Apollo 11's Giant Leap for Mankind
40 years ago, the lunar module landed on the moon, providing an unforgettable moment for the millions watching back on Earth
- By Owen Edwards
- Smithsonian magazine, August 2009, Subscribe
The Eagle landed on July 20, 1969. For those who watched the Apollo 11 astronauts park their lunar lander on Tranquility Base—in my case, on a grainy black-and-white television in a small house in the hills above Los Angeles—the fact that Neil Armstrong's "one giant leap for mankind" took place 40 years ago can only come as a shock. Slowly down the ladder went the first human being to step onto the moon, clumsy in his spacesuit, and we knew we were witnessing a moment we would never forget.
The lunar module that transported Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the gritty surface of the moon was a two-section invention built by the Grumman Corporation. The bottom unit consisted essentially of four landing struts equipped with a retrorocket to cushion the descent. It would remain on the moon after the upper section, also rocket-propelled, carried the astronauts back to the command module, piloted by Michael Collins.
In five subsequent lunar landings, the same type of craft would be used to deliver ten astronauts from command modules to the moon. All the landers were left behind, the bases remaining where they touched down. After astronauts returned to the modules, they jettisoned the transport capsules, which crashed into the moon or vanished into space.
Today, lunar lander LM-2 ("LM" is shorthand for Lunar Excursion Module) remains earthbound—a 40-year-old vehicle that never got off the launchpad. It is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C.
Transporting the Eagle astronauts safely to the moon was the result of a remarkable series of test flights that had begun in 1968 with the earth-orbiting Apollo 7. Early on, NASA planners made the decision to land on the moon from an orbiting craft rather than going directly from earth to the lunar surface. Grumman's solution—a lander with ingenious dual-section construction for separate descent and ascent functions—would prove to be one of the most reliable elements in the Apollo program.
The first lander, LM-1, went into earth orbit on a Saturn rocket on January 22, 1968, for unmanned testing of its propulsion systems. (LM-1 was not intended to return to earth.) The LM-2 was designed for a second unmanned test, but because the first went off without a hitch, another was deemed unnecessary. According to NASM scientist Robert Craddock, the two landers were not designed to be "man-ready"; they lacked safety equipment and other fittings necessary to accommodate astronauts.
During an emergency, a lander, equipped with additional sources of power and propulsion, could also serve as a kind of space lifeboat for astronauts. This is just what happened on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in April 1970. As its crew hurtled toward the moon, an oxygen tank exploded, causing damage that knocked out much of the crew's air, electrical and water supplies. The astronauts climbed through a hatch from the command module into the contiguous lander. The lander's rockets supplied the boost needed to guide the space capsule accurately around the moon and back toward earth.
Because landers were designed to be used only in space—not to withstand re-entry into earth's atmosphere—engineers had no need to factor atmospheric friction into their design. Thus, says NASM curator Allan Needell, "the lunar module looks flimsy and gangly—it's a very pure design built for a very specific mission." Every astronaut who went to the moon, he adds, has visited the LM-2 at NASM. "It's obviously the best place for television interviews," he says. "They all think that the lunar module was one of the really unique engineering achievements of the Apollo program."
The LM-2 was built for Earth-orbit tests, not engineered to touch down on the moon; it had to be retrofitted with landing gear in order to replicate the appearance of the Armstrong-Aldrin craft. It has also been recently restored. Its deteriorated gold-tone Mylar sheathing on the descent section and landing struts has been replaced, with extra layers added to recreate the appearance of Apollo 11.
Today, visitors to the Apollo exhibition witness an artifact that looks—with a little help from artful curators—much as Eagle looked when it made that giant leap 40 years ago. When Buzz Aldrin radioed back to us riveted earthlings that "this stands as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown," he was talking about the overall mission. But he might as easily have been referring to the ungainly marvel that made it possible.
Owen Edwards is a freelance writer and author of the book Elegant Solutions.
Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.
Comments (10)
yes, I remeber that day... my father actuallly worked on the apollo 11 so I watched it in person. Amazing... the only word my young mind could think of.
Posted by Oscar J on January 18,2012 | 08:38 PM
I was Mayor in Cape Canaveral area, before, on and after moon landing. I was privledged to sit on the front bleacher seats with other area Mayors, one-half of the US Congress, every media, and sitting next to Walter Cronkite and the then Prince of Spain, now King, along with thousands of world figures known previously to me only seen in newspapers and black & white television.
Following the launch and landing, where hundreds met in Cocoa Beach to view on a "giant" BW television and witness landing of the lunar lander and return to earth. after several years I was pleased , as Worldwide President, to receive an acknowledgement personally from Neil Armstrong concerning his election to a Fellowship (FSHS) in the International Scottish Highlands Society of Perth Scotland and Highlands, North Carolina.
I have his letters, NASA photos, my admission tickets of the first man to land on the moon and who departed from the Cape. I have a memorial in my Vero Beach home set up to honor these unbelievable events, and Chieftain Neil Armstrong, our first Commander of Apollo !! to and back from the moon.
Posted by rw grady on September 10,2011 | 06:44 PM
It is a sad testament to the way things are today. We have a President who has no vision for space like JFK and a congress with no vision for the continued dominence of space either. To think we may have to be like "hitch-hikers" on Russian rockets to get to low Earth orbit is an absolute outrage and national disgrace. How far we have fallen as a people and a nation from the historic times of a Apollo and a generation of people back then who dared to dream and explore the unknown.
Posted by Charles on March 15,2010 | 05:46 PM
this is amazing
Posted by Fahad on February 1,2010 | 10:39 AM
I am a Chinese, I think Apollo mission is human great accomplishment, people who comment the moon landing was fake are schemers, I hope one day we can come back to the moon, and go to Mars someday.
Posted by kangpengyu on October 7,2009 | 04:26 AM
LM-2 at NASM is a national treasure. The curators have done a wonderful job to make it match the appearance of Apollo 11's Eagle LM-5.
Posted by Matthew Ota on August 17,2009 | 09:43 PM
Hopefully more of the people behind the scenes of the Apollo Program will write books and articles describing their contribution to the program so that younger readers will understand it wasn't 50 or 100 individuals but more than 400,000 who participated in the greatest journey of all. Those of us who watched the lunar landings and who have a genuine interest in the space program want to see more written about Apollo from these participants like Mr. Fell. Thank you!
Posted by Mark Cushman on August 7,2009 | 06:29 PM
I was a member of the launch team at the Kennedy Space Center and was charged with the responsibilty of checking out all the telemetry systems that were installed on each of the Saturn V stages (S-1C, S-II, S-IVB and IU) used to place the Apollo capsual into orbit and then on its way to the moon. The hours to verify that each telemtry system was operational were long, but the reward and satisfaction of being a member of the launch team for Apollo more than offset the long hours spent away from my wife and kids. It's hard for me to believe that it has been 40 years since all those exciting times occured.
Posted by Oscar M. Fell on July 23,2009 | 03:19 PM
I remember mom let me stay up late and I could barely keep my eyes open. How quickly it became mundane. Man has still not set foot on any other celestial objects. Computers of that day were less powerful than my cell phone. What an achievement that was!
Posted by Bill Antalek on July 20,2009 | 10:52 AM
The Appollo 11 mission was one of the most monumental acheivements in human history. I thank the Smithsonian for reminding us of its importance. It is a shame that others only give it a passing thought. Where are the parades and Whitehouse cermonies to honor the 400,000 men and women who made Appollo 11 possible? It is also a shame, that it is taking us almost 5 decades to return. Where is the excitement and national euphoria? I want to share that experience with my son, the way my dad shared it with me.
Posted by James Tighe on July 16,2009 | 10:04 AM