Artist’s concept of a dual mode Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) on the Lunar surface. This represents the Bendix version in an unmanned configuration. The LRV was developed under the direction of MSFC to allow Apollo astronauts a greater range of mobility during lunar exploration missions.

S69-39961 (16 July 1969) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 11 (Spacecraft 107/Lunar Module S/Saturn 506) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 9:32 a.m. (EDT), July 16, 1969. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 is the United States' first lunar landing mission. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descend in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

A technician is barely visible performing a last minute task atop the white room next to the Apollo 11 spacecraft a few hours before launch at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch complex 39. The spacecraft is perched atop the massive Saturn V rocket, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Wernher von Braun. Liftoff occurred at 9:32 am on July 16, 1969, carrying man to the Moon for a first successful lunar landing. Aboard the spacecraft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The crew safely splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

In preparation of the nation’s first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11 crew members underwent training to practice activities they would be performing during the mission. In this photograph, taken at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, an engineer, Bob Mason, donned in a space suit, goes through some of those training exercises on the mock lunar surface. He performed activites similar to those planned for astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin during their moon walk. The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

S69-58883 (14 Nov. 1969) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 12 (Spacecraft 108/Lunar Module 6/Saturn 507) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 11:22 a.m. (EST), Nov. 14, 1969. Aboard the Apollo 12 spacecraft were astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot. Apollo 12 is the United States' second lunar landing mission.

S69-60759 (29 Nov. 1969) --- Members of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission's crew are greeted by their wives and children at the front of a large crowd on hand to welcome the three home. The Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF), with the crew inside, arrived at Ellington Air Force Base aboard a United States Air Force C-141 transport jet in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 1969. The crew men, looking out the MQF window at the crowd, are from left to right, astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon Jr. and Alan L. Bean. Their wives are, from left to right, Mrs. Barbara Gordon, Mrs. Jane Conrad and Mrs. Sue Bean. The women are wearing lei's, an Hawaiian tradition. The crew members were taken to Hawaii from their Pacific Ocean recovery site aboard the USS Hornet, prime recovery vessel for the mission.

S69-60354 (29 Nov. 1969) --- A scientist's gloved hand holds one of the numerous rock samples brought back to Earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. The rocks are under thorough examination in the Manned Spacecraft Center's (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). This sample is a highly shattered basaltic rock with a thin black-glass coating on five of its six sides. Glass fills fractures and cements the rock together. The rock appears to have been shattered and thrown out by a meteorite impact explosion and coated with molten rock material before the rock fell to the surface.

This photo shows the HL-10 in flight, turning to line up with lakebed runway 18. The pilot for this flight, the 29th of the HL-10 series, was Bill Dana. The HL-10 reached a peak altitude of 64,590 feet and a top speed of Mach 1.59 on this particular flight.

S69-17809 (13 Jan. 1969) --- Lunar Module 4 in the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building being moved into position for mating with Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA) 13. Lunar Module 4 will be flown on the Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Saturn 505) lunar orbit mission.

S69-32396 (4 April 1969) --- Interior view of the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Manned Spacecraft Operations Building showing Lunar Module (LM) 5 being moved from work stand for mating with its Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA). LM-5 is scheduled to be flown on the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

AS12-48-7121 (20 Nov. 1969) --- An excellent view of the unmanned Surveyor 3 spacecraft which was photographed during the Apollo 12 second extravehicular activity (EVA) on the surface of the moon. The Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM), with astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, aboard landed within 600 feet of Surveyor 3 in the Ocean of Storms. The television camera and several other pieces were taken from Surveyor 3 and brought back to Earth for scientific examination. Surveyor 3 landed on the side of this small crater in the Ocean of Storms on April 19, 1967. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while Conrad and Bean descended to explore the moon.

S69-40301 (24 July 1969) --- Overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), at the conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. The television monitor shows President Richard M. Nixon greeting the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet in the Pacific recovery area. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. are inside the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong leads Astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to the transfer van for the eight mile trip to Pad 39A. Liftoff of Apollo 11 is scheduled at 9:32 a.m. EDT, which will begin man’s first lunar landing mission.

S69-32615 (April 1969) --- Two members of the Apollo 10 prime crew participate in simulation activity at the Kennedy Space Center during preparations for their scheduled lunar orbit mission. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander, is in the background; and in the foreground is astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. The two crewmen are in the Lunar Module Mission Simulator.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the sixteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, is photographed during thermovacuum training in Chamber B of the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Building 32, Manned Spacecraft Center. He is wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit. The training simulated lunar surface vacuum and thermal conditions during astronaut operations outside the Lunar Module on the moon's surface. The mirror was used to reflect solar light.

View of the Lunar Module (LM) 3 and Service Module (SM) LM Adapter. Film magazine was A,film type was SO-368 Ektachrome with 0.460 - 0.710 micrometers film / filter transmittance response and haze filter, 80mm lens.

In the clustering procedure, an initial assembly step for the first stage (S-IB stage) of the Saturn IB launch vehicle, workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, place the first of eight outboard fuel tanks next to the central liquid-oxygen tank of the S-IB stage. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and built by the Chrysler Corporation at MAF, the S-IB stage utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

AS09-21-3197 (7 March 1969) --- A view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM) "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is photographed from the CM "Gumdrop" during his extravehicular activity (EVA) on the fourth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The CSM is docked with the LM. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, was inside the LM "Spider." Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the CM.

AS12-47-6932 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Close-up view of a set of tongs, an Apollo Lunar Hand Tool, being used by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, to pick up lunar samples during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity. This photograph shows Conrad's legs and a good view of the lunar soil.

S69-19190 (31 Jan. 1969) --- Interior view of the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building showing Apollo Spacecraft 106/Command/Service Module being moved to integrated work stand number one for mating to Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA) 13. Spacecraft 106 will be flown on the Apollo 10 (Lunar Module 4/Saturn 505) space mission.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the nineteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

AS11-40-5927 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, prepares to deploy the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) during the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm lunar surface camera. During flight the EASEP is stowed in the Lunar Module's (LM) scientific equipment bay at the left year quadrant of the descent stage looking forward. Aldrin is removing the EASEP from its stowed position. Photo credit: NASA

S69-17615 (25 Jan. 1969) --- Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot of the Apollo 9 prime crew, participates in a press conference at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. Grumman is the contractor to NASA for the Lunar Module. Schweickart is holding a model of a docked Lunar Module/Command and Service Modules. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight.

U.S. President Richard Milhous Nixon (center), is saluted by the honor guard of flight deck crewmen when he arrives aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, prime recovery ship for the Apollo 11 mission, to watch recovery operations and welcome the astronauts home. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) for 21 days following the mission. The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard were Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun.

S69-34330 (13 May 1969) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 9 commander, is suited up at the Kennedy Space Center for a Countdown Demonstration Test during preparations for the scheduled Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission. The other two crewmembers are astronauts John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot.

PATRICK AFB, Fla. – In preparation of the nation’s first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11 crew members arrive at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Mission commander Neil A. Armstrong is in the front seat of the T-38 jet, with chief astronaut and director of flight crew operations, Donald K. Slayton, in the back. Lift off atop a Saturn V launch vehicle is scheduled for July 16, 1969. During Apollo 11 the command module, Columbia, will remain in orbit around the moon while the lunar module, Eagle, carrying Armstrong and Aldrin, lands on the lunar surface. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew plans to collect lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. For more: http:__www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov_history_apollo_apollo-11_apollo-11.htm Photo credit: NASA

AS11-44-6581 (20 July 1969) --- The Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM), in a lunar landing configuration, is photographed in lunar orbit from the Command and Service Modules (CSM). Inside the LM were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the CSM in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM to explore the lunar surface. The protrusions connected to the landing pods are sensors to aid in the touchdown or landing process.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Pad Leader Guenter Wendt, kneeling, supervises preparations to remove the Apollo 11 astronauts from their spacecraft following the Countdown Demonstration Test, a dress rehearsal prior to the actual launch day. Visible in the hatchway is Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. To his left is Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong. At Collins' right is Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.

The first direct exposure to Lunar material for Crew Reception Personnel probably happened late Friday, 07/25/1969. Terry Slezak (displaying Moon dust on his left hand fingers), MSC photographic technician, was removing film magazines from the first of two (2) containers when the incident occurred. As he removed the plastic seal from Magazine "S", one of the 70mm magazines taken during Apollo XI Extravehicular Activity (EVA), it was apparent that the exterior of the cassette displayed traces of a black powdery substance. Apollo XI Commander Neil Armstrong reported during the mission that he had retrieved a 70mm cassette which had dropped to the Lunar surface. Seen in the backgound is John H. Boynton. ( S69-40054 ) MSC, Houston, TX

S69-40023 (24 July 1969) --- Overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), showing the flight controllers celebrating the successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

S69-25488 (23 Feb. 1969) --- Interior view of the White Room at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), during an Apollo 9 Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT). Astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, were participating in a dress rehearsal in preparation for their scheduled 10-day Earth-orbital space mission.

S69-34385 (13 May 1969) --- These three astronauts are the prime crew of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission. Left to right, are Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Thomas P. Stafford, commander. In the background is the Apollo 10 space vehicle on Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

S69-55662 (10 Oct. 1969) --- Astronauts Alan L. Bean (left) and Charles Conrad Jr., the two crewmen of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission who are scheduled to participate in two lengthy periods of extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface, are pictured during a geological field trip and training at a simulated lunar surface area near Flagstaff, Arizona. Here Conrad, the Apollo 12 commander, gets a close look through hand lens at the stratigraphy (study of strata or layers beneath the surface) of a man-dug hole, while Bean, the Apollo 12 mission's lunar module pilot, looks on. The topography in this area, with several man-made modifications, resembles very closely much of the topography found on the lunar surface. While Conrad and Bean explore the lunar surface (plans call for Apollo 12 spacecraft to land in the Sea of Storms), astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot for the Apollo 12 mission, will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The Apollo 12 mission is scheduled to lift off from Cape Kennedy on Nov. 14, 1969.

Apollo 11 crew members (L-R) Edwin Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins were amused by a question posed during a closed circuit press conference the night before they began their historic first lunar landing mission. The press conference with questions via intercom, was held under semi-isolation conditions to avoid exposing the astronauts to possible illness at the last minute. The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

U.S. President Richard Milhous Nixon, aboard the U.S.S. Hornet aircraft carrier, used binoculars to watch the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission recovery. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) for 21 days post mission. The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard were Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

S69-62224 (December 1969) --- The members of the prime crew of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission (left to right) are astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander; Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot. They are seated in front of a scene of the Lagoon Nebula, with the mission insignia and two items of early navigation in the foreground. Represented in the Apollo 13 emblem (center) is Apollo, the sun god of Greek mythology, symbolizing that the Apollo flights have extended the light of knowledge to all mankind. The Latin phrase Ex Luna, Scientia means "From the Moon, Knowledge." The Hindu astrolabe in Sanskrit (on right) was used to predict the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the octant (on left) was used in 1790 to determine the altitude of celestial bodies from aboard ship.

S69-36593 (26 May 1969) --- The Apollo 10 astronauts Thomas P. Stafford (center), John W. Young (left) and Eugene A. Cernan (waving) are greeted by Donald E. Stullken (lower left) of the Manned Space Center's (MSC) recovery operations team. The Apollo 10 crew splashed down in the South Pacific recovery area to conclude a successful eight-day lunar orbit mission. Splashdown occurred at 11:53 a.m. (CDT), May 26, 1969, about 400 miles east of American Samoa and about four miles from the prime recovery ship, USS Princeton.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong leads astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to the transfer van for the eight-mile trip to Pad 39A. Liftoff of Apollo 11 is scheduled at 9:32 a.m. EDT, which will begin man's first lunar landing mission.

MCC activities during the Apollo IX Mission. MSC, HOUSTON, TX

U.S. President Richard Milhous Nixon (center), aboard the U.S.S. Hornet aircraft carrier, used binoculars to watch the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission Recovery. Standing next to the President is astronaut Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Commander. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) for 21 days post mission. The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard were Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A technician helps astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 10 commander, suit up for the Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT) which ended successfully at 1:01 p.m. today. The CDDT is a dress rehearsal for the launch of Apollo 10 from Pad B at Launch Complex 39 May 18 at 12:49 p.m.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Pararescueman helps Apollo 9 Command Module Pilot David R. Scott from the spacecraft today during recovery at completion of the 10-day Earth orbital flight with James A. McDivitt and Russell L. Schweickart, still in the spacecraft. The astronauts splashed down less than five miles from the USS Guadalcanal, prime recovery ship, at the beginning of their 152nd revolution. During the highly successful flight, they extensively tested the lunar module spacecraft, paving the way for a similar one to carry Americans to the Moon later this year. They were lalunched March 3 by an Apollo_Saturn V space vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center at the start of NASA's third manned mission using an Apollo spacecraft.

Dr. Wernher von Braun, director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight center (MSFC), appears proud as he pauses in front of the mobile launcher and base of the Saturn V rocket (AS-506) being readied for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The Saturn V vehicle was developed by MSFC under the direction of Dr. von Braun. The Apollo 11 mission launched from KSC in Florida via the MSFC developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

S69-52984 (20 Sept. 1969) --- A member of the prime crew of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission is hoisted up to a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Participating in the training were astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot.

The Fan Noise Test Facility built at the Lewis Research Center to obtain far-field noise data for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and General Electric Quiet Engine Program. The engine incorporated existing noise reduction methods into an engine of similar power to those that propelled the Boeing 707 or McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 airliner. The new the low-bypass ratio turbofan engines of the 1960s were inherently quieter than their turbojet counterparts, researchers had a better grasp of the noise generation problem, and new acoustic technologies had emerged. Lewis contracted General Electric in 1969 to build and aerodynamically test three experimental engines with 72-inch diameter fans. The engines were then brought to Lewis and tested with an acoustically treated nacelle. This Fan Noise Test Facility was built off of the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel’s Main Compressor and Drive Building. Lewis researchers were able to isolate the fan’s noise during these initial tests by removing the core of the engine. The Lewis test rig drove engines to takeoff tip speeds of 1160 feet per second. The facility was later used to test a series of full-scale model fans and fan noise suppressors to be used with the quiet engine. NASA researchers predicted low-speed single-stage fans without inlet guide vanes and with large spacing between rotors and stators would be quieter. General Electric modified a TF39 turbofan engine by removing the the outer protion of the fan and spacing the blade rows of the inner portion. The tests revealed that the untreated version of the engine generated less noise than was anticipated, and the acoustically treated nacelle substantially reduced engine noise.

Dunned in his space suit, mission commander Neil A. Armstrong does a final check of his communications system before before the boarding of the Apollo 11 mission. Launched via a Saturn V launch vehicle, the first manned lunar mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of astronauts Armstrong; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., Lunar Module (LM) Pilot. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin. Meanwhile, astronaut Collins piloted the CM in a parking orbit around the Moon. During a 2½ hour surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

AS11-40-5875 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during an Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM, the "Eagle", to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

ABOARD THE USS GUADALCANAL -- Bearded Apollo 9 commander James A. McDivitt speaks to personnel aboard the USS Guadalcanal, prime recovery ship, an hour after he and astronauts David R. Scott and Russell L. Schweickart splashed down today in the Atlantic Ocean, 780 nautical miles southeast of Cape Kennedy. Their 10-day Earth orbital flight verified a lunar landing later this year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration directs the Apollo program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan is lunar module pilot for Apollo 10, scheduled for launch from the nation's spaceport on May 18. Cernan and Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford are to detach the lunar module after the spacecraft enters lunar orbit and drop down to within 10 miles of the Moon's pockmarked surface before rejoining John W. Young, command module pilot, orbiting the Moon in the command_service module. The Apollo 10 mission is a dress rehearsal for a manned lunar landing later this year.

The Apollo 9 Command/Service Modules photographed from the Lunar Module,"Spider",on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. Docking mechanism is visible in nose of the Command Module,"Gumdrop". Object jutting out from the Service Module aft bulkhead is the high-gain S-Band antenna. Film magazine was F, film type was SO-368 Ektachrome with 0.460 - 0.710 micrometers film / filter transmittance response and haze filter,80mm lens.

In this photograph, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong walks to the flight crew training building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, one week before the nation’s first lunar landing mission. The Apollo 11 mission launched from KSC via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

Lunar Landing Research Facility. Gantry facility 1297

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Apollo 11 astronauts, left to right, Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., inside the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the USS Hornet, listen to President Richard M. Nixon as he welcomes them back to Earth and for a job well done. The astronauts, after their first manned mission to the Moon, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:50 p.m. EDT about 900 miles southwest of Hawaii.

S69-25879 (23 Feb. 1969) --- Nighttime view of the 363-feet-high Apollo 9 space vehicle at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, during preparations for the scheduled 10-day Earth-orbital space mission. The crew of the Apollo 9 (Spacecraft 104/Lunar Module 3/Saturn 504) space flight will be astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart.

Dr Hans Mark presents Patent award to Harvard 'Harv' Lomax

AS11-40-5903 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

The Saturn V launch vehicle (AS-506) carrying the Apollo 11 spacecraft, arrived at the launch pad complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on May 20, 1969. On July 16, 1969, the 363 foot tall, 6,400,000 pound rocket, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Werner von Braun, hurled the spacecraft into Earth parking orbit and then placed it on the trajectory to the moon for man’s first lunar landing. Aboard the spacecraft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The crew safely splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

Forward overhead view of 4 jet model with external flow of jet augmented triple slotted flap. John Bouldt

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) which served as their home until they reached the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston, Texas. On arrival at Ellington Air Force base near the MSC, the crew, still under a 21 day quarantine in the MQF are greeted by their wives. Looking out of the facility are (L-R) Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins. Wives are (L-R) Pat Collins, Jan Armstrong, and Joan Aldrin.

Dr. von Braun, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and Dr. Debus, Director of Launch Operations Directorate, photographed in the blockhouse during the Apollo launch simulation.

From the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC) control room, Apollo Program Director Lieutenant General Samuel C. Phillips monitors pre-launch activities for Apollo 11. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the KSC in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

AS09-21-3181 (7 March 1969) --- A View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM), "Spider," in a lunar lading configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM.

Suited Apollo XI Crewmen Armstrong and Aldrin training in Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) deployment in Building 5, as Astronaut Mike Collins trains in the Building 20 Centrifuge. S-Band Antenna (31148 thru 31165, 31178 thru 31179) MSC, HOUSTON, TX

Exterior view of the Space Power Facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. The $28.4-million facility, which began operations in 1969, is the largest high vacuum chamber ever built. The chamber is 100 feet in diameter and 120 feet high. It produces a vacuum deep enough to simulate the conditions at 300 miles altitude. The facility can sustain a high vacuum; simulate solar radiation via a 4-megawatt quartz heat lamp array, solar spectrum by a 400-kilowatt arc lamp, and cold environments. The Space Power Facility was originally designed to test nuclear power sources for spacecraft during long durations in a space atmosphere, but it was never used for that purpose. The facility’s first test in 1970 involved a 15 to 20-kilowatt Brayton Cycle Power System for space applications. Three different methods of simulating solar heat were employed during the Brayton tests. The facility was also used for jettison tests of the Centaur Standard Shroud. The shroud was designed for the new Titan-Centaur rocket that was scheduled to launch the Viking spacecraft to Mars. The new shroud was tested under conditions that simulated the time from launch to the separation of the stages. Test programs at the facility include high-energy experiments, shroud separation tests, Mars Lander system tests, deployable Solar Sail tests and International Space Station hardware tests.

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) which served as their home until they reached the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston, Texas. In this close up of the MQF, commander Armstrong can be seen through the facility window after its arrival at the MSC.

S69-35315 (18 May 1969) --- The Apollo 10 crew leaves the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the Apollo 10 prelaunch countdown. Leading is astronaut John W. Young, command module pilot, followed by astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. The transfer van carried them over to Pad B, Launch Complex 39, where their spacecraft awaited them. Liftoff for the lunar orbit mission was at 12:49 p.m. (EDT), May 18, 1969.

S69-32788 (3 April 1969) --- Astronaut John W. Young, Apollo 10 prime crew command module pilot, participates in simulation activity in the Apollo Mission Simulator at the Kennedy Space Center during preparations for his scheduled lunar orbit mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo 9 astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart breakfast today with mission officials in their crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center a few hours prior to their scheduled launch into Earth orbit. Seated in the foreground, left to right, are astronauts Schweickart and Scott Brig. Gen. C. H. Bolendar, manager, Lunar Module and backup Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean. Across the table, left to right, George Skurla, Grumman Aircraft Base Manager at the Spaceport McDivitt's clergyman from his home church at Nassau Bay, Texas, The Rev. Laurence Connelly McDivitt and Kenneth Kleinknecht, manager, Command and Service Modules at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Grumman builds the two-man lunar module spacecraft that will be tested during the planned 10-day space mission. Photo credit: NASA

AS11-37-5551 (20 July 1969) --- Two components of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) are seen deployed on the lunar surface in this view photographed from inside the Lunar Module (LM). In the far background is the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP); and to the right and closer to the camera is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3). The footprints of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. are very distinct in the lunar soil.

S69-64137 (1969) --- Maxime A. Faget, Director of Engineering and Development, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, holds a model of an early space shuttle vehicle. Photo credit: NASA

View of ML on CT

Carrying astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., the Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” was the first crewed vehicle to land on the Moon. The LM landed on the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969 in the region known as Mare Tranquilitatis (the Sea of Tranquility). Shown here is Aldrin Jr. making his exit from the LM to the lunar surface. Armstrong, who was already on the surface, took this photograph. The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via a Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module pilot. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface. As he stepped off the LM, Armstrong proclaimed, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. He was followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, describing the lunar surface as magnificent desolation. During a 2½ hour surface exploration the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

S69-27746 (13 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 crew awaits the arrival of a recovery helicopter from the USS Guadalcanal, prime recovery ship for the Apollo 9 10-day Earth-orbital space mission. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, commander, stands in hatch of spacecraft. Already in life raft are astronauts Russell L. Schweickart (foreground), lunar module pilot, and David R. Scott, command module pilot. Scott is taking a picture of McDivitt. Splashdown occurred at 12:00:53 p.m. (EST), March 13, 1969, only 4.5 nautical miles from the USS Guadalcanal. U.S. Navy underwater demolition team swimmers assist in the recovery operations.

AS09-23-3592 (3-13 March 1969) --- Cyclonic storm system, located 1,200 miles north of Hawaii, as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its 10-day, Earth-orbital space mission. This picture was made on the 124th revolution of Apollo 9. This cyclonic storm system can also be seen in the ESSA-7 photograph taken on March 11, 1969.

AS09-21-3183 (7 March 1969) --- A view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM) "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is photographed from the CM "Gumdrop" during his extravehicular activity (EVA) on the fourth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The CSM is docked with the LM. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, was inside the LM "Spider." Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the CM.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- One hour after their Apollo 9 spacecraft splashed down today in the Atlantic Ocean, waving astronauts, left to right, Russell L. Schweickart, David R. Scott and James A. McDivitt, descend stairway on to main deck of the USS Guadalcanal, prime recovery ship. The helicopter flew them from their impact point a short distance to the ship, originally positioned less than five miles from where they splashed down. The 10-day Earth orbital mission proved the feasibility of the lunar module for manned descent to the Moon's surface, scheduled to take place later this year. They wre launched March 3, 1969, from the Kennedy Space Center aboard an Apollo_Saturn V space vehicle. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration directs the Apollo program.

AS12-47-6988 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, stands at the Module Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on the Lunar Module (LM) following the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The erectable S-band antenna is already deployed at right. The carrier for the Apollo Lunar Hand Tools (ALHT) is near Conrad. While astronauts Conrad and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the lunar surface, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Millions of people on Earth watched via television as a message for all mankind was delivered to the Mare Tranquilitatis (Sea of Tranquility) region of the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission, where it still remains today. A commemorative plaque was attached to the leg of the Lunar Module (LM), Eagle, engraved with the following words: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July, 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all of mankind.” It bears the signatures of the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot along with the signature of the U.S. President Richard M. Nixon. The plaque, as shown here, covered with protective steel for the launch and journey to the moon, was uncovered by crew members after landing. The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Apollo 12 astronauts, left to right, Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon, and Alan L. Bean, pose in front of a NASA T-38 training aircraft at Patrick Air Force Base. Eacht astronaut piloted his own T-38, performing aerobatics in preparation for their mission, the second manned lunar landing.

AS11-45-6709 (20 July 1969) --- An Apollo 11 stereo view of the surface of a lunar rock showing an embedded three-fourths inch fragment of a different color. On the surface several small pits are seen; mostly less than one-eighth inch in size, and with a glazed surface. They have a raised rim, characteristic of pits made by high-velocity micro meteorite impacts. The exposure was made by the Apollo 11 35mm stereo close-up camera. The camera was specially developed to get the highest possible resolution of a small area. A three-inch square area is photographed with a flash illumination and at a fixed distance. The camera is mounted on a walking stick, and the astronauts use it by holding it up against the object to be photographed and pulling the trigger. The pictures are in color and give a stereo view, enabling the fine detail to be seen very clearly. The project is under the direction of Professor T. Gold of Cornell University and Mr. F. Pearce of NASA. The camera was designed and built by Eastman Kodak. Professor E. Purcell of Harvard University and Dr. E. Land of the Polaroid Corporation have contributed to the project. The pictures brought back from the moon by the Apollo 11 crew are of excellent quality and allow fine detail of the undisturbed lunar surface to be seen. Scientists hope to be able to deduce from them some of the processes that have taken place that have shaped and modified the surface.

S69-25880 (23 Feb. 1969) --- Overall view of Firing Room 2 in the Launch Control Center, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, during an Apollo 9 Countdown Demonstration Test. Astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart were participating in a training exercise in preparation for their scheduled 10-day Earth-orbital space mission.

S69-60760 (29 Nov. 1969) --- Members of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission's crew talk to their families from inside the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) soon after their arrival at Ellington Air Force Base aboard a United States Air Force C-141 transport jet in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 1969. The crew men, looking out the MQF window at the crowd, are from left to right, astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon Jr., and Alan L. Bean. Some of the family members can be seen in lower right foreground. The crew members were taken to Hawaii from their Pacific Ocean recovery site aboard the USS Hornet, prime recovery vessel for the mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Wearing flight caps presented to them by the crew of the USS Guadalcanal, bearded Apollo 9 astronauts (left to right) Russell L. Schweickart, David R. Scott and James A. McDivitt, wave to well-wishers aboard the recovery ship at the completion of their 10-day Earth orbital mission. Their spacecraft splashed down 780 nautical miles southeast of Cape Kennedy at 12:01 p.m. EST, March 13, 1969. During the textbook mission, the space pilots verified a lunar module spacecraft similar to the one that is to land Americans on the Moon later this year. Their flight began March 3 when they were launched by an Apollo_Saturn V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration directs the Apollo program.

S69-27919 (13 March 1969) --- Immediately after splashdown a recovery helicopter from the USS Guadalcanal hovers over the Apollo 9 spacecraft. Still inside the Command Module (CM) are astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart. Splashdown occurred at 12:00:53 p.m. (EST), March 13, 1969, only 4.5 nautical miles from the USS Guadalcanal, the prime recovery ship, to conclude a successful 10-day Earth-orbital mission in space.

AS11-36-5365 (21 July 1969) --- A close-up view of the docking target on the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) photographed from the Command Module during the LM/CSM docking in lunar orbit. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, in the LM, were returning from the lunar surface. Astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin explored the moon.

S69-35097 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., Apollo 8 command module pilot, is seen at the Apollo 8 Spacecraft Command Module's Guidance and Navigation station during the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. This picture was taken from 16mm motion picture film.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut John W. Young suits up for the Apollo 10 Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT) which ended successfully at 1:01 p.m. today, clearing the way for a May 18 launch. Young, command module pilot, will keep lonely vigil in lunar orbit while Thomas P. Stafford, commander, and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot, drop to within 10 miles of the Moon in the lunar module before returning to the parent spacecraft.

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean where Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 11 crew. The crew was airlifted to safety aboard the U.S.S. Hornet recovery ship, where they were quartered in a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) which served as their home for 21 days. In this photo taken at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the quarantined housing facility is being lowered from the U.S.S. Hornet, onto a trailer for transport to Hickam Field. From there, it was loaded aboard an Air Force C-141 jet and flown back to Ellington Air Force Base Texas, and then on to the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston, Texas.

AS11-37-5448 (July 1969) --- The Apollo 11 Command and Service Modules (CSM) (tiny dot near quarter sized crater, center), with astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, aboard. The view overlooking the western Sea of Tranquility was photographed from the Lunar Module (LM). Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, manned the LM and made their historic lunar landing on July 20, 1969. Coordinates of the center of the terrain in the photograph are 18.5 degrees longitude and .5 degrees north latitude.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Command Module 107 and Service Module, which are going to be used for the Apollo 11 mission, are moved from Chamber "L" to the work stand in preparation for the first manned lunar landing. Also shown in the background is the Command Module 108, which is going to be used for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission.

AS10-31-4537 (18-26 May 1969) --- This near vertical photograph taken from the Apollo 10 Command and Service Modules shows features typical of the Sea of Tranquility near Apollo Landing Site 2. HOLD PICTURE WITH PRONOUNCED LINEAR FEATURE PARALLEL TO LEFT MARGIN. The proposed landing area for Apollo 11 (Lunar Landing Site 2) is a relatively smooth maria area in the upper right quadrant of the photographed area. Apollo 10 traveled from the bottom to the top of the picture. The prominent linear feature at left is Hypatia Rille (called "U.S. 1" by the Apollo 10 crew). The prominent crater centered in Hypatia Rille at top left is Moltke AC (code name "Chuck Hole"). Moltke, the prominent crater to the right of Hypatia Rille, is centered near 24.2 degrees east longitude, and 0.6 degrees south latitude.

S69-27089 (11 March 1969) --- Overall view of Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing the Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Lunar Module-4/Saturn 505) space vehicle during a Countdown Demonstration Test. The Apollo 10 flight is scheduled as a lunar orbit mission. The Apollo 10 crew will be astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot.

AS10-34-5112 (26 May 1969) --- The ascent stage of the Apollo 10 Lunar Module (LM) is photographed from the Command Module prior to docking in lunar orbit. The LM is approaching the Command and Service Modules from below. The LM descent stage had already been jettisoned. The lunar surface in the background is near, but beyond the eastern limb of the moon as viewed from Earth (about 120 degrees east longitude). The red/blue diagonal line is the spacecraft window.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS - Surrounded by Man's footprints on the lunar surface, Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. erects a solar wind experiment near the Tranquility Base established by the Lunar Module, Eagle.

S69-41985 (14 Aug. 1969) --- The Apollo 11 spacecraft Command Module (CM) is loaded aboard a Super Guppy Aircraft at Ellington Air Force Base for shipment to the North American Rockwell Corporation at Downey, California. The CM was just released from its postflight quarantine at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). The Apollo 11 spacecraft was flown by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, during their lunar landing mission. Note damage to aft heat shield caused by extreme heat of Earth reentry. North American Rockwell is the prime contractor for the Apollo Command and Service Modules (CSM).

The first manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 11, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon, while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew set up experiments, collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth, planted the U.S Flag, and left a message for all mankind. In this photograph, Aldrin is deploying the Early Apollo Scientific Experiment Package.

S69-27466 (13 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 spacecraft, with astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart aboard, touches down in the Atlantic recovery area to conclude a successful 10-day Earth-orbital space mission. Splashdown occurred at 12:00:53 p.m. (EST), March 13, 1969, only 4.5 nautical miles from the prime recovery ship, USS Guadalcanal.

AS12-49-7286 (20 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, drives a core sample tube into the lunar surface during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity. Good view of lunar soil.

S69-40307 (30 July 1969) --- The crewmen of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission stand in the serving line as they prepare to dine in the Crew Reception Area of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Building 37, Manned Spacecraft Center. Left to right, are astronauts Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Michael Collins, and Neil A. Armstrong. They are continuing their postflight debriefings. The three astronauts will be released from quarantine on Aug. 11, 1969.