What Did Neil Armstrong Discover on the Moon?

K

Koko

Owlo, I have been thinking about something all day. My teacher showed us a photo of a man standing on the Moon, and it looked so unreal.

O

Owlo

That sounds like it made quite an impression on you, Koko. Do you remember who the man in the photo was?

K

Koko

She said his name was Neil Armstrong. But I kept wondering, what did he actually do up there?

O

Owlo

That is one of the greatest stories in all of human history, Koko. Let us head to the library and find some books on it.

K

Koko

Wow, there are so many books about space in here. This one has a giant rocket on the cover!

O

Owlo

That rocket is called Saturn V. It was the most powerful rocket ever built at the time. It carried Neil Armstrong and his crew to the Moon.

K

Koko

Wait, he did not go alone? I always imagined just one person floating up there.

O

Owlo

There were three astronauts on the mission, called Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins all traveled together.

K

Koko

So what did each of them do? Did they all walk on the Moon?

O

Owlo

Great question. Michael Collins stayed in the spacecraft orbiting the Moon. Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface in a smaller craft called the Lunar Module.

K

Koko

So Collins just waited up there by himself? That sounds really lonely.

O

Owlo

It was an extraordinary act of courage and patience. He could not even communicate with Earth when he orbited to the far side of the Moon.

K

Koko

Okay, so Armstrong and Aldrin landed. Then what happened?

O

Owlo

On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong opened the hatch and climbed down a ladder. He became the first human being to ever set foot on the Moon.

K

Koko

And he said something famous, right? My teacher mentioned it but I forgot the exact words.

O

Owlo

He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It meant that one person stepping onto the Moon was a giant achievement for all of humanity.

K

Koko

That is such a cool thing to say. Did he just stand there, or did he actually do stuff up there?

O

Owlo

They were very busy. They collected rock and soil samples to bring back to Earth for scientists to study. They also planted an American flag on the surface.

K

Koko

Moon rocks! I never thought about that. What did scientists learn from them?

O

Owlo

The rocks helped scientists understand how the Moon formed, and how old our solar system is. Some of those samples are still being studied today.

K

Koko

That is wild. So the Moon rocks are still teaching us things more than fifty years later?

O

Owlo

Exactly. Science is patient like that. They also set up equipment on the surface to measure things like moonquakes and the distance between the Moon and Earth.

K

Koko

Moonquakes? So the Moon shakes like an earthquake?

O

Owlo

Yes, though much more gently. The equipment they left behind actually sent data back to Earth for years after they returned home.

K

Koko

How long were they actually on the Moon? Like, did they sleep there?

O

Owlo

Armstrong and Aldrin spent about twenty-one hours on the lunar surface. They rested inside the Lunar Module, then launched back up to meet Collins and return home.

K

Koko

Twenty-one hours. That is less than a whole day. It feels like such a short time for such a huge journey.

O

Owlo

The entire mission from launch to splashdown in the ocean took eight days. But those twenty-one hours changed history forever.

O

Owlo

You know, when Armstrong first stepped out, the whole world stopped. Hundreds of millions of people watched it live on television.

K

Koko

Hundreds of millions? That is almost like everyone on Earth watching the same thing at the same time.

O

Owlo

It truly united people. For a few hours, the whole world shared the same feeling of wonder. That does not happen very often.

K

Koko

I think I would have been so nervous watching. What if something went wrong?

O

Owlo

Many things could have gone wrong, and the astronauts knew that. Their bravery, and the bravery of thousands of engineers who built the mission, made it possible.

K

Koko

It was not just Armstrong then. It was like a giant team effort that put him on the Moon.

O

Owlo

That is a beautifully wise way to put it, Koko. Now, before we close these books, can you tell me what you learned today?

K

Koko

Okay! So Neil Armstrong was part of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon while Collins waited in orbit.

K

Koko

Armstrong was the first human to walk on the Moon, and he said that famous line about a small step and a giant leap. They collected rocks, planted a flag, and set up science equipment.

K

Koko

The Moon rocks are still being studied today, which I think is amazing. And the whole thing was a massive team effort, not just one person being a hero.

O

Owlo

That is a perfect summary, Koko. I could not have said it better myself.

K

Koko

Next time I want to find out more about the other Apollo missions, and maybe why we stopped going to the Moon. There is so much more to explore up there.

O

Owlo

Now that is the spirit of a true explorer. The Moon is not done surprising us yet, Koko.