THE GREAT OPENING OF

THE 20TH CENTURY

FIRST FLIGHT TO THE

MOON APOLLO 11
THE FIRST FLIGHT TO THE MOON TOOK PLACE ON
JULY 16TH, 1969. APOLLO 11 INCLUDES NEIL
ARMSTRONG, EDWIN ALDRIN AND MICHAEL COLLINS.
THE EVENT WAS WATCHED BY 5,000 GUESTS OF THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND SEVERAL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FLORIDA
RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS. SOME HOTELS SOLD TICKETS TO VIEW THIS EVENT FROM PREPARED SITES AND BALCONIES. 25 MILLION
VIEWERS WERE WATCHING THE START.
 LANDING ON THE MOON
ON THE 4TH DAY OF FLIGHT, APOLLO 11 ENTERED THE
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD OF THE MOON.
460 METERS BEFORE LANDING, ASTRONAUT ARMSTRONG NOTICED
THAT THE AUTOPILOT SENT A LUNAR MODULE TO THE EDGE OF
THE CRATER, WHICH WAS SURROUNDED BY MANY STONES. FOR
THIS REASON, THE COMMANDER OF THE LUNAR MODULE TOOK
THE ENGINE CONTROL ORIENTATION TO HIMSELF AND CHANGED
THE TRAJECTORY OF THE SHIP. THEN A NOTICE APPEARED THAT
ONLY 8% OF THE FUEL REMAINED, LATER - 5%, THE COUNTDOWN
BEGAN. AFTER 94 SECONDS, THE CREW WILL HAVE 20 SECONDS TO
LAND THE MODULE, OR TO INTERRUPT THE LANDING. AT THIS
MOMENT, THE CAPTAIN’S PULSE WAS 150 BEATS PER MINUTE.
 STAY ON THE MOON
AFTER THE HATCH WAS OPENED, THE FIRST THING THE
ASTRONAUTS DID WAS TO THROW A BAG OF DEBRIS
ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. NEXT, NEIL
ARMSTRONG TURNED ON THE CAMERA LOCATED ON THE
LUNAR MODULE HOUSING. AT THE MOMENT WHEN THE
ASTRONAUT'S FOOT TOUCHED THE SURFACE,
ARMSTRONG'S FAMOUS PHRASE SOUNDED: “A SMALL
STEP FOR A MAN, BUT A GIANT ONE FOR ALL MANKIND”.
AFTER AN ASTRONAUT STUCK THE US FLAG INTO THE
SURFACE OF THE MOON. SWINGING ON THE MOON WAS 2
HOURS 31 MINUTES 40 SECONDS.
 RETURN TO EARTH
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE FLIGHT, THE APOLLO 11 WAS
ALREADY HEADING TOWARDS EARTH. THE NEXT DAY, THE SHIP
LANDED SUCCESSFULLY IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. AFTER
LANDING, THE CREW HEADED IMMEDIATELY TO THE
QUARANTINE VAN, TO AVOID THE SPREAD OF VARIOUS
INFECTIONS. THERE THEY STAYED FOR 20 DAYS.
THIS FLIGHT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT
DISCOVERY IN THE HISTORY OF
ASTRONAUTICS AND HELPED TO STUDY THE
MOON AND SPACE SHIP IN MORE DETAIL.