International Moon Day 2025: Featuring Apollo 11
On July 20, 1969, humanity achieved what was once thought impossible. When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, the world united through science, engineering, and a shared sense of wonder, proving that human curiosity knows no boundaries. Today, we celebrate this momentous and historic human occasion through the annual International Moon Day.
To provide some context about this celebration and its origins, International Moon Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 2021, as part of its efforts to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space. This date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the historic mission, allowing it to be remembered and used as an inspiration for years to come.
To celebrate this historic milestone, The Weekly Spaceman has put together a graphic about the mission, along with a little fact sheet that you may want to keep in mind. Once again, Happy International Moon Day to everyone! May our celestial neighbor continue to inspire us more in the years to come!
Apollo 11 Mission Facts
Mission Name: Apollo 11
Mission Type: First crewed lunar landing
Launch Date & Time: July 16, 1969 – 13:32:00 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Saturn V rocket (SA-506)
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida – Launch Complex 39A
Crew Members:
1. Neil A. Armstrong – Commander
2. Edwin “Buzz” E. Aldrin Jr. – Lunar Module Pilot
3. Michael Collins – Command Module Pilot
Lunar Landing
Lunar Landing Date & Time: July 20, 1969 – 20:17:40 UTC
First Step on the Moon: July 21, 1969 – 02:56:15 UTC
First Words on the Moon: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” — Neil Armstrong
Vehicle and Mission Information
Lunar Module (LM) Name: Eagle
Command Module (CM) Name: Columbia
Duration on the Lunar Surface: 21 hours, 36 minutes
Total Mission Duration: 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds (Returned: July 24, 1969)
Lunar Landing Site: Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis)
Samples Collected: 21.5 kg (47.5 lbs) of lunar rocks and soil
Return & Splashdown
Date: July 24, 1969
Location: Pacific Ocean, 1,500 km southwest of Hawaii
Recovery Ship: USS Hornet
Global and Historical Impact
Global Viewership: An estimated 600 million people watched the moon landing live — the largest broadcast audience at the time.
Legacy: Apollo 11 fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the decade’s end.
This is KYNNMASTER 123 for TWS: The Weekly Spaceman, see you in the next one! 😁
