Apollo 11

By reading this koob, you will learn why the Apollo 11 mission stands as one of humanity’s greatest scientific accomplishments.

You will also learn:

• In 1961, President Kennedy set the goal of sending a manned spacecraft to the moon and back

• Over 650 million people watched the launch of Apollo 11

• The context behind the famous phrase “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”

• The five stages of travel that constitute a trip to the moon and back

On July 16, 1969, one of the greatest adventures in the history of mankind occurred. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins shuffled their cumbersome white space suits into the Apollo 11 rocket. This mission was the culmination of eight years of work, conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). President Kennedy, in the midst of the Cold War, had pushed for the United States to be the first country to send men to the moon and back safely.

The three astronauts were all decorated Air Force veterans:

• Neil Armstrong, the Mission Commander

• Michael Collins, the Command Module Pilot

• Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the Lunar Module Pilot