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On This Day In Space: July 16, 1969: Apollo 11 launches to the moon

On This Day In Space: July 16, 1969: Apollo 11 launches to the moon_64b54867c859d.jpeg

On July 16, 1969, NASA astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins blasted off on their famous mission to land and walk on the moon.

Apollo 11 launched from NASA’s historic launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts lifted off on top of NASA’s gigantic new Saturn V rocket.

The Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket lifts off with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin at 9:32 a.m. EDT on July 16, 1969, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. (Image credit: NASA)

Four days later, Neil Armstrong took “one giant leap” and became the first person to walk on the moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin. 

Michael Collins hung out inside the command module in lunar orbit while his crewmates went for a stroll, testing out their new spacesuits and collecting moon rocks.

On This Day in Space Archive!

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