First Moon Landing Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Updated 1602 GMT (0002 HKT) July 12, 2021

Visited by millions each year, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington is home to several Apollo lunar modules built for the moon-landing program.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – Visited by millions each year, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington is home to several Apollo lunar modules built for the moon-landing program.
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A model of a Saturn V rocket and its launch umbilical tower are examples of what were used during the Apollo era.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – A model of a Saturn V rocket and its launch umbilical tower are examples of what were used during the Apollo era.
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Neil Armstrong's famous moon walk is commemorated at the National Air and Space Museum.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – Neil Armstrong's famous moon walk is commemorated at the National Air and Space Museum.
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The Apollo 11 command module, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum, was one of three parts of the Apollo spacecraft.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – The Apollo 11 command module, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum, was one of three parts of the Apollo spacecraft.
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An American flag is part of the display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – An American flag is part of the display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
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There were 12 lunar modules built for the Apollo moon-landing program.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – There were 12 lunar modules built for the Apollo moon-landing program.
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The command module from Apollo 11 brought astronauts safely back to Earth.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – The command module from Apollo 11 brought astronauts safely back to Earth.
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The Apollo 11 command module Columbia carried astronauts Neal Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon and back in July 1969.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – The Apollo 11 command module Columbia carried astronauts Neal Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon and back in July 1969.
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The Apollo lunar module No. 2 is on display.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – The Apollo lunar module No. 2 is on display.
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The lunar roving vehicle qualification test unit is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – The lunar roving vehicle qualification test unit is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
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This spacesuit was worn by astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Photos: 'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing
'One small step': Artifacts of the moon landing – This spacesuit was worn by astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969.
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(CNN)Here's a look at the first moon landing on July 20, 1969. The moon landing was watched by an estimated 600 million people around the world.

Facts

July 20, 1969 - [4:17 p.m. EDT] Apollo 11 becomes the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon.
Neil Armstrong (commander), Buzz Aldrin (lunar module pilot) and Michael Collins (command module pilot) were the crew.
The Apollo 11 spacecraft consisted of the command module, Columbia, and the lunar module, Eagle.
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The crew traveled 240,000 miles from the Earth to the moon in 76 hours.
ABC, CBS and NBC spent, collectively, between $11 million and $12 million on Apollo 11 coverage and covered the mission from Sunday morning until Monday evening.

Timeline

May 25, 1961 - President John F. Kennedy addresses Congress, "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so diff