“It is a beautiful & charming spectacle to contemplate the body of the Moon“. Galileo Galilei
Purpose of International Moon Day
International Moon Day not only celebrates the historic Moon landing on 20 July 1969, but also reminds us of the effort it took to get the space programme off the ground.
For thousands of years, human civilisations have gazed at the sky pondering the origin and mysteries of the Moon. With the birth of space activities, the Moon became the final destination of countless missions.
This global celebration therefore aims to remember past achievements and bear witness to future endeavours.
A bit of history
American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin were the first humans in history to land on the Moon on 20 July 1969 with the Apollo 11 mission.
On 16 July 1969, the whole world witnessed the take-off of Apollo 11, with three astronauts on board: Neil Armstrong was the mission commander.
On 19 July 1969, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit.
On 20 July 1969, the lunar module Eagle detached from the main command module, with Armstrong and Aldrin on board.
That same day, at 10.56pm, Armstrong set foot on the dusty surface of the Moon and uttered his iconic words: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
No matter how many years pass, we will always be fascinated by the first moon landing, which represented a great step forward for mankind and for the understanding of the great realm in which we live.
PhD in Aerospace Engineering UC3M 