## Apollo 11 Mission: Key Events

### Launch and Journey (July 16-19, 1969)
- **July 16**: Saturn V rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 AM EDT, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins
- **July 19**: Spacecraft entered lunar orbit after a 4-day journey

### Moon Landing (July 20, 1969)
- Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the moon's surface in the Lunar Module "Eagle"
- Landed in the Sea of Tranquility at 20:17 UTC
- Armstrong famously reported: "The Eagle has landed"

### Historic Moonwalk (July 20-21, 1969)
- **10:56 PM EDT**: Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the moon
- Uttered the famous words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"
- Buzz Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later
- Together they spent 2.5 hours outside the Lunar Module:
  - Planted American flag
  - Collected 47.5 pounds of lunar samples
  - Conducted experiments
  - Took photographs

### Return Journey (July 21-24, 1969)
- After 21.5 hours on the lunar surface, Eagle lifted off and reunited with Collins in the Command Module
- **July 24**: Successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
- Crew recovered by USS Hornet and placed in 21-day quarantine

This mission fulfilled President Kennedy's 1961 goal of landing humans on the moon and returning them safely to Earth before the end of the decade.