Missions

The latest news from the spacecraft helping us explore the cosmos, and the historical missions that paved the way.

Buzz Aldrin descends the ladder of the Lunar Module to become the second human to set foot on the surface of the Moon. Credit: NASA

Radio Astronomy Podcast Apollo 11: 50th anniversary special

24 July 1969. The command module is lowered onto the deck of the USS Hornet to be prepared for transport back to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston. At the top are the three air sacks that inflated to right the module when it came to rest upside-down after splashdown. Credit: NASA

Apollo 11’s return to Earth, 24 July 1969

Neil Armstrong meets his hero, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Credit: Hifumiyo/Folio Art

The day I met Neil Armstrong

The Apollo 11 crew peer out of their mobile quarantine facility in Houston, after being flown back to the US mainland. Credit: NASA

Why were Apollo 11 astronauts put in quarantine?

21 February 1969. Engineers oversee the transport of Saturn V’s S-IC first booster stage in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Credit: NASA

Saturn V The rocket that put men on the Moon

Flight light controllers celebrate the conclusion of Apollo 11 on Jul 24, 1969. Credit: NASA

Apollo 11 Mission Control: the people behind the Moon landing

Apollo 11 mission patch Credit NASA

The Apollo 11 mission patch: how it came to be

Neil Armstrong prepares for Apollo 11 liftoff, 16 July 1969. Credit: NASA

Remembering Neil Armstrong, by Patrick Moore

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin practise taking photos of a lunar sample area. Credit: NASA

10 facts about the Apollo Moon landing missions

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In pictures: Apollo behind the scenes

Jeff Bezos pictured with a model of Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander. Credit: Blue Origin

Will NASA return humans to the Moon? We asked a space exploration expert

Gene Cernan test drives the lunar rover at the landing site of Apollo 17. Credit: NASA

Where did the Apollo astronauts land on the Moon?

Apollo photos: new exhibition

Patrick Moore and the rest of the Sky at Night team report on the Apollo 11 moon landing. Credit: Alex Green/Folio Art

Sir Patrick Moore’s memories of Apollo 11