July 20 is a landmark day in the history of space science and technology. It marks the day on which humans first stepped on the lunar surface, as Apollo 11, the first mission to the moon, landed on the earth's satellite in the year 1969. The moon landing is thus a very significant achievement for mankind. On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and what better way than to look at it yourself. There are several videos, documentaries that are made on landing on the lunar surface. You can also take a look at the live streaming of the Apollo 11 and experience how it was for the astronauts themselves. National Moon Day 2019: What is the Day and Know The Reason It Is Celebrated.
The Apollo 11 took off from the Kennedy Space Center took off on July 16. 1969 at 13:32 UTC. It entered the lunar orbit on July 19 and landed on July 20, at 20:17 UTC. As Armstrong stepped off the ladder and put his step on the moon's surface, a TV camera attached to the module sent the progress back to the Earth. Millions of people watched with bated breath, human's first step on the moon. And as Armstrong rightly called it, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Watch Video of the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969:
He was joined by Edwin Aldrin and together they planted the US flag on the lunar surface. The photograph has been etched on several minds ever since. Both these astronauts spent about 21 hours 31 minutes on the lunar surface at a site they named Tranquility Base. They took off on July 22 and landed back on the Earth in the Pacific Ocean on July 24. You can also watch a live streaming of the Apollo 11's landing today and experience it like the first humans on earth witnessed it. Moon Landing 50th Anniversary: TIME Immersive Launches Apollo 11 AR Depiction ‘Landing on the Moon’, Calls It ‘Most Accurate’.
Watch Live Streaming of Apollo 11:
Today, the successful mission to the moon completes 50 years and yet there are so many conspiracies surrounding it. It is also termed as a hoax made by the US government. However, there have also been enough documentaries to state the truth behind the mission. After Apollo 11 there have been 5 other crewed landings and numerous other uncrewed landings on the lunar surface.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2019 10:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).