Moonwalk's 40th Anniversary

Project Apollo 11, aboard a Saturn V rocket, blasts off to the moon from Cape Kennedy, Fla., July 16, 1969. The first landing of a human being on the moon on July 20, 1969 celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

The emblem of Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar landing, which was achieved by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969.

This graphic shows the parts of the Saturn V rocket and tracks Apollo 11's journey to the moon and back.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander, is seen inside the Lunar Module while the is rests on the lunar surface, July 20, 1969. Astronauts Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., the lunar module pilot, had already completed their extravehicular activity when this picture was taken.

A crowd watches in New York's Central Park as the Apollo 11 crew lands on the moon, July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descends the steps of Lunar Module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon, July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot walks near the lunar module during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity, July 20, 1969.

Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong walks slowly away from the lunar module to explore the surface of the moon, July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., the lunar module pilot, prepares to deploy the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package during the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity, July 20, 1969.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, left, and Buzz Aldrin place an American flag on the surface of the moon near the lander that brought them to the lunar surface, July 20, 1969.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks by the footpad of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, July 20, 1969.

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, right, trudges across the surface of the moon leaving behind footprints, July 20, 1969. The U.S. flag, planted on the surface by the astronauts, can be seen between Armstrong and the lunar module. Edwin E. Aldrin is seen closer to the craft. The men reported the surface of the moon was like soft sand and they left footprints several inches deep wherever they walked.

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module's ascent stage is photographed from the command service module during a rendezvous in lunar orbit, July 20, 1969. The large, dark-colored area in the background is Smith's Sea, located at 85 degrees East longitude and 2 degrees South latitude on the lunar surface. This view is looking West. The Earth is seen rising above the lunar horizon.

A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows the soft, powder-like surface of the moon, July 20, 1969.

Most of Africa and portions of Europe and Asia can be seen in this spectacular photograph taken from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its translunar coast toward the moon, during the month of July, 1969. Apollo 11 was already about 98,000 nautical miles from earth when this picture was made.

U.S. Navy personnel, protected by Biological Isolation Garments, is recovering the Apollo 11 crew from the re-entry vehicle, which landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969, after an eight-day mission on the moon.

Apollo 11 astronauts stand next to their spacecraft in 1969, from left to right: Col. Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, lunar module pilot; Neil Armstrong, flight commander; and Lt. Michael Collins, command module pilot.

Richard Nixon, back to camera, greets the Apollo 11 astronauts in the quarantine van on board the U.S.S. Hornet after splashdown and recovery, July 24, 1969. The Apollo 11 crew, from left: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.