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Photos: 50 years down, lesser known images from NASA’s Apollo 11 mission

Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin into an initial Earth-orbit of 114 by 116 miles. An estimated 650 million people watched Armstrong's televised image and heard his voice describe the event as he took "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" on July 20, 1969. HT brings you some of the lesser seen images from the mission.

Updated on: Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM IST

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1/11

The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. On July 19, after Apollo 11 had flown behind the moon out of contact with Earth, came the first lunar orbit insertion manoeuvre. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. On July 19, after Apollo 11 had flown behind the moon out of contact with Earth, came the first lunar orbit insertion manoeuvre. (NASA)

2/11

NASA's Apollo 11 flight crew, Neil Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot stand near the Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle that would eventually carry them into space on July 16,1969. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

NASA's Apollo 11 flight crew, Neil Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot stand near the Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle that would eventually carry them into space on July 16,1969. (NASA)

3/11

At 9.32 am EDT, the swing arms moved away and a plume of flame signalled the lift off of the Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle and astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

At 9.32 am EDT, the swing arms moved away and a plume of flame signalled the lift off of the Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle and astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. (NASA)

4/11

This interior view of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module shows Edwin (Buzz) E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot during the lunar landing mission. This photograph was made by Neil Armstrong prior to the moon landing. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

This interior view of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module shows Edwin (Buzz) E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot during the lunar landing mission. This photograph was made by Neil Armstrong prior to the moon landing. (NASA)

5/11

This is a view of the earthrise as viewed from the lunar orbit prior to the Eagle’s landing. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

This is a view of the earthrise as viewed from the lunar orbit prior to the Eagle’s landing. (NASA)

6/11

Bright sunlight glints and long dark shadows dramatize this image of the lunar surface taken by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the Moon. Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle, and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin unfurling a long sheet of foil known as the Solar Wind Collector. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped atoms streaming outward in the solar wind, ultimately catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

Bright sunlight glints and long dark shadows dramatize this image of the lunar surface taken by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the Moon. Pictured is the mission's lunar module, the Eagle, and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin unfurling a long sheet of foil known as the Solar Wind Collector. Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped atoms streaming outward in the solar wind, ultimately catching a sample of material from the Sun itself. (NASA)

7/11

A portrait of a seemingly happy Neil Armstrong inside the Lunar Module as it rested on the lunar surface after completion of his historic moonwalk. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

A portrait of a seemingly happy Neil Armstrong inside the Lunar Module as it rested on the lunar surface after completion of his historic moonwalk. (NASA)

8/11

This is the gold replica of an olive branch, a traditional symbol of peace, left on the Moon's surface by Apollo 11 crewmembers. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, placed the small replica (less than half a foot in length) on the Moon. The gesture represented a wish for peace for all mankind. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

This is the gold replica of an olive branch, a traditional symbol of peace, left on the Moon's surface by Apollo 11 crewmembers. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, placed the small replica (less than half a foot in length) on the Moon. The gesture represented a wish for peace for all mankind. (NASA)

9/11

Earth photographed while returning from the successful mission. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon’s surface. After a rest period that included seven hours of sleep, the ascent stage engine fired at 124 hours, 22 minutes. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

Earth photographed while returning from the successful mission. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon’s surface. After a rest period that included seven hours of sleep, the ascent stage engine fired at 124 hours, 22 minutes. (NASA)

10/11

Para rescue-man Lt. Clancy Hatleberg closes the Apollo 11 spacecraft hatch as astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, Jr., await a helicopter pickup from their life raft. They splashed down at 12:50 pm EDT July 24, 1969, 900 miles southwest of Hawaii after a successful lunar landing mission. (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

Para rescue-man Lt. Clancy Hatleberg closes the Apollo 11 spacecraft hatch as astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, Jr., await a helicopter pickup from their life raft. They splashed down at 12:50 pm EDT July 24, 1969, 900 miles southwest of Hawaii after a successful lunar landing mission. (NASA)

11/11

President Nixon visited the Apollo 11 crew in quarantine on July 24, 1969. The three crewmen remained in the MQF until they arrived at the Manned Spacecraft Center's (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). (NASA)

Updated on Jul 20, 2019 4:55 PM

President Nixon visited the Apollo 11 crew in quarantine on July 24, 1969. The three crewmen remained in the MQF until they arrived at the Manned Spacecraft Center's (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). (NASA)

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