Armstrong and Aldrin had spent around 21 hours on the lunar surface at a site called Tranquility Base before they lifted off to rejoin Collins in the command module Columbia. The trio then came back to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July after more than eight days in space
Representational image. AFP
Moon Day is marked annually on 20 July. It celebrates the day humans first walked on the moon in 1969. NASA reported the first step of mankind on the moon to be the single greatest technological achievement of all time.
Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon on this day. The space community celebrates the day to toast this milestone achievement by the humans.
Why is the day celebrated?
This was the day when Apollo 11 landed on Earth’s only satellite at 20:17 PM on 20 July 1969. Six hours after landing, Commander Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface on 21 July at 2:56 AM. When Armstrong first stepped onto the lunar surface, the moment was broadcast live.
Lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin followed Armstrong 19 minutes later and the duo spent about two and a quarter hours outside the spacecraft. They collected 21.5 kg of lunar material to bring back to Earth.
Another person involved in the important mission was Command module pilot Michael Collins, who had flown the Command Module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while he waited for the other two.
Armstrong and Aldrin had spent around 21 hours on the lunar surface at a site called Tranquility Base before they lifted off to rejoin Collins in the command module Columbia. The trio then came back to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July after more than eight days in space.
The Moon landing put an end to the space race, putting the United States at the forefront to travel and explore space further.
When did the UN first recognise it?
The General Assembly had officially declared International Moon Day, a United Nations-designated day to be marked every year on 20 July, in its resolution 76/76 on ‘International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space’ in 2021.
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