Counting Down to Apollo

One American's account of watching humanity reach the Moon

Tag: landing

Alan Shepard Comes Back
Apollo 14 February 5, 1971

Alan Shepard Comes Back

Alan Shepard landed on the Moon today. The first American in space — Freedom 7, fifteen minutes, May 1961 — landed on another world at Fra Mauro. He is forty-seven years old. He waited ten years for this. His first words on the surface: "It's been a long way, but…
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Whoopee — Pete Conrad Steps on the Moon
Apollo 12 November 19, 1969

Whoopee — Pete Conrad Steps on the Moon

Pete Conrad landed the LM within 200 meters of Surveyor 3 — a precision landing NASA could barely believe. Then he stepped onto the Moon and said exactly what he'd bet a journalist he would say. "Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but it's a…
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The Eagle Has Landed
Apollo 11 July 20, 1969

The Eagle Has Landed

Sunday, July 20th, 1969. At 4:17 PM Eastern time, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle in the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong said: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." I was in my living room. I am not ashamed to say I could not speak…
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