NASA Admits Apollo 11 Moon Landing is a Hoax After Mentions Space Is Not Real

NASA Admits Apollo 11 Moon Landing is a Hoax in 1976 this was the fifth crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program. All files and computer tapes are now missing and launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, on July 16, 1969. The Apollo spacecraft had three parts: a command module with a cabin for the three astronauts, a service module that supported the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water, and a lunar module that had two stages—a descent stage for landing on the Moon and an ascent stage to place the astronauts back into lunar orbit. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC.1 All three astronauts spent 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, and 35 seconds in space and traveled a total of 953,054 miles.Show more

Moon-landing hoax still lives on with NASA help But why is this now after 50+ years ago. Moon-landing hoax: There's no convincing some people. The moon-landing hoax still lives on and there seems to be no convincing some people. Here astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module Eagle during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969. Mission commander Neil Armstrong took this photograph with a 70-millimeter lunar surface camera.

The moon-landing hoax still lives on, more than 50 years after Apollo 11 — the first crewed mission to land on the moon.

Phil Plait has mixed feelings about the moon-landing hoax.

Plait — known as "The Bad Astronomer" to his many thousands of readers on Syfy — told Space.com he is frustrated that he and others like him still have to debunk the hoax theory from time to time, 50 years after the first moon landing. Then again, Plait became famous because he's so good at debunking in the first place.

Back in February 2001, Fox Broadcasting ran a documentary titled "Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?" Plait coincidentally had a pile of research ready from a book he was working on, and a friend sent him an advance copy of the show so that he had time to write up a response.

"I kind of wish it had never aired," Plait said about the Fox documentary, "because it opened a huge Pandora's box. On the other hand, it's exposing a wound to sunlight. That thing was there anyway, festering. Let it get out to the public, and let it heal, and let it kill the infection. But yeah, it's troubling. Just to know that if Fox hadn't aired that, who knows what my career path would have been."

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Even back then, some people were sceptical that the feat was technologically possible. The James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever," for example, had a joke about faked moon landings just two years later, in 1971.

But what really propelled the conspiracy theory into popular culture, Plait said, was the 1978 Peter Hyams film "Capricorn One," which portrays a faked human landing on Mars. (Also, a 1976 self-published pamphlet by Bill Kaysing, "We Never Went to the Moon," was popular among conspiracy-minded people of the day.)

That was over 40 years ago, but moon-hoax enthusiasts are still with us today.

"The X-Files" brought all sorts of space conspiracies into the public consciousness in the 1990s and 2000s, and the rebooted version of the show addressed the moon landing in a 2018 episode. The conspiracy was also addressed in many other fictional TV shows, from "Futurama" to "Friends."

Meanwhile, some documentary films and reality-TV efforts — a 2008 episode of "MythBusters," for example — tried to chase away the conspiracy theory by educating people. Other filmmakers, such as the folks behind the 2002 mockumentary "Dark Side of the Moon," spoofed moon hoaxers.

Opinion polls over the years regularly show that around 5% of Americans believe the Apollo moon landings were faked, former NASA chief historian Roger Launius told the Associated Press. That's more than 16 million people, assuming a U.S. population of 327 million.

NASA has done a lot of debunking work over the decades, including a 2018 offer to NBA superstar Stephen Curry to view moon rocks at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston after Curry said he didn't believe in the moon landings. (A few days later, Curry said he made the comments in jest.)

In early 2019, NASA spokesperson Allard Beutel recited a pile of evidence supporting the moon landings to The Washington Post. He mentioned the returned moon rocks, the ability to bounce laser beams off gear the astronauts left behind and images NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took of the Apollo landing sites in 2011. Nevertheless, even former astronauts have found themselves in the fray.

Space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin tackled the topic in the 2019 Science Channel series "Truth Behind the Moon Landing," which also features Space.com Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik as a guest. And in 2002, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin punched moon-landing denier Bart Sibrel in the jaw during a taped confrontation. (Police later said Aldrin was provoked, and no charges were filed.)

Plait said there is a danger in talking about the moon-landing conspiracy and other clearly debunked space conspiracies like it, such as vaccines causing autism or humans not being responsible for climate change. It's possible, he said, that by airing any of these debates, the media gives legitimacy to the conspiracy. Plait said he sometimes struggles about whether to address a conspiracy in his blog; he tries to discuss ones that are widely talked about already.

But it's a tough job in fast-moving social media. Plait said he recently commented on what appeared to be widespread Twitter backlash about the new version of "The Little Mermaid" starring black actress Halle Bailey, only to discover the backlash was itself likely faked. Plait took down his original tweet and wrote a correction. (The genesis of the viral tweet was from a troll account, according to a tweet by Buzzfeed's Brandon Wall.)

Plait said we should remember that conspiracy beliefs often have real-life effects. For example: "Because of the anti-vax movement, babies are dying, kids are dying, older people are dying, people with compromised immune systems are dying." Extreme weather events driven in part by climate change are killing people as well, he said.

Plait clarified that he did not blame any particular political position for this strife — not even the alt-right, as it doesn't "play into their ideology" (which he said targets people of certain religious groups). But nevertheless, he added, "All of this stuff has been corralling the imagination of the American public and forcing it in a direction to not think critically, and to react instead of sitting and thinking a moment about things, and to doubt — even when you can lay a paper trail from Point A to Point B right in front of someone. They won't believe it."

But Plait still tries. He remembers being on a radio show not too long ago, going over the usual arguments conspiracy theorists use — for example, why are there no stars in the sky in Apollo pictures of the lunar surface? (The reason is the cameras had fast exposure times and the stars were too faint to show.)

"Then somebody called in with some bizarre, trivial thing that made no sense at all," Plait recalled, "and bless him, the radio host jumped in and said, 'Listen. This guy said your 10 biggest claims are wrong. At what point do you back down?'"

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the film "Capricorn One" was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It was directed by Peter Hyams.

Apollo 11 Moon Landing Hoax Theories That Just Won't Die Because Its True !

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, NASA launched the Apollo missions to the moon that ultimately landed 12 astronauts on the lunar surface in a series of historic missions. Or did they?

Actually, yes, NASA did. But that hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists from maintaining that humans never set foot on the lunar surface, and that the entire effort was massively staged event for the world to see.

Take a look at some of the wildest Apollo moon hoax claims, and the real science that debunks them.

1) Fluttering Flag
The Claim: The American flag appears to wave in the lunar wind.

The Science: If you look closely, you will notice the flag's edges are pulled taut. This effect, which was done purposely as to not allow the flag to just hang flat, it was created by inserting a stiff wire into the fabric. The "flutter" was created as the astronauts worked to erect the flag. As the wire was adjusted, "Old Glory" appeared to wave.

2) Glow-in-the-Dark Astronauts
The Claim: If the astronauts had left the safety of the Van Allen Belt the radiation would have killed them.

The Science: The Van Allen Belts are created by Earth's magnetic field, and protect the planet from dangerous solar radiation. The belts collects this radiation, and traps it in a layer surrounding the Earth. But unless you deliberately caused your spaceship to hover within this layer, for many hours or days, the radiation exposure is well below dangerous levels. The Apollo astronauts passed through the belts in less than four hours total for the trip. "It's not much more serious than getting a chest x-ray," said Plait.

3) The Shadow Knows
The Claim: Multiple-angle shadows in the moon photos prove there was more than one source of light, like a large studio lamp.

The Science: The astronauts were taking their photos on a hilly, brightly-lit landscape while the sun was close to the horizon. Imagine taking a photograph of someone on a rolling, uneven field of snow during a full, low-hanging moon. The contours of the ground would produce shadows of many different lengths.

4) Fried Film
The Claim: In the sun's rays, the Moon's temperature is toasty 280 degrees F. The film (among other things) would have melted.

The Science: No one was leaving bare film out on the hot lunar surface. All material was contained in protective canisters. In addition, at the time the Apollo missions landed, they were either at lunar dawn or dusk. As a result, the temperature was more easily manageable.

5) Liquid Water on the Moon
The Claim: To leave a footprint requires moisture in the soil, doesn't it?

The Science: Not always. If you take some dry fine-grained dust such as talcum powder and dump it out, it's easy to make tracks in it that hold their shape. The particles hold their positions due to the friction between them.

6) Death by Meteor
The Claim: Space is filled with super-fast micrometeors that would punch through the ship and kill the astronauts.

The Science: Space is really amazingly big. While there are indeed an uncountable number of tiny pieces of debris travelling through the solar system at speeds in the neighborhood of 120,000 MPH, the volume of space keeps the density low. The chance of any given cubic yard of space having a micrometeor passing through it is incredibly close to zero. Additionally, the astronauts suits included a layer of Kevlar to protect them from any tiny fragment they might encounter.

7) No Crater at Landing Site
The Claim: When the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) landed, its powerful engine didn't burrow a deep crater in the "dusty surface."

The Science: Beneath the layer of dust, the moon is made of fairly densely-packed rock. What dust and loose dirt there was, though, was "kicked up" as referenced by the astronauts and captured in their landing films.

8) Big Rover
The Claim: There's no way that big moon buggy they were driving could have fit into that little landing module!

The Science: The rover was very cleverly constructed to be made out of very light materials, and designed to fold up compactly, a real-life "Transformer."

9) It's Full of Stars!
The Claim: Space is littered with little points of lights (stars). Why then are they missing from the photographs?

The Science: If you've ever taken a photograph outside at night, you'll notice that faint distant objects don't show up. That's not because the air blocks them — it's because the brightness of the nearby objects washes out the film. In fact if you were standing on the day side of the moon, you'd have to somehow block the landscape out in order for your eyes to adapt enough to pick out the stars.

10) Apollo 11 Timeline !
https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4029/Apollo_11i_Timeline.htm

APOLLO 11 - NASA Admits Apollo 11 Moon Landing is a Hoax
The Fifth Mission: - The First Lunar Landing - 16 July–24 July 1969
Background: Apollo 11 was a Type G mission, a piloted lunar landing demonstration. The primary objective of the Apollo program was to perform a piloted lunar landing and return safely to Earth.

It was only the second time an all-experienced crew had flown an American mission (the first was Apollo 10), and it would be the last until space shuttle mission STS-26 nearly two decades later.

The crew members for this historic mission were Neil Alden Armstrong, commander; Lt. Colonel Michael Collins (USAF), command module pilot; and Colonel Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. (USAF), lunar module pilot.

Selected as an astronaut in 1962, Armstrong had been the first civilian ever to command an American space mission when he was command pilot of Gemini 8, which featured the first-ever docking of two vehicles in space. Apollo 11 made him the first civilian to command two missions. Armstrong was born 5 August 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and was 38 years old at the time of the Apollo 11 mission. He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1955 and an M.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California in 1970, following the Apollo mission. His backup was Captain James Arthur Lovell, Jr. (USN).

Collins had been pilot of Gemini 10. He was born 31 October 1930 in Rome, Italy, and was 38 years old at the time of the Apollo 11 mission. Collins received a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy in 1952 and was selected as an astronaut in 1963. His backup was Lt. Colonel William Alison Anders (USAF).

Aldrin had been pilot of Gemini 12. He was born 20 January 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey, and was 39 years old at the time of the Apollo 11 mission. Aldrin received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 1951 and an Sc.D. in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1963. Also in 1963, he was selected as an astronaut. Aldrin has the distinction of being the first astronaut with a doctorate to fly in space. His backup was Fred Wallace Haise, Jr.

The capsule communicators (CAPCOMs) for the mission were Major Charles Moss Duke, Jr. (USAF), Lt. Commander Ronald Ellwin Evans (USN), Lt. Commander Bruce McCandless II (USN), Lovell, Anders, Lt. Commander Thomas Kenneth “Ken” Mattingly II (USAF), Haise, Don Leslie Lind, Ph. D., Owen Kay Garriott, Jr., Ph. D., and Harrison Hagan “Jack” Schmitt, Ph. D. The support crew were Mattingly, Evans, Major William Reid Pogue (USAF), and John Leonard “Jack” Swigert, Jr. The flight directors were Clifford E. Charlesworth and Gerald D. Griffin (first shift), Eugene F. Kranz (second shift), and Glynn S. Lunney (third shift).

The Apollo 11 launch vehicle was a Saturn V, designated SA-506. The mission also carried the designation Eastern Test Range #5307. The CSM was designated CSM-107 and had the call-sign “Columbia.” The lunar module was designated LM-5 and had the call-sign “Eagle.”

Possible landing sites for Apollo 11 were under study by NASA’s Apollo Site Selection Board for more than two years. Thirty sites were originally considered, but the list was shortened to three for the first lunar landing. Selection of the final sites was based on high-resolution photographs taken by the Lunar Orbiter satellite, plus close-up photographs and surface data provided by the Surveyor spacecraft, which landed on the Moon.

The original sites were located on the visible side of the Moon, within 45° east and west of the Moon’s center and 5° north and south of its equator. The final site choices were based on the following factors:

Smoothness: Relatively few craters and boulders.

Approach: No large hills, high cliffs, or deep craters that could cause incorrect altitude signals to the lunar module landing radar.

Propellant Requirements: Least potential expenditure of spacecraft propellants.

Recycling: Effective launch preparation recycling if the countdown were delayed.

Free Return: Sites within reach of the spacecraft launched on a free return translunar trajectory.

Slope: Less than 2° slope in the approach path and landing area.

There were a number of considerations which determined the launch windows for a lunar landing mission. These considerations included illumination conditions at launch, launch pad azimuth, translunar injection geometry, sun elevation angle at the lunar landing site, illumination conditions at Earth splashdown, and the number and location of the lunar landing sites.

The time of a lunar landing was determined by the location of the lunar landing site and by the acceptable range of sun elevation angles. The range of these angles was from 5° to 14° and in a direction from east to west. Under these conditions, visible shadows of craters would aid the crew in recognizing topographical features. When the sun angle approached the descent angle, the mean value of which was 16°, visual resolution would be degraded by a “washout” phenomenon where backward reflectance was high enough to eliminate contrast. Sun angles above the flight path were not as desirable because shadows would not be readily visible unless the sun was significantly outside the descent plane. In addition, higher sun angles (greater than 18°) could be eliminated from consideration by planning the landing one day earlier where the lighting is at least 5°. Because lunar sunlight incidence changed about 0.5° per hour, the sun elevation angle restriction established a 16-hour period, which occurred every 29.5 days, when landing at a given site could be attempted. The number of Earth-launch opportunities for a given lunar month was equal to the number of candidate landing sites.

The time of launch was primarily determined by the allowable variation in launch pad azimuth and by the location of the Moon at spacecraft arrival. The spacecraft had to be launched into an orbital plane that contained the position of the Moon and its antipode at spacecraft arrival. A 34° launch pad azimuth variation afforded a launch period of 4 hours 30 minutes. This period was called the “daily launch window,” the time when the direction of launch was within the required range to intercept the Moon.

Two launch windows occurred each day. One was available for a translunar injection out of Earth orbit in the vicinity of the Pacific Ocean, and the other was in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean. The injection opportunity over the Pacific Ocean was preferred because it usually permitted a daytime launch.

Launch Preparations

The terminal countdown started at T-28 hours, 21:00:00 GMT on 14 July. The scheduled holds of 11 hours at T-9 hours and 1 hour 32 minutes at T-3 hours 30 minutes were the only holds initiated. The start of the S-II stage LH2 loading was delayed 25 minutes due to a communications problem in the Pad Terminal Connection Room. However, the lost time was recovered during the scheduled countdown hold at T-3 hours 30 minutes.

A high-pressure cell in the Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast, along with a weak trough of low pressure located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, caused light southerly surface winds and brought moisture into the Cape Kennedy area. These circumstances contributed to the cloudy conditions and distant thunderstorms observed at launch time. Cumulus clouds covered 10 percent of the sky (base 2,400 feet), altocumulus covered 20 percent (base 15,000 feet), and cirrostratus covered 90 percent (base not recorded); the temperature was 84.9° F; the relative humidity was 73 percent; and the barometric pressure was 14.798 lb/in2. The winds, as measured by the anemometer on the light pole 60.0 feet above ground at the launch site, measured 6.4 knots at 175° from true north.

Ascent Phase

Apollo 11 was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39, Pad A, at a Range Zero time of 13:32:00 GMT (09:32:00 a.m. EDT) on 16 July 1969. The planned launch window for Apollo 11 extended to 17:54:00 GMT to take advantage of a sun elevation angle on the lunar surface of 10.8°.

Between 000:00:13.2 and 000:00:31.1, the vehicle rolled from a launch pad azimuth of 90° to a flight azimuth of 72.058°. The S-IC engine shut down at 000:02:41.63, followed by S-IC/S-II separation and S-II engine ignition.

The S-II engine shut down at 000:09:08.22, followed by separation from the S-IVB, which ignited at 000:09:12.2. The first S-IVB engine cutoff occurred at 000:11:39.33, with deviations from the planned trajectory of only -0.6 ft/sec in velocity and only -0.1 n mi in altitude.

The S-IC stage impacted the Atlantic Ocean at 000:09:03.70 at latitude 30.212° north and longitude 74.038° west, 357.1 n mi from the launch site. The S-II stage impacted the Atlantic Ocean at 000:20:13.7 at latitude 31.535° north and longitude 34.844° west, 2,371.8 n mi from the launch site.

The maximum wind conditions encountered during ascent were 18.7 knots at 297° from true north at 37,400 feet, with a maximum wind shear of 0.0077 sec-1 at 48,490 feet.

Parking orbit conditions at insertion, 000:11:49.33 (S-IVB cutoff plus 10 seconds to account for engine tailoff and other transient effects), showed an apogee and perigee of 100.4 by 98.9 n mi, and an inclination of 32.521°, a period of 88.18 minutes, and a velocity of 25,567.8 ft/sec. The apogee and perigee were based upon a spherical Earth with a radius of 3,443.934 n mi.

The international designation for the CSM upon achieving orbit was 1969-059A, and the S-IVB was designated 1969-059B. After undocking at the Moon, the LM ascent stage would be designated 1969-059C and the descent stage 1969-059D.

Earth Orbit Phase

After in-flight systems checks, the 346.83-second translunar injection maneuver (second S-IVB firing) was performed at 002:44:16.20. The S-IVB engine shut down at 002:50:03.03, and translunar injection occurred ten seconds later, after 1.5 Earth orbits lasting 2 hours 38 minutes 23.73 seconds, at a velocity of 35,545.6 ft/sec.

Translunar Phase

At 003:15:23.0, the CSM was separated from the S-IVB stage and transposed and docked with the LM at 003:24:03.7. The docked spacecraft were ejected from the S-IVB at 004:17:03.0, and a 2.93-second separation maneuver was performed at 004:40:01.72. A ground command for propulsive venting of residual propellants targeted the S-IVB to go past the Moon and into solar orbit. The lunar radius of closest approach of the S-IVB to the Moon was 2,763 n mi at 20:14 GMT on 19 July at 078:42. The point of closest approach to the lunar surface was 1,825 n mi. The orbital parameters after passing the from the lunar sphere of influence resulted in a solar orbit with an aphelion and perihelion of 82.000 million by 72.520 million n mi, a semi-major axis of 77,260 million n mi, an inclination to the ecliptic of 0.3836°, and a period of 342 days. The velocity increase relative to Earth from the lunar encounter was 0.367 n mi/sec.

An unscheduled 16-minute television transmission was recorded at the Goldstone Tracking Station starting at 010:32. The tape was played back at Goldstone and transmitted to Houston starting at 011:26.

Trajectory parameters after the translunar injection firing were nearly perfect. A 3.13-second midcourse correction of 20.9 ft/sec was made at 026:44:58.64 during the translunar phase. During the remaining periods of free-attitude flight, passive thermal control, a rotating “barbecue”-like maneuver, was used to maintain spacecraft temperatures within desired limits.

An unscheduled 50-minute television transmission was accomplished at 030:28, and a 36-minute scheduled transmission began at 033:59. The crew initiated a 96-minute color television transmission at 055:08. The picture resolution and general quality were exceptional. The coverage included the interior of the CM and LM and views of the exterior of the CM and Earth. Excellent views of the crew accomplishing probe and drogue removal, spacecraft tunnel hatch opening, LM housekeeping, and equipment testing were broadcast.

During the latter transmission, the commander and lunar module pilot transferred to the LM at 055:30 to make the initial inspection and preparations for the systems checks that would be made shortly after lunar orbit insertion. They returned to the CM at 057:55.

At 075:49:50.37, at an altitude of 86.7 n mi above the Moon, the service propulsion engine was fired for 357.53 seconds to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit of 169.7 by 60.0 n mi. The translunar coast had lasted 73 hours 5 minutes 34.83 seconds.

Lunar Orbit/Lunar Surface Phase

During the second lunar orbit, at 078:20, a scheduled live color television transmission was accomplished, providing spectacular views of the lunar surface and the approach path to landing site 2.

After two revolutions and a navigation update, a second service propulsion retrograde burn was made. The 16.88-second maneuver occurred at 080:11:36.75 and circularized the orbit at 66.1 by 54.5 n mi. The commander and lunar module pilot then transferred to the LM and, for about two hours, performed various housekeeping functions, a voice and telemetry test, and an oxygen purge system check. LM functions and consumables checked out well. Additionally, both cameras were checked and verified operational. The pair then returned to the CSM. At 095:20, they returned to the LM to perform a thorough check of all LM systems in preparation for descent.

Undocking occurred at 100:12:00 at an altitude of 62.9 n mi. This was followed by a CSM reaction control system 9.0-second separation maneuver at 100:39:52.9 directed radially downward toward the center of the Moon as planned. The LM descent orbit insertion maneuver was performed with a 30.0-second firing of the descent propulsion system at 101:36:14.0, which put the LM into an orbit of 58.5 by 7.8 n mi.

The 756.39-second powered descent engine burn was initiated at 102:33:05.01. The time was as planned, but the position at which powered descent initiation occurred was about 4 n mi farther downrange than expected. This resulted in the landing point being shifted downrange about 4 n mi.

The first of five alarms occurred at 102:38:22 because of a computer overload, but it was determined that it was safe to continue the landing. The crew checked the handling qualities of the LM at 102:41:53 and switched to automatic guidance ten seconds later. The landing radar switched to “low-scale” at 102:42:19 as the LM descended below 2,500 feet altitude. The LM was maneuvered manually 1,100 feet down range from the preplanned landing point during the final 2.5 minutes of descent. The final alarm occurred at 102:42:58, followed by the red-line low-level fuel quantity light at 102:44:28, just 72 seconds before landing.

During the final approach, the commander noted that the landing point toward which the spacecraft was headed was in the center of a large crater that appeared extremely rugged, with boulders of five to ten feet in diameter and larger. Consequently, he switched to manual attitude control to translate beyond the rough terrain area.

The LM landed on the Moon at 20:17:39 GMT (16:17:39 EDT) on 20 July 1969 at 102:45:39.9. Engine shutdown occurred 1.5 seconds later. The LM landed in Mare Tranquilitatis (Sea of Tranquility) at latitude 0.67408° north and longitude 23.47297° east and 22,500 feet west of the center of the landing ellipse. Approximately 45 seconds of firing time remained at landing.[1]

For the first two hours on the lunar surface, the crew performed a checkout of all systems, configured the controls for lunar stay, and ate their first post-landing meal. A rest period had been planned to precede the extravehicular activity of exploring the lunar surface but was not needed.

After donning the back-mounted portable life support and oxygen purge systems, the commander prepared to exit the LM. The forward hatch was opened at 109:07:33 and the commander exited at 109:19:16. While descending the LM ladder, he deployed the Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly from the descent stage. A camera in the module provided live television coverage as he descended. The commander’s left foot made first contact with the lunar surface at 02:56:15 GMT on 21 July (22:56:15 EDT on 20 July) at 109:24:15. His first words on the lunar surface were, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The commander made a brief check of the LM exterior, indicating that penetration of the footpads was only about three to four inches and collapse of the LM footpad strut was minimal. He reported sinking about one-eighth inch into the fine, powdery surface material, which adhered readily to his lunar boots in a thin layer. There was no crater from the effects of the descent engine, and about one foot of clearance was observed between the engine bell and the lunar surface. He also reported that it was quite dark in the shadows of the LM, which made it difficult for him to see his footing.

He then collected a contingency sample of lunar soil from the vicinity of the LM ladder. He reported that although loose material created a soft surface, as he dug down six or eight inches he encountered very hard, cohesive material.

The commander then photographed the lunar module pilot as he exited at 109:37:57 and descended to the lunar surface at 109:43:16.

Following the LMP’s descent to the surface, the crew unveiled a plaque mounted on the strut behind the ladder, and read its inscription to their worldwide television audience. The plaque read:

HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH

FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON

JULY 1969, A.D.

WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND.

The plaque featured the signatures of the three Apollo crew members and President Richard M. Nixon. Next, the commander removed the television camera from the descent stage, obtained a panorama, and placed the camera on its tripod in position to view the subsequent surface extravehicular operations.

The lunar module pilot deployed the solar wind composition experiment on the lunar surface in direct sunlight and to the north of the LM as planned.

At 110:09:43, the pair erected a three-by-five-foot United States flag on an eight-foot aluminum staff. A conversation between President Richard M. Nixon and the LM crew was held at 110:16:30. The conversation originated from the White House and included congratulations and good wishes.

During the environmental evaluation, the lunar module pilot indicated that he had to be careful of his center of mass in maintaining balance. He noted that the LM shadow had no significant effect on his backpack temperature. He also noted that his agility was better than expected and that he was able to move about with great ease. Both crew members indicated that their mobility throughout this period exceeded all expectations. Also, indications were that metabolic rates were much lower than pre-mission estimates.

The commander collected a bulk sample, consisting of assorted surface material and rock chunks, and placed them in a sample return container. The crew then inspected the LM, finding the quads, struts, skirts, and antennas in satisfactory condition.

The passive seismic experiment package and laser ranging retroreflector were deployed south of the LM. Excellent PSEP data were obtained, including detection of the crew walking on the surface and later their movements inside the LM. The crew then collected more lunar samples, two core samples and about 20 pounds of discretely selected material. The LMP had to exert considerable force to drive the core tubes six to eight inches into the lunar surface.

The solar wind experiment was recovered after 1 hour 17 minutes exposure. The transfer of lunar sample containers to the LM began at 111:23. The crew entered the LM and closed the hatch at 111:39:13, thus ending the first human exploration of the Moon. The total time spent outside the LM was 2 hours 31 minutes 40 seconds; the total distance traveled was about 3,300 feet (1 km); and the collected samples totaled 47.51 pounds (21.55 kg).[2] The farthest point traveled from the LM was 200 feet (60 m), when the commander visited a crater 108 feet in diameter (33 m) near the end of the extravehicular period.

Ignition of the ascent stage engine for liftoff occurred at 17:54:00 GMT on 21 July at 124:22:00.79. The LM had been on the lunar surface for 21 hours 36 minutes 20.9 seconds. An orbit of 48.0 by 9.4 n mi was achieved at 124:29:15.67, 434.88 seconds after liftoff.

Several rendezvous sequence maneuvers were required before docking could occur 3.5 hours later. A 47.0-second coelliptic orbit maneuver at 125:19:35 raised the orbit to 49.3 by 45.7 n mi. A 17.8-second constant delta height maneuver at 126:17:49.6 lowered the orbit to 47.4 by 42.1 n mi. A 22.7-second terminal phase initiate maneuver at 127:03:51.8 brought the ascent stage to an orbit of 61.7 by 43.7 n mi. The 28.4-second terminal phase maneuver at 127:46:09.8 finalized the orbit at 63.0 by 56.5 for docking of the ascent stage and the CSM at 128:03:00.0. The two craft had been undocked for exactly 27 hours 51 minutes.

In the process of maneuvering the LM to docking attitude, while avoiding direct sunlight in the forward window, the platform inadvertently reached gimbal lock, causing a brief and unexpected tumbling motion of the LM. A quick recovery was made and the docking was completed using the abort guidance system for attitude control.

After transfer of the crew and samples to the CSM, the ascent stage was jettisoned at 130:09:31.2 at an altitude of 61.6 n mi, and the CSM was prepared for transearth injection. A 7.2-second maneuver was made at 130:30:01.0 to separate the CM from the ascent stage; it resulted in an orbit of 62.7 by 54.0 n mi. The ascent stage would remain in lunar orbit for an indefinite period.

The 151.41-second transearth injection maneuver was performed at 135:23:42.28 at an altitude of 52.4 n mi. A nominal injection was achieved at 135:26:13.69 after 30 lunar orbits lasting 59 hours 30 minutes 25.79 seconds, at a velocity of 8,589.0 ft/sec.

Transearth Phase

As in translunar flight, only one midcourse correction was required, a 10.0-second, 4.8-ft/sec maneuver, at 150:29:57.4. Passive thermal control was exercised for most of the transearth coast.

An 18-minute television transmission was initiated at 155:36; it featured a demonstration of the effect of weightlessness on food and water, as well as brief scenes of the Moon and Earth. The final color television broadcast was made at 177:32. The 12.5-minute transmission featured a message of appreciation by each crew member to all the people who helped make the mission possible.

Recovery

Because of inclement weather in the planned recovery area, the splashdown point was moved 215 n mi down range. The weather in the new area was excellent: visibility 12 miles, waves to 3 feet, and wind 16 knots.

The service module was jettisoned at 194:49:12.7, and the CM entry followed an automatic entry profile. The command module reentered Earth’s atmosphere (400,000 feet altitude) at 195:03:05.7 at a velocity of 36,194.4 ft/sec, following a transearth coast of 59 hours 36 minutes 52.0 seconds.

The parachute system effected splashdown of the CM in the Pacific Ocean at 16:50:35 GMT (12:50:35 EDT) on 24 July. Mission duration was 195:18:35. The impact point was 1.7 n mi from the target point and 13 n mi from the recovery ship U.S.S. Hornet. The splashdown site was estimated to be latitude 13.30° north and longitude 169.15° west.

After splashdown, the CM assumed an apex-down flotation attitude but was successfully returned to the normal flotation position in 7 minutes 40 seconds by the inflatable bag uprighting system. After splashdown, the crew donned biological isolation garments and exited the CM into a rubber boat, where they were scrubbed down with an iodine solution to protect against “lunar germs.” They were then retrieved by helicopter and taken to the primary recovery ship, where they arrived 63 minutes after splashdown. The CM was recovered 125 minutes later. The estimated CM weight at splashdown was 10,873.0 pounds, and the estimated distance traveled for the mission was 828,743 n mi.

The crew, the recovery physician, and a recovery technician, along with lunar samples, entered the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the recovery ship for transport to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston.

The CM and Mobile Quarantine Facility were offloaded from the Hornet in Hawaii 00:15 GMT on 27 July. The Mobile Quarantine Facility was loaded aboard a C-141 aircraft and flown to Houston, where it arrived at 06:00 GMT on 28 July.

The crew arrived at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory four hours later. The safing of the CM pyrotechnics was completed at 02:05 GMT on 27 July. The CM was taken to Ford Island for deactivation, after which it was transferred to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and flown on a C-133 aircraft to Houston, where it arrived at 23:17 GMT on 30 July.

The crew and spacecraft were released from quarantine on 10 August. On 14 August the spacecraft was delivered to the North American Rockwell Space Division facility in Downey, California, for postflight analysis.

All spacecraft systems performed satisfactorily. With the completion of the Apollo 11 mission, the national objective of landing humans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth before the end of the decade was accomplished.

Conclusions

The Apollo 11 mission, including a piloted lunar landing and surface exploration, was conducted with skill, precision, and relative ease. The excellent performance of the spacecraft in the preceding four missions and the thorough planning in all aspects of the program permitted the safe and efficient execution of this mission. The following conclusions were made from an analysis of post-mission data:

The effectiveness of pre-mission training was reflected in the skill and precision with which the crew executed the lunar landing. Manual control while maneuvering to the desired landing point was satisfactorily exercised.

The planned techniques involved in the guidance, navigation, and control of the descent trajectory were good. Performance of the landing radar met all expectations in providing the information required for descent.

The extravehicular mobility units were adequately designed to enable the crew to conduct the planned activities. Adaptation to 1/6 g was relatively quick, and mobility on the lunar surface was easy.

The two-person pre-launch checkout and countdown for ascent from the lunar surface were well planned and executed.

The timeline activities for all phases of the lunar landing mission were well within the crew’s capability to perform the required tasks.

The quarantine operation from spacecraft landing until release of the crew, spacecraft, and lunar samples from the Lunar Receiving Laboratory was accomplished successfully and without any violation of the quarantine.

No microorganisms of extraterrestrial origin were recovered from either the crew or the spacecraft.

Hardware problems, as experienced on previous piloted missions, did not unduly hamper the crew or compromise crew safety or mission objectives.

The Mission Control Center and the Manned Space Flight Network proved to be adequate for controlling and monitoring all phases of flight, including the descent, surface activities, and ascent phases of the mission.

[1] According to the Apollo 11 Mission Report (MSC-00171), postflight analysis revealed that there was 45 seconds of fuel remaining at lunar touchdown, not as little as 7 seconds as indicated by other sources.

[2] Official total in kilograms as determined by the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston.

Apollo 11 Objectives: Spacecraft Primary Objective

1. To perform a manned lunar landing and return. Achieved.

Spacecraft Secondary Objectives

1. To perform selenological inspection and sampling.

A. Contingency sample collection. Achieved.

E. Lunar surface characteristics. Achieved.

F. Bulk sample collection. Achieved.

H. Lunar environment visibility. Achieved.

2. To obtain data to assess the capability and limitations of the astronaut and his equipment in the lunar surface environment.

B. Lunar surface extravehicular operations. Achieved.

C. Lunar surface operations with extravehicular mobility unit. Achieved.

D. Landing effects on lunar module. Achieved.

G. Location of landed lunar module. Partially achieved. The LM crew was unable to make observations of lunar features during descent. The command module pilot was therefore unable to locate the lunar module through the sextant. Toward the end of the lunar surface stay, the location of the lunar module was determined from the lunar module rendezvous radar tracking data, which was confirmed post‑mission using descent photographic data.

I. Assessment of contamination by lunar material. Achieved.

L. Television coverage. Achieved.

M. Photographic coverage. Achieved.

1) Long distance coverage from the command module.

2) Lunar mapping photography from orbit.

3) Landed lunar module location.

4) Sequence photography during descent, lunar stay, and ascent.

5) Still photographs through the lunar module window.

6) Still photographs on the lunar surface.

7) Close‑up stereo photography.

Experiments

1. S-031: Passive seismic experiment. Achieved.

2. S-059: Lunar field geology. Partially achieved. Although two core tube samples and 15 pounds of additional lunar samples were obtained, time constraints precluded collection of these samples with the degree of documentation originally planned. In addition, time did not permit the collection of a lunar environmental sample or a gas analysis sample in the two special containers provided. It was, however, possible to obtain the desired results using other samples contained in the regular sample return containers.

3. S-078: Laser ranging retroreflector experiment. Achieved.

4. S-080: Solar wind composition. Achieved.

5. S-151: Cosmic ray detection. Achieved.

6. M-151: Pilot describing function. Achieved.

Launch Vehicle Objectives

1. To launch on a variable 72° to 108° flight azimuth and insert the S‑IVB, instrument unit, spacecraft into a circular Earth parking orbit. Achieved.

2. To restart the S‑IVB during either the second or third revolution, and injection of the S‑IVB, instrument unit, spacecraft into the planned translunar trajectory. Achieved.

3. To provide the required attitude control for the S‑IVB, instrument unit, spacecraft during the transposition, docking, and ejection maneuver. Achieved.

4. To use residual S‑IVB propellants and auxiliary propulsion system after final launch vehicle/spacecraft separation, to safe the S‑IVB, and to minimize the possibility of the following, in order of priority:

a. S‑IVB/instrument unit recontact with the spacecraft. Achieved.
b. S‑IVB/instrument unit Earth impact. Achieved.
c. S‑IVB/instrument unit lunar impact. Achieved.

https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4029/Apollo_11c_Spacecraft_History.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Apollo 11 Mission Overview "The Eagle has landed…"
Mission Objective
The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

Additional flight objectives included scientific exploration by the lunar module, or LM, crew; deployment of a television camera to transmit signals to Earth; and deployment of a solar wind composition experiment, seismic experiment package and a Laser Ranging Retroreflector. During the exploration, the two astronauts were to gather samples of lunar-surface materials for return to Earth. They also were to extensively photograph the lunar terrain, the deployed scientific equipment, the LM spacecraft, and each other, both with still and motion picture cameras. This was to be the last Apollo mission to fly a "free-return" trajectory, which would enable a return to Earth with no engine firing, providing a ready abort of the mission at any time prior to lunar orbit insertion.

Mission Highlights

Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin into an initial Earth-orbit of 114 by 116 miles. An estimated 650 million people watched Armstrong's televised image and heard his voice describe the event as he took "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" on July 20, 1969.
Two hours, 44 minutes and one-and-a-half revolutions after launch, the S-IVB stage reignited for a second burn of five minutes, 48 seconds, placing Apollo 11 into a translunar orbit. The command and service module, or CSM, Columbia separated from the stage, which included the spacecraft-lunar module adapter, or SLA, containing the lunar module, or LM, Eagle. After transposition and jettisoning of the SLA panels on the S-IVB stage, the CSM docked with the LM. The S-IVB stage separated and injected into heliocentric orbit four hours, 40 minutes into the flight.

The first color TV transmission to Earth from Apollo 11 occurred during the translunar coast of the CSM/LM. Later, on July 17, a three-second burn of the SPS was made to perform the second of four scheduled midcourse corrections programmed for the flight. The launch had been so successful that the other three were not needed.

On July 18, Armstrong and Aldrin put on their spacesuits and climbed through the docking tunnel from Columbia to Eagle to check out the LM, and to make the second TV transmission.

On July 19, after Apollo 11 had flown behind the moon out of contact with Earth, came the first lunar orbit insertion maneuver. At about 75 hours, 50 minutes into the flight, a retrograde firing of the SPS for 357.5 seconds placed the spacecraft into an initial, elliptical-lunar orbit of 69 by 190 miles. Later, a second burn of the SPS for 17 seconds placed the docked vehicles into a lunar orbit of 62 by 70.5 miles, which was calculated to change the orbit of the CSM piloted by Collins. The change happened because of lunar-gravity perturbations to the nominal 69 miles required for subsequent LM rendezvous and docking after completion of the lunar landing. Before this second SPS firing, another TV transmission was made, this time from the surface of the moon.

On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the LM again, made a final check, and at 100 hours, 12 minutes into the flight, the Eagle undocked and separated from Columbia for visual inspection. At 101 hours, 36 minutes, when the LM was behind the moon on its 13th orbit, the LM descent engine fired for 30 seconds to provide retrograde thrust and commence descent orbit insertion, changing to an orbit of 9 by 67 miles, on a trajectory that was virtually identical to that flown by Apollo 10. At 102 hours, 33 minutes, after Columbia and Eagle had reappeared from behind the moon and when the LM was about 300 miles uprange, powered descent initiation was performed with the descent engine firing for 756.3 seconds. After eight minutes, the LM was at "high gate" about 26,000 feet above the surface and about five miles from the landing site.

The descent engine continued to provide braking thrust until about 102 hours, 45 minutes into the mission. Partially piloted manually by Armstrong, the Eagle landed in the Sea of Tranquility in Site 2 at 0 degrees, 41 minutes, 15 seconds north latitude and 23 degrees, 26 minutes east longitude. This was about four miles downrange from the predicted touchdown point. It included a powered descent that ran a mere nominal 40 seconds longer than preflight planning due to translation maneuvers to avoid a crater during the final phase of landing. Attached to the descent stage was a commemorative plaque signed by President Richard M. Nixon and the three astronauts.

The flight plan called for the first EVA to begin after a four-hour rest period, but it was advanced to begin as soon as possible. Nonetheless, it was almost four hours later that Armstrong emerged from the Eagle and deployed the TV camera for the transmission of the event to Earth. At about 109 hours, 42 minutes after launch, Armstrong stepped onto the moon. About 20 minutes later, Aldrin followed him. The camera was then positioned on a tripod about 30 feet from the LM. Half an hour later, President Nixon spoke by telephone link with the astronauts.

Commemorative medallions bearing the names of the three Apollo 1 astronauts who lost their lives in a launch pad fire, and two cosmonauts who also died in accidents, were left on the moon's surface. A one-and-a-half inch silicon disk, containing micro miniaturized goodwill messages from 73 countries, and the names of congressional and NASA leaders, also stayed behind.

During the EVA, in which they both ranged up to 300 feet from the Eagle, Aldrin deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package, or EASEP, experiments, and Armstrong and Aldrin gathered and verbally reported on the lunar surface samples. After Aldrin had spent one hour, 33 minutes on the surface, he re-entered the LM, followed 41 minutes later by Armstrong. The entire EVA phase lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, ending at 111 hours, 39 minutes into the mission.

Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon's surface. After a rest period that included seven hours of sleep, the ascent stage engine fired at 124 hours, 22 minutes. It was shut down 435 seconds later when the Eagle reached an initial orbit of 11 by 55 miles above the moon, and when Columbia was on its 25th revolution. As the ascent stage reached apolune at 125 hours, 19 minutes, the reaction control system, or RCS, fired so as to nearly circularize the Eagle orbit at about 56 miles, some 13 miles below and slightly behind Columbia. Subsequent firings of the LM RCS changed the orbit to 57 by 72 miles. Docking with Columbia occurred on the CSM's 27th revolution at 128 hours, three minutes into the mission. Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the CSM with Collins. Four hours later, the LM jettisoned and remained in lunar orbit.

Trans-Earth injection of the CSM began July 21 as the SPS fired for two-and-a-half minutes when Columbia was behind the moon in its 59th hour of lunar orbit. Following this, the astronauts slept for about 10 hours. An 11.2 second firing of the SPS accomplished the only midcourse correction required on the return flight. The correction was made July 22 at about 150 hours, 30 minutes into the mission. Two more television transmissions were made during the trans-Earth coast.

Re-entry procedures were initiated July 24, 44 hours after leaving lunar orbit. The SM separated from the CM, which was re-oriented to a heat-shield-forward position. Parachute deployment occurred at 195 hours, 13 minutes. After a flight of 195 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds - about 36 minutes longer than planned - Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, 13 miles from the recovery ship USS Hornet. Because of bad weather in the target area, the landing point was changed by about 250 miles. Apollo 11 landed 13 degrees, 19 minutes north latitude and 169 degrees, nine minutes west longitude July 24, 1969.

Crew
Neil Armstrong, Commander
Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module Pilot
Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot

Backup Crew
James A. Lovell, Commander
Fred W. Haise Jr., Lunar Module Pilot
William A. Anders, Command Module Pilot

Payload
Columbia (CSM-107)
Eagle (LM-5)

Prelaunch Milestones
11/21/68 - LM-5 integrated systems test
12/6/68 - CSM-107 integrated systems test
12/13/68 - LM-5 acceptance test
1/8/69 - LM-5 ascent stage delivered to Kennedy
1/12/69 - LM-5 descent stage delivered to Kennedy
1/18/69 - S-IVB ondock at Kennedy
1/23/69 - CSM ondock at Kennedy
1/29/69 - command and service module mated
2/6/69 - S-II ondock at Kennedy
2/20/69 - S-IC ondock at Kennedy
2/17/69 - combined CSM-107 systems tests
2/27/69 - S-IU ondock at Kennedy
3/24/69 - CSM-107 altitude testing
4/14/69 - rollover of CSM from the Operations and Checkout Building to the Vehicle Assembly Building
4/22/69 - integrated systems test
5/5/69 - CSM electrical mate to Saturn V
5/20/69 - rollout to Launch Pad 39A
6/1/69 - flight readiness test
6/26/69 - Countdown Demonstration Test

Launch
July 16, 1969; 9:32 a.m. EDT
Launch Pad 39A
Saturn-V AS-506
High Bay 1
Mobile Launcher Platform-1
Firing Room 1

Orbit
Altitude: 118.65 miles
Inclination: 32.521 degrees
Orbits: 30 revolutions
Duration: eight days, three hours, 18 min, 35 seconds
Distance: 953,054 miles
Lunar Location: Sea of Tranquility
Lunar Coordinates: .71 degrees north, 23.63 degrees east

Landing
July 24, 1969; 12:50 p.m. EDT
Pacific Ocean
Recovery Ship: USS Hornet

Show less