- The website includes lets viewers experience the mission through 11,000 hours of audio, thousands of photographs and multiple camera angles.
- Apollo 11 lasted just over eight days.
- Only 12 men have walked on the Moon so far. NASA plans to return to the lunar surface in 2024.
Today — July 16, 2019 — marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, the mission that first landed a man on the Moon. Hundreds of Apollo-themed celebrations are happening across the U.S. this week, from museum exhibits to choreographed miniature rocket launches to tours of the newly restored Apollo Mission Control Room. But one of the most interesting commemorations of the historic mission is happening online.
Apollo 11 in Real Time is a "mission experience" a website, created by Ben Feist, that replays the Apollo 11 mission second by second, starting with archival footage and audio taken 20 hours before launch, and ending just after Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins step onto the USS Hornet recovery ship. The website lets viewers switch between multiple camera angles and also includes:
- All mission control film footage
- All TV transmissions and onboard film footage
- 2,000 photographs
- 11,000 hours of Mission Control audio
- 240 hours of space-to-ground audio
- All onboard recorder audio
- 15,000 searchable utterances
- Post-mission commentary
- Astromaterials sample data
"With the help of archivist Stephen Slater, the website is the most complete presentation of the mission's historical film footage ever assembled," Feist told CollectSpace.com. "It contains all of the 16mm film that was scanned for the recent documentary, 'Apollo 11.' Much of this film has had sound added to it for the first time — painstakingly lip synced with the restored mission control audio that was just digitized."
Feist said viewers are virtually guaranteed to see and hear things they've never heard before.
"Running through the entire mission is very rewarding," he said. "You really get to know the personalities of the crew and controllers. It feels very current — as though it's happening right now.
During the anniversary, clicking the 'Now' launch button will drop you into the mission exactly 50 years later, to the second...If I had my way, all of humanity would take a moment out of their busy lives, tune in and marvel at the scale of what humanity can achieve when we all work together."
After blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center on the Saturn V rocket, the Apollo 11 spent three days traveling to the Moon, entering lunar orbit on July 19. But only Aldrin and Armstrong were headed for the lunar surface in NASA's lunar module called the Eagle, while Collins stayed aboard the Columbia — a task he felt honored to perform but still made him feel "absolutely isolated from any known life."
"I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the Moon, and one plus God knows what on this side."
Apollo lunar landing mission profile, 1969.
Science & Society Picture Library / GETTY
Armstrong and Aldrin spent more than two hours on the lunar surface, collecting ground samples and deploying scientific equipment, before launching off the Moon in the Eagle's ascent stage, eventually rejoining Collins aboard the Columbia. The trio finally returned to Earth on July 24, having spent more than eight days in space. For a more detailed look at the mission, check out NASA's Apollo 11 mission timeline listed below:
Apollo 11 Timeline
Event | GET (hhh:mm:ss) | GMT Time | GMT Date |
Terminal countdown started. | -028:00:00 | 21:00:00 | 14 Jul 1969 |
Scheduled 11-hour hold at T-9 hours. | -009:00:00 | 16:00:00 | 15 Jul 1969 |
Countdown resumed at T-9 hours. | -009:00:00 | 03:00:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Scheduled 1-hour 32-minute hold at T-3 hours 30 minutes. | -003:30:00 | 08:30:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Countdown resumed at T-3 hours 30 minutes. | -003:30:00 | 10:02:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Guidance reference release. | -000:00:16.968 | 13:31:43 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC engine start command. | -000:00:08.9 | 13:31:51 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC engine ignition (#5). | -000:00:06.4 | 13:31:53 | 16 Jul 1969 |
All S-IC engines thrust OK. | -000:00:01.6 | 13:31:58 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Range zero. | 000:00:00.00 | 13:32:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
All holddown arms released (1st motion). | 000:00:00.3 | 13:32:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Liftoff (umbilical disconnected) (1.07 g). | 000:00:00.63 | 13:32:00 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Tower clearance yaw maneuver started. | 000:00:01.7 | 13:32:01 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Yaw maneuver ended. | 000:00:09.7 | 13:32:09 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Pitch and roll maneuver started. | 000:00:13.2 | 13:32:13 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Roll maneuver ended. | 000:00:31.1 | 13:32:31 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Mach 1 achieved. | 000:01:06.3 | 13:33:06 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Maximum dynamic pressure (735.17 lb/ft2). | 000:01:23.0 | 13:33:23 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Maximum bending moment (33,200,000 lbf-in). | 000:01:31.5 | 13:33:31 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC center engine cutoff command. | 000:02:15.2 | 13:34:15 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Pitch maneuver ended. | 000:02:40.0 | 13:34:40 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC outboard engine cutoff. | 000:02:41.63 | 13:34:41 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC maximum total inertial acceleration (3.94 g). | 000:02:41.71 | 13:34:41 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC maximum Earth-fixed velocity. S-IC/S-II separation command. | 000:02:42.30 | 13:34:42 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II engine start command. | 000:02:43.04 | 13:34:43 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II ignition. | 000:02:44.0 | 13:34:44 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II aft interstage jettisoned. | 000:03:12.3 | 13:35:12 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Launch escape tower jettisoned. | 000:03:17.9 | 13:35:17 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Iterative guidance mode initiated. | 000:03:24.1 | 13:35:24 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC apex. | 000:04:29.1 | 13:36:29 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II center engine cutoff. | 000:07:40.62 | 13:39:40 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II maximum total inertial acceleration (1.82 g). | 000:07:40.70 | 13:39:40 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IC impact (theoretical). | 000:09:03.7 | 13:41:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II outboard engine cutoff. | 000:09:08.22 | 13:41:08 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II maximum Earth-fixed velocity. S-II/S-IVB separation command. | 000:09:09.00 | 13:41:09 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 1st burn start command. | 000:09:09.20 | 13:41:09 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 1st burn ignition. | 000:09:12.20 | 13:41:12 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB ullage case jettisoned. | 000:09:21.0 | 13:41:21 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II apex. | 000:09:47.0 | 13:41:47 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 1st burn cutoff. | 000:11:39.33 | 13:43:39 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 1st burn maximum total inertial acceleration (0.69 g). | 000:11:39.41 | 13:43:39 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Earth orbit insertion. S-IVB 1st burn maximum Earth-fixed velocity. | 000:11:49.33 | 13:43:49 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Maneuver to local horizontal attitude started. | 000:11:59.3 | 13:43:59 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Orbital navigation started. | 000:13:21.1 | 13:45:21 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-II impact (theoretical). | 000:20:13.7 | 13:52:13 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn restart preparation. | 002:34:38.2 | 16:06:38 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn restart command. | 002:44:08.2 | 16:16:08 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn ignition (STDV open). | 002:44:16.2 | 16:16:16 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn cutoff. | 002:50:03.03 | 16:22:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn maximum total inertial acceleration (1.45 g). | 002:50:03.11 | 16:22:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB 2nd burn maximum Earth-fixed velocity. | 002:50:03.5 | 16:22:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB safing procedures started. | 002:50:03.8 | 16:22:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Translunar injection. | 002:50:13.03 | 16:22:13 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Maneuver to local horizontal attitude started. | 002:50:23.0 | 16:22:23 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Orbital navigation started. | 002:50:23.9 | 16:22:23 | 16 Jul 1969 |
Maneuver to transposition and docking attitude started. | 003:05:03.9 | 16:37:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM separated from S-IVB. | 003:15:23.0 | 16:47:23 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM separation maneuver ignition. | 003:17:04.6 | 16:49:04 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM separation maneuver cutoff. | 003:17:11.7 | 16:49:11 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM docked with LM/S-IVB. | 003:24:03.7 | 16:56:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM ejected from S-IVB. | 004:17:03.0 | 17:49:03 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM evasive maneuver from S-IVB ignition. | 004:40:01.72 | 18:12:01 | 16 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM evasive maneuver from S-IVB cutoff. | 004:40:04.65 | 18:12:04 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB maneuver to lunar slingshot attitude initiated. | 004:41:07.6 | 18:13:07 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB lunar slingshot maneuver - LH2 tank CVS opened. | 004:51:07.7 | 18:23:07 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB lunar slingshot maneuver - LOX dump started. | 005:03:07.6 | 18:35:07 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB lunar slingshot maneuver - LOX dump ended. | 005:04:55.8 | 18:36:55 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB lunar slingshot maneuver - APS ignition. | 005:37:47.6 | 19:09:47 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB lunar slingshot maneuver - APS cutoff. | 005:42:27.8 | 19:14:27 | 16 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB maneuver to communications attitude initiated. | 005:42:48.8 | 19:14:48 | 16 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started (recorded at Goldstone and transmitted to Houston at 011:26). | 010:32 | 00:04 | 17 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 010:48 | 00:20 | 17 Jul 1969 |
Midcourse correction ignition. | 026:44:58.64 | 16:16:58 | 17 Jul 1969 |
Midcourse correction cutoff. | 026:45:01.77 | 16:17:01 | 17 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 030:28 | 20:00 | 17 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 031:18 | 20:50 | 17 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 033:59 | 23:31 | 17 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 034:35 | 00:07 | 18 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 055:08 | 20:40 | 18 Jul 1969 |
CDR and LMP entered LM for initial inspection. | 055:30 | 21:02 | 18 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 056:44 | 22:16 | 18 Jul 1969 |
CDR and LMP entered CM. | 057:55 | 23:27 | 18 Jul 1969 |
Equigravisphere. | 061:39:55 | 03:11:55 | 19 Jul 1969 |
Lunar orbit insertion ignition. | 075:49:50.37 | 17:21:50 | 19 Jul 1969 |
Lunar orbit insertion cutoff. | 075:55:47.90 | 17:27:47 | 19 Jul 1969 |
Sighting of an illumination in the Aristarchus region. 1st time, a lunar transient event sighted by an observer in space. | 077:13 | 18:45 | 19 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 078:20 | 19:52 | 19 Jul 1969 |
S-IVB closest approach to lunar surface. | 078:42 | 20:14 | 19 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 079:00 | 20:32 | 19 Jul 1969 |
Lunar orbit circularization ignition. | 080:11:36.75 | 21:43:36 | 19 Jul 1969 |
Lunar orbit circularization cutoff. | 080:11:53.63 | 21:43:53 | 19 Jul 1969 |
LMP entered CM for initial power-up and system checks. | 081:10 | 22:42 | 19 Jul 1969 |
LMP entered CM. | 083:35 | 01:07 | 20 Jul 1969 |
CDR and LMP entered LM for final preparations for descent. | 095:20 | 12:52 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LMP entered CM. | 097:00 | 14:32 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LMP entered LM. | 097:30 | 15:02 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM system checks started. | 097:45 | 15:17 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM system checks ended. | 100:00 | 17:32 | 20 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM undocked. | 100:12:00.0 | 17:44:00 | 20 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM separation maneuver ignition. | 100:39:52.9 | 18:11:52 | 20 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM separation maneuver cutoff. | 100:40:01.9 | 18:12:01 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM descent orbit insertion ignition (LM SPS). | 101:36:14 | 19:08:14 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM descent orbit insertion cutoff. | 101:36:44 | 19:08:44 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM acquisition of data. | 102:17:17 | 19:49:17 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar on. | 102:20:53 | 19:52:53 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM abort guidance aligned to primary guidance. | 102:24:40 | 19:56:40 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM yaw maneuver to obtain improved communications. | 102:27:32 | 19:59:32 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM altitude 50,000 feet. | 102:32:55 | 20:04:55 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM propellant settling firing started. | 102:32:58 | 20:04:58 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM powered descent engine ignition. | 102:33:05.01 | 20:05:05 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM fixed throttle position. | 102:33:31 | 20:05:31 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM face-up maneuver completed. | 102:37:59 | 20:09:59 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM 1202 alarm. | 102:38:22 | 20:10:22 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM radar updates enabled. | 102:38:45 | 20:10:45 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM altitude less than 30,000 feet and velocity less than 2,000 feet per second (landing radar velocity update started). | 102:38:50 | 20:10:50 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM 1202 alarm. | 102:39:02 | 20:11:02 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM throttle recovery. | 102:39:31 | 20:11:31 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM approach phase entered. | 102:41:32 | 20:13:32 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar antenna to position 2. | 102:41:37 | 20:13:37 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM attitude hold mode selected (check of LM handling qualities). | 102:41:53 | 20:13:53 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM automatic guidance enabled. | 102:42:03 | 20:14:03 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM 1201 alarm. | 102:42:18 | 20:14:18 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar switched to low scale. | 102:42:19 | 20:14:19 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM 1202 alarm. | 102:42:43 | 20:14:43 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM 1202 alarm. | 102:42:58 | 20:14:58 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing point redesignation. | 102:43:09 | 20:15:09 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM altitude hold. | 102:43:13 | 20:15:13 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM abort guidance attitude updated. | 102:43:20 | 20:15:20 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM rate of descent landing phase entered. | 102:43:22 | 20:15:22 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar data not good. | 102:44:11 | 20:16:11 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing data good. | 102:44:21 | 20:16:21 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM fuel low-level quantity light. | 102:44:28 | 20:16:28 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar data not good. | 102:44:59 | 20:16:59 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM landing radar data good. | 102:45:03 | 20:17:03 | 20 Jul 1969 |
1st evidence of surface dust disturbed by descent engine. | 102:44:35 | 20:16:35 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM lunar landing. | 102:45:39.9 | 20:17:39 | 20 Jul 1969 |
LM powered descent engine cutoff. | 102:45:41.40 | 20:17:41 | 20 Jul 1969 |
Decision made to proceed with EVA prior to first rest period. | 104:40:00 | 22:12:00 | 20 Jul 1969 |
Preparation for EVA started. | 106:11:00 | 23:43:00 | 20 Jul 1969 |
EVA started (hatch open). | 109:07:33 | 02:39:33 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR completely outside LM on porch. | 109:19:16 | 02:51:16 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Modular equipment stowage assembly deployed (CDR). | 109:21:18 | 02:53:18 | 21 Jul 1969 |
First clear TV picture received. | 109:22:00 | 02:54:00 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR at foot of ladder (starts to report, then pauses to listen). | 109:23:28 | 02:55:28 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR at foot of ladder and described surface as "almost like a powder." | 109:23:38 | 02:55:38 | 21 Jul 1969 |
1st step taken lunar surface (CDR). "That's one small step for a man…one giant leap for mankind." | 109:24:15 | 02:56:15 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR started surface examination and description, assessed mobility and described effects of LM descent engine. | 109:24:48 | 02:56:48 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR ended surface examination. LMP started to send down camera. | 109:26:54 | 02:58:54 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Camera installed on RCU bracket, LEC stored on secondary strut of LM landing gear. | 109:30:23 | 03:02:23 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Surface photography (CDR). | 109:30:53 | 03:02:53 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Contingency sample collection started (CDR). | 109:33:58 | 03:05:58 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Contingency sample collection ended (CDR). | 109:37:08 | 03:09:08 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LMP started egress from LM. | 109:39:57 | 03:11:57 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LMP at top of ladder. Descent photographed by CDR. | 109:41:56 | 03:13:56 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LMP on lunar surface. | 109:43:16 | 03:15:16 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Surface examination and examination of landing effects on surface and on LM started (CDR, LMP). | 109:43:47 | 03:15:47 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Insulation removed from modular equipment stowage assembly (CDR). | 109:49:06 | 03:21:06 | 21 Jul 1969 |
TV camera focal distance adjusted (CDR). | 109:51:35 | 03:23:35 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Plaque unveiled (CDR). | 109:52:19 | 03:24:19 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Plaque read (CDR). | 109:52:40 | 03:24:40 | 21 Jul 1969 |
TV camera redeployed. Panoramic TV view started (CDR). | 109:59:28 | 03:31:28 | 21 Jul 1969 |
TV camera placed in final deployment position (CDR). | 110:02:53 | 03:34:53 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Solar wind composition experiment deployed (LMP). | 110:03:20 | 03:35:20 | 21 Jul 1969 |
United States flag deployed (CDR, LMP). | 110:09:43 | 03:41:43 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of surface mobility started (LMP). | 110:13:15 | 03:45:15 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of surface mobility end (LMP). | 110:16:02 | 03:48:02 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Presidential message from White House and response from CDR. | 110:16:30 | 03:48:30 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Presidential message and CDR response ended. | 110:18:21 | 03:50:21 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of trajectory of lunar soil when kicked (LMP) and bulk sample collection started (CDR). | 110:20:06 | 03:52:06 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of visibility in lunar sunlight (LMP). | 110:10:24 | 03:42:24 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of thermal effects of sun and shadow inside the suit (LMP). | 110:25:09 | 03:57:09 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Evaluation of surface shadows and colors (LMP). | 110:28:22 | 04:00:22 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM landing gear inspection and photography (LMP). | 110:34:13 | 04:06:13 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Bulk sample completed (CDR). | 110:35:36 | 04:07:36 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM landing gear inspection and photography (CDR, LMP). | 110:46:36 | 04:18:36 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Scientific equipment bay doors opened. | 110:53:38 | 04:25:38 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Passive seismometer deployed. | 110:55:42 | 04:27:42 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Lunar ranging retroreflector deployed (CDR). | 111:03:57 | 04:35:57 | 21 Jul 1969 |
1st passive seismic experiment data received on Earth. | 111:08:39 | 04:40:39 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Collection of documented samples started (CDR/LMP). | 111:11 | 04:43 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Solar wind composition experiment retrieved (LMP) . | 111:20 | 04:52 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LMP inside LM. | 111:29:39 | 05:01:39 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Transfer of sample containers reported complete. | 111:35:51 | 05:07:51 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR inside LM, assisted and monitored by LMP. | 111:37:32 | 05:09:32 | 21 Jul 1969 |
EVA ended (hatch closed). | 111:39:13 | 05:11:13 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM equipment jettisoned. | 114:05 | 07:37 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM lunar liftoff ignition (LM APS). | 124:22:00.79 | 17:54:00 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM orbit insertion cutoff. | 124:29:15.67 | 18:01:15 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Coelliptic sequence initiation ignition. | 125:19:35 | 18:51:35 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Coelliptic sequence initiation cutoff. | 125:20:22 | 18:52:22 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Constant differential height maneuver ignition. | 126:17:49.6 | 19:49:49 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Constant differential height maneuver cutoff. | 126:18:29.2 | 19:50:29 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Terminal phase initiation ignition. | 127:03:51.8 | 20:35:51 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Terminal phase initiation cutoff. | 127:04:14.5 | 20:36:14 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM 1st midcourse correction. | 127:18:30.8 | 20:50:30 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM 2nd midcourse correction. | 127:33:30.8 | 21:05:30 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Braking started. | 127:36:57.3 | 21:08:57 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Terminal phase finalize ignition. | 127:46:09.8 | 21:18:09 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Terminal phase finalize cutoff. | 127:46:38.2 | 21:18:38 | 21 Jul 1969 |
Stationkeeping started. | 127:52:05.3 | 21:24:05 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM docked. | 128:03:00 | 21:35:00 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CDR entered CM. | 129:20 | 22:52 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LMP entered CM. | 129:45 | 23:17 | 21 Jul 1969 |
LM ascent stage jettisoned. | 130:09:31.2 | 23:41:31 | 21 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM final separation ignition. | 130:30:01.0 | 00:02:01 | 22 Jul 1969 |
CSM/LM final separation cutoff. | 130:30:08.2 | 00:02:08 | 22 Jul 1969 |
Transearth injection ignition (SPS). | 135:23:42.28 | 04:55:42 | 22 Jul 1969 |
Transearth injection cutoff. | 135:26:13.69 | 04:58:13 | 22 Jul 1969 |
Midcourse correction ignition. | 150:29:57.4 | 20:01:57 | 22 Jul 1969 |
Midcourse correction cutoff. | 150:30:07.4 | 20:02:07 | 22 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 155:36 | 01:08 | 23 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 155:54 | 01:26 | 23 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 177:10 | 22:42 | 23 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 177:13 | 22:45 | 23 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission started. | 177:32 | 23:04 | 23 Jul 1969 |
TV transmission ended. | 177:44 | 23:16 | 23 Jul 1969 |
CM/SM separation. | 194:49:12.7 | 16:21:12 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Entry. | 195:03:05.7 | 16:35:05 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Drogue parachute deployed | 195:12:06.9 | 16:44:06 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Visual contact with CM established by aircraft. | 195:07 | 16:39 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Radar contact with CM established by recovery ship. | 195:08 | 16:40 | 24 Jul 1969 |
VHF voice contact and recovery beacon contact established. | 195:14 | 16:46 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Splashdown (went to apex-down). | 195:18:35 | 16:50:35 | 24 Jul 1969 |
CM returned to apex-up position. | 195:26:15 | 16:58:15 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Flotation collar inflated. | 195:32 | 17:04 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Hatch opened for crew egress. | 195:49 | 17:21 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Crew egress. | 195:57 | 17:29 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Crew aboard recovery ship. | 196:21 | 17:53 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Crew entered mobile quarantine facility. | 196:26 | 17:58 | 24 Jul 1969 |
CM lifted from water. | 198:18 | 19:50 | 24 Jul 1969 |
CM secured to quarantine facility. | 198:26 | 19:58 | 24 Jul 1969 |
CM hatch reopened. | 198:33 | 20:05 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Sample return containers 1 and 2 removed from CM. | 200:28 | 22:00 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Container 1 removed from mobile quarantine facility. | 202:00 | 23:32 | 24 Jul 1969 |
Container 2 removed from mobile quarantine facility. | 202:33 | 00:05 | 25 Jul 1969 |
Container 2 and film flown to Johnston Island. | 207:43 | 05:15 | 25 Jul 1969 |
Container 1 flown to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. | 214:13 | 11:45 | 25 Jul 1969 |
Container 2 and film arrived in Houston, TX. | 218:43 | 16:15 | 25 Jul 1969 |
Container 1, film, and biological samples arrived in Houston. | 225:41 | 23:13 | 25 Jul 1969 |
CM decontaminated and hatch secured. | 229:28 | 03:00 | 26 Jul 1969 |
Mobile quarantine facility secured. | 231:03 | 04:35 | 26 Jul 1969 |
Mobile quarantine facility and CM offloaded. | 250:43 | 00:15 | 27 Jul 1969 |
Safing of CM pyrotechnics completed. | 252:33 | 02:05 | 27 Jul 1969 |
Mobile quarantine facility arrived at Ellington AFB, Houston. | 280:28 | 06:00 | 28 Jul 1969 |
Crew in Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Houston | 284:28 | 10:00 | 28 Jul 1969 |
CM delivered to Lunar Receiving Laboratory. | 345:45 | 23:17 | 30 Jul 1969 |
Passive seismic experiment turned off. | 430:26:46 | 11:58:46 | 03 Aug 1969 |
Crew released from quarantine. | 10 Aug 1969 | ||
CM delivered to contractor's facility in Downey, CA. | 14 Aug 1969 | ||
EASEP turned off by ground command. | 27 Aug 1969 |
An ancient skeleton of a man dating back to the Iron Age was uncovered outside of London last month, and though archaeologists aren't certain what the cause of death was, clues point to a murder most foul.
Foul play?
A skeleton representing a man who was tossed face down into a ditch nearly 2,500 years ago with his hands bound in front of his hips was dug up during a high speed rail excavation.
The positioning of the remains have led archaeologists to suspect that the man may have been a victim of an ancient murder or execution. Though any bindings have since decomposed, his hands were positioned together and pinned under his pelvis. There was also no sign of a grave or coffin.
"He seems to have had his hands tied, and he was face-down in the bottom of the ditch," said archaeologist Rachel Wood, who led the excavation. "There are not many ways that you end up that way."
Currently, archaeologists are examining the skeleton to uncover more information about the circumstances of the man's death. Fragments of pottery found in the ditch may offer some clues as to exactly when the man died.
"If he was struck across the head with a heavy object, you could find a mark of that on the back of the skull," Wood said to Live Science. "If he was stabbed, you could find blade marks on the ribs. So we're hoping to find something like that, to tell us how he died."
Other discoveries at Wellwick Farm
The grim discovery was made at Wellwick Farm near Wendover. That is about 15 miles north-west of the outskirts of London, where a tunnel is going to be built as part of a HS2 high-speed rail project due to open between London and several northern cities sometime after 2028. The infrastructure project has been something of a bonanza for archaeology as the area is home to more than 60 ancient sites along the planned route that are now being excavated before construction begins.
The farm sits less than a mile away from the ancient highway Icknield Way that runs along the tops of the Chiltern Hills. The route (now mostly trails) has been used since prehistoric times. Evidence at Wellwick Farm indicates that from the Neolithic to the Medieval eras, humans have occupied the region for more than 4,000 years, making it a rich area for archaeological finds.
Wood and her colleagues found some evidence of an ancient village occupied from the late Bronze Age (more than 3,000 years ago) until the Roman Empire's invasion of southern England about 2,000 years ago. At the site were the remains of animal pens, pits for disposing food, and a roundhouse — a standard British dwelling during the Bronze Age constructed with a circular plan made of stone or wood topped with a conical thatched roof.
Ceremonial burial site
A high status burial in a lead-lined coffin dating back to Roman times.
Photo Credit: HS2
While these ancient people moved away from Wellwick Farm before the Romans invaded, a large portion of the area was still used for ritual burials for high-status members of society, Wood told Live Science. The ceremonial burial site included a circular ditch (about 60 feet across) at the center, and was a bit of a distance away from the ditch where the (suspected) murder victim was uncovered. Additionally, archaeologists found an ornately detailed grave near the sacred burial site that dates back to the Roman period, hundreds of years later when the original Bronze Age burial site would have been overgrown.
The newer grave from the Roman period encapsulated an adult skeleton contained in a lead-lined coffin. It's likely that the outer coffin had been made of wood that rotted away. Since it was clearly an ornate burial, the occupant of the grave was probably a person of high status who could afford such a lavish burial. However, according to Wood, no treasures or tokens had been discovered.
Sacred timber circle
An aerial view of the sacred circular monument.
Photo Credit: HS2
One of the most compelling archaeological discoveries at Wellwick Farm are the indications of a huge ceremonial circle once circumscribed by timber posts lying south of the Bronze Age burial site. Though the wooden posts have rotted away, signs of the post holes remain. It's thought to date from the Neolithic period to 5,000 years ago, according to Wood.
This circle would have had a diameter stretching 210 feet across and consisted of two rings of hundreds of posts. There would have been an entry gap to the south-west. Five posts in the very center of the circle aligned with that same gap, which, according to Wood, appeared to have been in the direction of the rising sun on the day of the midwinter solstice.
Similar Neolithic timber circles have been discovered around Great Britain, such as one near Stonehenge that is considered to date back to around the same time.
Artist's impression of ʻOumuamua
Sometimes, when you are looking for something ordinary, you find the unexpected. This is definitely the case with the strange 'Oumuamua, which made international headlines as a potential interstellar visitor. Its true identity remained obscure for a while, as scientists proposed different explanations for its puzzling behavior. This is the usual scientific approach of testing hypotheses to make sense of a new discovery.
What captured the popular imagination was the claim that the object was no piece of rock or comet, but an alien artifact, designed by a superior intelligence.
Do you remember the black monolith tumbling through space in the classic Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey? The one that "inspired" our ape-like ancestors to develop technology and followed humanity and its development since then? What made this claim amazing is that it wasn't coming from the usual UFO enthusiasts but from a respected astrophysicist from Harvard University, Avi Loeb, and his collaborator Shmuel Bialy. Does their claim really hold water? Were we really visited by an alien artifact? How would we know?
A mystery at 200,000 miles per hour
Before we dive into the controversy, let's examine some history. 'Oumuamua was discovered accidentally by Canadian astronomer Robert Weryk while he was routinely reviewing images captured by the telescope Pan-STARRS1 (Panoramic Survey and Rapid Response System 1), situated atop the ten-thousand-foot Haleakala volcanic peak on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The telescope scans the skies in search of near-Earth objects, mostly asteroids and possibly comets that come close to Earth. The idea is to monitor the solar system to learn more about such objects and their orbits and, of course, to sound the alarm in case of a potential collision course with Earth. Contrary to the objects Weryk was used to seeing, mostly moving at about 40,000 miles per hour, this one was moving almost five times as fast — nearly 200,000 miles per hour, definitely an anomaly.
Hyperbolic trajectory of ʻOumuamua through the inner Solar System.Credit: nagualdesign / Tomruen / JPL Horizons via Wikipedia and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Intrigued, astronomers tracked the visitor while it was visible, concluding that it indeed must have come from outside our solar system, the first recognized interstellar visitor. Contrary to most known asteroids that move in elliptical orbits around the sun, 'Oumuamua had a bizarre path, mostly straight. Also, its brightness varied by a factor of ten as it tumbled across space, a very unusual property that could be caused either by an elongated cigar shape or by it being flat, like a CD, one side with a different reflectivity than the other. The object, 1I/2017 U1, became popularly known as 'Oumuamua, from the Hawaiian for "scout."
In their paper, Loeb and Bialy argue that the only way the object could be accelerated to the speeds observed was if it were extremely thin and very large, like a sail. They estimated that its thickness had to be between 0.3 to 0.9 millimeters, which is extremely thin. After confirming that such an object is robust enough to withstand the hardships of interstellar travel (e.g., collision with gas particles and dust grains, tensile stresses, rotation, and tidal forces), Loeb and Bialy conclude that it couldn't possibly be a solar system object like an asteroid or comet. Being thus of interstellar origin, the question is whether it is a natural or artificial object. This is where the paper ventures into interesting but far-fetched speculation.
I'm not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens
First, the authors consider that it might be garbage "floating in interstellar space as debris from advanced technological equipment," ejected from its own stellar system due to its non-functionality; essentially, alien space junk. Then, they suggest that a "more exotic scenario is that 'Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization," [italicized as in the original] concluding that a "survey for lightsails as technosignatures in the solar system is warranted, irrespective of whether 'Oumuamua is one of them."
You can shoot down as many hypotheses as you want to vindicate yours, but this doesn't prove yours is the right one.
I have known Avi Loeb for decades and consider him a serious and extremely talented astrophysicist. His 2018 paper includes a suggestive interpretation of strange data that obviously sparks the popular imagination. Theoretical physicists routinely suggest the existence of traversable wormholes, multiverses, and parallel quantum universes. Not surprisingly, Loeb was highly in demand by the press to fill in the details of his idea. A book followed, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, and its description tells all: "There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization."
It came from outer space.Credit: Scott Barbour via Getty Images
This is where most of the scientific establishment began to cringe. One thing is to discuss the properties of a strange natural phenomenon and rule out more prosaic hypotheses while suggesting a daring one. Another is to declare to the public that the only conceivable explanation is one that is also speculative. An outsider will conclude that a reliable scientist has confirmed not only the existence of extraterrestrial life but of intelligent and technologically sophisticated extraterrestrial life with an interest in our solar system. I wonder if Loeb considered the impact of his words and how they reflect on the scientific community as a whole.
This is why aliens won't talk to us
Earlier this year, in a live public lecture hosted by the Catholic University of Chile, Avi Loeb locked horns with Jill Tarter, the scientist that is perhaps most identifiable as someone who spent her career looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. (Coincidentally, I was the speaker that followed Loeb the next week in the same seminar series and was cautioned — along with the other panelists — to behave myself to avoid another showdown. I smiled, knowing that my topic was pretty tame in comparison. I mean, how can the limits of human knowledge compare with alien surveillance?)
The Loeb-Tarter exchange was awful and, it being a public debate, was picked up by the press. Academics can be rough like anyone else. But the issue goes deeper.
What scientists say matters. When should a scientist make public declarations about a cutting-edge topic with absolute certainty? I'd say never. There is no clear-cut certainty in cutting-edge science. There are hypotheses that should be tested more until there is community consensus. Even then, consensus is not guaranteed proof. The history of science is full of examples where leading scientists were convinced of something, only to be proven wrong later.
The epistemological mistake Loeb committed was to make an assertion that publicly amounted to certainty by using a process of elimination of other competing hypotheses. You can shoot down as many hypotheses as you want to vindicate yours, but this doesn't prove yours is the right one. It only means that the other hypotheses are wrong. I do, however, agree with Loeb when he says that 'Oumuamua should be the trigger for an increase in funding for the search for technosignatures, a way of detecting intelligent extraterrestrial life.
The asteroid 2021 PDC was first spotted on April 19, 2021 by the Pan-STARRS project at the University of Hawaii. By May 2, astronomers were 100% certain it was going to strike Earth somewhere in Europe or northern Africa. On October 20, 2021, the asteroid plowed into Europe, taking countless lives.
There was absolutely nothing anyone could do to deflect it from its deadly course. Experts could only warn a panicking population to get out of the way as soon as possible, if it was possible.
The above scenario is the result of a recently concluded NASA thought experiment.
The question the agency sought to answer was this: If we discovered a potentially deadly asteroid destined to hit Earth in six months, was there anything we could do to prevent a horrifying catastrophe? The disturbing answer is "no," not with currently available technology.
While Europe can breathe easy for now, the simulation conducted by NASA/JPL's Center for Near Earth Object Studies and presented at the 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference is troubling. Space agencies spot "near-Earth objects" (NEOs) all the time. Many are larger than 140 meters in size, which means they're potentially deadly.
Sitting Ducks
Credit: ImageBank4U / Adobe Stock
"The level [at] which we're finding the 140-meter and larger asteroids remains pretty stable, at about 500 a year. Our projection of the number of these objects out there is about 25,000, and we've only found a little over one-third of those so far, maybe 38% or so," NASA's Planetary Defense Office Lindley Johnson tells Space.com.
With our current technology, spotting an NEO comes down to whether we just happen to have a telescope pointing in its direction. To remove humanity's blind spot, the Planetary Society — the same organization that deployed Earth's first light sails — is developing the NEO Surveyor spacecraft, which they plan to deploy in 2025. According to the Planetary Society, it will be able to detect 90 percent of NEOs of 140 meters or larger, a vast improvement.
How to move an asteroid
The DART spacecraft will attempt to deflect an asteroid.Credit: NASA
The NASA/JPL exercise made clear that six months is just not enough time with our current technology to prepare and launch a mission in time to nudge an NEO off its course. (Small course adjustments become significant over great distances, which is why "nudging" an asteroid is a potential strategy.)
What would such a mission look like? Hollywood aside — remember Armageddon?— we know of no good way to redirect an NEO headed our way. Experts believe that shooting laser beams at an incoming rock, exciting as it might look, is not a realistic possibility. Targeted nuclear blasts might work, but forget about landing Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler on an asteroid to set off a course-altering bomb, especially just a month after its discovery (as was the case in the movie).
Another thing that might work is crashing a spacecraft into an NEO hard enough to shift its course. That's the idea behind NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). This mission will shoot a spacecraft at the (non-threatening) asteroid Dimorphos in the fall of 2022 in the hope of changing its trajectory.
The deadly asteroid's journey
The asteroid "2021 PDC" hit Europe in NASA's simulation.Credit: NASA/JPL
The harrowing "tabletop exercise," as NASA/JPL called it, took place across four days at the conference:
- Day 1, "April 19" — The asteroid named "2021 PDC" is discovered 35 million miles away. Scientists calculate it has a 1-in-20 chance of striking Earth.
- Day 2, "May 2" — Now certain that 2021 PDC will hit Earth, space mission designers attempt to dream up a response. They conclude that with less than six months to impact, there's not enough time to realistically mount a mission to disrupt the NEO's course.
- Day 3, "June 30" — Images from the world's four largest telescopes reveal the area in Europe that will be hit. Space-based infrared measurements narrow the object's size to between 35 and 700 meters. This would pack a similar punch as a 1.2-megaton nuclear bomb.
- Day 4, "October 14" — Six days before impact, the asteroid is just 6.3 million km from Earth. Finally, the Goldstone Solar System Radar has been able to assess the size of 2021 PDC. Scientists calculate the blast from the asteroid will be primarily confined to the border region between Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. Disaster response experts develop plans for addressing the human toll.
"Each time we participate in an exercise of this nature," says Johnson, "we learn more about who the key players are in a disaster event, and who needs to know what information, and when."
Practically speaking, little can be done to hurry technological development along other than budgeting more money toward that goal. Maybe we should have Bruce Willis on call, just in case.
