Apollo 11: Mankind's leap of faith to the unknown world

Apollo 11 was the dream and national goal of the US President John F Kennedy. It's primary objective was to perform crewed lunar landing and return to earth. Apollo 11 was launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969. (Photo: Nasa)

The space shuttle was carried by Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. (Photo: Nasa)

Millions of people around the world were glued to their television screens as two humans prepared to set foot on an uncharted world. When Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston a famous message: “The Eagle has landed.” At 10.39 pm. (Photo: AP)

Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. Seventeen minutes later, at 10.56 pm, Armstrong spoke the following words to millions listening at home: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Photo: Nasa)

A moment later, he stepped off the lunar module’s ladder, becoming the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. He immediately described the surface as “fine and powdery” and said that there was no difficulty moving about. (Photo: AP)

Aldrin joined him on the moon’s surface at 11.11 pm, and together they took photographs of the terrain. (Photo: AP)

The two spent the next few hours collecting samples, basking in the sunlight of the powdery landscape, and exploring the Sea of Tranquillity, Apollo 11's landing site. They also proudly planted an American flag on the Moon's surface. (Photo: Nasa)

Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon–July 1969 AD–We came in peace for all mankind.” (Photo: AP)

Apollo 11’s mission concluded with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, where the crew was recovered by the USS Hornet. (Photo: Nasa)