In pictures: the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969

21/01/12 3,653 Views 33 Comments

IT’S ALMOST 50 years since man first walked on the moon and the images captured around that event remain as captivating as they were in 1969.

The US remains the only nation to have landed men on the moon, and no human has walked on the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972, forty years ago this year.

From the NASA archives, here are some of the most iconic images of that first lunar landing alongside photographs of the command centre celebrating the mission’s success and President Nixon greeting the returned – but quarantined – crew:

In pictures: the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969

Previous 1 / 17Next

17. A New York City welcome
The Apollo 11 astronauts greet the thronging crowds gathered along New York City streets in mid-August 1969 during their ticker-tape parade celebrating the lunar mission. (NASA)
16. Celebrating success
NASA and Manned Spacecraft Centre officials join flight controllers in their post-mission celebrations. (NASA)
15. Celebrating success
Flight controllers at NASA's Mission Control Centre celebrate the success of Apollo 11's lunar landing mission on 24 July 1969. (NASA)
14. Nixon greets the astronauts
President Nixon welcomes the astronauts aboard the USS Hornet. The three men are pictured inside a quarantine facility on board the ship to prevent the spread of any potential lunar contagions. (NASA)
13. Apollo Crew
The three astonauts of Apollo 11 from left: Neil Armstrong, commander, Michael Collins, command module pilot, and Edwin Aldrin Jr, lunar module pilot. (NASA)
12. Nixon awaits
President Richard Nixon and NASA administrator Dr Thomas Paine wait for the astronauts to be flown from their landing pod to the USS Hornet. (NASA)
11. Released
The US Navy rescued the three returned Apollo 11 astronauts after they landed in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July 1969. (NASA)
10. The return
The three astronauts inside their landing pod after returning through the Earth's atmosphere. Members of the US Navy are alongside in a raft. (NASA)
9. Gold branch
A replica of the gold olive branch, a symbol of peace, Armstrong left on the moon's surface during Apollo 11's mission. (NASA)
8. Experiments
Aldrin is pictured setting up a solar wind composition experiment on the moon. (NASA)
7. Moon footprint
Another iconic Apollo 11 image: Buzz Aldrin's bootprint on the lunar surface. (NASA)
6. Moon walk
Buzz Alrin is shown in an iconic image captured by Armstrong as the astronauts explored the moon's Sea of Tranquility. (NASA)
5. On the moon
Mission commander Neil Armstrong is photographed by Aldrin after the pair successfully landed on the moon. (NASA)
4. Landing
Apollo 11's lunar landing module 'Eagle' is photographed by Collins who remained on board the Command and Service Modules while Armstrong and Aldrin descended onto the lunar surface on 20 July 1969. (NASA)
3. Lift-off
Rockets propel Apollo 11 away from the Earth's surface. This image was captured by a telescopic camera mounted on an Air Force plane. (NASA)
2. Watching and waiting
1. Launchpad
A plume of flames marks the lift-off of Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Centre on 16 July 1969, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin. (NASA)

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Comments (33 Comments)

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Ken Forde 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 4 35

Very cool photos.

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conor hickey 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 84 46

Best movie set ever!

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Kevin Gallagher 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 7 47

I’m sure a lot of people wont be too happy to hear that 43 is nearly 50 years!

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Martin 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 92 32

Moon landing fake

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- John Thomas 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 7 29
  
  Why would they fake it when the chances are that humans other than Americans will be back on the moon again some day. They would be found out when none of the piles evidence they left there was non existent
- Mark Downes 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 3 35
  
  It would have been much easier to go to the moon than to fake the whole thing and keep the several thousand Americans involved in it silent for over 40 years. Also, the Russians were monitoring the whole thing and could have detected if they were faking it. They never claimed it was impossible, because they were working on their own lunar expedition at the time, so they obviously knew it was possible and intended to go there too. Then there’s the reflector they left there allowing us to this day to precisely monitor the moons’ distance from us using lasers. The only people who believe that the Apollo missions were faked are conspiracy nuts with no substantial scientific background. No respected physicist supports the “hoax” claims.
- limofax 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 0 10
  
  The chinese released pictures of the Apollo landing sites recently. They were taken from their own lunar orbiter. Guess what? All of the equipment/ flags and footprints were all exactly as the americans had left if.
- Mark Downes 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 2 2
  
  Actually, I’m now convinced it was a hoax. Look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVK7h6HUXq0
Manfred Meyer 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 7 16

Oh oh.
Do I get wind of conspiracy theories?

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John 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 53 25

Nevada desert never looked better.

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Pen Name 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 44 7

And today’s free random publicity story – for America – is Apollo pictures from 1969.

What’s next, “Obama rescues cat from tree”?

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- Oscar Brophy 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 3 3
  
  that’s more of a Vladimir Outing type stunt
- Dave McCarthy 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 3 1
  
  lol, indeed, Obama was trying to sing the other day so he might be pulling antique relics from the bottom of the sea before we know it. What a looser
Lesley Cross 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 19

It’s actually 42.5 years ….. Where does 50 come from ??

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Joe O'Driscoll 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 29 14

The wind blowing the American flag in picture 5 only adds fuel to the fake landing theory.

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- Dave McCarthy 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 7 5
  
  Don’t believe that the moon landing happened but believe in an imaginary friend in the sky?
- Gearóid Ó Murchadha 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 0 1
  
  I’m no scientist but I’m pretty sure there’s less gravity there, could that have something to do with it?! Anyway, there are several planned moon landing missions planned by various countries (including the US) between 2020 and 2025. Also china had an orbiter looking at the moon for a couple of years up till 2009 which saw all the shit America left behind, including the reflector which is apparently still used today. The moon landing was real, even if it was a bit of (admittedly cool) propaganda and an ‘up yours’ to the soviets.
Iain Murray 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 2 18

Myth busters did a great episode on moon landing conspiracies some time ago. I’m sure you’ll find it on discovery website. Well worth a look.

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Iain Murray 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 1 9

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-moon-hoax/ well worth a look

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Harry Coffey 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 2

the 50 years must come from the jfk assassination in 1963.

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Weazel Macgagarthy 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 21 6

Fake

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Paulie walnuts 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 1 5

And to think that I this day and age we have not been back on there!!

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Manfred Meyer 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 1 8

I just about remember that day.
Watching this major event in black and white with picture quality lacking seriously.
Great event for mankind.

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Manfred Meyer 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 3 9

Conspiracy ?!
Maybe this was the case with Bertie Ahern.
Was he for real ?

Reply
Conor White 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 3 3

maybe the journal should do an article on the buildings on the moon. Satelite images of the moon in the 50s and 60s show buildings way before photoshop was invented!! Worth a look id say!!

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Martin Dorgan 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 6

Best achievement ever by mankind led to many things we take for granted today ,if it were restarted today would create about 10,000 jobs directly and innumerable indirect jobs .Pity to think that poverty and disease cannot be eliminated in the world with about a tenth of the budget that was used for the Apollo project.

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- Dave McCarthy 21/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 1 1
  
  Where would the restart get the money from to “create” those 10000 jobs? Wouldn’t it require the money be confiscated (taxed) somewhere? And now, how many private sector jobs would that confiscation kill? If you take water from one end of the pool and pour it into the other end of the pool, does that change the amount of water in the pool? Can you say basic economics?
Otto Caar 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 1

Buzz Aldrin didn’t take that picture – Neil Armstrong took it, along with
many other pictures of Buzz on the moon. Buzz should be grateful these photos exist as, in my opinion, because of his well known resentment at not having been chosen to be the first to step onto the moon, he intentionally and selfishly did not take one single picture of Neil Armstrong on the surface – thus assuring that all pictures of astronauts on the moons surface during this historical event would be of him alone. (Not including the very poor quality images from the automated exterior television cameras and pictures taken inside the LEM).
It is human nature to take pictures of your companions on trips to new places – we all do it, as did Armstrong and every other astronaut to walk on the moon or who has traveled to space with another person/s and a camera – so he can’t use the excuse of excitement or forgetfulness because of the distraction of being on the moon, Which he most likely has. Disclaimer: (As he has shown he is prone to litigate).
All comments are my personal opinions derived from comments by others involved and from observations of Aldrin’s actions.

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- Sean Doyle 22/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 0 0
  
  There are almost no pictures of armstrong, as there was only one still camera and aldrin had it for most of the EVA.
- Sean Doyle 22/01/12 #
  
  Report this comment 0 0
  
  Sorry, typo from my previous post, Armstrong had the only camera.
Joey Colclough 21/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 2

Fascinating photos there, but its hard to understand that its 40yrs later this yr and we haven touched down since, that and concorde and the SR-71 regardless of the cost it was to design engineer and build they forwarded technology more than anything that has been designed or built since

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Sean Doyle 22/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 1

I have to agree with Prof Brian Cox on BBC’s stargazing last week:

“If you don’t believe we went to the moon, switch over to celebrity big brother, we don’t want you here.”

All hoax claims have been debunked, the US went there, deal with it.

Reply
Cabinbee.com 23/01/12 #

Report this comment 0 0

Or as Ali-G put it some years ago “how can we know that the moon even exists??”

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