National Moon Day

By Our Special Correspondent

July 20 is National Moon Day to commemorate the first man walked on the moon in 1969. NASA reported the moon landing as "...the single greatest technological achievement of all time."

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 carried the first humans to the moon. Six hours after the moon landing, American Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface. He spent two and a half hours outside the spacecraft. Buzz Aldrin soon stepped onto the surface of the moon. After joining Armstrong, the two men collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material. Their models allow us to analyze the journey back to Earth.

In the command module, a third astronaut waited. The pilot, Michael Collins, remained alone in orbit until Armstrong and Aldrin returned.

Millions of Americans watched the mission from Earth, caught up in the thrill of the adventure. Televisions around the world were tuned in to the live broadcasts. Astronauts have a worldwide audience. As a result, everyone watched as Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface and described the event as “small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind".

Undoubtedly, putting men on the moon was a clear victory in the space race. This puts the United States in a role to travel and explore the deepest parts of the universe. In the months and decades that followed, NASA and the Soviets stepped up their missions.

Today it doesn’t just celebrate a milestone mission. It also celebrates future missions. Private missions are taking humans further into space. Armstrong's "one small step for a man" inspired imaginations and sparked inventions for generations to come. Future lunar missions are also planned, including manned landings.