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Half a Century Ago, the USA Went to the Moon. Watch the Original Launch Video

On July 16, 1969, at 13:32:00 UTC, a Saturn V rocket with the Apollo Lunar Module perched on top took off from the Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39A. Inside the rocket were three men: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.
Apollo 11 lift-off, July 16, 1969 1 photo
Photo: CBS / Youtube
Seen as the coronation of a nearly decade-long space program, the Apollo 11 mission still is the greatest achievement in the history of space exploration. Four days after launch, on July 20, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another world, followed shortly after by Aldrin.

Where are we now, fifty years later? Still on good-old planet Earth.

The success of the Apollo mission was supposed to be followed by a boom in space exploration that never came. Since then, the world had a few more lunar landings of men, the creation of the space shuttle and the build of the International Space Station.

But for decade humans have stayed put, content only to orbit their home planet and send occasional robots to select locations. But that’s about to change.

Fueled by an increase in interest from private companies in space exploration, America has committed to return to the Moon in 2024. Mars should follow if this time we find it in ourselves to stick to the plan, and who knows, even more exotic locations after that.

Until that time comes, we’re left with celebrating the greater accomplishment of past generations, who had infinitely fewer resources at their disposal.

Exactly half a century later, the world in general and America in particular are getting ready for a week of commemorative events. And it all starts today.

To get you in the mood, we recommend watching the original, black-and-white, four-hour-long broadcast of the launch, narrated by CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite and complete with commercials of the late 1960s.

The broadcast is available at the bottom of the page courtesy of CBS.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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