What was the name of the lunar module of Apollo 11?

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" was the first crewed vehicle to land on the Moon. It carried two astronauts, Commander Neil A. Armstrong and LM pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., the first men to walk on the Moon. Also included on the LM was the Early Apollo Scientific Experiment Package (EASEP), which consisted of several self-contained experiments to be deployed and left on the lunar surface, and other scientific and sample collection apparatus.

The LM landed at 20:17:40 UT (4:17:40 p.m. EDT) on 20 July 1969 in the region known as Mare Tranquilitatis (the Sea of Tranquility) at 0.6741 degrees N latitude, 23.4730 degrees E longitude (IAU Mean Earth Polar Axis coordinate system), Armstrong reporting, "Houston, Tranquility Base here - the Eagle has landed".

The LM lifted off from the Moon at 17:54:01 UT on 21 July after 21 hours, 36 minutes on the lunar surface. After docking with the CSM, piloted by Michael Collins, at 21:34:00 UT, the LM was jettisoned into lunar orbit at 00:01:01 UT on 22 July.

More Info: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov

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26 Comments

Todd Van Dell

Although the Eagle was actually known as an LEM, or Lunar Excursion Module. Newscasters of the day referred to Eagle as the LEM, not LM. I was 8 in July 1969. I remember it well. And no, it was not a hoax, any more than the Earth is flat. Which is to say NOT.

Mr.LaFaye

I remember the " The Eagle has Landed" Live on a Black and White TV At 4:18 p.m. on July 20, 1969, with the simple words. “The eagle has landed,” the dream John F. Kennedy first expressed 8 years before of seeing man walk on the moon before 1970 came true. Unfortunately, JFK did not live long enough to hear Neil Armstrong give voice to those words, which calmly came over the static filled speakers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston. The phrase, “The eagle has landed,” was second in importance as far as the public was concerned, to Armstrong’s quote, “"That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." However, as far as the mission was concerned it was really his announcement of landing the module in the Sea of Tranquility that was of the greatest import. This is due to the difficulty in landing the craft. And, of course, had they not managed the landing successfully, there would not have been anyone walking on the moon, planting a flag or making any statements at all.

littledick

"the Eagle has landed" has been replayed so much, especially last year, the 50th anniversary, that the overwhelming majority must have gotten this correct without guessing.

Armadillo

fishrmn, presence is sometimes familiar and comforting.

fishrmn

Amazing stuff back then! Computing in its infancy. Smartphones of today have more power than what was used back then. I remember taking the day off from work to listen to the broadcast. Houston this is tranquility base the eagle has landed!