The Eagle Has Landed by Charles Fulco The Eagle was the name of the Lunar Module that brought the first astronauts to the Moon’s surface. I wonder what or eight days in 1969, the Von Braun guided the work on the Moon’s journey of the Apollo 11 U.S. rocket development, creating surface feels like? Fastronauts to the Moon cap- the largest rocket launch vehicle tured Americans’ attention. It is in the world—the Saturn V. Any remembered today as one of the spacecraft attempting to escape most historic and amazing events in Earth’s gravity needs to accelerate history. to a velocity of about 24,500 miles The Apollo program was the per hour (mph). That is known as brainchild of space scientist Dr. “escape velocity.” The Saturn V was Wernher von Braun. Von Braun’s the first rocket powerful enough to specialty was rocket physics. He do that. began working in the field in Once the Saturn V was deter- Germany in the late 1920s. After mined to be safe to carry humans, he was captured toward the end the race to the Accelerate means to of World War II (1939–1945), he Moon began increase the speed of worked for the U.S. Army and then in earnest. The something. the National Aeronautics and Space rocket launched Velocity is speed with a direction. Administration (NASA). Apollo 8 into 13 lunar orbit in December 1968. It The spacecraft experienced a was the first time any humans had nearly flawless launch and initial escaped the pull of Earth’s gravity journey. On its way to the Moon, to be captured by the gravity of the Command and Service Module another celestial object. Then, in (CSM) Columbia separated from the May 1969, Apollo 10 went a little Lunar Module (LM) Adapter. The further. It traveled to the Moon and CSM pilot, Michael Collins, slowly CAPCOM, shorthand brought its Lunar Module (LM) turned the spacecraft around in for “capsule to within 70 miles of the Moon’s order to dock with and extract the communicator,” was a role given to a fellow surface. Apollo 10’s mission was to LM, nicknamed the Eagle. astronaut at Mission double-check all the procedures The docked-together CSM and Control Center, who often was the sole needed for the next mission: Apollo LM reached lunar orbit on July 20. communicator with 11. That mission would attempt to Running through Mission Control astronauts during land the first humans on the Moon. Center’s list, the astronauts checked their mission. Apollo 11 lifted off from NASA’s all their systems in preparation for Launch Control Center in Florida the next phase of their mission: on the morning of July 16, 1969. landing on the Moon. Astronauts After launch, ground communica- Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. tions with Apollo 11 transferred to “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. moved from the NASA’s Mission Control Center CSM to the LM. in Houston, Texas. Someone was At the appointed time, the LM always working in the center during undocked from the CSM to begin the mission. The astronauts kept in its powered descent to the lunar sur- regular contact using devices that face. Collins remained in the CSM, Astronaut Aldrin deploys the Passive Seismic Experiment transferred sound waves into radio which maintained its flight path Package (PSEP) on the lunar waves. The mission also had a desig- in lunar orbit. As Flight Director surface. nated CAPCOM. Eugene F. “Gene” Kranz told his 14 Rocket Science ockets use a lot of fuel and multiple stages to get a Rspacecraft into Earth orbit. Let’s take a look at a Saturn V. It all begins at the bottom. After the LM lands on the Moon and then returns the astronauts safely to the CSM, it is released Lunar rocks collected by Armstrong and left behind. Eventually, the Launch and Aldrin Service Module is released, too. Escape System Only the Command Module carry- CM staff in Mission Control Center, one ing the crew returns to Earth. SM of three things would occur: The astronauts would land successfully, As the CSM approaches the Moon, LM Adapter they would abort the mission, or it disconnects and turns around they would crash. Things went fairly to dock with the LM. The adapter smoothly until midway through panels that hold the LM in place the descent. A master alarm began fall away. to sound. The LM’s computer was Third Stage warning that it was overloaded with The third stage carries liquid tasks and was not processing any- hydrogen fuel, liquid oxygen, and thing further. 1 engine. The engine boosts the The alarm caught everyone off Command Module (CM), Service guard. Both the astronauts and the Module (SM), and the Lunar controllers in the center wondered Module (LM) Adapter (the portion Second Stage what to do next. There was not that carries the protected LM) into much time to decide. At that stage, Earth orbit. The engine also is used every second counted. One young to send the CSM and LM Adapter controller named Steve Bales recog- into Moon orbit. nized the alarm code—1201. He had seen it in simulation only a couple The second stage carries liquid months earlier. He told Kranz that hydrogen fuel, liquid oxygen, and 5 they were “go” on that alarm. That engines. These engines fire up after meant it was okay to proceed with the first stage is spent. During this the descent. phase, the launch escape system First Stage Then, as the LM approached the is discarded. It is only useful at an lunar surface, there was another altitude of about 19 miles. The sec- scare. Armstrong and Aldrin saw a ond stage is discarded after about sea of boulders instead of a flat plain 9 minutes. below them. It was unexpected ter- rain. Armstrong quickly took over The first stage uses kerosene manual control. He guided the LM fuel, liquid oxygen, and 5 engines to touchdown with only 30 seconds to launch the rocket. Less than of fuel remaining. At the same time, 3 minutes later, the first stage is he uttered the now-famous phrase, cut free. It falls into the Atlantic “The Eagle has landed.” Charles M. Ocean. Simulation is the act or process of creating 15 a model or example of something. Duke Jr., the Apollo 11 CAPCOM expressed relief. He said, “We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot.” With the LM safely on the lunar surface, the next task was to make sure all systems were safe for the extravehicular activity. Mission Control Center determined that all FAST FACT was “go.” Armstrong stepped out While in lunar orbit, the and made his way down the LM Apollo 11 CSM was out ladder. About 600 million people of communication when were watching as he stepped off it was hidden from the ladder and uttered these now famous words: “That’s one small Earth by the Moon. The PSEP deployed by the Apollo step for a man, one giant leap for 11 astronauts sent back readings to mankind.” Earth. The data was used to learn Aldrin joined Armstrong on the more about the Moon’s core. lunar surface about 20 minutes later. He proclaimed the view to be photographed the Moon, each other, “magnificent desolation.” During and the LM. They saluted the U.S. the more than two hours on the flag that they had erected. They also Moon’s surface—including speaking left behind a plaque commemorat- with President Richard M. Nixon ing their presence. by telephone—the men set up The two astronauts re-entered the numerous experiments LM and prepared for their rendez- and collected rock vous with Collins in the Columbia. samples. They After the LM and the CSM docked DID YOU KNOW? hen Neil A. Armstrong became the first Whuman to set foot on the Moon, he made a historic statement. He said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” But there was static, and people heard, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” In 2006, the recording of Armstrong’s quote was analyzed. Researchers determined that he said “a man.” For Armstrong, “a man” fit with his intent—that a single step by one man would have an historic impact for all of mankind. You can hear Armstrong sending his message at www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ The quarantined Apollo 11 crew—Armstrong, Collins, apollo/apollo11_audio.html. and Aldrin (left to right)—talk to President Richard M. Nixon via intercom. 16 for a second time and Armstrong and Aldrin were back in the CSM, the LM was cut free to crash into the The Crew Moon. The crew had an unevent- Liftoff: July 16, 1969 Command Module Pilot ful journey home to a splashdown Michael Collins in the Pacific Ocean on July 24. A Splashdown: July 24, 1969 Collins was born in Rome, Navy ship was waiting to retrieve Lunar Landing: July 20, 1969 Italy, in 1930. He gradu- them. The astronauts were immedi- ated from the U.S. Military Duration of Flight: 8 days, ately quarantined. NASA wanted to Academy at West Point and or 195 hours, 18 minutes, be sure that the astronauts had not then joined the U.S. Air Force. 35 seconds picked up any “space germs” while He joined NASA in 1963 as a walking on the Moon. Time on Moon (in the Lunar member of the third group The crew of the Apollo 11 became Module and walking on of astronauts.