Space Programs

The Apollo Missions

What happened when Apollo 11 reached the Moon?

When Apollo 11 reached the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin headed for the surface in the lunar module, nicknamed “Eagle,” while Michael Collins stayed in the command module in orbit around the Moon. After moving across the Sea of Tranquility in the lunar module, looking for a safe place to set down, Armstrong finally landed the Eagle with less than a minute of fuel to spare. Armstrong and Aldrin then planted the American flag on the Moon’s surface, took photographs, held a telephone conversation with President Richard Nixon, set up several science experiments, and collected rocks and soil samples. Before they left the Moon’s surface three hours later, they left behind a plaque that read, “Here men from the Planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

