Moon landing: Apollo 11’s final descent, 50 years on

Summary

Join the countdown to the final, dramatic 13-minute descent
Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the Moon
Four days earlier, on 16 July 1969 Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins had been propelled into orbit

Live Reporting

BBC World Service

Space sandwichpublished at 21:59 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
We'll leave you with this picture of Buzz Aldrin preparing a sandwich on Eagle after spending more than 2.5 hours on the lunar surface.
After seven hours of rest aboard Eagle, Houston asked Armstrong and Aldrin to prepare for the return flight to rejoin Michael Collins aboard Columbia in lunar orbit.
The three astronauts would return to Earth triumphant.
Image source, Getty Images
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BLT, Rog
Find out more about Apollo 11 and relive the highs and lows of the mission with the 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast.
How the world celebrated Apollo 11's 50th anniversarypublished at 21:46 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
Events have been held in the US and further afield to commemorate the anniversary of the Moon landing.
Image source, EPA
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A 17-minute show was projected on the Washington Monument using archive footage
Image source, PA Media
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Wistow Maze in Leicestershire has been designed to depict an astronaut
Image source, EPA
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A giant Moon by artist SPY is on display in Madrid, Spain
Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins have appeared at numerous events in the run up to the anniversary.
On Saturday, they were joined by Neil Armstrong's son, Rick Armstrong, to meet US President Donald Trump at the Oval Office.
Image source, PA Media
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The Moon land depicted in chocolate by Cadbury in Birmingham
Image source, Reuters
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A parade in Cocoa Beach, Florida, featured this replica of the Lunar Rover Vehicle, used in later Apollo missions
13 Minutes to the Moon - the podcastpublished at 21:44 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
If you've enjoyed the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, why not download the 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast?
Presenter Kevin Fong takes you through the full story of Apollo 11. And he speaks with some of the people who were there, including Michael Collins, Gerry Griffin, Poppy Northcutt and Charlie Duke.
The future of space travelpublished at 21:38 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
Fifty years after Apollo 11's successful mission, the US has plans to send humans to Mars.
Meanwhile China is planning to build a large space station in Low Earth orbit, Russia recently launched a super telescope to map the sky, and India is aiming for a soft-landing at the Moon’s south pole – although their recent mission was aborted an hour before launch.
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Fifty years after the historic moon landing, is the world entering a new space race?
US Vice-President Mike Pence has said he wants Nasa to return astronauts to the Moon within five years.
The first race paved the way for the advancements of military and commercial aviation technology, improvements in health and medical research, and an increase in our understanding of the Earth and its climate.
As we enter this new cosmic era, what new discoveries and innovations will we make?
Listen to The Real Story: The future of space exploration
'Such space journeys may be commonplace'published at 21:37 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
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'Is that real?'published at 21:34 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
I was 24 and studying at Michigan University, in the US.
I was with people from Peru, Chile, Venezuela and Brazil, sitting in front of a black and white TV, watching the event open-mouthed.
I heard someone say, "Oh, my God, is that real?"
Image source, Irene Mikola
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Irene Mikola has a mug with a newspaper front page featuring Neil Armstrong
In August, I went to study in Springfield, Ohio. Neil Armstrong came to talk about his experience and afterwards he had lunch in the canteen.
He seemed a very simple and humble man, with a very soft voice.
I remember he was wearing a baseball hat and the fact that he shook hands with hundreds of students, especially the ones that were from abroad.
Irene Mikola, Montevideo, Uruguay
The scientific legacy of Apollopublished at 21:31 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
Subsequent Apollo missions would put more astronauts on the Moon; in total 12 people would step out onto the surface between July 1969 and December 1972.
But the developments in science and engineering that came as a result of the programme, would affect the lives of billions around the world.
Image source, NASA
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Charles 'Pete' Conrad Jr, Apollo 12 commander, climbs down on to the lunar surface
The early devices that helped Armstrong and Aldrin on their journey would pave the way for the computer revolution, developing technology that is still used in electronic equipment, according to Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology, external.
The software Nasa used also lead to the development of systems we now use in credit card swipe devices.
Other technology developments include improved kidney dialysis, modernised athletic shoes, improved home insulation, advanced commercial and residential water filtration, and the freeze-drying technique for preserving foods.
Image source, EPA
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A series of images combined with a computer program shows the International Space Station flying in front of the Sun
Later space programmes would herald a dawn of international collaboration.
During the Apollo-Soyuz, external test project, American and Soviet spacecraft docked together.
Eventually, the US and Russia, along with 13 other nations, partnered to build and operate the International Space Station, external, a world-class science laboratory orbiting 400 kilometres (250 miles) above Earth, making a complete orbit every 90 minutes.
'Set bold goals'published at 21:29 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
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'It was so cold, but we were so excited'published at 21:27 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
At the time of the first landing, I was very young - seven years old - and living in Pretoria, South Africa.
My mother woke us up to listen on the radio, as South Africa didn't have TV.
I will never forget that moment. It was so cold, but we were so excited.
Even my youngest sibling, at three years old, was bouncing around, although I doubt that he had any idea of the sheer magnitude of that moment.
Mom is passed, but she gave us that.
Mike Turnbull, Gauteng, South Africa
'... One giant leap for mankind'published at 21:25 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
An estimated 650 million people worldwide watched the Moon landing and many more listened to the radio.
For those following the broadcasts and newspaper reports, or watching grainy footage on a black and white television, it’s remained one of their strongest memories.
Image source, Getty Images
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Pope Paul VI watching the Moon landing from his summer villa
Image source, Getty Images
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A group of children sit on a GMC truck in Central Park, New York, to watch the Moon landing
Walter Cronkite anchored 27 hours of Apollo 11 coverage on CBS in the US.
Known through his news presenting as "the most trusted man in America", his marathon presenting stint garnered him the nickname "old iron pants".
Image source, Getty Images
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Crowds gather around a television set at Mascot Airport in Sydney, Australia
Image source, Getty Images
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The Apollo 11 mission is shown on a TV in a park in Hong Kong
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
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A family in Paris, France, watches Neil Armstrong takes his first step on the Moon
'One small step for man...'published at 21:24 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
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'We're breathing again'published at 21:19 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
Quote Message
Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot.
Charlie Duke, Apollo 11 Capsule Communicator
With Charlie Duke's words, the world hears confirmation of the first Moon landing.
'Roger, Twan...'published at 21:18 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
Is Charlie Duke tongue-tied? The capsule communicator says "Roger, Twan... " in his reply to Armstrong.
He's nervous and it's possible he's never heard the name "Tranquility Base" before.
"I was so excited," Duke tells the 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast.
"If you listen to the transcript...'Roger, Twan' and I corrected myself."
At this point cheers begin to break out in the viewing room at mission control. But before Duke and team can truly smile about what they have achieved they need to go through a series of stay/no-stay checks in case the lunar module is damaged.
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Charlie Duke's momentary fluff - he says "Twan" for Tranquility Base
Tranquility Basepublished at 21:18
Quote Message
Houston. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.
Media caption,
Neil Armstrong delivers the momentous news to mission control
Contact!published at 21:16 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
"Contact light!”
With 18 seconds to spare, Buzz Aldrin says the lunar module’s probes have made contact with the Moon's surface.
They switch off the engine, allowing Eagle to drop to the ground.
Go/no Go for landingpublished at 21:14 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
"Go/no Go for landing..."
Flight Director Gene Kranz checks for the last time that his flight controllers are happy to proceed to the final stage.
This is it, the final moments...
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Final landing checks take place at mission control
The Sea of Tranquilitypublished at 21:13 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
At this moment, Armstrong and Aldrin can see their landing area on the Sea of Tranquility for the first time...
Image source, Getty Images
Into the final phasepublished at 21:12 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
"Give us an estimated switch-over time please, Houston."
Buzz Aldrin wants to know when Eagle’s computer will switch to programme P64, which will guide them through the final phase of the landing.
The 1202 alarmpublished at 21:10 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
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1202 is a signal of a computer overload
An alarm sounds in the crew's headphones and the digits 1202 flash on their display.
In Houston, Steve Bales is frantically looking for a log he has prepared of every possible alarm that may be set off.
"Roger. We're Go on that alarm."
These are the words that the astronauts want to hear from mission control; 1202 is a signal of a computer overload, but not serious enough to abandon the landing.
Glimpsing Earthpublished at 21:09 British Summer Time 20 July 2019
"Got the Earth right out our front window," says Buzz Aldrin in the lunar module.
But he can only enjoy the view for a moment…
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
An image of Earth taken by the Apollo 11 crew during the wider mission