The world is preparing for the commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the landing of the Apollo 11 on the moon, one of the most celebrated events in the history of mankind.
On July 20, 1969, the whole world witnessed the culmination of the promise made in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy that the United States will be able to send men up to the moon by the end of the decade.
The astronauts that are part of the Apollo 11 mission are Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins. Their efforts to man the spacecraft led to a historic, unifying event that came at a time of turmoil for the United States.
After 45 years, the successful landing on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission continues to pay dividends to mankind as scientists and engineers continue to be inspired by the historic event, always seeking for ways to push the boundaries of human knowledge and test the limits of human resolve.
"It (the moon landing) was one of the first (live) televised things, and I remember the whole extended family coming into the room to watch it on TV," said Michael Tanner, the deputy director of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "And most of America was watching - it brought the whole country together, and that's almost impossible to do anymore. It captured the whole nation."
The first words
One of the most iconic components of the Apollo 11 mission are the words said by Armstrong upon stepping onto the surface of the moon: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
While those are the most remembered words said while on the moon, what are the first words that were said? As legend goes, the first word may be "Houston."
"Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed," is believed to be the first words said upon landing on the moon.
However, defying the longstanding belief in Houston, an investigation of the transcripts of the famed space mission reveals that the first words said were actually something else.
"It's a technicality, but if you want the first words from the moon, they were 'contact light,'" Aldrin said in an interview with KHOU 11 News.
Aldrin said that he said those words when probes from footpads of the lunar module touched the surface of the moon, leading to a light turning on in the module's instrument panel.
"OK, engine stop," Aldrin then said, followed by technical terms. It was not until the NASA base in Houston acknowledged Aldrin's communications did he say what is known as the first words.
So Houston, sadly, isn't the first word said on the moon.
Aliens on the moon
In time for the 45th anniversary, a documentary entitled Aliens on the Moon: The Truth Exposed will be aired, which looks to prove that photographs taken on the moon reveal clues and structures left behind by alien life.
"There's no doubt that these structures exist," said the documentary's producer Robert Kiviat.
The two-hour documentary will be shown in the SyFy Channel, part of NBC Universal.
The documentary will center on photographs taken by the Apollo missions, looking to make a pitch for NASA to revisit the moon and intently search for clues on alien life.
