The Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched on 16th July 1969.

On 20th July 1969, US

astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon.

About The Apollo 11 Mission

The Apollo 11 mission was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. Launched
on 16th July 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module
Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On 20th
July 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon, while
Collins orbited above.

The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon by the
end of the 1960s, which he expressed during a speech given before a joint session of
Congress on 25th May 1961:

"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."

Apollo 11 Launch and Lunar Landing

Each crew member of Apollo 11 had made a space flight before this mission, making
it the second all-veteran crew in manned spaceflight history. Michael Collins was
originally slated to be the Command Module Pilot (CMP) on Apollo 8 but was
removed when he required surgery on his back and was replaced by Jim Lovell, his
backup for that flight. After Collins was medically cleared he took what would have
been Lovell's spot on Apollo 11. Although Jim Lovell made 4 space flights, he never
made it to the moon.

Thousands of spectators camped out to watch the launch of Apollo 11. In addition to
the throngs of people crowding the highways and beaches near the launch site,
millions watched the event on television, with NASA Chief of Public Information Jack
King providing commentary. President Richard Nixon viewed the proceedings from
the Oval Office of the White House.

The launch of Apollo 11 took place on 16th July 1969 at 9:32 a.m. local time. On 19th
July 1969 Apollo 11 passed behind the Moon and fired its service propulsion engine
to enter lunar orbit. In the thirty orbits that followed, the Apollo 11 crew saw passing
views of their landing site in the southern Sea of Tranquility. The landing site was
selected because it was believed to be relatively flat and smooth and it was thought
unlikely to present any major landing or vehicular challenges. On 20th July 1969 the
lunar module (LM) Eagle separated from the command module Columbia and Apollo
11 touched down on the moon. Neil Armstrong confirmed that they had touched
down safely with the words, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

After describing the surface dust on the moon as "fine and almost like a powder",
Armstrong stepped off Eagle's footpad and into history as the first human to set foot
on another world, famously describing it as "one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind."

40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission

2009 marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. A group of
British scientists interviewed as part of the 40th anniversary events reflected on the
significance of the moon landing:

"It was carried out in a technically brilliant way with risks taken ... that would be
inconceivable in the risk-averse world of today...The Apollo program is arguably the
greatest technical achievement of mankind to date...nothing since Apollo has come
close [to] the excitement that was generated by those astronauts - Armstrong, Aldrin
and the 10 others who followed them."
 Questions

Read through the questions, and then scan the text and find the answers.

What did Neil Armstrong say when they touched down on the moon?
A. "The Eagle has landed."
B. "Good grief! That was a bumpy ride!"
C. "Can we land it? Yes, we can!"

Which US President set the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end
of the 1960's?
A. Richard Nixon
B. John F. Kennedy
C. Jimmy Carter

What did Neil Armstrong say when he set foot on the moon?
A. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
B. "We're going boldly where no man has ever gone before."
C. "Wow! This is totally awesome! This gig rocks, dude!"

Who was the first man to walk on the moon?

A. Neil Armstrong
B. Michael Collins
C. Buzz Aldrin

Which US President watched the mission on TV from the Oval Office?

A. Richard Nixon
B. George Bush
C. John F. Kennedy

Which astronaut on the mission didn't get to walk on the moon?

A. Neil Armstrong
B. Michael Collins
C. Buzz Aldrin

Who provided the commentary for the live TV coverage?

A. Jack King
B. Walter Cronkite
C. Jim Lovell

Who was the second man to walk on the moon?

A. Michael Collins
B. Buzz Aldrin
C. Neil Armstrong

What was the Eagle?

A. the lunar module that landed on the moon
B. the rocket used to launch the spaceship
C. the spaceship

How many orbits did Apollo 11 make before landing on the moon?
A. 20
B. 16
C. 30

Which astronaut never made it to the moon?

A. Buzz Aldrin
B. Michael Collins
C. Jim Lovell

How many crew members did Apollo 11 have?

A. three

B. two

C. four