Buzz
Apollo 11 was the pioneering mission that first successfully landed humans on the Moon. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, who became the first men to set foot on the lunar surface. These are the basics.
But beyond the well-known facts, there are even more jaw-dropping details about Apollo 11. For example, the extensive paperwork the astronauts had to navigate to return Moon rocks to Earth, or Neil Armstrong's controversial actions on the Moon that could ruffle the feathers of today's environmentalists. Read on for these surprising revelations and more.
10. The Astronauts Had to Complete US Customs Paperwork Upon Their Return
On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts—Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins—had to fill out customs forms to import Moon rocks and dust into the United States. This was on the same day they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The flight path was recorded as Cape Kennedy, Florida, to the Moon, and then on to Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Apollo 11 crew officially declared their cargo as 'Moon rock and Moon dust samples.' However, Customs couldn't assess if the astronauts were carrying any illnesses, so the section for possible diseases was filled with the phrase 'to be determined.'
9. Neil Armstrong Left Trash on the Moon
After landing on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong stayed inside the lunar module for a few minutes. During that time, Aldrin passed Armstrong a bag containing food wrappers and waste, which Armstrong subsequently discarded onto the Moon's surface when he exited the module. The first photo Armstrong took of the Moon clearly shows the trash bag.
In order to make room for the Moon rocks and dust they collected, the astronauts discarded additional tools and trash. Many of these tools remained operational, and some even played a vital role in the mission's success. These items included scales, hammers, and a laser reflector used to measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
The two astronauts also left behind the descent stage of the lunar module, which was only necessary for landing. They added a plaque to it, transforming it into a historic landmark. The plaque reads: 'Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.' The trash, tools, and part of the lunar module are still present on the Moon.
8. President Nixon Prepared A Speech In Case The Astronauts Did Not Return
President Richard Nixon had prepared a speech for the event that the Apollo 11 astronauts did not return—particularly if Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had been stranded on the Moon. While NASA had trust in the Apollo 11 spacecraft, there were concerns about the reliability of the lunar module.
NASA was deeply concerned that the lunar module might fail to launch, malfunction halfway, or crash on the Moon. Another major worry was whether it would successfully reconnect with the command module, which would then return the astronauts to Earth. If things went wrong, the crew could face instant death, starvation, or even be forced to take their own lives.
The idea for the speech originated from NASA. It was passed on to President Nixon’s speechwriter, William Safire, via astronaut Frank Borman, NASA’s liaison to the White House, one month before Armstrong and Aldrin made their historic walk on the Moon. At the time, they were still on Earth. Safire personally wrote the speech.
Before delivering the speech, Nixon would have contacted the astronauts' wives to inform them of the dire situation. He would then address the nation, starting with the somber words: 'Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace.'
7. There Is Only One Full-Body Photo Of Neil Armstrong Walking On The Moon
Neil Armstrong is often seen as the face of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, but surprisingly, most of the photos taken during the mission featured Buzz Aldrin. Armstrong was responsible for the primary camera, and he used it to capture many images of Aldrin. Aldrin did have his own camera, but his instructions were to take photos of other subjects.
The most iconic photo of Neil Armstrong doesn't clearly show his face. In it, he is seen with his back to the camera, standing near the lunar module. The US flag is positioned to the far left, and the lunar module stands to the far right. There is no clear shot of Armstrong’s face during his Moonwalk.
However, Armstrong did appear in a photograph he took of Buzz Aldrin. His reflection is visible in Aldrin’s visor.
6. The Third Apollo Astronaut Never Set Foot on the Moon or Walked on Its Surface
Earlier, we mentioned that President Nixon had a speech ready in case the lunar module carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin crashed or failed to launch, or couldn't reconnect with the command module for the return trip to Earth. While the lunar module was on the Moon, the command module orbited the Moon.
Inside the command module was Michael Collins, the third astronaut. Collins didn't land on the Moon because someone needed to stay with the command module. While Armstrong and Aldrin took photographs, disposed of trash, and collected samples, Collins focused on capturing images of the Moon.
Collins spent over 20 hours alone inside the command module. Had Aldrin and Armstrong become stranded on the Moon, Collins would have returned to Earth alone. That’s why his name was not included in the speech that would have informed the world of Aldrin and Armstrong's deaths.
The thought of possibly leaving his fellow astronauts behind on the Moon troubled Collins greatly. In fact, it had been a concern for him for at least six months. While orbiting the Moon, he later confessed that the idea would have haunted him for the rest of his life if it had come true.
5. Neil Armstrong Claimed His Famous Quote Was Misquoted
Did Neil Armstrong say, 'That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,' or did he say, 'That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind'?”
The distinction between the two versions lies in the inclusion of 'a' between 'for' and 'man.' The quote is commonly recited without the 'a,' though Armstrong always maintained that he added it. The presence or absence of the article changes the meaning: without 'a,' 'man' refers to humanity, and with 'a,' it refers specifically to Neil Armstrong.
The absence of the 'a' has been attributed to the noisy radio transmission and Armstrong's North American Midwest accent. People with this accent tend to shorten their 'a' sound, blending it with the word preceding it. So, Armstrong likely pronounced 'a' with 'for.'
A group of U.S. researchers conducted an experiment to study the North American Midwest accent. They found that listeners often struggled to distinguish between 'for' and 'for a,' even when the audio was slowed down.
4. The Identity of the Creator of the U.S. Flag Planted on the Moon Is Controversial
Two different businesses both claim to have made the U.S. flag that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted on the Moon. Additionally, two other companies assert that they provided the nylon fabric used to create the flag. NASA, on the other hand, is remaining tight-lipped—assuming it knows the truth.
NASA has hinted in the past, though never confirmed, that it might have purchased the flag from Sears. If that were the case, Annin, the company that supplied U.S. flags to Sears, would have been the maker. However, NASA engineer Jack Kinzler stated that the flag was bought from a government catalog, which would mean it came from Valley Forge, a supplier to the government.
At the time, Annin and Valley Forge are believed to have sourced the nylon fabric for their flags from Burlington Industrial Fabrics’ Plant Number 2 in Rhodhiss, North Carolina. Yet, Glen Raven, a textile company, insists that it supplied the fabric to both Annin and Valley Forge from its Burnsville plant.
3. The Astronauts Were Quarantined Upon Their Return to Earth
Nowadays, astronauts exit their spacecraft and interact with others right after landing. However, this wasn’t the case during Apollo 11. Following their Moon mission, the Apollo 11 crew was quarantined for three weeks before they could meet anyone outside their team.
This quarantine was a safety measure. At the time, NASA was uncertain whether the Moon harbored any dangerous microorganisms. As a result, they recommended quarantining the astronauts, examining Moon samples and spacesuits for microorganisms, and keeping an eye on the crew for any signs of illness.
The Apollo 12 and 14 crews also went through quarantine. However, by the time Apollo 15 landed, NASA had already determined that the Moon was sterile in the regions the astronauts explored, and they stopped the quarantine procedure.
2. Buzz Aldrin Was The First To Take Holy Communion On The Moon
After landing, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong stayed inside the lunar module for a while. They took some time to rest and prepare the trash they would leave behind on the Moon. Aldrin also made use of this period to perform the first ever Holy Communion on the Moon.
While waiting, Aldrin contacted Houston and asked for a moment of silence. He requested that listeners reflect on the significance of the Moon landing and offer thanks in their own way. Then, he poured wine onto a piece of bread and consumed it while Armstrong looked on. This also marked the first time someone ate on the Moon.
NASA had been cautious about astronauts engaging in religious activities during missions. After the Apollo 8 crew read from the Book of Genesis while orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968, the agency faced a lawsuit. NASA wasn’t prepared for another legal issue.
Aldrin was given permission to take Holy Communion on the Moon, but it had to be kept more generic. Today, members of Webster Presbyterian Church, where Aldrin was an elder at the time, observe Lunar Communion Sunday in honor of the event.
1. The Crew Couldn't Secure Life Insurance, But They Found A Clever Alternative
As previously mentioned, Apollo 11's crew faced the grim possibility that they might not make it back from the Moon. While they could have taken out life insurance, it would have been prohibitively expensive. So instead, the astronauts opted to sign autographs that their families could sell if they passed away.
The Apollo 11 astronauts were already household names well before their departure from Earth. They were inundated with autograph requests from their fans. In fact, they signed thousands of autographs after their mission, some of which were later sold for significant amounts of money.
While these autographs would have been valuable after the astronauts' deaths, envelopes signed by the crew and postmarked on significant dates such as the launch or the Moon landing would have been worth an extraordinary fortune if any of them had perished in space.
