Some facts about the Apollo mission are quite funny, for example did you know that Armstrong’s famous quote should have been different?
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon 47 years ago. Ever since then, the deed was in the center of media attention, generating conspiracy theories, fixing itself in popular culture and ensuring the dominance of the American space industry over that of the Russians and the Chinese. However, there are still plenty of interesting facts about the Apollo 11 mission that are not that well-known.
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The famous word of Neil Armstrong as he descended the Apollo shuttle and left his first footprint on the moon still echoes in the ears of Americans today. The astronaut remains a source of inspiration for the young generations, an example of “how to” when it comes to becoming a relevant figure in popular culture.
However, did you know that initially, the astronaut was supposed to say “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind?” The moon successful moon landing made him forget the “a” in all of the commotion. It seems that things turned out well at the end seen as his words are among the most popular quotes in the country.
Speaking of famous words spoken during the moon landing, here are other interesting facts about the Apollo 11 mission that you might enjoy.
- “The Eagle has landed” was not the first thing that Armstrong said when the module touched the surface of the moon. Instead, Aldrin uttered something like “contact light” and then the two astronauts recited a long list of security checks before Armstrong ended with the famous conclusion.
- The US flag that the two men left behind is most probably long gone by now. The American symbol was knocked over by the spacecraft’s thrusters when Armstrong and Aldrin took off, and the harsh conditions certainly didn’t help, either.
- The two astronauts honored Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin by leaving two medallions with their picture on the surface of the satellite.
- Both Aldrin and Armstrong stated that the moon smelled bad.
- The first food that was ever consumed on the surface of Earth’s natural satellite was a piece of communion wafer brought along by Aldrin.
- Richard Nixon, the US president at the time, had a speech prepared in the case in which the mission failed.
- The mission lasted 195:18:35. The initial estimates were 36 minutes shorter than the actual mission time.
Image source: Pixabay
