Launch from Cape Canaveral (
KSC); landing 1600 km
southwest of Honululu in the Pacific Ocean.
First manned lunar landing
on 20.07.1969 (
Armstrong and
Aldrin). Landing maneuvre on lunar surface manually, because
of a computer failure. The landing area was the Sea of Tranquillity.
Armstrong at 3 h 56 m 20 s, a.m. (
UT)
the first man stepping on the lunar surface. 2h 32m
EVA on the lunar
surface;
Armstrong and
Aldrin, who followed 13 minutes later, collected lunar rocks
and other material (21.55 kg). Also a solar wind composition experiment was
deployed and later recovered and they build a scientific station (
EASEP),
including a passive seismic experiment and a laser ranging retro reflector. The
crew had a telephone call with U.S. President Richard Nixon during lunar
surface staying and they erected the U.S. flag. Total lunar surface stay time:
21 h 36 m; successfully docking of
LM Eagle with
CSM Columbia
(with
Collins on board, who had little to do, while
Armstrong and
Aldrin landed on the moon).
The recovery ship was
"
USS Hornet". The
astronauts were carried by helicopter to the Hornet where they entered a mobile
quarantine facility to begin a 17 day-period of observation under strict
quarantine conditions.