INFO VINE * 50 Mind-Blowing Facts About The Moon Landing *

[Photo Courtesy: Moon Landing 62 / Pixabay]
The moon landing was one of the most important events in history. Not many really grasp how important this event was to our evolution into space and beyond. Reaching the moon gave NASA hope that we could expand past our planet and find out what else is out there. While there have been many theories about if the moon landing was staged or not, nothing has ever been proven. While many know of the event itself, little know about the minor details and stories that went into this event. Scroll through this gallery and find out everything you need to know about this historic event. 



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The Apollo 11 Astronauts Only Ate Vegetables and Dehydrated Beef

The astronauts that were part of the moon landing mission, which was officially called Apollo 11, could only eat vegetables and dehydrated beef during the entire journey and operation. Different reports pointed out that the meals were individually wrapped and carried by Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins.



[Photo Courtesy: Space Food / wikimediacommons.com ]


Health experts explained that the meals, which were color-coded, had to be this way in order to protect the astronauts while ensuring proper nutrition.

The Astronauts had no Bathroom

An official NASA report on the Apollo 11 mission revealed that the astronauts not only had no bathrooms but had to pee and defecate with some rudimentary plastic bag system. In fact, the report explained that this situation was so bothersome in different aspects that the entire process could last up to 50 minutes.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by Thomas Malyska from Pixabay ]


In addition, NASA also revealed that when walking on the moon, in what has been one of the most important moments in human history, Armstrong and Aldrin wore diapers.

Aldrin Boasted About Peeing his Pants

When the Apollo 11 mission was officially over and the crew got back to earth, they immediately became living legends considering the magnitude of what they achieved. After all, they were the first human beings to walk on the moon.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Interior / Picryl]


During a massive event celebrating their achievement in Washington, DC, Aldrin expressed the honor of being part of that team and making history. However, he did remember the fact that they had to wear diapers and told the crowd not only that they felt lonely but that he peed in his pants while walking on the moon.

The Rocket that Launched Apollo 11 is the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful in history

An incredible fact about the moon landing is that the Saturn V rocket that launched the astronauts into space before reaching the moon remains the heaviest, tallest, and most powerful rocket ever flown in human history. After all, this rocket took 7.5 million pounds of thrust to get Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong off of Earth. 



[Photo Courtesy: The Vintage Space / YouTube


The reason why these numbers are so shocking is that every single rocket that has been used to launch astronauts into space has had 6.2 million pounds.

There was Massive Protest Outside the Kennedy Space Center Days Before the Mission

Believe it or not, the chance that the Apollo 11 mission had to be canceled a couple of days before launching the Saturn V rocket was quite possible because of a massive protest that took place right outside the Kennedy Space Center.



[Photo Courtesy: Kennedy Space Center Protest / Picryl ]


The reason why nearly 600 people were protesting was that they thought that the moon landing mission’s $24.5 billion budget represented a huge amount of money that should be invested into people’s lives instead of sending men to the moon.

Most Americans Disagreed with the Mission

Far from being an unpopular protest, the truth is that many Americans supported it and agreed with the demonstrators’ center idea: that the budget for the Apollo 11 mission was simply too high.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 / Picryl]


In fact, in a Harris poll that was published a couple of months before the mission, it was revealed that only 39 percent of the American people supported the mission, while 41 percent of Americans agreed with cutting funding to the space program and reinvesting it in other projects.

The Landing Module was Manually Steered to an Impromptu Landing Site

Another incredible fact about the moon landing mission is that Armstrong had to steer the Lunar Module to the safe Little West Crater because the original landing point on the northeastern flank of the West Crater was extremely rocky.



[Photo Courtesy: Moon Surface / US National Archives ]


What seems even more mind-blowing is the fact that Aldrin’s window didn’t allow him to see the terrain that Armstrong saw, which is the reason why he decided to switch into the manual mode and fly nearly 600 meters to smoother grounds.

Aldrin Could Have been the First Man on the Moon

An interesting detail about every single spacewalk before Apollo 11 is the fact that the most junior crew member has always been the one to venture out first, leaving the commander at the controls in case of any type of emergency comes out. 



[Photo Courtesy: USA Today / YouTube]


Given this situation, if Apollo 11 would have followed this model, Aldrin would have left the module before Armstrong, becoming the first man on the moon.
In fact, Aldrin revealed in 2014 that NASA decided that Armstrong would be the one to walk on the moon first for symbolic reasons.

Collins Stayed in Orbit while Aldrin and Armstrong were on the Moon

While Aldrin and Armstrong are the most-remembered astronauts to be part of the Apollo 11 mission, the truth is that Collins was literally as important as they were. However, the reason why not so many people remember him is that he was the one who had to stay in orbit. After all, he was the most veteran astronaut of the crew and had almost 5,000 hours of flight.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo in orbit / Picryl]


Far from feeling upset because of this situation, Collins has declared that he felt proud of playing such a major role in this historic mission.

Armstrong and Aldrin Stayed on the Lunar Surface for Nearly 22 Hours

Another mind-blowing fact about the Apollo 11 mission is that Aldrin and Armstrong stayed on the lunar surface for literally 21 hours and 37 minutes. However, most of that time they were inside the lunar module.



[Photo Courtesy: The Telegraph / YouTube]


After all, they got out to the moon almost five hours after touching down in order to collect samples, take photos and videos, plant the American flag, and receive a call from the White House.

After almost 3 hours on the moon's surface, Aldrin and Armstrong went back into the lunar module to rest.

Armstrong and Aldrin had to Launch back off the Moon to Link Back up With Collins

In order to link back up with the Command Module Pilot, the astronauts had to launch back off the moon in the space device. While this might sound like an easy operation, the truth is that if any single detail went wrong, Aldrin and Armstrong would be stranded in space and left for dead.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Command Module / Picryl]


In fact, President Richard Nixon’s speechwriter William Safire revealed that if anything went wrong, NASA would have to close down communication with Armstrong and Aldrin, meaning that they would have been lost in space.

This Situation Almost Happened

A fact that the astronauts hid for years was the hypothetical situation in which they failed to launch back off the moon in order to reach Collins, this would have ended their lives and was close to becoming a reality. After all, Aldrin discovered that one of the most important circuit breakers had broken before lift-off.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo in Space / Rawpixel]


During an interview with Space, Aldrin revealed that he noticed that the circuit breaker was broken and it was impossible to push the button to get back to Collins. He said he had to use a pen to push it.

President Nixon had a Backup Speech Prepared in case the Astronauts Died

One of the most incredible facts about the Apollo 11 mission was that President Richard Nixon’s team prepared a backup speech that he would read in case the astronauts died.



[Photo Courtesy: Nixon Speech / wikimediacommons.com ]


The speech was released 30 years after the mission, and it was titled “In Event of Moon Disaster.” It basically highlighted the virtues of the three astronauts, pointing out that they went to the moon to explore an unknown place “in peace,” and they will rest on it in the same way.

The Astronauts had to be Quarantined for Security Reasons

Another mind-blowing fact about the moon landing is that far from having a comfortable time after getting back to earth, the astronauts had to be quarantined for 21 days. The reason? Because it was possible that they brought some moon germs.



[Photo Courtesy: Astronaut's in Quarantine / US National Archives]


Once they got back, Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong were forced to spend the first 88 hours in a well-equipped Airstream trailer with a galley, bathroom, lounge, sleeping quarters, and even a microwave. Then they were moved to a larger quarantine area.

Armstrong Spent his Birthday in Quarantine

On the few occasions that the astronauts have talked about their time in quarantine after their successful mission, all of them said that while this wasn’t as bad as it seems it wasn’t too comfortable either.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Quarantine Center / wikimediacommons.com ]


However, what many people don’t know is that Armstrong celebrated his 39th birthday in quarantine on August 5th, 1969. This happened after the first 88 hours in the Airstream trailer when the astronauts were moved to the larger quarantine area to complete the 21 days.

NASA used the Apollo Mission Control Center until 1992

The reason why the Apollo 11 mission was so outstanding is not only because it managed to get a man on the moon, but also the different types of equipment that were created for the entire operation.



[Photo Courtesy: Control Center / wikimediacommons.com ]


You can tell how advanced this center was by seeing how NASA kept using the Apollo 11 mission Control Center until the year 1992, through the 21 space shuttle missions.
Once NASA decided not to use it again, it restored it and opened it to the public. In fact, it was even recreated the exact way it looked in the year 1969.

The Flags Planted on the Moon are About to Disappear

As everyone knows, the most symbolic moment of the Apollo 11 mission was when the astronauts planted the American flag on the lunar surface, an act that was repeated in the year 1972.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Flag / US National Archives]


According to different reports, while at least five of the six American flags on the moon were still standing as of 2012, it is quite possible that sunlight has already bleached away the flags’ colors. In fact, these could be already disintegrating because of the harsh conditions on the lunar surface.

The Apollo Program’s Original Goal was way Different to what it ended up Being

Once the Apollo program was officially announced in the year 1960, the original goal was simply to send a crew into the moon’s orbit, instead of its surface.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by Cristian Ibarra from Pixabay ]


While this was already a very ambitious plan that represented the highest innovation in the space context, then US President John F. Kenney wanted more. In fact, he even made his famous speech in the year 1961, in which he declared that the commitment of the United States was to land a man on the moon.

The Astronauts Were Calmed during Liftoff

Another incredible detail about the Apollo 11 mission was that Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong’s hearts remained surprisingly normal not only during the entire operation but especially during the liftoff. Their hearts were constantly being monitored throughout the expedition.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo Liftoff / Picryl]


According to NASA, Armstrong was the most excited of the crew at the moment of liftoff, with a rate of 110 beats per minute. Meanwhile, Aldrin was clocked at 88 beats per minute and Collins logged a rate of 99 beats per minute.

The Main Apollo 11 Spectators were Seated Miles Away from the Launchpad

During the entire operation, NASA took advantage of the historic moment and tried to give the agency’s biggest supporters the opportunity of watching the launch as close as possible. These people were not only politicians, but also billionaire donators, businessmen, and members of the science community.



[Photo Courtesy: Spectators Apollo 11 / RawPixel]


However, while NASA wanted to provide the biggest comfort, it had to locate these spectators 3.5 miles away from the Launchpad. The reason? To protect them in case anything went wrong, and the rocket exploded.

The Mission’s Command Module Computer is Currently Obsolete

While the command module computer (officially known as the Apollo Guidance) represented one of the greatest tech innovations ever created at the time of the mission, what seems quite incredible is the fact that a 2020 toaster is currently more advanced.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Command Module Computer / Picryl]


According to a Computer Weekly report, even when the command module computer had a “pretty ingenious system,” every single smartphone that you can buy nowadays is way more advanced than most of the technology used in the moon landing mission.

The Astronauts had to Drink Great Amounts of Fizzy Water

As it was previously mentioned, Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong had a very specific diet during the Apollo 11 mission, considering that preventing any type of health issue was a must in order to ensure the astronauts’ safety.



[Photo Courtesy: Fizzy Water / Depositphotos]


However, one of the riskiest situations came after a problem with the spacecraft’s hydrogen-gas filters, which forced the astronauts to drink bubbly water. In fact, Collins said in his 1974 memoir that he, Aldrin, and Armstrong were scared of suffering a stomach ache from drinking too much fizzy water.

Water Consumption led to a lot of Flatulence

In his 1974 memoir, Collins was describing some of the episodes that he and his crew had to experience on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. When talking about the fizzy water, he explained that the main characteristic of this liquid was its bubbles, pointing out these were always in the water.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Crew / Picryl] ]


After explaining this situation, he explained that the “inevitable outcome” of drinking so much of this bubbling water was a flatulence issue in each of the astronauts. Of course, he also said the worst part of this uncomfortable episode was “the aroma.”

NASA did a Really Bad Job with the Bathroom

While the astronauts always had some nice words for NASA, one of the few opportunities in which they criticized the agency was due to the lack of attention they paid to their bodily functions, especially the one related to the need of going to the bathroom.



[Photo Courtesy: Space Shuttle Toilet / Picryl]


Even when NASA ensured the proper alimentation, the agency paid so little attention to the bathroom that one of the astronauts had to consume anti-diarrhea medication during the entire operation.
So far, the astronaut in question has refused to reveal his name.

Aldrin’s Mom had a Very Peculiar Last Name

Another mind-blowing fact about the Apollo 11 mission was the last name of astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s mom. After all, before she married Edwin Eugene Aldrin, she was known as Marion Moon.



[Photo Courtesy: Edwin Eugene Aldrin / wikimediacommons.com ]


When the press knew about it, one of the first media outlets that started to mention this peculiar situation was the New York Times. In fact, during an interview with Aldrin, the newspaper asked him if he told NASA about the coincidence, the astronaut said he didn’t. He even joked about not wanting the agency to give him favored treatment because of it.

Collins Designed the Mission’s Famous Insignia

Of all the elements about the Apollo 11 mission that are remembered in history, the most iconic one is definitely the insignia. After all, this one was shown in almost every single news outlet and show regarding the moon landing.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Patch / wikimediacommons.com ]


However, what many don’t know is that far from hiring a famous graphic designer of that time, the person that worked with NASA and designed the mission’s logo was Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. The same man that made history with Armstrong and Aldrin.

Collins said He Wanted the Design to Show NASA’s and America’s Objectives

In different interviews talking about the way he designed the insignia, Collins said that while many felt surprised by NASA not hiring a graphic designer, there have been other occasions in which the crew of a mission designed its own patch, pointing out the case of Pete Conrad and Gordon Cooper in 1965.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 12 Patch]


Moreover, Collins explained that his main intention with the design he made for the Apollo 11 mission was to create a concept that represented the “larger goals” not only of NASA but also of the United States of America.

Armstrong Thought they Wouldn’t Land the Lunar Module

Even when the Apollo 11 mission was successful enough to become one of the greatest achievements in human history, the truth was that many people involved in this operation had some serious doubts.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo Landing / US National Archives]


Believe it or not, one of these was astronaut Neil Armstrong, who admitted in a 2012 interview that he wasn’t convinced that the crew would land the lunar module. He also pointed out he never shared these thoughts with anyone at the time because he didn’t want to create a pessimistic environment.

Armstrong Thought They were Going to Abort the Mission

Another surprising declaration Armstrong made during the 2012 interview was that he was sure that the crew would have to abort the mission.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by kamalpreet singh from Pixabay ]


He explained he thought this was going to happen since he saw a 50-50 chance of making a landing on the moon in the first attempt. Armstrong also said there were so many “unknowns” on the descent from the lunar orbit to the surface that hadn’t been demonstrated by testing at that time that it was possible to find something that forced them to abort the mission.

The Person who coined the Phrase “Software Engineering” had a Role in the Mission

Another fact that many people don’t know about the moon landing mission is that Margaret Hamilton, the woman who coined the phrase “software engineering” in the 1960s, was the person who led the team that wrote every single line of code for the Apollo Guidance Computer.



[Photo Courtesy: Margaret Hamilton / wikimediacommons.com ]


Her most famous photo is one that shows Hamilton with a stack of printed-out code. Believe it or not, experts have pointed out it was that code that was sent on the mission to the moon.

The Source Code was Full of Political References and Funny Jokes

The reason why this is one of the funniest facts is not only because it was revealed recently but also because most people, including some major media outlets, speculated for years about what these codes could mean, giving some suggestions that ended up being completely wrong.



[Photo Courtesy: Source Code / wikimediacommons.com ]


After all, when former NASA intern Chris Garry uploaded the moon landing mission’s source code to GitHub, it was revealed a piece of flight software that was full of jokes and political references from the 1960s.

Armstrong took pieces of the Wright Brothers’ First Aircraft to the Moon

The history behind this amazing fact started a couple of months after the mission when the Air Force contacted Armstrong to know if he would like to take pieces of the Wright Brothers’ first aircraft to the moon with him. As a reward, he would be allowed to keep half of those historic pieces.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by WikiImages from Pixabay ]


In a recent interview, Armstrong’s son Mark said that his father accepted the request immediately as he was a fan of the Wright Brothers and he thought that the symbolism of taking their first aircraft’s pieces to his mission was outstanding.

The Apollo 11 was Low on Fuel After Landing

While the mission was an absolute success, it is a fact that it was full of little problems and issues that could have been really big if it wasn’t for the astronauts’ efficiency.



[Photo Courtesy: Rocket Fuel Tanks / SnappyGoat]


One of these episodes took place right after Apollo 11 landed on the moon when the crew noticed that the spacecraft was low on fuel. In fact, many alarms sounded a couple of seconds before landing.

Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong have joked about the incident in several interviews after the mission.

The Spacecraft was Going to land in a Boulder-Filled Crater

The reason why this situation took place was because of the spacecraft’s computer, which was put to the test during the landing. The computer attempted to land the so-called Eagle in a crater that was full of boulders, which could have ruined the mission and risk the astronauts’ lives.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Craters / US National Archives]


In one of the first interviews after returning to earth, Armstrong said that he had to take manual control of the Eagle in order to find a safer place for them to land.

The Spacecraft Landed in the wrong location

Given the fact that Armstrong had to take manual control to prevent landing in the boulder-filled crater, and that fuel was low enough to make it impossible to restart this part of the mission, the spacecraft eventually landed in the wrong place. In fact, Apollo 11 landed 4 miles from the exact location where it was supposed to.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by WikiImages from Pixabay ]


Armstrong revealed in the interview that he flew the Apollo 11 as a helicopter out to the moon’s west direction in order to make this happen.

The “Small Step” was Actually a Big Leap

Considering that the spacecraft had to reconfigure the landing site, Armstrong’s landing was good enough to prevent the module’s pads and legs from collapsing.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 11 Leap / US National Archives ]


However, this situation meant that the bottom rung of the spacecraft’s ladder was almost 4 feet above the ground. And, of course, in order to get to the moon’s surface for that first official step, Armstrong had to hop off the ladder and then back up to it so he could reach it again.

After that, the “one small step” episode took place, representing a turning point in human history.

The First Step Happened Late at Night

Over the last few years, experts have been pointing out that one of the reasons why the moon landing remained as one of the most memorable moments for an entire generation was because it took place at 10:56 PM Eastern Time, pointing out this wouldn’t be the same if it happened in the morning or the afternoon.



[Photo Courtesy: Moon Steps / Picryl]


The moon landing took place in Africa and Europe’s early morning while it happened in Asia and Oceania’s morning. 

The Moon Landing was one of the Most-Watched events in History

Despite the fact many people in Africa, Europe, and the United States were sleeping during this event because of the hour, the truth is that an estimated 600 million people around the world watched the Apollo 11 land on live television, which made it one of the most-watched events in human history.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by WikiImages from Pixabay]


Far from being famous only in the United States and Canada, the astronauts became absolute superstars in almost every country around the world because of the historic transmission.

Disneyland Guests Took a Break from Mickey and Minnie to Watch the Event

Naturally, the moon landing was highly expected in every part of the world considering the big amount of announcements TV networks made.
Because of this, there were several situations in which people stopped doing what they were doing only to watch the moon landing. Professors were pausing their classes and even some workers at restaurants stopped working momentarily.



[Photo Courtesy: Disneyland / Snappygoat.com]


Of course, one of the most memorable scenes took place at Disneyland, where thousands of guests took a break and gathered at the Tomorrowland stage to watch the moon landing.

Armstrong Didn’t say his Most Famous Line

One of the most mind-blowing facts about the moon landing was that Neil Armstrong never said his “one step” famous line following the moon landing.
Believe it or not, we’re talking about one of those moments in which the misconception becomes so popular that it eventually becomes the reality for the majority. After all, the phrase “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” is already the most iconic reference for many people in the United States and all across the world.



[Photo Courtesy: USA Today / YouTube]


However, what Armstrong really said was “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” And while many people didn’t think this was true, a computer programmer used a piece of software to analyze Armstrong’s words in the year 2006 and found that the “a” was actually there.

Apollo 11 was one of the Space Missions with the most Scientists Involved

Another incredible fact about the moon landing was that it involved over 400,000 scientists, technicians, and engineers, which made it the space mission with the most experts involved.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo Scientist / Picryl]]


According to a CNN report, this situation is not a surprise considering the importance that the mission represented, not only for NASA but also for the United States government. In fact, as it was previously mentioned, there was so much money involved in the operation that it remains one of the most expensive in history.

The Astronauts had some Autographed Pictures as Life Insurance

In addition to being quite astonishing, the truth is that this situation also shows the cleverness of Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong. After all, they decided a couple of weeks before the moon landing mission that in order to guarantee their families future in case they couldn’t return to earth, the key was to sign their autographs on hundreds and hundreds of pictures.



[Photo Courtesy:Official Crew Photo / Picryl]


In case anything went wrong, these pictures were going to be auctioned off, and the money would go to their families.

The Rocks They Brought Back from the Moon were Older than Expected

In different interviews, the astronauts explained that they agreed to take something from the moon back to earth, not only because of it being the first time in history that a human being walked across the Moon’s surface, but also because they knew it was almost impossible to have another opportunity of doing it.



[Photo Courtesy: The Telegraph / YouTube]


They decided to take back some rocks, which they and NASA thought would have a lot of time existing. However, the surprise came when the agency discovered these rocks were estimated to be between 3.8 billion and 4 billion years old.

The Astronauts’ Bag of Moon Dust was Sold for less than $1,000

While taking back some rocks was a decision taken by the astronauts, NASA did ask them to bring back some moon dust to study and analyze it. However, that bag was purchased by a woman named Nancy Lee Carlson from a government auction site for $995 in the year 2015.



[Photo Courtesy: Moon Sand / wikimediacommons.com ]


What’s even more astonishing was that NASA eventually recovered the bag and refused to give it back, prompting Carlson to take the agency to court, where a judge ruled in her favor.

The Moon has a Distinct Smell

One thing that NASA couldn’t have known about the moon that the astronauts would soon discover for themselves is how exactly it smelled. The truth is that Armstrong and Aldrin revealed the moon had a distinctive smell. However, the curious detail on this situation was that both had different opinions on the moon’s aroma.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by Thanks for your Like • donations welcome from Pixabay ]


On one hand, Armstrong said that the moon smelled like wet ashes, while Aldrin said that the moon smelled like a combination between gunpowder and metal.

Aldrin had to Fill Out an Expense Report for the Mission

Despite the fact he made history by being part of the Apollo 11 mission, was one of the few human beings who ever walked the moon, and was one of the most famous poeple in the world, Buzz Aldrin was forced to fill out his expense reports.



[Photo Courtesy: Kennedy Building / US National Archives]


The famous astronaut, who officially retired in the year 1971, requested reimbursement for $33 in travel expenses while traveling from and to Cape Kennedy. You would think with the importance of this mission he would have been picked up. 

The Astronauts Left Many Items on the Moon

In addition to the American flag they planted on the moon, Aldrin and Armstrong left a bunch of items on the Earth’s natural satellite.



[Photo Courtesy: Image by Alemko Coksa from Pixabay ]


Among the items that remained on the moon were different messages from 73 presidents and world leaders, a patch from the Apollo 1 mission that never launched because of the death of three of its astronauts during a training exercise, and a gold pin in the shape of an olive branch which was meant to symbolize peace.

Planting the US Flag was a Difficult Task

The detail about the moon that ended up being quite different from what NASA studies pointed out was the moon’s surface. After all, the agency said that this one would be soft enough to plant the American flag, an action that NASA ordered Aldrin and Armstrong to do. 



[Photo Courtesy: Planting Flag / Picryl]


Far from being soft, the astronauts found that the surface was quite hard since it was made of rock with layers of dust on the top.
Given this situation, the astronauts said that planting the flag was probably their most difficult task during the mission.

Legal Issues from the Apollo 8 Mission Caused a Significant Change of Plans

During the Apollo 11 mission, Aldrin wanted to read a communion passage, but NASA asked him not to do it.



[Photo Courtesy: Apollo 8 Astronaut / Snappy Goat]


The reason behind this decision was the Apollo 8 mission, which had one of their astronauts reading a verse from Genesis in order to mark the occasion for the people who were following the mission on Christmas Eve. However, the reading enraged an atheist who sued NASA for violating her First Amendment rights.

While the case was thrown out almost immediately, the agency didn’t want to take any chances.

The First Item that was Eaten on the Moon was a Communion Wafer

During an interview, Aldrin said that while NASA forced him not to share the communion passage he wanted to, he remained loyal to his religious beliefs and read it for himself right after landing on the moon. The astronaut also revealed that he decided to eat the communion wafer and swallow it with wine.



[Photo Courtesy: Bread and Wine / Pixy.org]


When asked why he took that decision, Aldrin said that he wanted the first food and the first liquid consumed on the moon by humans to be the communion elements.