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NASA won the space race on the Moon on July 20, 1969, beating the Soviet Union until the lunar arrival line. NASA Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two men to accomplish this unimaginable feat. And the pilot of the control module, Michael Collins, flew over their heads, locked in lunar orbit. However, the honor of being the first man to set foot on the moon was entrusted to the commander of the Armstrong mission.
On July 21, just six hours after the landing of Apollo 11, Armstrong and Aldrin left their Eagle Lunar module.
About 650 million people around the world looked forward as Commander Armstrong descended on the dusty surface of the moon.
The astronaut said: "It's a small step for man, a big step for humanity".
And shortly after the astronaut uttered his now iconic phrase, he accurately described to NASA at NASA's Mission Control in Houston, Texas.
READ MORE: Read President John F. Kennedy's historic speech as Apollo 11 anniversary approaches
NASA Moon landing: Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon (Image: GETTY)
Fortunately for us today, the detailed transcripts of the Apollo 11 mission and all audio communications have been stored and digitized by NASA.
According to Commander Armstrong, the surface of the moon is very thin and powdery, almost like sand.
The astronaut had no trouble moving around the lunar regolith and immediately noticed his footprints.
And although the moon only has one-sixth of the earth's gravity, the astronaut said the movements were easier than in the ground simulations.
READ MORE: That discovered Apollo 11 during the two minutes of silence lost?
Commander Armstrong said, "Yes, the surface is fine and powdery. I can do it loosely with my toe.
He has an absolute beauty all his own
"It adheres in thin layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots.
"I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the threads in the fine particles of sand.
"Ah … there seems to be no difficulty in moving – as we suspected.
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"It may be even easier than simulating a sixth G that we did in the different simulations on the ground. It is absolutely not difficult to walk around. "
A little later, while Armstrong and Aldrin photographed the Moon with Hasselblad cameras and collected trace samples, the astronauts described the views with brilliance.
Armstrong said, "He has an absolute beauty of his own. It's like a big part of the high desert of the United States. It's different, but it's very pretty here.
Apollo 11 and his three astronauts returned to Earth on July 24 and dived into the South Pacific Ocean.
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins received President Richard Nixon's Presidential Medal of Freedom.
NASA Landing on the Moon: Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969 (Image: NASA)
Apollo 11 Team: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (Image: GETTY)
Some facts about NASA's Apollo 11 mission:
1. NASA's Apollo 11 was launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 16, 1969.
2. President John F. Kennedy asked NASA to land on the moon in May 1961.
3. Around 650 million people around the world watched Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.
4. President Richard Nixon presented Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
5. The Apollo mission returned to Earth on July 24, 1969 and plunged into the Pacific Ocean.
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