On this day in 1969, man first walked on the moon. Fifty years later we are still fascinated with this great scientific feat. Prior to the moon landing, there was much planning and speculation. This image of the moon landing is an artist’s rendering, it was sent out to the press several days before the Apollo 11 launch and was featured in newspapers.

In preparation for the mission, NASA also released information about the tools and equipment the astronauts would be utilizing on their mission. The document below outlines the use of the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly, or MESA. The MESA was a large pallet on their spacecraft which held batteries, life-support back-packs, and a television camera which transmitted live pictures from the Moon to Earth, tools for gather samples, and more.

Only a handful of people have set foot on the moon with the first being Neil Armstrong, followed by Buzz Aldrin. The memory of this historic moment still inspires so many to reach for the stars, or even the moon.

Sources

Photos courtesy of the Denault Space Program papers, MG 111