Apollo 11 – The First Humans on the Moon

March, 2006

At that time, the world had lived great moments regarding several aspects of mankind history. The 20^th century was without doubt, the most extraordinary and changeable century of all, in which humankind has learned much and further, has experienced many situations, has felt so many different feelings. So many men have learned with all that.

While War outside was happening, great achievements were being reached, Gandhi in India, showing people that being good was still possible, despite of all War wounds in our hearts. The State of Israel being built, John Kennedy’s politics concern difficult social aspects… Everything part of an effort to rebuild life injured by the hardest aspects of the War.

In this meantime, as an unpleasant result of the World War II, Cold War rises engendering a suspicions mood throughout the world. Again mankind was threatened by its own feelings. Despite of the worst aspects of it, hope is a canny feeling and the best friend someone could have. Capable of extraordinary achievements this little feeling made possible one of the greatest moments of the 20^th as many people say: the landing of Man on the Moon. Suddenly, everything has become so small, every single problem that humankind could have had seemed so insignificant....so childish, everything has turned into a new perspective, new meanings, new views....For the very first time we were able to see how small we are, in every aspect. New and wonderful dimensions have come crossing us, after that. This is incontestable.

President John F. Kennedy’s goal of “landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth” was fulfilled with Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, becoming the first humans to land on the Moon at July 20, 1969. Unfortunately, President Kennedy didn’t see his dream come true; he died one year before that.

Part of a consequence of the Cold War and the competition between the two greatest nations of the bipolar world, the spatial race, as well as many others, has initiated among these two worlds as an attempt to prove which economic system would be the best one to endure. As a counterpart, the spatial program has become a greater thing than just a political fight, and joined with this, people’s eager for hope and better perspective of future after the War, has contributed to make this project so well succeeded.

July 20, 1969 has marked an epoch and Armstrong’s line will be forever echoing in our ears….”That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind”. This has changed a generation and furthermore, has opened a new era to mankind.