The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, 50 Years Later Fifty years ago this summer, the first astronauts landed on the moon. NPR is taking this opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of space exploration.
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The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, 50 Years Later
As NASA's Apollo Space Program Grew, Alabama Was Pressured To Desegregate
Some of the space food that was scheduled to be carried on the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission included (from left to right): chicken and vegetables, beef hash, and beef and gravy. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive hide caption
Michael Collins, center, poses with Neil Armstrong, left, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. for a group portrait a few weeks before they took off to the moon in the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Space Frontiers/Getty Images hide caption
On Apollo 11 Anniversary, A Former Crew Member Reflects On The Lunar Trip
Neil Armstrong tests out his spacesuit and camera in April 1969, three months before he would actually set foot on the moon. NASA/Project Apollo Archive hide caption
Hollywood Shoots The Moon: 117 Years Of Lunar Landings At The Movies
Rock band "Blind Faith" pose for a portrait in 1969. (L-R): Steve Winwood, Ric Grech, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption
Greg Force and Abby Force at StoryCorps in Greenville, S.C. Alletta Cooper/StoryCorps hide caption
Kids And Grownups Alike Wowed By Rocket Projected On The Washington Monument
American aerospace engineer John Houbolt as he stands at a chalkboard in July 1962 showing his lunar orbit rendezvous plan for landing astronauts on the moon. NASA/LARC/Bob Nye/PhotoQuest/Getty Images hide caption
In this playlist, musicians imagine what it might be like to take a step on that bright glowing ball in the sky. A. Dagli Orti/De Agostini via Getty Images hide caption
The astronauts of Apollo 11 train in various simulations. NASA hide caption
Huntsville Launches 5,000 Rockets To Commemorate Apollo 11 Anniversary
The Smithsonian celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch by projecting a 363-foot visual rocket. Shuran Huang/NPR hide caption
(Left) The Apollo 11 command and service modules are mated to the Saturn V lunar module adapter. (Right) The Apollo 11 spacecraft command module is loaded aboard a Super Guppy aircraft at Ellington Air Force Base for shipment to North American Rockwell Corp. NASA hide caption
The Making Of Apollo's Command Module: 2 Engineers Recall Tragedy And Triumph
Jim Bridenstine became NASA administrator in April 2018. He says that before the space agency can send humans to Mars, it has to get them back to the moon. Olivia Falcigno/NPR hide caption
50 Years After Apollo 11 Moon Landing, NASA Sets Its Sights On Mars
Astronaut Alan L. Bean holds a container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity in which astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean, lunar module pilot, participated. Charles Conrad Jr./NASA hide caption
An Indian heavy rocket lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The same site will launch India's latest lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, early next week. R. Parthibhan/AP hide caption
As America Celebrates Apollo, A New Moon Race Is Underway
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