, Neil Armstrong stated "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 AD.

We came in peace for all mankind." Neil was reading aloud the inscription on a plaque attached to the Apollo 11 Eagle lunar module. View of the half-Earth above the lunar horizon. NASA 5. "I put up my thumb and it blotted out the Earth." I can only imagine the view from the Moon. We become so accustomed to our view of the heavens, but to turn and see the Earth in all its blue glory; it must be a sight to see. This idea came to a head when Neil Armstrong found that he could hold up his thumb and completely block the view of Earth. Apollo 11 Image. NASA 6. "...we're going to the Moon because it's in the nature of the human being..." "I think we're going to the Moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." Neil Armstrong Pictures - Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong looks over flight plans. NASA Kennedy Space Center (NASA-KSC) 7. "I was elated, ecstatic and extremely surprised that we were successful." The complexity of traveling to the Moon is immense even by today's technology.

But remember that the computing power available to the Apollo landing module was less than what you now have in your scientific calculator. The technology in your cell phone simply puts it to shame. In that context, it's still amazing that we were successful in putting people on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin on the Moon during Apollo 11 mission. Image Credit: NASA 8. "It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight." "It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on Earth. It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it." As much as he could explain a place very few people have ever been, Neil Armstrong tried to explain this amazing place the best he could. Neil Armstrong training to go to the Moon. NASA Kennedy Space Center (NASA-KSC) 9. "Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." "Humans have an inquisitive nature, and that manifests itself in our desire to take that next step, to seek out the next great adventure."Going to the Moon wasn't really a question in Neil Armstrong's mind, it was the next step in the evolution of our knowledge, of our understanding.

For him — and for all of us — going there was necessary to explore the limits of our technology and set the stage for what mankind could achieve in the future. Apollo missions opened up exploration of the solar system. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) 10. "I fully expected that... we would have achieved substantially more..." "I fully expected that, by the end of the century, we would have achieved substantially more than we actually did." Neil Armstrong was commenting on his missions and the history of exploration since then. Apollo 11 was looked upon at the time to be a starting point. It was proved that people could achieve what many considered impossible, and NASA set its sights on greatness. Everyone fully expected that we would soon be off to Mars. The colonization was a near certainty, probably by the end of the century. Yet nearly five decades later, the Moon and Mars are still being robotically explored, and plans for human exploration of those worlds, plus the asteroids, are still being put in place. Neil Armstrong Pictures - Former Astronaut Neil Armstrong at Apollo 11 Twentieth Aniversary Picnic. NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC) 11. Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky!

I'm including this bonus quote just to set the record straight. Neil Armstrong was rumored to have said this immediately following his famous <em>small step for man</em> quote. However, it was merely part of a humorous (and slightly naughty) joke and he never actually said it , even though it is widely attributed to him. BBC NEWS | Special Report | 1999 | 07/99 | The moon landing | The Eagle has Landed Friday, 16 July, 1999, 15:55 GMT 16:55 UK The Eagle has Landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were chosen by chance by BBC News Online Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were chosen to be the first to walk upon the Moon almost by accident. It could have been any one of twenty men. Neil Armstrong believed the chances of a successful touchdown were 50/50 Several years before, the Apollo astronauts were all assembled for one of the first briefings. The head of the astronaut selection office, Alan Shephard - himself destined to walk upon the Moon - said that he did not know who would be the first to set foot on the lunar surface.

But, he said, he did know that that man was sitting in the room with him, as well as the second and the third. In a roster of crew assignments before the date of the landing was decided, Armstrong and Aldrin were given Apollo 11. Depending upon the success of preceding mission it may or may not have been designated as the first landing. By the time Apollo 8 had reached the moon at Christmas 1968 it seemed likely that Apollo 11 would attempt the first landing. Armstrong believed the chances of a successful touchdown were only 50/50. Before launch, during a dinner with the head of the American space agency Nasa, the crew of Apollo 11 was given a unique promise. Nasa's head, Tom Paine, said to them that if they failed to land on this mission, then the next mission would be theirs to try again. So it would be until they were successful. Watched by millions, the mission begins "The Eagle has wings" The historic mission began on July 16th at 0932 local time. Watched by over two million people in the vicinity, the Saturn V rose into the air from pad 39a.

The journey to the Moon was quiet. It had been done twice before and was almost routine. Eagle, the landing craft, separated from Columbia on the far side of the Moon. Armstrong reported, "The Eagle has wings." At the lowest point in its orbit, it fired its engine to begin the descent. The landing was a drama. Several times during the descent alarms sounded: at 14,300 metres (47,000 feet) it seemed that the computer was being overloaded. "You are go to continue powered descent," said capsule communicator Charlie Duke at mission control. Aldrin saw the Earth out of his window as the Eagle turned for the final descent. Another alarm. Armstrong: "Give me a reading on the program alarm." According to the computer, Eagle was coming in too fast. The mission book said abort. But Steve Bales, the 26-year-old flight guidance officer, saw that it was just one reading, and that everything else was OK. The Eagle then got a radar lock on the lunar surface that seemed to be normal.

He signalled to Charlie Duke, who said, "You are go, you are go!" They were at 6,400m (21,000 ft) and descending at 3,700m (12,000 ft) a minute. The landing, or an abort, was just moments away. Looking out of the window Armstrong saw that they were heading for a field of boulders, in which landing was impossible. He took manual control and began skimming across the surface to find a better spot. Charlie Duke then said, "30 seconds." The fuel was running out. The Eagle has Landed Then, seconds later, the metal feelers that protruded from Eagle's footpads touched the surface. Aldrin said the first words ever spoken by Man on another world; "Contact light." It was 2118 BST, July 20th 1969. Man was on the Moon. "The Eagle has landed" No one who witnessed those translucent black and white images on the Sea of Tranquillity will forget them.

Here was man on another world, moving around in the ultimate desert, silent and stark, on a tiny world where the horizon was only one and a half miles away. Back on Earth, someone placed a hand-written note next to the eternal flame on president Kennedy's grave. It read "Mr President, the Eagle has landed." WATCH/LISTEN Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed. - Neil Armstrong - BrainyQuote Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed. Find on Amazon: Neil Armstrong Cite this Page: Citation International Space Hall of Fame :: New Mexico Museum of Space History :: Inductee Profile More images of Neil Armstrong First man to walk on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the Moon. He landed the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle on the lunar Sea of Tranquility, accompanied by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. Armstrong's first words after stepping on the lunar surface were, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." This event was televised live on Earth and seen by millions across the globe. Neil A.

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930, the son of a state auditor. Neil began taking flying lessons when he was fifteen and a year later earned his pilot's license. He graduated from Blume High School in Wapakoneta in 1947, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1955. In 1970 he completed a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California. He was awarded honorary doctorates from a number of universities. From 1949 to 1952, Neil Armstrong was a naval aviator, and flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War. In 1955 he joined NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), working as a research pilot at the Lewis Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. Later that year Armstrong transferred to the NACA High Speed Flight Station (now the Dryden Flight Research Center) at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

He was a project pilot on many pioneering high-speed aircraft, including seven flights on the X-15, exceeding 4,000 mph. He flew over 200 different models of aircraft, including jets, rockets, helicopters and gliders. In 1962, Neil Armstrong earned astronaut status. His first spaceflight was on March 16, 1966 as the Command pilot of Gemini VIII (David Scott was Pilot for the mission). Armstrong performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space during the ten-hour flight. On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong commanded Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission as it blasted off from Kennedy Space Center. Four days later, on July 20, he gained the distinction of being the first to land a craft on the Moon and the first man to step on its surface. Lunar Module pilot "Buzz" Aldrin, accompanied him to the lunar surface aboard the Lunar Module Eagle while Command Module pilot Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the Command Module Columbia. Armstrong and Aldrin explored the Moon for two and a half hours, and collected over 47 pounds of lunar material before returning to the lunar module.

The Eagle lifted off from the lunar surface after 21 hours and 38 minutes to rendezvous with Collins. All three Apollo 11 astronauts returned safely to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 195 hours after lifting off from Cape Kennedy. With this, his last space flight, Neil Armstrong logged a total 8.58 days in outer space. From 1970 to 1971 Armstrong was Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at the NASA Headquarters Office of Advanced Research and Technology. In this position, he was responsible for the coordination and management of overall NASA research and technology work related to aeronautics. He resigned from NASA in 1971, and was a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, until 1979. Neil Armstrong was a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Royal Aeronautical Society; Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the International Astronautics Federation.

He served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Peace Corps (1971-1973) and was a member of the National Commission on Space (1985-1986). From 1982 to 1992, Armstrong was also chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1986 he was Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Armstrong received many honors and accolades, including the Presidential Medal for Freedom in 1969, the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy in 1970, and the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1969. In 1978, Neil Armstrong was one of the six original recipients of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Neil A. Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, died of complications from coronary artery bypass surgery on August 25, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Asteroid 6469 Armstrong and a lunar crater are named in his honor.

Neil Armstrong quotes: "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed." (First words spoken on the Moon.) "The 'a' was intended. I thought I said it. I can't hear it when I listen on the radio reception here on earth, so I'll be happy if you just put it in parenthesis." (Regarding his first words after stepping onto the surface of the Moon.) "It's different, but it's very pretty out here. I suppose they are going to make a big deal of all this." "It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." "In my own view, the important achievement of Apollo was a demonstration that humanity is not forever chained to this planet, and our visions go rather further than that, and our opportunities are unlimited." "The regret on our side is, they used to say years ago, we are reading about you in science class.

Now they say, we are reading about you in history class." "Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." "I don't think I'm going to get the chance. But I don't want to say I'm not available . . .." (On the prospect of going back to the Moon and beyond.) "Perhaps it won't matter, in the end, which country is the sower of the seed of exploration. The importance will be in the growth of the new plant of progress and in the fruits it will bear. These fruits will be a new breed of the human species, a human with new views, new vigor, new resiliency, and a new view of the human purpose. The plant: the tree of human destiny." © 2005- 2017 The New Mexico Museum of Space History , a Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs . Photographs not the property of the New Mexico Museum of Space History appear courtesy of NASA image archives.

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Question: Who said "The Eagle has landed"?
Answer: Neil Armstrong