When did humans first land on the Moon?
Humans first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module.
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Astronaut Facts
Astronaut facts and facts about astronauts.
17 facts on this shelf
How long will the astronauts' footprints last on the Moon?
Because the Moon has no wind or water to erode them, the footprints left by Apollo astronauts could last for millions of years.
What message did Apollo 11 leave on the Moon?
Apollo 11 left a plaque on the Moon stating that the astronauts "came in peace for all mankind," signed by the three astronauts and President Richard Nixon.
How many people have walked on the Moon?
Only 12 people have ever walked on the Moon, all of them American astronauts on Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972. Gene Cernan was the last to leave.
What speech did Nixon have ready in case Apollo 11 failed?
President Nixon had a speech ready called "In Event of Moon Disaster," written by speechwriter William Safire in case the Apollo 11 astronauts got stranded on the Moon.
How did Buzz Aldrin fix a broken switch on the Moon?
When a circuit breaker switch broke on the lunar module, Buzz Aldrin used a felt-tip pen to push it in so the engine could fire and lift them off the Moon.
Why did astronauts drive Corvettes?
Many astronauts drove Corvettes, and astronaut Alan Shepard helped make the car a symbol of the Space Age.
What went wrong with the Hubble Space Telescope?
After the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990, scientists discovered that its main mirror was slightly misshapen. Astronauts fixed it with corrective optics in 1993.
Has anyone played golf on the Moon?
Astronaut Alan Shepard hit golf balls on the Moon in 1971.
Do astronauts lose bone in space?
Astronauts can lose about 1% of their bone mass per month in space.
What was the first vegetable astronauts ate that was grown in space?
In 2015, astronauts on the International Space Station ate red romaine lettuce they had grown on board.
How many sunrises do astronauts on the ISS see each day?
The International Space Station orbits Earth about every 90 minutes, so astronauts see about 16 sunrises a day.
Do astronauts drink recycled urine?
The International Space Station recycles about 98% of its water, including astronauts' urine, into drinking water.
What does Moon dust smell like?
Apollo astronauts said Moon dust smelled like spent gunpowder.
Did Apollo leave mirrors on the Moon?
Apollo astronauts left mirrors on the Moon that scientists still bounce lasers off to measure its distance.
How does a smartphone compare to the Apollo computer?
The Apollo Guidance Computer that helped land astronauts on the Moon had only about 4 KB of RAM, while a modern smartphone has millions of times more memory.
Did astronauts train near Bend?
Apollo astronauts trained near Bend because the volcanic landscape resembles the Moon.