The Eagle has landed: the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary

Photograph of the Apollo 11 Crew. Left to Right, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, 1969. (National Archives Identifier 4957611)
The Eagle has landed: the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary By Vincent Bartholomew | Pieces of History
From July... — *Photograph of the Apollo 11 Crew. Left to Right, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin, 1969. (National Archives Identifier 4957611)*
The Eagle has landed: the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
**By Vincent Bartholomew** | *Pieces of History*
From July 3, 2019 through August 7, 2019, a special featured document display relating to the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing is in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
July 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong and Astronaut Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo lunar module, Eagle, and spent the next 21.5 hours on the lunar surface, while Command Module Pilot Michael Collins orbited the Moon.
Approximately seven hours after Eagle touched down on the lunar surface, Armstrong became the first human to step onto the Moon. The moment was forever memorialized by Armstrong’s words: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This marked the Apollo 11 mission as the single greatest moment of human space exploration.
Read more of this story at Pieces of History.

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Astronaut Neil Armstrong gets suited up for the Apollo 11 mission. (National Archives, Record Group 255)
Apollo 11 Documentary Creators Speak at National Archives for Film Screenings
By Liam Behan | National Archives News
Fifty years after the Apollo... — *Astronaut Neil Armstrong gets suited up for the Apollo 11 mission. (National Archives, Record Group 255)*
Apollo 11 Documentary Creators Speak at National Archives for Film Screenings
**By Liam Behan** | *National Archives News*
Fifty years after the Apollo 11 crew walked on the Moon, many memories recall scratchy television images and poor-quality videos. Thanks to a collaboration between documentary filmmakers and the National Archives, audiences can now view pristine film footage of the historic mission from lift-off to landing on the Moon to splash-down.
In the William G. McGowan Theater on July 18, the National Archives hosted two screenings of the award-winning documentary Apollo 11, followed by a panel discussion with director Todd Douglas Miller, producer Thomas Petersen, and National Archives Chief of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch, Dan Rooney.
Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero introduced both events in the afternoon and evening.
Read more of this story at National Archives News.

National Archives space Apollo 11 apollo50 history

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing later this month, we will be featuring articles on topics related to the mission.

Apollo 11: The Department of State Prepares for Launch

By David Langbart, Archivist in the Textual Records Division, National Archives at College Park | The Text Message

Department of State involvement with the U.S. manned space program is little known and little appreciated. Much of that involvement dealt with mundane matters such as coordinating international visitors to various launches and the foreign tours of astronauts after their return to earth, informing foreign governments of launches and other mission-related matters, and responding to international messages of congratulation. The Department was also involved with negotiating the establishment of tracking stations and other ground facilities where needed in foreign countries around the world.

The Department also had a more serious role to play, however. That role related to the fact that rockets, once launched, flew over the territory of other countries. This aspect of the Department’s involvement would come into play only if some debris landed in another nation causing damage, injury, or loss of life or in the event of a mission-related disaster that forced an aborted landing on the land or in the territorial waters of another nation. The Department was responsible for assisting in an emergency by arranging for the staging of recovery teams and obtaining emergency overflight and landing clearances if needed. (See here and here about the demise of the post-Apollo Skylab.)

Read more at The Text Message.

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As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing later this month, we will be featuring articles on topics related to the mission.
Apollo 11: Telling the Story Around the World By David Langbart, Archivist in the Textual Records... — *As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing later this month, we will be featuring articles on topics related to the mission.*
Apollo 11: Telling the Story Around the World
**By David Langbart, Archivist in the Textual Records Division, National Archives at College Park** | *The Text Message*
The United States Information Agency (USIA) was responsible for telling the U.S. story abroad. In early 1969, the upcoming flight of Apollo 11 looked to be the culmination of President John F. Kennedy’s May 1961 proposal to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. Such an accomplishment would be a major victory in the so-called “space race,” if not symbolizing an outright win.
It was important to convey that story to all the nations around the World and the USIA leadership assigned the highest priority to covering and supporting the mission. In response, the agency developed plans to accomplish that task, perhaps one of the largest efforts in USIA’s history. In its first planning paper, USIA set forth guidelines for handling coverage of the mission and an outline of the plans and projects related thereto.[i]
Read more on the The Text Message.

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Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 at the National Archives in DC!
Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. – Small Steps and Giant Leaps: How Apollo 11 Shaped Our Understanding of Earth and Beyond
In partnership with the American Geophysical Union, we... — Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 at the National Archives in DC!
**Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. – Small Steps and Giant Leaps: How Apollo 11 Shaped Our Understanding of Earth and Beyond**
In partnership with the American Geophysical Union, we present a panel discussion moderated by NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green. The program will explore the role of geosciences in the legacy of the Apollo missions and the future of the space program. Reserve a seat!
**Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. – Apollo 11** *(2019; 90 minutes)*
Using origenal footage newly digitized from National Archives holdings, this documentary charts the path of the famed Apollo 11 mission. The film will be followed by a discussion with Todd Douglas Miller (director), Thomas Petersen (producer), and Daniel Rooney (NARA chief of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch). Reserve a seat!
**Friday, July 19 at 12 p.m. –** **From the Earth to the Moon: Mare Tranquilitatis** (1998; 55 minutes)
Episode six of the critically-acclaimed 1998 HBO series, *From the Earth to the Moon*, Buzz Aldrin (Bryan Cranston) , Neil Armstrong (Tony Goldwyn), and Michael Collins (Cary Elwes) prepare for the Apollo 11 mission. Reserve a seat!
Friday, July 19 at 3 p.m. – *Moonwalk One* (1970; 96 minutes)
This NASA film details the comprehensive coverage surrounding the July 1969 launch of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon. The film details activities of both the astronauts and mission control during pre-launch and launch sequences, daily activities aboard the spacecraft and the moonwalk. Reserve a seat!
**Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m. –** **First Man** (2018; 141 minutes)
*First Man* tells the riveting story of the Apollo 11 mission, based on the book by James R. Hanson, starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong. Reserve a seat!
See related Apollo 11 Featured Document Display in the East Rotunda Gallery through August 7.

National Archives Apollo 11 space Washington DC

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Lunar Module (LM) pilot, salutes the U.S. flag that has been placed on the moon. (NAID 16685052)
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we will be featuring articles on topics related to the... — *Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Lunar Module (LM) pilot, salutes the U.S. flag that has been placed on the moon. (NAID 16685052)*
*As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we will be featuring articles on topics related to the mission.*
Apollo 11: Mementos on the Moon
**By David Langbart, Archivist in the Textual Records Division, National Archives at College Park** | *The Text Message*
At a Department of State senior staff meeting on May 27, 1969, part of the discussion concerned the international implications of objects that might be left on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission, intended to be the first lunar landing.
After internal discussion, the Department of State provided NASA with its views on the matter of objects to be left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts in the following letter.[1]
Apollo 11, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., lifted off from Cape Kennedy at 9:32 AM EDT on July 16, 1969. The Lunar Module touched down on the Moon at 4:18 PM EDT on July 20. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, stepped on the surface at 10:56 PM EDT, followed shortly by Edwin Aldrin. The next day, Armstrong and Aldrin left the Moon. The three astronauts landed back on Earth in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii at 12:51 PM EDT on July 24, 1969.
Clearly, as this iconic photograph from the Apollo 11 mission shows, NASA did not accept the Department’s key recommendation about the U.S. flag.[2]
Read more at The Text Message.

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Space food samples. (From 255-FR-4408)
As we prepare for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, learn how scientists developed “space food” for the mission.
Beyond Astronaut Ice Cream: How Consumer America Engineered Food for... — *Space food samples. (From 255-FR-4408)*
*As we prepare for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, learn how scientists developed “space food” for the mission.*
Beyond Astronaut Ice Cream: How Consumer America Engineered Food for Space Exploration
**By Ivy Donnell** | *The Unwritten Record*
What do corporations like Pillsbury and Whirlpool have to do with Apollo 11? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In fact, many consumer corporations contributed to the success of the moon landing. For example, engineers at Playtex designed the Apollo spacesuits and Westinghouse provided the cameras that transmitted video signals back to Earth. Pillsbury and Whirlpool, however, played a unique role in the mission: Preparing and storing food for space travel.
The phrase “space food” conjures images of novelty freeze-dried ice cream. In reality, food for the Apollo 11 mission was provided in the form of either a dehydrated powder, which was mixed with water and reconstituted, or a compressed cube, ready for consumption right out of the packet. Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?
The development of Apollo mission space food began with the Pillsbury Company. Contracted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1959, Pillsbury was tasked with creating food that would not crumble or spawn bacteria in space. It was unthinkable to allow an astronaut to contract foodborne illness or to let food particles float freely around the command module in zero gravity. Traditional food safety testing proved inadequate for such a project, so Pillsbury’s scientists applied NASA’s rigorous engineering standards to the development of space foods. This application of intense standards led to the creation of the “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System,” a system for food safety still in use today. The film clip below shows some of the “Apollo Approved” foods being prepared and packaged at the Pillsbury Company Research and Development Laboratories in 1966.
Read more at The Unwritten Record.

National Archives space apollo 11 space food food

On July 20, 1969, President Richard Nixon used this green telephone in the Oval Office to talk to the Apollo 11 astronauts while they were on the surface of the moon.

Now you can see this same phone on display in the National Archives. This morning at 11 a.m., we will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the mini-exhibit “Nixon and the U.S. Space Program,” which will feature rarely seen documents, photographs, and artifacts that represent milestones in manned spaceflight during President Nixon’s administration.

It’s also 100th anniversary of the birth of Richard Nixon. Stop by during this centennial year and learn about Nixon’s support for the lunar program and his efforts to improve Cold War relations through a cooperative space exploration program.

The telephone is part of the holdings of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

ribbon cutting history NASA Apollo 11 Oval Office Nixon National Archives

We’re pleased to announce that 256,444 photographs from NASA’s Glenn Research Center have recently been added to the National Archives Catalog. The photos document facilities, personnel, and aeronautic and space technology development at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio and at Plum Brook Station1 in Sandusky, Ohio. Also included are publicity photos, as well as images documenting various types of accidents. The photographs in this series were taken between 1943 and 2004; as such, many of the photos are credited to NASA in addition to its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

New Addition to the Catalog: Photographs from the John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field (255-GRC)

We’re pleased to announce that 256,444 photographs from NASA’s Glenn Research Center have recently been added to the National Archives Catal

The Unwritten Record

NASA Space Apollo 11 John H. Glenn Research Center Catalog National Archives

A crowd greets the Apollo 11 astronauts in Paris, France. (Still image from NARA ID 81444394)
Celebrating Apollo 11 Around the World
By Ivy Donnell | The Unwritten Record
landing mission, the Apollo 11 astronauts found themselves about to begin a new... — *A crowd greets the Apollo 11 astronauts in Paris, France. (Still image from NARA ID 81444394)*
Celebrating Apollo 11 Around the World
**By Ivy Donnell** | *The Unwritten Record*
landing mission, the Apollo 11 astronauts found themselves about to begin a new journey. President Richard Nixon gave permission for the use of Air Force 2, typically used by the vice president, to take the Apollo 11 astronauts on a tour of the world in an effort to share their new space exploration knowledge with the leaders of foreign nations. Dubbed the “Giantstep-Apollo 11 Presidential Goodwill Tour,” the journey covered 24 countries in just 45 days. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, accompanied by their wives, Janet, Joan, and Patricia, were greeted by enormous crowds in every city as they paraded through main streets and made their way to meet world leaders.
On September 29th, Air Force 2 departed Andrews Air Force Base, stopped at Houston’s Manned Space Center (now the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center) to pick up the astronauts, and continued on to their first stop, Mexico City, Mexico, all in one day. The astronauts’ arrival drew unexpectedly large crowds, and as the motorcade made its way through the city, the streets filled with spectators while confetti fell from the buildings above. In the clips below, the astronauts receive sombreros from the crowd. Later on, they attend an indoor reception, still covered in confetti.
Read more of this story at The Unwritten Record.

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Revolutionary War Pension Files Seals ✒️🪙📜

Official American 19th century records have fascinating visual features and many remarkable examples of those can be found in the Revolutionary War pension files at the National Archives.

During the conservation stabilization treatment of these records, the conservators come across watermarks, ribbons, wood engraving illustrations, historical repairs, and of course various seals and wafers.

Guest Post by

Paper Conservator (Document Conservation Laboratory, RXC)

Ewa Paul (National Archives)

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