"The Eagle Has Landed": Revisiting Apollo 11 as NASA Eyes a New Moon Mission

It has been over half a century since mankind first stepped foot on the lunar surface. However, the achievement is still just as astounding all of these years later. Here is a look back at the momentous occasion and where the landers are now as NASA and the world commemorate the 57th anniversary of the Apollo lunar landing.

Where Are the Historic NASA Landers Now?

July 20 makes the 57th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. The two Americans became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface when the Eagle lander glided onto the Sea of Tranquility in 1969. The declaration "The Eagle has landed" has since signified the nation's commitment to space exploration and a curiosity about the world.

It was about 6 1/2 hours after the Eagle landed that Armstrong climbed down the ladder and set foot on the gray dust that covers the surface of the moon. It was that precise moment that Armstrong made history when he uttered the famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

The Apollo lunar module was not impressive on the surface. The spacecraft stood just 23 feet high, featuring two sections. The descent stage section of the module carried the moonwalkers to their destination on the moon, but then it remained behind as the men returned to Earth.

In the following years, NASA would send six more descent stages to the moon, following in Eagle's storied footsteps. The stages belonging to Intrepid, Antares, Falcon, Orion, and Challenger now remain scattered near the equator on the moon's near side. Also of note, Apollo 13's lunar module, Aquarius, had to be used to get the three-person crew home after the landing on the moon was called off due to technical difficulties.

The six descent stages have been frequently photographed by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, as well as by satellites from other nations. These stages now look like white splotches on the surface of the moon from a distance.

In addition to the descent stages, the ascent stages of the various missions also now call the moon their permanent home. This piece of the spacecraft was no longer needed once the astronauts were safely back inside the command module, serving as a lasting reminder of the world's history with moon exploration.

Looking ahead, SpaceX and Blue Origin are both working overtime to prepare their landers to carry a NASA crew next year. This means that NASA could launch a moon landing as soon as 2028.

As the nation remembers this historic day in 1969, the words of then-President Richard Nixon seem especially meaningful. The president noted that day that “For one priceless moment in the whole history of man, all the people on this Earth are truly one.”

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