Apollo 11 Launches: Moon Landing Mission Begins
Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins toward the first manned lunar landing. The Saturn V rocket, the most powerful machine ever built, generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, burning 20 tons of fuel per second. An estimated one million spectators lined the beaches and roads of central Florida to watch. The crew would travel 240,000 miles over three days, with Collins remaining in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface. The entire voyage was broadcast live, and roughly 600 million people worldwide watched Armstrong's first step four days later.
July 16, 1969
57 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on July 16
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