The Apollo 11 Journey in Photographs

Today in 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon while Michael Collins watched from orbit. Words can't describe the trip the astronauts -- and the nation -- took that day.

Kennedy.jpg
771px-Lunar_Lander_Model.jpg
searchlights.jpg
GPN-2000-001852.jpg
premission.jpg
kids.jpg
launchrollout.jpg
astronautprep.jpg
enroute.jpg
prelaunch.jpg
collinswaiting.jpg


ignition.jpg
launch.jpg
fromthetower.jpg


liftoffviewers.jpg


pasttower.jpg


liftoff.jpg

saturnstreaking.jpg
missionimage.jpg


inthepit.jpg

earthclose.jpg



lunarmodule.jpg
earth2.jpg


insideapollo.jpg


insideview.jpg

moonwhoa.jpg


landingsite.jpg


craters.jpg


buzz.jpg


lunarmoduledescending.jpg


interiorcontrols.jpg


AS11-44-6585.jpg


missioncontrol.jpg


lunarmodulemoon.jpg


ladder_a11_big.jpg

spaceman.jpg


lunarmodulebuzz.jpg


americanflag.jpg

missioncontrolEVA.jpg


carryingstuff.jpg


littleearth.jpg

superspaceman.jpg


bootprint.jpg


lunarmoduleascent.jpg


fullmoon.jpg


neilhappy.jpg


closeupearth.jpg

splashdown.jpg


missioncontrolsplashdown.jpg


mobilequarantine.jpg


qurantinedvan.jpg


quarantinenixon.jpg


tickertape.jpg


All Images: NASA.

Alexis Madrigal is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and the host of KQED’s Forum.