NASA will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon mission and look to the future of exploration on the Moon and Mars with a live, two-hour television broadcast Friday, July 19, and partner-led events taking place across the country from July 16 through July 20.
On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a journey to the Moon and into history. Four days later, while Collins orbited the Moon in the command module, Armstrong and Aldrin landed Apollo 11s lunar module, Eagle, on the Moons Sea of Tranquility, becoming the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface.
Highlights of events in which NASA is participating include:
July 16 Apollo 11 Launch Reflection at Pad 39A
Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins will reunite at the historic launch pad where Apollo 11 began its mission 50 years ago for a question-and-answer session with Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana, beginning at 9:15 a.m. EDT, followed by a visit the Launch Control Center and Firing Room 1 to connect with Apollo-era launch controllers and those who will launch the Artemis missions that are part of Americas Moon to Mars approach for human space exploration.
This event will air live on NASA Television and the agencys website.
July 16 World Record Model Rocket Launch Attempt
At 8:32 a.m. CDT the same time as the Apollo 11 mission lifted off from Florida 50 years ago the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the official visitor center for NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, will host a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for most model rockets launched simultaneously from a single location.
On the same day, the Apollo 50th Global Rocket Launch, a 24-hour challenge, will be held in conjunction with partners launching around the world. Groups may register at:
https://rocketcenter.com/apollo50/GlobalLaunch
July 18 to 20 Apollo 50 on the National Mall
