Apollo 11 in 1969 is possibly the greatest human achievement ever. Space exploration was more than just science fiction, to have been the first time humans were to set foot on another celestial body proved just that. Although most people know the basic story of the moon landing involving Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, there are tons of fun facts about the moon landing that the general public may not know. The facts of moon landing are more interesting — like from the unexpected problems on the lunar surface to hidden details of the astronauts’ experience. We take a look at 10 simple facts about the moon landing and get some details of this historic event that you might not know.
The Apollo 11 mission landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969, was the culmination of many years of effort in conjunction with NASA engineers, scientists, and astronauts. Some of the mission’s obstacles could have had the negative effect of slowing or maybe even canceling the mission. The Saturn V rocket was one of the biggest challenges, as it had never run with a full crew on Apollo 11.
Besides, the support for the space program was wobbly and some politicians and scientists doubt that it was worth the enormous cost. In anticipation of the first humans on the Moon, the United States had to push forward with the mission during the Cold War competition which placed Americans in the lead.
Today of course Neil Armstrong is famous as the first human to walk on the Moon, but he wasn’t first picked for that job. Initially, NASA was supposed to have Apollo 11’s Lunar Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin, be the first to step onto the lunar surface.
Another constituent was also present there. But Armstrong was perceived as more reserved and cooler, which made him an excellent person to deliver the historic words, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' That decision made history, and became synonymous with the Moon landing – and Armstrong’s name.
The fact that Armstrong and Aldrin were alive because a simple pen was saved and that one of the most amazing facts about it was that a simple pen saved the lives of Armstrong and Aldrin. After moonwalking, the astronauts inadvertently found a crucial circuit breaker had broken inside the Lunar Module.
Aldrin had no immediate fix; he used a Felt tip pen to push the circuit back in place, and as they powered up the lander, they safely returned to orbit. Otherwise, they may have been stranded on the Moon without a way back.
Buzz Aldrin had a quiet moment for himself before stepping onto the lunar surface. He then carried out a small communion rite using bread and wine that he had brought in a small kit. However, this was the first meal ever eaten on the Moon.
After that, the astronauts ate meals specially designed for space travel. Freeze dried beef stew, bacon cubes, peaches were lightweight and easy to prepare in zero gravity.
It was far more difficult to land on the Moon than anyone could have expected. It was when Armstrong and Aldrin were trying to go through the process of landing, and they realized that the computer was guiding them to a rocky area filled with boulders. The safest landing spot for Armstrong was to manually take control and land safely.
However, this maneuver introduced another problem— fuel is running dangerously low. When they finally touched down, they had only 20 seconds of fuel left. They could have done it without Armstrong taking any longer, but they would have had to abort the landing.
The American flag standing proudly on the lunar surface is its most iconic image of the Moon landing. Just as the Lunar Module launched for its return to orbit, the rocket engine blast toppled the flag. At least two of the astronauts had planted the flag too close to the module, and the force of the launch blew it down.
However, in later Apollo missions, more flags were placed on the Moon, and many of these still stand to this day, though they are likely faded by sun damage.
Of the lesser-known facts about the moon landing, one of them is that the astronauts smelled something strange inside the Lunar Module after their moonwalk. The scent of the fine moon dust that clung to their spacesuits was that of burnt gunpowder.
Explanations for the smell of moon dust remain unknown to scientists. The dust will actually not burn, since there is no oxygen on the Moon. But the dust would not have come into contact with air, so some believe the reaction is the reason the dust was exposed to air inside the spacecraft.
Common belief among many people is that everyone in the world saw the Moon landing live. But the major television networks in Australia were unable to receive the transmission in real time. And instead they relied on recordings being forwarded later.
When Armstrong stepped onto the Moon, these famous images were picked up first by a tracking station in Australia, from which they were transmitted to NASA. It was this small but vital role that brought the historic moment to the rest of the world.
The Apollo 11 astronauts left behind besides their footprints, several items. These included a plaque, reading: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."
And they left behind a small silicon disk covered with messages from world leaders, an Apollo 1 mission patch to honor the career of lost astronauts and scientific equipment that continues to supply crucial data today.
One of the most surprising facts about the moon landing was that NASA lost the original tapes of the Apollo 11 broadcast. During the later years, the high quality footage recorded during the mission was accidentally erased or reused.
However, recordings at tracking stations provide the fortunate restored copies. But the fact that the first moon landing footage that used to be this way will no longer exist doesn't mean that the images of the first moon landing aren't the most famous things of all the history.
One of the most significant achievements of the 20th century, the 1969 Moon landing has not yet begun. This proved that if you work hard and have a vision you can do anything. What it also showed was that human ingenuity and bravada are limitless. Future space exploration owed much to the Apollo 11 mission as it inspired the development of the Space Shuttle, the Astounding International Space Station, and missions to Mars. These fun facts about the moon landing bring to mind the obstacles space exploration has overcome.
This content was created by AI