The schedule called for the astronauts to sleep before the first moonwalk, but they elected to go outside early because they felt they would not be able to sleep. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. The Eagle has landed." Capsule communicator and astronaut Charles Duke responded from Earth: "Roger … Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. Armstrong radioed, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. EDT (2014 GMT), Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, with only 25 seconds of fuel left. (Collins was originally supposed to be backup pilot for Apollo 11, but his spot in the flight sequence was moved after required surgery on his back forced him off the prime crew for Apollo 8.)Īs the lander approached the moon, Armstrong took over the controls when he saw that the computer was guiding them to a boulder-filled landing zone. Collins would remain in lunar orbit aboard the command module Columbia. His responsibilities included landing on the moon alongside Aldrin, the pilot of the lunar module Eagle.
NASA's chief of the Astronaut Office, Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton, chose an all-veteran team of Neil Armstrong (Gemini 8), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (Gemini 12) and Michael Collins (Gemini 10), with Armstrong selected to command the mission. The Apollo 11 crew members were announced to the public in January 1969.
(Image credit: NASA) Apollo 11 and the first moonwalk The mission conducted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit and landed safely back on Earth after an emergency abort. Gemini VIII successfully launched at 11:41 a.m.
Scott prepare to board the Gemini-Titan 8. Armstrong escaped unharmed.Ĭommander Neil Armstrong (right) and pilot David R. Fuel for the attitude thrusters ran out and Armstrong was forced to eject just seconds before the vehicle crashed, NASA reported. The event was the first serious emergency in space and although the mission ultimately ended safely, the spacecraft was forced to splash down early because the re-entry system was already expended.Īrmstrong also narrowly avoided a nasty accident in May 1968, this time within Earth's atmosphere, while flying the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle - a machine that could fly somewhat like a lunar module and simulate landings on the moon. With the astronauts whipping around faster than one revolution per second, Armstrong managed to gain control again by using the re-entry system thrusters. However, the two-man crew experienced a serious problem when a thruster on the Gemini 8 spacecraft became stuck open. Armstrong's first flight was as command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission in March 1966 - the sixth crewed mission of that series.Īrmstrong and pilot David Scott completed the first orbital docking of two spacecraft, joining their Gemini 8 spacecraft to an uncrewed Agena target vehicle. In 1962, Armstrong was selected to be part of NASA's second group of astronauts, who flew on the two-seat Gemini missions to test out space technology, and the three-seat Apollo missions that ultimately took 12 people to the surface of the moon. NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 after a research flight.
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