Apollo 11 was the NASA spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 carried Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins. The former two became the first humans to step on the moon. 

Also read: Micheal Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, dies at 90

With a primary objective of completing a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961, Apollo 11 performed a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. An estimated 650 million people watched the first man on the Moon – Armstrong – saying, “..one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969.  Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. According to NASA, they spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and they collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth. 

Also read: All you need to know about NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars

Command module pilot Michael Collins flew the Command Module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon’s surface.

Apollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket. It had three parts: a command module (CM) with a cabin for the three astronauts,  a service module (SM) and a lunar module (LM). The command module was the only part to return to the Earth. The service module supported the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water. 

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