First Man on Moon

On 20th July, 1969, two American astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, set foot on the moon for the first time, while Micheal Collins continued to orbit, in the cabin of the command module of Apollo II, 100 kilometers above the moon's surface.
On that day, the pictures of the landing were transmitted to the television sets of the whole world, and all the children of that time were able to listen to the live voices of the astronauts as they talked with their control centre at Houston in the United States. Theirs were voices from out in space. Let's read what they said.

HOUSTON: "This is Houston. Eagle, you have permission to land. Out."
EAGLE: "We're ready. 2,000 feet. Angle of 47degrees."
HOUSTON: "That's fine, Eagle."
EAGLE: "35 degrees. 750 feet, we're coming down at 23 feet per second... We're going down fine. 200 feet, down at 4.5. Down at 5.5... We can see our shadow beneath us."
HOUSTON: "60 seconds to moon landing. 30 seconds... We see you eagle."
ARMSTRONG: "Received, we can confirm. It was beautiful..."
ALDRIN: "In a moment we'll describe the lunar landscape in detail. It seems rich in shapes... and in angularity, with different types of rocks. The colours change according to how you look."
HOUSTON: "We can tell you that here and throughout the world there are a lot of people smiling..."
ARMSTRONG: "There are two more up here."
COLLINS: "Hey! Don't forget the one in the command module!"

109 hours 7 minutes after take-off

HOUSTON: "Neil, this is Houston. We register a very low, static pressure in your cabin. Do you think you can open the door?"
ARMSTRONG: "We'll do our best."
HOUSTON: "O.K."
ARMSTRONG: "The door is opening."
ALDRIN: "O.K. Stop it from closing while I manoeurve number 2 valve."
ALDRIN: "Ready to go down... Neil, you're on a good line. Come a little bit towards me. O.K. You're through. You're actually on the platform. Put your left leg a little more to the right. O.K. That's fine. Turn to the left. Turn a little to the right. (The astronauts are wearing large, clumsy space suits which prevent them form moving freely.) Now you're O.K."
ARMSTRONG: "How am I doing?"
ALDRIN: "You're doing fine... Everything is beautiful down here and the sun is shining."
ARMSTRONG: "Can you open the door a little bit more?"

(This is the most exciting moment)

HOUSTON: "Gentlemen! We have a TV picture."
ALDRIN: "Have you got a good picture?"
HOUSTON: "There's a lot of contrast at the moment, and it's upside down, but we can see you descending."
ARMSTRONG: "O.K. I was just testing. One more little jump. Now I'm at the bottom of the ladder. The feet of the *LEM have gone hardly three or four centimeters into the surface. I'm about to step off the LEM. One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

(It is now 109 hours, 24 minutes and 20 seconds since take-off: MAN IS ON THE MOON! It shines with a dazzling brilliance against the total blackness of the sky).

ARMSTRONG: "The lunar surface is covered with a shallow layer of very fine dust that sticks to my boots like carbon. I can see my own footprints. It is not difficult to move around here."

(Due to the effect of the reduced force of gravity, a man of 72kg weighs less than 12kg on the moon).

"It is maybe even easier than it was during the tsets at one sixth gravity in the simulators on Earth. Walking is not a problem. It's very easy. It seems very beautifule here. It's like one of the high deserts in United States. It's really beautiful. Very, very beautiful!"

The two astronauts set up the first space laboratory, consisting of a device to measure the precise distance form Earth to the moon, varios seismographs to measure earthwuake activity, machines powered by batteries for measuring the solar wind, and radio devices for transmitting the information to Earth.

Finally, they planted the United States flag. After walking on the moon for about two hours, Armstrong and Aldrin returned to the LEM, with a plaque showing the hemispheres of the Earth. Underneath is written: "Here, a man from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon. We came in peace and for all humanity. Signed: Armstrong, Astronaut, Collins, Astronaut, Aldrin, Astronaut, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America. July, 1969."

Related Topics: No Man on the Moon

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