The mission and its three crew members
Apollo 11’s objective was to make the first crewed lunar landing and return the crew safely to Earth. Its three crew members were commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin.
Armstrong and Aldrin descended aboard Eagle. Collins stayed in the command module in lunar orbit, monitoring the spacecraft and preparing for rendezvous when the lunar module returned. Personnel on the ground supported spacecraft operations and the mission.
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From launch to lunar orbit
Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969. The spacecraft entered an Earth parking orbit before beginning its trajectory toward the Moon. After arrival, it entered lunar orbit and the crew prepared for descent.
Armstrong and Aldrin transferred into Eagle and completed checks before separating from the command and service modules. Eagle used its own propulsion system to descend, while Collins continued flying in lunar orbit.
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Descent and landing in the Sea of Tranquility
Near the end of the descent, a boulder-covered area beside a large crater lay along the planned approach. Armstrong took manual control and continued looking for flatter ground. Dust raised near the surface affected visibility. Eagle landed in the Sea of Tranquility at about 20:17 UTC on July 20.
Computer alarms occurred during descent. The mission report attributes them to an unexpected load from radar interrupts. Guidance and navigation continued to operate during the alarms, and the crew completed the final landing maneuvers.
The first step and scientific work
Several hours after Eagle landed, Armstrong descended the ladder and first stepped onto the surface at approximately 02:56 UTC on July 21. Aldrin came out afterward, and the two began their surface activities.
They took photographs, observed their surroundings and collected approximately 22 kilograms of lunar samples that were later returned to Earth. They also deployed a solar-wind experiment, a passive seismometer and a laser reflector. Surface operations supplied physical material and observations for lunar research.
Rendezvous, return and recovery
After surface operations, Eagle’s ascent stage lifted off, returned to lunar orbit and rendezvoused and docked with the spacecraft carrying Collins. The landing crew and samples transferred into the command module, and all three astronauts began the journey back to Earth.
On July 24, the command module splashed down in the Pacific and was recovered by USS Hornet. The crew and lunar material then entered quarantine procedures, and the samples were delivered for research on Earth.
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The mission’s surviving records
Published in November 1969, the Apollo 11 Mission Report reviewed flight stages, equipment performance, computer alarms and preliminary analysis of lunar samples. The lunar-event record lists times for landing, exits and entries, and lunar lift-off.
Flight data, surface photographs, samples and records of instrument deployment supplied material for lunar research and analysis of crewed flight technology. The first crewed lunar landing left a mission record of flight, surface work and safe return.