Footprints on Another World
On July 20th, 1969 , humans first set foot on the Moon . Taken from a window of their Apollo 11 lunar module, the Eagle, this picture shows the footprints in the powdery lunar soil made by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin . It has been estimated that one billion people on planet Earth watched Armstrong step from the lander onto the surface of another world , making this live transmission one of the highest rated television shows ever. In the foreground at right, a rocket nozzle on the side of the Eagle is seen in silhouette, while beyond an unfurled United States flag is the television camera, remounted on a stand to better view the landing area. The Apollo missions to the Moon have been described as the result of the greatest technological mobilization in history .