Shropshire Star

Apollo 11 launched into history

APOLLO 11 DAY ONE. JULY 16, 1969

Published
Distinguished spectators at the launch included US vice president Spiro Agnew (right, wearing sunglasses) and former President Lyndon Johnson (centre).

Fifty years ago today, at 2.32pm British time, three men crammed into a tiny space capsule perched at the top of a massive Saturn V rocket were blasted off on the greatest adventure of all.

The world watched in wonder and awe. Around the launch site at Cape Kennedy, Florida, there were an estimated million spectators. There was a huge worldwide television audience.

Flying to the moon had been an age-old dream. And sending men to the moon and bringing them back safely before the decade was out had been a commitment of President Jack Kennedy.

By July 16, 1969, all was ready.

In the left seat was Neil Armstrong, the mission commander. A veteran of the near-disastrous Gemini 8 spaceflight, he was focussed and professional, but not even those who knew him felt they really knew him.

In the middle, Edwin Aldrin, known since childhood as Buzz, a man of great intellect, who had been on Gemini 12.

On the right, Michael Collins, easygoing and a bit of a media darling. He had been on Gemini 10.

If anything went seriously awry on the moon, Collins would be the only one to survive the Apollo 11 mission and return to Earth.

Contrary to popular opinion, the crew had not been hand-picked for the moon mission by NASA, America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

They were part of the NASA pool of highly trained astronauts and they were the ones going to the moon because it had just worked out that way.

At 363ft the Saturn V was nearly as high as one of the cooling towers at Ironbridge power station.

Enormous power was needed to break free of the insistent clutches of Earth's gravity.

Saturn V was then, and remains to this day, the biggest and most powerful space vehicle ever.

At launch the first stage motors generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust, or about 160 million horsepower.

Over the days which followed, a mesmerised world watched live television broadcasts from space and eavesdropped on the exchanges between the astronauts and mission control at Houston.

Let's relive the dramatic, unforgettable moments of that day 50 years ago which are seared into history.

"Twenty seconds and counting. T minus 15 seconds, guidance is internal. Twelve, 11, 10, 9, ignition sequence starts..."

The five huge first stage engines rumbled into life.

"6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, zero, all engine running..."

Public affairs officer Jack King, gripped by the tension, has a slip of the tongue, saying "all engine running" instead of "engines."

"LlFT OFF! We have lift-off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift-off on Apollo 11."

Propelled by a thundering tongue of yellow flame, the Saturn V began to rise, streaming a shroud of ice and water vapour from its sides and surrounded by vast plumes of smoke amid an ear-splitting roar.

"Tower cleared."

The vibrations and shockwaves were felt by spectators miles away.

Had anything gone wrong in the next few seconds, the crew had a means of escape. On the nose was an escape tower, a rocket which would have pulled the crew capsule clear of the stricken launch vehicle.

The Saturn V rapidly gained speed as it rose into the clear blue sky.

At two minutes and 44 seconds into the flight, the first stage with all its monstrous power separated and fell back to Earth, its job done.

The five-engine second stage then took over.

After five minutes Apollo 11 was 270 nautical miles downrange of Cape Kennedy and 82 miles high, travelling at 12,472 feet per second (8,503mph).

Just over nine minutes into the flight, the second stage had completed its job as well, and it too separated, and the single-engined third stage took over to complete the task of breaking the surly bonds of Earth.

Eleven minutes and 42 seconds after lift-off, the third stage shut down, and the craft was officially reported in Earth orbit, soon to head on its 240,000-mile journey to the moon.

Apollo 11 was on its way.