NEIL ARMSTRONG

Scientists for the first time have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA’s Apollo astronauts.

A minuscule amount of microscopic moon dust sold for half a million dollars after NASA determined that the particles came from the first lunar sample collected by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong.

SpaceX has launched three rich businessmen and their astronaut escort to the International Space Station for more than a week’s stay.

Microscopic pieces of the moon that were found inside a bag used to protect the first astronaut-collected lunar soil sample are heading for auction after being released from NASA property.

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Meet our team.

They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service.

The U.S. Space Force is seeking more recruits to address some of the forthcoming military challenges of spaceflight.

A new strategy game called "Humankind" was released last week and its trailer had a hilarious Apollo 11 twist.

Neil Armstrong did not want NASA's Plum Brook Station to be named after him. The first person to walk on the moon declined the honor when asked, but a group of NASA officials and members of Congress presided over a ceremony in Ohio to do just that.

SANDSUKY, Ohio — (AP) — A NASA research facility in Ohio has been renamed after astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was born in the state and returned shortly after he became the first man to walk on the moon. Ohio’s U.S. senators led the efforts to change the name of the NASA Plum Brook Station in Sandusky to the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. Republican Rob Portman said he raised the idea with Armstrong in 2012, shortly before Armstrong’s death, but he wasn’t comfortable with the attention it would bring. NASA and Armstrong’s family supported renaming the research center, Portman said. Armstrong’s son, Mark Armstrong, said the early space missions showed people across the world that they could do things they could never imagine.

A NASA research facility in Ohio has been renamed after astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Both Buddy Taylor Middle School and Indian Trails Middle School host student orientation ahead of the new schoolyear starting Aug. 10.

From, "Woo-hoo!" to "Who wants a Skittle?" here's what Jeff Bezos and his crew said on their 10-minute Blue Origin flight to the edge of space.

>> Read more trending newsBezos will be the second billionaire in space, following Sir Richard Branson’s space flight once the tech entrepreneur blasts off Tuesday morning in his Blue Origin rocket, CNN reported. Branson beat Bezos when the Virgin Galactic founder leapfrogged over Bezos’ planned launch earlier this month. Bezos will be joined by his brother Mark Bezos, Oliver Daemen and Mary Wallace Funk, The New York Times reported. Bezos and Daemen said the teen will be the youngest person in space, according to the newspaper. >>Related: Wally Funk to finally to go to space thanks to Jeff BezosFunk, who goes by Wally Funk, was selected by NASA for the Mercury 14 Women in Space program and trained with the agency to go into space, but never went.

John Glenn has been honored over the weekend with a three-day festival in Ohio marking what would have been the history-making astronaut and U.S. senator’s 100th birthday.

When Blue Origin launches people into space for the first time, founder Jeff Bezos will be on board.

A new podcast series revisits how broadcast journalists covered some of the biggest stories, and tells some fascinating behind-the-scenes details.

Two billionaires are putting everything on the line to ride their own rockets into space.

The price to rocket into space next month with Jeff Bezos and his brother is a cool $28 million.

Sixty years after Alan Shepard became the first American in space, everyday people are on the verge of following in his cosmic footsteps.

NASA astronaut Michael Collins is expected to be honored Friday with a remembrance ceremony at Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex.

Michael Collins stayed in orbit as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon in 1969.

Following his death at age 90, we look back at Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins' colorful life in photos.

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has died at age 90.

Space Mysteries: Before the cosmonaut orbited the Earth, rumors abounded that someone else already had.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A billionaire’s private SpaceX flight filled its two remaining seats Tuesday with a scientist-teacher and a data engineer whose college friend actually won a spot but gave him the prize. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule — currently parked at the International Space Station for NASA — will launch no earlier than mid-September, aiming for an altitude of 335 miles (540 kilometers). That’s 75 miles (120 kilometers) higher than the International Space Station and on a level with the Hubble Space Telescope. AdThe capsule will be outfitted with a domed window in place of the usual space station docking mechanism for their trip. The St. Jude physician assistant was treated there as a child for bone cancer.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A piece of the Wright brothers’ first airplane is on Mars. NASA’s experimental Martian helicopter holds a small swatch of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, the space agency revealed Tuesday. The helicopter, named Ingenuity, hitched a ride to the red planet with the Perseverance rover, arriving last month. It will mark a "Wright brothers' moment," noted Bobby Braun, director for planetary science at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The swatch made the 300 million-mile journey to Mars with the blessing of the Wright brothers' great-grandniece and great-grandnephew, said park curator Steve Lucht.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon. 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley was there to listen while Armstrong recounted his thoughts and feelings from the day he launched into space. While taking in the view of the beach below, Bradley asked Armstrong if he had fears of becoming stranded on the moon. Nearly fifty years later, NASA is planning to launch a new moon program. Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing's Space Launch System are both on board for the ride and will be providing significant assistance to NASA.

Regina King: "God put me here to tell more of our stories"

This illustration provided by NASA depicts the Mars 2020 spacecraft carrying the Perseverance rover as it approaches Mars. Perseverance's $3 billion mission is the first leg in a U.S.-European effort to bring Mars samples to Earth in the next decade. Almost 50 years after the first casualty at Mars, NASA is attempting its hardest Martian touchdown yet. The rover named Perseverance is headed Thursday for a compact 5-mile-by-4-mile (8-kilometer-by-6.4-kilometer) patch on the edge of an ancient river delta. AdROUND-TRIP TICKETScientists have wanted to get hold of Mars rocks ever since NASA’s Mariners provided the first close pictures a half-century ago.

NASA’s moon-bound Artemis I Orion capsule is prepared for space environment testing at Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station in December 2019. The site has been renamed by Congress as the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, which in March completed a three-month test campaign in support of the agency's Artemis I Orion crew capsule, has been redesignated the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility . Plum Brook Station inherited its name from a World War II ordnance facility that was built near a stream called "Plum Brook." (Image credit: NASA)As directed by the newly-enacted legislation, the formal name of the Plum Brook Station will be the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.

The Orlando Science Center now has a piece of fabric from the wing of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane, thanks in part to Neil Armstrong’s family.

Irons was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. (Colin Hutton/HBO via AP)LOS ANGELES Notable facts and figures from Tuesdays nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards:___WATCHMEN SOARS BUT ROOTS RUNS DEEPHBO's Watchmen led all shows with a whopping 26 nominations, but that doesn't come close to the record for a limited series. Another HBO limited series, 2008's John Adams, holds the record for limited series Emmy wins with 13, from 23 nominations. The work earned Aldrin and Collins 2020 Emmy nominations for best cinematography for a nonfiction program. The nominees for best supporting actress in a limited series also include 69-year-old Margo Martindale and 60-year-old Tracey Ullman for Mrs.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. Titusville Police were attempting to find out who scrawled graffiti across a monument honoring astronauts and workers involved with the nations space program and the moon mission. The incident was reported Wednesday night at Space View Park, 8 Broad St., a public area that sits along the riverside about 15 miles west of the launch pads at Kennedy Space Center. Photos circulated on social media of what appeared to be white or silver writing along the statutes and stone slabs memorializing the Apollo Space program that launched the nation to the moon. Police arrived Wednesday evening and found an unnamed woman cleaning the writing off of the memorial. Several people were at the park assisting with scrubbing the unidentified writing off of the tributes.

(SpaceX via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – It’s back to the future as NASA astronauts launch again from the U.S. — aboard a retro-style “Right Stuff” capsule. SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule outshines NASA’s old Apollo spacecraft in virtually every way. This fresh take on a vintage look will be on full display Wednesday when SpaceX plans to launch NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station — a first for a private company. Russia’s workhorse Soyuz capsules, still in use after a half-century plus, have kept NASA astronauts flying to the space station. A test dummy soloed on last year’s Dragon crew capsule debut.

It will be the first astronaut launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. They'll catch a ride to the launch pad in a Tesla Model X electric car. It will be the first astronaut launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. The worm adorns the Astro-Tesla, Falcon and even the astronauts' suits, along with NASA’s original blue meatball-shaped logo. The white-suited Hurley and Behnken will transfer from the white Tesla to the white Dragon atop the equally white Falcon 9.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first astronauts launched by SpaceX are breaking new ground for style with hip spacesuits, gull-wing Teslas and a sleek rocketship — all of it white with black trim. They'll catch a ride to the launch pad in a Tesla Model X electric car. It will be the first astronaut launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. The worm adorns the Astro-Tesla, Falcon and even the astronauts' suits, along with NASA’s original blue meatball-shaped logo. The white-suited Hurley and Behnken will transfer from the white Tesla to the white Dragon atop the equally white Falcon 9.

Neil Armstrong captivated the world when he took "one giant leap" onto the moon's dusty surface in 1969. President Donald Trump who began his foray into galactic affairs when he championed the Space Force to fight extraterrestrial wars is looking for his own moon landing moment. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Monday an executive order in which Trump calls for U.S. business interests to mine the moon. Trump's executive order attempts to advance the scarce legal framework that governs various nations' claims to space. Back on Earth, the federal government has ignored calls to update the main law governing hardrock mining minerals such as gold and lead which has gone largely unchanged since it was signed in 1872.

Neil Armstrong captivated the world when he took "one giant leap" onto the moon's dusty surface in 1969. President Donald Trump who began his foray into galactic affairs when he championed the Space Force to fight extraterrestrial wars is looking for his own moon landing moment. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Monday an executive order in which Trump calls for U.S. business interests to mine the moon. Trump's executive order attempts to advance the scarce legal framework that governs various nations' claims to space. Back on Earth, the federal government has ignored calls to update the main law governing hardrock mining minerals such as gold and lead which has gone largely unchanged since it was signed in 1872.

Neil Armstrong captivated the world when he took "one giant leap" onto the moon's dusty surface in 1969. President Donald Trump who began his foray into galactic affairs when he championed the Space Force to fight extraterrestrial wars is looking for his own moon landing moment. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Monday an executive order in which Trump calls for U.S. business interests to mine the moon. Trump's executive order attempts to advance the scarce legal framework that governs various nations' claims to space. Back on Earth, the federal government has ignored calls to update the main law governing hardrock mining minerals such as gold and lead which has gone largely unchanged since it was signed in 1872.

Named after astronaut Neil Armstrong, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) main facility sits under the clear skies of the Mojave Desert, at the edge of Rogers Dry Lake, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. Its original name was the High Speed Flight Research Station, operated by NASAs predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). When NACA became NASA in 1958, the Center was known as the NASA Flight Research Center. Among the 10 NASA field centers, Armstrong is "the agency's lead center for atmospheric flight research, operations and testing," according to the center's website. When you fly on a plane today, you are benefiting from research performed at the Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The moment Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon July 20, 1969, is frozen in time for the millions of people around the world who watched the moon landing or listened on the radio. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com put out a call asking for its viewers to share their favorite memories of that day. "I just sat there and wondered, 'Why am I here in a big ol' hole and they're landing on the moon?'" Retired space industry workers and their adult children called in to say what it meant to them to be part of the moon landing. Roseann Roach, of Brentwood, Long Island, remembered watching the moon landing with her mother.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine revealed Friday that the space agency plans to launch a golfcart-sized roving robot, called the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, to roam the surface collecting samples and mapping resources. NASA says it plans to deliver VIPER to the moon in December 2022. VIPER will "collect about 100 days of data that will be used to inform the first global water resource maps of the Moon," according to a NASA news release. NASA plans to create a sustainable base on the lunar surface within a decade. NASA did not announce what launch provider would deliver the rover to the moon.

The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday that the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at Johnson Space Center hasn't been used for two years and will likely be torn down next year. The building, completed in 1967, was designed to isolate the astronauts and lunar rock samples until it was clear they weren't carrying disease. A 2015 economic analysis determined that the historic building has structural and electrical problems and can't be saved. A replacement building will house artifacts saved from original lab. NASA's decision comes just months after celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the first lunar footsteps by Apollo 11 astronauts.

The "Meet the Legends" exhibit at Madame Tussauds in D.C. features relaunched sculptures of Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong as well as a lunar module where guests can pose to take photos with the astronauts. Now, the astronauts involved in the mission are getting a permanent photo-op thanks to Madame Tussauds newest additions to its attraction in the US capital. In conversation with Madame Tussauds' General Manager Therese Alvich, Stern explained just how significant the moon landing was for science and technology. "We are about to enter a new age of exploration with the Artemis Project, which will send astronauts to the moon in the 2020s. That will be in preparation for sending astronauts to the surface of Mars in the 2030s and beyond.

Later, the Apollo 14 and 15 missions would also add similar arrays to the surface. This allows researchers to determine the moon's orbit, rotation and its current orientation, which will be needed to land on the moon. Previously it was believed that the moon had a solid core, but data from the arrays has revealed that the core is fluid. Until 1964, there weren't any closeup or detailed photos of the lunar surface. In 1964, Ranger 7 successfully reached the moon and returned 4,316 images of the surface before it collided intentionally with the surface.

Paul Brooke and a team of sculptors paid homage to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Part of a series of butter sculptures -- made out of more than 2,000 pounds of creamy goodness -- one work features the three Apollo 11 astronauts -- Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The American Dairy Association Mideast collaborated with the fair to commemorate the role that Ohio played in the world-famous mission. But the Apollo 11 mission is not the only anniversary that the fair has recognized. The Ohio State Fair runs through August 4.

Were the real circumstances of Neil Armstrong's death kept from the world when he died seven years ago? Now comes the revelation that the 82-year-old legend's death was allegedly due to shoddy medical care and he didn't have to die. A front-page report in Wednesdays New York Times states that Armstrongs family entered into a secret $6 million wrongful death settlement with the hospital where he died. He said the American hero's death was "wholly preventable."It certainly seems like the care at the end of life for Neil Armstrong was not optimal. The hospital was so concerned about keeping the family's complaint a secret, it used a phony name, calling him Ned Anderson not Neil Armstrong.

The moment Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon July 20, 1969, is frozen in time for the millions of people around the world who watched the moon landing or listened on the radio. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com put out a call asking for its viewers to share their favorite memories of that day. "I just sat there and wondered, 'Why am I here in a big ol' hole and they're landing on the moon?'" Retired space industry workers and their adult children called in to say what it meant to them to be part of the moon landing. Roseann Roach, of Brentwood, Long Island, remembered watching the moon landing with her mother.

Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 command module splash down in the Pacific Ocean after Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins successful mission to the moon. The Apollo 11 crew and a Navy diver await pickup after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. [Read the Apollo 11 re-entry and splash down flight journal log here.] A half-century later, NASAs Commercial Crew astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will become the first astronauts to splash down in an American spacecraft since the Apollo program. This story is part of ClickOrlando.com and News 6's Apollo 11 50th anniversary special.

Armstrong once called him "the man who was the 'Control' in Mission Control." Kraft became known as "the father of Mission Control" and in 2011 NASA returned the favor by naming the Houston building that houses the nerve center after Kraft. The average age of the flight control team was 26; Kraft was 38. "We didn't know a damn thing about putting a man into space," Kraft wrote in his autobiography. "Chris Kraft had pioneered Mission Control and fought the battles in Mercury and Gemini, serving as the role model of the flight director.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Vice President Mike Pence is marking the 50th anniversary of humanity's first moon landing at the Apollo 11 launch site. Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin accompanied Pence to Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Saturday and showed him the pad where he began that momentous journey 50 years ago. Mission commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to step onto the moon on July 20, 1969, died seven years ago. Pence says Apollo 11 is the only event of the 20th century that "stands a chance of being widely remembered in the 30th century." The vice president reiterated the Trump administration's push to put Americans back on the moon by 2024.

To pull it off, the Apollo astronauts and the teams that supported them put in grueling hours of training. Cool'The Apollo 11 crew of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins traveled 240,000 miles in 76 hours to reach the moon. The Apollo 11 astronauts, meanwhile, had more than 70 food items to choose from. 400,000 people worked on the Apollo 11 missionThe full triumph of Apollo 11 doesn't just belong to the astronauts. Over the years, Apollo Mission Control and its surrounding rooms fell into disrepair.

A moonstruck nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's "giant leap" by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin at parties, races, ball games and concerts Saturday, toasting with Tang and gobbling MoonPies. At NASA 's Kennedy Space Center, Aldrin showed Vice President Mike Pence the launch pad where he flew to the moon in 1969. And where better to celebrate than Apollo, Pennsylvania located in Armstrong County not far from Moon Township and the town of Mars. "This is what we're here for, to share the American space experience," explained executive director Karan Conklin, who led the toast. The crew deliberately modeled its mission patch after Apollo 11's: no astronaut names included to show the universal nature of space flight.

Billionaires join the space raceMillions of people watched in wonder as man first set foot upon the moon 50 years ago. But in the era of space travel now dawning, far more of us are destined to join them. Several self-made billionaires have launched space companies that are vying to take civilians to the moon and this new competitive market could change the way we look at the sky above. Mark Strassmann reports.

Armstrong was the first one out, proclaiming for the ages: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." "Few moments in our American story spark more pride than the Apollo 11 mission," President Donald Trump said in a Space Exploration Day message. His statement reiterated the goal of sending astronauts back to the moon within five years and taking "the next giant leap sending Americans to Mars." The powdered orange drink Tang was back in vogue for the toasts, along with MoonPies, including a 55-pound (25-kilogram), 45,000-calorie MoonPie at Kennedy's One Giant Leap bash. Only one of the three cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov was alive at the time of Apollo 11.

Scott Barbour/Getty Images(CNN) - The moon landing got the Google Doodle treatment for its 50th anniversary, retold from launch to landing by one of the three astronauts on the history-making mission. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Collins began their mission July 16, 1969, launching from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin departed on the lunar module, called the "Eagle," which would separate from the command module to make the 13-minute descent to the surface of the moon. Collins waited on the other side of the moon from the comfort of the command module that would take all three men home. In the words immortalized on the plaque they planted on the moon: "We came in peace for all mankind."

Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins reunited Friday on the eve of the 50th anniversary of humanity's first moon landing. "We're bringing the glamour back" to the space program, Trump said. The vice president is commemorating Saturday's anniversary at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, visiting the launch pad where Apollo 11 blasted off. NASA televised a two-hour show Friday afternoon remembering Apollo 11 but also looking forward to its future moon plans. ___Follow AP's full coverage of the Apollo 11 anniversary at: https://apnews.com/Apollo11moonlanding___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education.

PopularFrom 1979: Oil refinery vs. bald eagleIn Cobscook Bay, Maine, the Pittston Company's plans to build an oil refinery, welcomed by the tiny, struggling town, were met with resistance by environmentalists. The battle over the potential damage to the nesting area of the bald eagle (which in the 1970s was still an endangered species) led the Environmental Protection Agency to deny a permit. Correspondent Lem Tucker talked with Pittston vice president Arnold Kaulakis, Eastport city manager Everett Baxter, and environmental advocate Robert Gardiner, in a story first broadcast on "Sunday Morning" January 28, 1979. (Note: in 1983, after a decade-long effort, Pittston withdrew its plans to build the refinery citing escalating costs and global market conditions.)

Five thousand rockets were launched into the air Wednesday, not only to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing but also to set a Guinness World Record. Astronauts, NASA engineers and eager young campers witnessed the event organized by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, a city dedicated to space exploration. Huntsville is the rocket city, Randall Robinson of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center told InsideEdition.com. The previous record was set in November 2018, when 4,231 model rockets were launched during a European Space Science Convention held in the Netherlands. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center said it wanted to hold its own rocket launching to encourage young scientists to follow their dreams.

"Apollo 11 ... was serious business. Another spectator, Karin Wise, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was 19 during Apollo 11 and recalled being glued to TV coverage. Back at Kennedy, NASA televised original launch video of Apollo 11, timed down to the second. The crowd also included members of NASA's next moon management team, including Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for the still-in-development Space Launch System moon rocket. The lone female launch controller for Apollo 11, JoAnn Morgan, enjoyed seeing the much updated- firing room.

CBS News special: "Man on the Moon" On the 50th anniversary, two legends tell the story of the momentous 1969 moon walk: Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong and “CBS Evening News” anchor Walter Cronkite -- the man who made history and the man who reported it. Hosted by "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins returned to the launch pad Tuesday at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida where he flew to the moon 50 years ago along with the late Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins speaks at a panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of the launch, in Cocoa Beach, Florida, U.S., July 16, 2019. REUTERS/Joe SkipperWonderful feeling to be back at launch pad 39A, Collins, the command module pilot for Apollo 11, said in an interview on the pad with Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, himself a veteran of four space shuttle launches and a former shuttle commander. Aldrin, 89, was to join Collins on the launch pad but canceled. Collins was to be joined Tuesday evening at a gala in Cape Canaveral, Florida, by Charles Duke, the youngest human to walk on the moon as an Apollo 16 astronaut, Apollo flight director Gerald Griffin, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, and four-time shuttle veteran Charlie Precourt.

Since the Apollo 11 moon landing; 50 years ago, when the historic landing comes up in conversation the first names that pop up are those of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldin. Prior to Apollo 11, Collins piloted the three-day Gemini 10 mission in 1966 and became the nation's third space walker. While many people think Collins missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Apollo 11 astronaut says he has no regrets. Collins said Apollo 11 could only happen if everything went according to plan. However, if it were up to the former Apollo 11 astronaut, NASA would be focused on Mars first.

Since the Apollo 11 moon landing; 50 years ago, when the historic landing comes up in conversation the first names that pop up are those of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldin. Prior to Apollo 11, Collins piloted the three-day Gemini 10 mission in 1966 and became the nation's third space walker. While many people think Collins missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Apollo 11 astronaut says he has no regrets. However, if it were up to the former Apollo 11 astronaut, NASA would be focused on Mars first. This story is part of ClickOrlando.com and News 6's Apollo 11 50th anniversary special.

Fifty years ago on July 16, 1969, NASA launched the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon, and as we all know, they accomplished the mission. We decided to round up some of our favorite movies not only involving the Apollo 11 mission, but movies that focused on the race to the moon in general. "First Man"It's kind of surprising there aren't a whole lot of movies about the first moon landing. Luckily, "First Man," starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, is a fantastic send-up to the people who worked on Apollo 11. "Apollo 11"The only other film about the historic Apollo 11 mission is a documentary that shares its name.

Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, News 6 is celebrating the legacy of American space exploration and wants to hear what influence the U.S. space program has had on you. For those who weren't around or are too young to remember the Apollo 11 moon landing we want to hear from you, too. Is there a space shuttle launch that you witnessed or did you see a photo taken by a NASA spacecraft -- such as the Hubble Space Telescope or NASA's Saturn probe Cassini --, that changed the way you think about space exploration? From now until July 16, News 6 will be collecting Apollo 11 and space memories from its viewers that could air on WKMG or be included in ClickOrlando.com articles. For more News 6 Apollo 11 50th anniversary coverage, visit ClickOrlando.com/space and tune in July 16 when WKMG airs a full day of space coverage, looking back to the historic moon landing, what's happening on the Space Coast now and what the future of space exploration holds.

Fifty years ago today, Apollo 11 began its voyage into American history. The morning of the launch, the Apollo 11 trio ate breakfast with a much smaller crew and reviewed maps with NASA's Deke Slayton. The specially equipped, air-conditioned van drove the crew about 12 miles to launch station 39A, the home of the 36-story-tall Saturn V rocket that would launch them to the moon. Americans pack Florida beach awaiting launch: "This is a dramatic point in history"Americans pack Florida beach for Apollo 11 launch: This is a dramatic point in historyCBS sports commentator Heywood Hale Broun took to the beach in Florida, where thousands of Americans awaited the launch. Apollo 11 launches, beginning epic journey to the moonApollo 11 launches, beginning epic journey to the moonCronkite counted down the anxious minutes then seconds until the Saturn V's launch.

"Apollo 11 ... was serious business. Back at Kennedy, NASA televised original launch video of Apollo 11, timed down to the second. The crowd also included members of NASA's next moon management team, including Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for the still-in-development Space Launch System moon rocket. Blackwell-Thompson said she got goosebumps listening to the replay of the Apollo 11 countdown. The lone female launch controller for Apollo 11, JoAnn Morgan, enjoyed seeing the much-updated firing room.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Micheal Collins were en route to the moon, traveling thousands of feet per second. Over the years, we've learned more about what items Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins chose to take with them as they made history. Fraternity pin: Armstrong was a member of Phi Delta Theta at Purdue University and brought his fraternity pin on the Apollo 11 mission. Three flags: Among the small items Collins carried with him in flight, Collins brought the U.S. Flag, the flag of the District of Columbia and the flag of the U.S. Air Force flag on the Apollo 11 mission.

"Apollo 11 ... was serious business. Back at Kennedy, NASA televised original launch video of Apollo 11, timed down to the second. The crowd also included members of NASA's next moon management team, including Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for the still-in-development Space Launch System moon rocket. Blackwell-Thompson said she got goosebumps listening to the replay of the Apollo 11 countdown. The lone female launch controller for Apollo 11, JoAnn Morgan, enjoyed seeing the much updated- firing room.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Micheal Collins were en route to the moon, traveling thousands of feet per second. Over the years, we've learned more about what items Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins chose to take with them as they made history. Fraternity pin: Armstrong was a member of Phi Delta Theta at Purdue University and brought his fraternity pin on the Apollo 11 mission. Three flags: Among the small items Collins carried with him in flight, Collins brought the U.S. Flag, the flag of the District of Columbia and the flag of the U.S. Air Force flag on the Apollo 11 mission.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Micheal Collins were en route to the moon, traveling thousands of feet per second. Over the years, we've learned more about what items Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins chose to take with them as they made history. Fraternity pin: Armstrong was a member of Phi Delta Theta at Purdue University and brought his fraternity pin on the Apollo 11 mission. Three flags: Among the small items Collins carried with him in flight, Collins brought the U.S. Flag, the flag of the District of Columbia and the flag of the U.S. Air Force flag on the Apollo 11 mission.

"Apollo 11 ... was serious business. Another spectator, Karin Wise, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was 19 during Apollo 11 and recalled being glued to TV coverage. Back at Kennedy, NASA televised original launch video of Apollo 11, timed down to the second. The crowd also included members of NASA's next moon management team, including Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for the still-in-development Space Launch System moon rocket. The lone female launch controller for Apollo 11, JoAnn Morgan, enjoyed seeing the much updated- firing room.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Fifty years ago this July 16, Saturn V launched Apollo 11 to the moon. More than one million people gathered on the Space Coast to watch Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins lift off for the moon from Kennedy Space Center. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing News 6 created a hotline for viewers to record their Apollo 11 memories. The historic moon landing happened eight years after President John F. Kennedy declared his vision of putting a man on the moon. Above is a photo of the Indian River, which is about 4 miles west of the Kennedy Space Center.

Fifty years after humans first set foot on the moon, NASA is celebrating the Apollo 11 mission. The mission had one goal: to perform a crewed landing on the moon, and return the crew to Earth. [TIMELINE: Moments leading up to historic Apollo 11 launch]A day later on July 21, 1969, millions of people turned on their televisions to watch the broadcast of Armstrong and Aldrin take the first steps on the moon. With a successful landing on the moon, the Apollo 11 crew paved the way for space exploration for generations to come. Below you’ll find a timeline depicting the moments as people first set foot on the moon.