Tag: apollo 11
Brits Top 20 Space Moments: Neil Armstrong tops list
The cosmic adventures of two Britons have been named among the greatest space moments of all time. A poll of 2,000 adults voted Helen Sharman becoming the first British astronaut in space and Tim Peake’s five-month stay on the International Space Station among the top 20 moments. Unsurprisingly, Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon,…
Britons share memories of Apollo 11 moon landing in digital scrap book
Members of the public have shared their personal memories of the Apollo 11 moon landings, as the world marks 50 years since the remarkable feat. Britons have revealed touching stories, from a woman in labour who delayed going to hospital, to a man who proposed as they tuned into coverage of the landing. “At the…
Sir Richard Branson ‘ready to head into space’ after Virgin Galactic tests
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson has said his spaceship has just a few more test flights before he jumps on board for the first tourist trip. The British billionaire celebrated his 69th birthday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre during 50th anniversary festivities for humanity’s first moon landing. His guests were 100 other aspiring astronauts…
In Pictures: Partial lunar eclipse celebrated across the world
Across the UK and as far afield as Australia, Africa and much of Asia, stargazers gathered on Tuesday evening to view a partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse was seen in the UK from moon rise, from approximately 9.07pm until around 1.17am, and coincided with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 launching its moon mission. With…
Neil Armstrong’s restored Apollo 11 spacesuit goes on display
The spacesuit that Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong wore for that one small step on the moon is back on display in mint condition. The suit had been out of view and needed to be restored before it was put on display at the Air and Space Museum in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP) On hand for the…
NASA invites Apollo 11 astronauts to launch pad for 50th Moon Landing Anniversary
Two Apollo 11 astronauts are returning to the exact spot where they began their journey to the moon 50 years ago. NASA has invited Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to Kennedy Space Centre’s Launch Complex 39A in Cape Canaveral, Florida. They will mark the precise moment – 9.32am on July 16 1969 (4.32pm…
UK stargazers prepare for partial lunar eclipse today
A partial lunar eclipse is set to be visible across parts of the UK today (Tuesday July 16th), if clear weather and conditions hold up. The event is particularly special for stargazers, as the date coincides with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 launching on its moon mission. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth,…
What if Apollo 11 had ended in disaster?
Apollo 11 was an unprecedented mission, meaning there was always the possibility that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would not make it back from the moon’s surface. A speech was prepared for then-US president Richard Nixon, penned by White House speechwriter Bill Safire on July 18 1969. Fortunately, the mission was a success, meaning…
Returning to moon is waste of money, says BBC’s Apollo 11 presenter
Going back to the moon is a waste of money, according to the presenter behind the BBC’s coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing 50 years ago. Science historian James Burke said he does not believe there is much political desire to put humans on the lunar surface once again due to the high costs…
NASA restores Mission Control 50 years after Apollo 11
NASA has held a grand reopening of its Mission Control room from the Apollo days after it was meticulously restored to the way it looked 50 years ago. The site at Johnson Space Centre in Houston was last used for space shuttle flights in the 1990s, and has been recreated down to the carpeting, wallpaper,…
