ARRIVAL OF THE MAN TO
THE MOON
The Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched from Cape Kennedy at 13:32:00
UT on July 16, 1969.
Lunar-orbit insertion began at 75:50 ground elapsed times (GET). The
spacecraft was placed in an elliptical orbit (61 by 169 nautical miles),
inclined 1.25 degrees to the lunar equatorial plane. At 80:12 GET, the
service module propulsion system was reignited, and the orbit was made nearly circular (66 by 54 nautical miles) above the surface of the Moon.
The lunar module (LM), with Astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin aboard, was undocked from the command-service module (CSM) at 100:14 GET, following a thorough check of all the LM systems. At 101:36 GET, the LM descent engine was fired for approximately 29 seconds, and the descent to the lunar surface began. At 102:33 GET, the LM descent engine was started until touchdown on the lunar surface. Eagle landed on the Moon 102 hr, 45 min and 40 sec after launch.
Immediately after landing on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin prepared the LM for lift off as a
contingency measure. Following the meal, a scheduled sleep period was postponed at the astronauts'
request, and the astronauts began preparations for descent to the lunar surface.
Immediately after landing on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin prepared the LM for lift off as a
contingency measure. Following the meal, a scheduled sleep period was postponed at the astronauts'
request, and the astronauts began preparations for descent to the lunar surface.
They made photographies of the place.
Approxi mately two and a quarter hours after descending to the surface, the astronauts began preparations to renter the LM, after which the astronauts slept. The ascent from the lunar surface began at 124:22 GET, 21 hours and 36 minutes after the lunar landing. In transearth coast only one of four planned midcourse corrections was required. The CM entered the atmosphere of the Earth with a velocity of 36,194 feet per second (11,032 meters per second) and landed in the Pacific Ocean.