Moonwalk of 69'

Moonwalk of 69’ 

“Houston, Tranquillity Base here, the Eagle has landed,” Neil Armstrong declared, when at 10.56 p.m., on 20^th July 1969, his left foot first touched down upon the lunar surface.[1] Despite being accompanied by Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins on the manned mission, Armstrong, as the Space Commander of the Apollo 11 lunar module, really was the first man on the moon. The iconic moonwalk and announcement that followed is one that certainly marked a watershed moment in the history of mankind. 

The momentous event, despite taking place almost 250,000 miles away in space, was televised across the globe to an enthusiastic audience of 528 million people, patiently watching, waiting for success. Confirmation of such success arrived at mission control with Armstrong announcing ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’.[2] A phrase that will outlive generations to this day, Armstrong’s infamous words not only marked an enormous triumph for the American population in the ongoing space race, but transformed what was once a dream, for countless individuals, into a reality.[3]

The space race, prior to this triumph, had been predominately led by close rivals; the Soviet Union, who, in recent years, had held key technological victories over the United States.[4] One of these biggest victories was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gargarins orbit around the earth on 12^th April 1961, beating the well-publicised American launch of Alan Shepard, due to commence only one month later.[5] With competition fiercely increasing throughout the 1960’s, the successful Apollo 11 mission was so much more than just a triumph; it was America signalling the dawn of a new age. The Space Age. 

It was on 24^th July 1969, that Armstrong and his fellow astronauts landed in midst of the Pacific Ocean, having been escorted to safety by aircraft carrier USS Hornet. Upon returning to earth, the three astronauts were awarded with an array of medals, with Armstrong even receiving the uppermost award offered to any U.S. Civilian - the Medal of Freedom.[6] However, the celebratory reception that greeted the astronauts upon their return was miniscule compared to the symbolic value that the moon-landing held. Not only was this accomplishment instrumental in reminding America’s population of their common national values, but it also delivered a much-needed morale boost, following the recent assignations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.[7]

As predicted by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1958, the scientific successes of Apollo 11 did not bring America any ultimate weapon. Instead, it represented something much more valuable, this being; the ‘position of total control over earth’.[8]Not to be taken literally, but rather as an international image of the ‘pioneering, technologically advanced, risk-taking, high-achievement society’ that the American population so desperately wanted to project.[9]

It was the newly established National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] that the task was entrusted to. Attempting to achieve the mandate previously set out by President Kennedy, President Johnson re-organised the moon programme into a three-phase plan, these being; Project Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.[10] Whilst the mission remains one of humanities greatest achievements, there is little doubt that Kennedy’s desire to conquer the moon was simply a tactical manoeuvre in his advancing Cold War strategy.

Today, the possibilities as a result of the manned mission to the moon are endless. Today, there are over 72 countries with advanced space programmes. With the global space economy estimated to be worth in excess of $383.5 billion, we are still reminded of the successes of Armstrong and his team on that 20^th July 1969 mission. 

For on the lunar surface still lies a plaque. 

It reads: ‘Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind’.[11]

[Bringing Back a Portion of the moon: Neil Armstrong scoops up a lunar sample][12]

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[1] Koman, Rita G. "Man on the Moon: The U.S. Space Program as a Cold War Maneuver." OAH Magazine of History 8, no. 2 (1994): 42-50. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/25162945.

[2] Reichstein, Andreas. "Space—the Last Cold War Frontier?" Amerikastudien / American Studies 44, no. 1 (1999): 113-36. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/41157439.

[3] "[On the Moon]." Science News 96, no. 4 (1969): 72-75. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/4548212.

[4] Reichstein, Andreas. "Space—the Last Cold War Frontier?" Amerikastudien / American Studies 44, no. 1 (1999): 113-36. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/41157439.

[5] Koman, Rita G. "Man on the Moon: The U.S. Space Program as a Cold War Maneuver." OAH Magazine of History 8, no. 2 (1994): 42-50. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/25162945.

[6] Launius, Roger D. "Heroes in a Vacuum: The Apollo Astronaut as Cultural Icon." The Florida Historical Quarterly 87, no. 2 (2008): 174-209. Accessed March 14, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/20700214.

[7] Koman, Rita G. "Man on the Moon: The U.S. Space Program as a Cold War Maneuver." OAH Magazine of History 8, no. 2 (1994): 42-50. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/25162945.

[8] Reichstein, Andreas. "Space—the Last Cold War Frontier?" Amerikastudien / American Studies 44, no. 1 (1999): 113-36. Accessed March 13, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/41157439.

[9] Koman, Rita G. "Man on the Moon: The U.S. Space Program as a Cold War Maneuver." OAH Magazine of History 8, no. 2 (1994): 42-50. Accessed March 13, 2020

[10] Koman, Rita G. "Man on the Moon: The U.S. Space Program as a Cold War Maneuver." OAH Magazine of History 8, no. 2 (1994): 42-50. Accessed March 13, 2020

[11] Cross, Mai’a K. Davis. Report. Norwegian Institute for International Affairs (NUPI), 2019. Accessed March 18, 2020. doi:10.2307/resrep19870.

[12] "[On the Moon]." Science News 96, no. 4 (1969): 72-75. Accessed March 19, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/4548212.