"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." This was Astronaut Neil Armstrong's radio message to the Mission Control Center (in Houston) announcing the Lunar Module (Eagle) successfully landed on the moon (at Tranquility Base in the Sea of Tranquility) on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin separated from the Command Module, descended in the Eagle, and landed on the lunar surface at 4:18 p.m. EDT. See photos of the Apollo 11 Mission.

Photo: Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. and the Lunar Module Eagle at Tranquility Base, July 20-21, 1969.

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What the Moon Is Like (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out-Science) UNDER $5

This book is featured in our Moon Bookstore. It's a FUN and ENTERTAINING book that teaches all about the Moon. Are there craters, valleys, rocks, or dust? Is it hot or cold? Why is the sky always black even during the day? How many humans have experienced the Moon first hand (or foot)? This book uses simple words and great pictures. There's also a drawing of the Moon and the landing sites for Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Beware -- after reading this book, you may want to sign up for Space Camp!

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This Week's Trivia Question:
Question: What were the first words Astronaut Neil Armstrong said when he took his first step on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969? Read more about Apollo 11 Mission.

Photos: Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong (left) and his footprint at Tranquility Base.

Last Week's Trivia Question:
Question: What is the tallest waterfall in Yosemite National Park?
Answer: Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls is made up of Upper Fall (1,430 feet), Middle Cascades (675 feet), and Lower Fall (320 feet). Altogether, it is 2,425 feet tall. This makes it the tallest waterfall in North America, and the 5th tallest in the world. The tallest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela (3,212 feet tall). Did you know Upper Yosemite Fall is about the same height as the Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois? And the entire Yosemite Falls is about the same height as the Sears Tower plus the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Photo: Yosemite Falls

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Did you know it took 4 days for Apollo 11 to reach the moon?

Yes, Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a Saturn V rocket. Four days later, on July 20, the Lunar Module, Eagle, landed in the Sea of Tranquility on the lunar surface. Apollo 11 returned safely to Earth on July 24 when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. Did you know the entire mission lasted 8 days, 3 hours, and 18 minutes? Read a book about the Moon.

Photo: First photograph of Earthrise over the Moon's horizon taken from Apollo 8 during Christmas 1968.

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Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins are my heroes for successfully completing the Apollo 11 mission. The accomplishments of Armstrong and Aldrin are well known -- they were the first two people to walk on the moon. Collins, too, was a big part of the mission's success because he stayed in the Command Module and orbited the moon during the lunar landing. Without Collins there would be no Command Module pilot; without a Command Module pilot there would be no Command Module; and, of course, without a Command Module there would be no spacecraft for Armstrong and Aldrin to dock with after leaving the moon. The success of Apollo 11 is a result of the team work of all three of the Astronauts, and I think they did a great job. One day, I would like the U.S. to return to the moon, and I would like to be the Astronaut that goes. Read the Apollo 11 Press Conference held August 12, 1969, or Read a book about Astronauts.

Photo: The Crew of Apollo 11 -- from left to right is Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr.

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Q: What is the difference between the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions?

A: When President John F. Kennedy stated on May 25, 1961, "I believe 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 Earth," NASA responded with Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program, and it had been underway since 1958. The spacecraft was designed for one person. On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7; it was a suborbital flight lasting 15 minutes, 28 seconds. Project Gemini, announced in January, 1962, was the second U.S. manned space program. It was designed for a two-man crew and named after the constellation Gemini (composed of twin stars). Gemini consisted of 12 flights, including 10 manned flights. In June, 1965, aboard Gemini 4, Ed White performed the first American "space walk," lasting 22 minutes. And finally Project Apollo consisted of 11 manned flights, including Apollo 11 which in July, 1969, landed a man on the Moon and returned him safely to Earth, just as President Kennedy had envisioned.

Photo: Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., the second human to walk on the moon, July 20-21, 1969.

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