Neil Armstrong: The Success of Apollo 11 and the First Man on the Moon

Neil Armstrong

Key information

Born: 5 August 1930 in Wapakoneta (Ohio)

Died: 25 August 2012 in Cincinnati (Ohio)

Context: Space race

Purpose of the mission: To send men to the Moon

Areas of the universe explored: Space and the Moon

Accomplishment: He was the first man to set foot on the Moon and bring back sample material

Introduction

Throughout history, humans have contemplated the skies and the Moon in particular, which has always fascinated men to the point where they dreamed of one day setting foot on its surface. The space race of the 20th century finally presented an opportunity to do so. On 16 July 1969, from the US base at Cape Canaveral, the Saturn V rocket containing the Apollo 11 spaceship took off, carrying three astronauts, including Neil Armstrong. Destination: the Moon!

The United States prepared for such a feat for almost a decade. Entering into a race against the USSR during the Cold War (1945-1990), they fell behind in the space race and missed out on achieving a lot of firsts in the field. Nevertheless, the Americans were not deterred, having promised to be the first to arrive on the Moon, and to do so before the end of the 1960s. The honor of the nation was at stake.

The voyage of Apollo 11 to the Moon was unhindered. After four days, the spacecraft began orbiting the satellite. The final phase could begin. Returning to the lunar module with one of his companions, Neil Armstrong began the descent to the ground. Despite some technical problems,