Buzz Aldrin, the 2nd Man on Moon, celebrates historic Apollo 11 launch anniversary

The world is celebrating the 54th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission which saw humans walk on the Moon for the first time. On July 16, 1969, the 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket lifted off at 7:02 pm IST (9:32 a.m. EDT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center with three astronauts-- Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. In a tweet posted earlier in the day, Buzz Aldrin commemorated the historic day. 

"54 years ago today, #Apollo11 launched…Eagle soaring from Earth atop the Saturn V, bound for the Moon. It seems like only yesterday that we embarked on the mission of a lifetime – a mission for all mankind, a mission I hope will continue to inspire well into our future," Aldrin tweeted. 

54 years ago today, #Apollo11 launched…Eagle soaring from Earth atop the Saturn V, bound for the Moon. It seems like only yesterday that we embarked on the mission of a lifetime – a mission for all mankind, a mission I hope will continue to inspire well into our future. pic.twitter.com/1Qw1CWhfaK

— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 16, 2023

Aldrin was the second man to walk on the Moon after Neil Armstrong. He is also the only surviving member of the Apollo 11 crew as Armstrong passed away on August 25, 2012 followed by Collins on April 28, 2021. 

[Neil Armstrong (left), Michael Collins (middle) and Buzz Aldrin (right); Image: NASA]

Recalling the Apollo 11 mission

The Apollo 11 mission lifted off with Armstrong as the mission commander, Collins as the command module pilot and Aldrin as the lunar module pilot. Notably, Collins was the only member of the crew who did not get to step on the Moon as he remained seated in the Command module 'Columbia' in the lunar orbit. After a four-day-long journey, the lunar module descended for a touchdown at the 'Sea of Tranquility.'

[Crowd watching the launch of Apollo 11 at the Kennedy Space Center; Image: NASA]

According to NASA, an estimated 650 million people watched the televised event unfold as Armstrong placed his left foot on the lunar surface and uttered the words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon's surface and returned with about 22 kg of Moon rocks and soil on July 24.