Like every good story, the first trip to the moon could not but count on a dose of bizarre curiosities! Here is a list of ten crazy facts about one of the main landmarks of space exploration:

1. Space Bureaucracy

Back on planet Earth, the Apollo 11 crew had to fill out customs forms. That's right! As part of their mission to bring in rocks and moon dust, the astronauts had to declare "their property, " or in this case, their charge. The document was based on a flight route from Cape Kennedy, Florida, to the moon and ending in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. Crazing Environmentalists

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left trash on the moon. In addition to a package containing leftover food and crew droppings, various space utensils were also discarded - the idea was to make room for the lunar module so that astronauts could collect the rocks and the lunar dust. . In fact, a number of items were left on the lunar surface, including: medals honoring Apollo 1 astronauts, a silicon disc containing “nice” messages from 73 countries, and a kind of “leg” of the lunar module - to which added a sign that read, "Here the men of planet Earth set foot for the first time on the moon. July 1969, AD We have come in peace for all mankind." The items remain on the moon to this day.

3. The moon is not for everyone

Although Apollo 11 left Earth with three crew on board, only two actually stepped on the moon. While Armstrong and Buzz arrived at the star in the lunar module, Collins remained in command, orbiting the satellite. Alone for more than 20 hours inside the capsule, the third astronaut would have to return to Earth alone if the other two were trapped on the moon - a possibility that terrified Collins. During the time spent alone orbiting, the crewman even wrote that abandoning his colleagues, if necessary, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

4. Prepared for the worst

President Richard Nixon had a speech prepared in case Armstrong and Buzz couldn't make it back from the moon. It may sound macabre, but it seemed that the chances of that happening were really great! The lunar module could fail or not reconnect to the command module, causing accidents or even leaving the two astronauts trapped in the satellite. Even the sorry speech was elaborated even before the moon walk. Nixon would first contact Armstrong and Buzz's wives and then begin his speech with the following sentence: “Fate ordered the men who went to the moon to explore it. in peace remain on the moon to rest in peace. ”

5. A name almost without images

Although Neil Armstrong is the best-known name in the history of the first trip to the moon, most of the expedition photos actually show Buzz Aldrin. The only images in which Armstrong appears are: a picture taken by his companion, in which he appears with his back to the camera near the lunar module; and an image of Buzz, in which Armstrong appears in the reflection of his colleague's visor.

6. Wrong quote

“A small step for the man” or “A small step for ONE man”? Armstrong's famous phrase became known in the first form, "for man." However, the astronaut insists on the second formulation. The confusion can be explained by looking at the English phrase: “That's a small steep for a man” - in this case, the radio noise coupled with Armstrong's accent would have “cut off” the pronunciation of “a”, creating the sentence as We met her today. Researchers have even formulated studies on the issue by conducting experiments with accents similar to the author of the sentence.

7. Flag of Discord

The origin of the American flag nailed to the lunar surface remains a mystery. At least two companies claim to be the manufacturer of the object. NASA itself would have suggested that the purchase of the flag was made at Sears. As the story was never confirmed, there are others: Engineer Jack Kinzler reportedly said the purchase was made through a government catalog. Truth or myth, detail will always be a matter of contention.

8. No insurance

Imagine getting a chance to be the first man to set foot on the moon, plus having to take out life insurance. Because the risks were so many, the value of the insurance would have been so incredibly expensive that an alternative had to be found. The way out was to leave a series of autographs that families could sell if astronauts lost their lives during the mission. Envelopes signed on the launch and moon landing dates would be worth millions if the worst had happened.

9. A Religious Ritual in Space

Religious, Buzz Aldrin had special permission to bring bread and wine aboard the aircraft and commune. Shortly before the first walk under lunar soil, the astronaut asked the ground crew for silence and asked each one to thank that landmark in their own way. The first meal on the moon came after reading a biblical passage, crowning the religious ritual. Even today, the church of which Buzz was part celebrates the "Lunar Communion Sunday", in honor of the event.

10. Isolation

Returning to Earth on July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 crew was quarantined. After the mission, the astronauts were in isolation for three weeks before contacting others again. Since the moon was still unknown territory, it could contain lethal or harmful microorganisms to human health. The material collected by the travelers, as well as their costumes, was also examined and monitored. The precaution ended only four lunar missions later: on Apollo 15, NASA had already found that the moon was a barren environment.

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